BANGKOK — Wandering around the Chinese book exhibition booth at the Bangkok International Book Fair 2026, Parichat Jomklin, a freshman at Thailand's Sripatum University, focused her gaze on a Chinese novel featuring ancient-style detective stories.
After flipping through a few pages, she turned to the staff to purchase it without hesitation.
"I want to improve my Chinese skills by reading original books. Although I can't fully understand everything now, I believe it will help me gradually improve my language skills over time," said Parichat, who majors in business Chinese.
Fascinated by China's economic and social achievements and its culture, readers flocked to the 700-plus books at the Chinese exhibition booth, which featured a dozen publishing houses from China, opening a window for international publishers and Thai readers to better understand the country.
"Our team is getting stronger and occupies a bigger booth this year," said Li Yan, organizer of the participating Chinese publishing houses, noting that they brought more than 500 genres of books that meet the local market demands in Thailand and are eligible for copyright exports, aiming to present the latest outcomes of the Chinese publishing industry.
Wang Lei, vice-general manager of China Renmin University Press, who participated in the book fair for the first time, said that during negotiations with Thai publishing counterparts, he learned they are particularly interested in topics such as artificial intelligence, big data and psychology.
He plans to strengthen his contacts and cooperation with the publishing house counterparts of local universities. "It would be a good way to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Thailand," he said.
The 12-day book fair, which ended on April 6, saw the popularity of Thai versions of Chinese books, ranging from online literature to children's books.
Thailand's Mangmoom Culture Co, which publishes children's books and translated literature, exhibited many Thai versions of Chinese picture books and novels.
Among them, the hardcover, interactive picture book I Want to Be a Doctor, which was introduced by the company, gained popularity among Thai parents.
Local resident Trairat and his wife took a liking to the picture book for its excellent design and immediately bought it. "I work with children, so the book can not only help me with my work but also be used for my child," said Trairat, who attends the book fair every year.
Yu Chunhua, deputy general manager of Thailand's publishing house Hongsamut, a consistent participant in the book fairs, found that in recent years, Chinese encyclopedias and history books have also captivated Thai readers, which sparked his inspiration.
Hongsamut released the Thai version of a book on Chinese history during this year's book fair and received a warm response from local readers. "This reflects Thai readers' desire to further explore Chinese culture," said Yu.
