THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Travelling with the printed page

Travelling with the printed page

New bookshop World at the Corner in Bangkok’s old town is the brainchild of the Prakobsantisuk siblings: Nat, a well-known fashion photographer and his sister Sivika, a talented writer with a unique style that successfully conveys the passion and soul of each travel destination she has visited.

 The bookshop is located in a classic wooden house in Soi Mahannop and its shelves groan under a fascinating selection of books from around the world. 
Nat seeks new inspirations from meeting new people and says his passion from reading from a young age made him want to set up the bookshop offering inexpensive titles. 
“Back when I was studying for my bachelor’s degree (at Chulalongkorn University), I was assigned to read books that were only available at DK Bookstore at Siam Square. They were very expensive and I could not afford them, so I had to borrow from either my friends or my teachers and photocopy them. It was my dream to own beautiful foreign books. Seeing them and owning them brought me great joy, so I’d always wanted to have my own bookshop. I felt it would make me very happy to be surrounded by my passion, and that’s one of my goals in life,” says Nat.

Nat and Sivika Prakobsantisuk
He wants to make World at the Corner a bookshop that introduces people to deeper stories about various countries beyond what guide books offer. The Prakobsantisuk siblings source books from around the world, from novels written by local writer to books about various aspects of a country, such as cooking, art and culture. These stories will inspire readers to learn more about that country or travel to that country.

And he isn’t worried about the move to digital books, pointing out that printed books are forever, and every book in this shop is new, purchased from his favorite countries.
“These books are popular among a specific group of readers because they tell interesting stories, such as historical aspects that are not available online. The touch of paper and the layouts make reading books more engaging than reading stuff online. This is the beauty of reading books.”

Travelling with the printed page
“When I travel, I always bring back books, and I find that there are usually interesting books in smaller bookshops, something not available in big bookstores. I like going to these little bookshops and I find interesting books from China and India, for example. In the future, we will add more books to our shop. The highlight of World at the Corner is a selection of rare books and local books offering stories about each country. This is what makes us different from other bookstores -- it is a place for exchanging experiences.

Actor Sunny Suwanmethanont
“You can go to a big bookstore with thousands of books, but sometimes it can be overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to begin. If you come here, you only have to pick a destination and there are many books for you to choose from. We’ve selected the best books for our readers,” Nat adds. 
World at the Corner is on Soi Mahannop 1 in Phra Nakhon and open Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 7pm. Find out more at www.facebook.com/worldatthecorner.

Travelling with the printed page

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