Last-quarter sales loss put at Bt1.5 bn

“Consumers will spend money |on necessities and fixing their homes as the key priority rather than |buying discretionary items such as books,” Worapan Lokitsataporn, |president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, said yesterday.
“There are more than 3,000 bookstores, including Book Smile shops operated by 7-Eleven, throughout the country, and about 500 of them, mainly in Greater Bangkok, have been affected by the flood,” he said.
The industry had targeted growth of 5-7 per cent to Bt21 billion this year, but now 50-60 publishers in Bangkok have been seriously affected and had to shut down. They cannot deliver to retail outlets as many transport routes have been swamped.
The flood has become a major problem at the national level and many publishers have suspended their book deliveries until the situation is completely improved. The recent National Book Expo saw attendance drop by 10 per cent from 1.5 million visitors last year and book sales dive by 30 per cent to about Bt350 million from Bt500 million last year, Worapan said.
The industry wants the government to provide some assistance, including the restoration of learning centres such as public and school libraries. The assistance should be both physical and financial, such as purchasing new books to replace damaged ones. Hundreds of schools have been flooded.
“The government should have such financial measures to assist publishers and bookstores affected by the flood, such as providing loans at special or zero interest rates. They should also reduce income taxes for companies and individuals in the provinces that have been declared disaster zones,” Worapan said.
The government should also urge insurance companies to include flood losses in their policies, he added.