READER AWARDS: DO YOU TRUST THEM?

Barely a day goes by without a magazine appearing with its own 'reader awards'.
Yesterday, for example, Bangkok-based Lifestyle + Travel magazine announced its readers had voted 55 at Centara Grand as Thailand's Best Restaurant. Similarly the August edition of U.S. magazine Travel + Leisure ranks Bangkok in third place (down from first place in 2008) in its own World's Best Cities reader awards.
Many magazines and newspapers operate similar awards. They extend the brand and provide interaction with readers, but how believable are they and how much are they influenced by advertising? Or worse still, how susceptible are they to vote rigging?
I'm a fan of ranking reports that use tried an tested, and independent, methodology to place companies, products or services in order. They tend to have far more credibility and, over time, establish much more of an image and reputation.

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FARANG: GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

More than two years after its final edition there's one magazine that holds a special place in the hearts of many visitors to Thailand as well as long term expats.
The last edition of Farang magazine, which later became Untamed Travel, was published in March 2007 but in September the story of the magazine is set to be told in the soon-to-be-launched Southeast Asia Globe magazine.
Cameron Cooper, Farang's former Managing Director and now Managing Editor for the new title, tells The Bangkok Bugle: "Anyone who cares to read a lengthier story about what happened with Farang should pick up the September debut issue of the Thai edition of the Southeast Asia Globe, because I will spill my guts on the subject over the course of 2,000 words or so. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and perhaps spare a moment to contemplate the frailty of the human condition."
Commenting on my post last year which revealed copies of the magazine were still being sold long after it had ceased publishing, Cameron says: "I'm glad to hear some people still lament its passing, I know all of us working there did." And in a story that will be familiar to every publisher in Thailand, he adds: "There was never a problem with readership, it was rather the problem of convincing advertisers that while under the name Farang, was in fact the best selling domestic English language magazine in the country for at least three years - with Metro, which has also ceased publishing, coming in not too horribly far behind. This was according to Asia Books and Bookazine. But in this unaudited market anyone can make that claim, and they did."
From the outside Farang looked like a profitable title, but Cameron explains: "Advertisers didn't know what to make of it because it didn't fit into any marketing textbook niche. Perhaps our own branding could have been done better, who knows? But slowly we lost a small bit of money each month until the debt grew unmanageable, and we finally closed the doors after the March 2007 issue."
Cameron concludes by saying: "For those who enjoyed it, thanks for reading it all those years. We loved producing it and in all it was a great. if somewhat heartbreaking, experience."
The first issue of the Thailand edition of Southeast Asia Globe magazine is set to appear in September 2009.

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NEW MAGAZINE: A CUT ABOVE

AHead magazine is the latest new magazine to hit the shelves, underlining my belief that Thailand is bucking the global print media trend with more launches than closures.
This magazine is very niche, both in its content and its targeted readership, yet publications like this still manage to find their way into the mass market bookshops throughout Bangkok.
AHead bills itself as 'Training and Education Archives for Salon and Hairdressing.' There are almost as many salons as 7-Eleven stores in the city, but with this magazine priced at 150 baht it's likely to appeal only to the high end establishments.
In terms of production the magazine runs to 60 glossy pages, and it comes with an educational DVD. For a first edition it's got a reasonable level of advertising. Although I cannot read Thai the design and layout comes across as being educational and authoritative.
I wonder if the publisher has considered a more targeted approach to selling single copies and subscriptions?

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REDS IN THAILAND, IN PRINT

Liverpool Football Club were still in South East Asia when the latest edition of Star's Sports magazine hit the shelves in Bangkok, with pictures from last Wednesday's 1-1 draw between Thailand and Liverpool Football Club at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium adorning the front cover
Liverpool subsequently went on to demolish the Singapore national team 5-0 on Sunday evening.
The Thai language weekly magazine Star's Sports is long established and this edition features four pages of pictures, reports and team news from the Thailand game. The magazine also features football news, pictures and player posters from around the world.
This edition runs to 54 pages and costs just 20 baht. It is published by the experienced (and Thai Stock Exchange- listed) Siam Sports Syndicate publishing group.

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PUTTING A STOP TO CASUAL READING

I've noticed more bookshops in Bangkok are making efforts to stop the casual reading of newspapers and magazine in their shops.
It's common to buy your copy of The Bangkok Post or The Nation with a staple through the cover, but in recent weeks I have noticed an increasing trend in the use of stick tape to keep the pages of magazines closed. The use of sealed plastic bags is also increasing.
As a publisher I am not entirely happy about it. I accept a proportion of sales will come from casual readers flipping through the magazine and seeing something that takes their fancy. But why can't publishers have a single 'read me' copy and keep all the others in an unread, pristine condition. It might also be possible to offer tear-out vouchers within that 'read me' copy to further push the buy-me buttons in the reader.
But this 'sealed copy' stance does lead to lost sales. I did not buy a copy of Time last weekend because it was sealed and I could not see that table of contents.

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SELLING MAGAZINES DOESN'T MATTER

That was the rather weird conclusion I got last week with a meeting with one of Thailand's leading magazine wholesalers and distributors.
Many publishers, according to the representative, don't care how many copies they sell; they just want copies in the shops for branding and exposure, and because it looks good. Bad selling magazines remain on sale because the publisher demands exposure.
This is a crazy way if doing business - not least for the bookshop that gets absolutely nothing until a magazine is sold. And I guess this business methodology also explains why so many weird and wonderful magazine remain on-sale when, one can easily argue, there's absolutely no mass market for them.

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NEW MAGAZINE: POOR USE OF ENGLISH

To professionally publish anything in English you really need to have someone with native English skills proofread your content. Sadly, the latest magazine to appear on the shelves in Bangkok hasn't followed this rule - with what can only be described as hilarious results.
Open Thailand magazine bills itself as an "inflight magazine" - but without any airline affiliations. I'll write more about why this concept, in my opinion, is flawed a little later.
This is a bilingual magazine, is priced at 60 baht and runs to 64 pages. It is published by "IIC Intention Idea Cuccess". No, that's not a spelling mistake, and when a magazine cannot even get its own company correct, and that of its printer ("AB Best Service Limited Partnerhip") then you know they've got problems.
I could write reams about some of frankly comical use of English in this magazine, but I'll just give you a single example here. This is the introduction for a story about Chatuchak Weekend Market. My use of grammar and punctuation is exactly as it appears in print.

"When mention Chatuchak Weekend Market Or Jatujak Plaza Believe that both Thai and foreigners to sing OH !!! ... I see ... it immediately because this market is like. "Shopping paradise of a real" because the goods are sold to multiple formats. From local product Basketwork Accessories On page love pets look like brother and brother bad brother cat parrot colored crystalline voice."

What I find equally worrying is, in the editor's talk, is says the magazine will: ".. enhance skills in reading, English students and students with all bookish." Do your skills in English students need enhancing? And are you a student with all bookish?
The concept is flawed too. Aside from the fact no airline is likely to choose to take a magazine with such poorly written content onboard, they all have their own magazines anyway. Any serious and reputable magazine is already distributed to airline lounges and onboard. Unless a magazine can offer something new and, importantly, something professional, it's not going to come close to getting onto any airline.
Poor use of English in publications in Thailand is not uncommon, and it's one of the reasons I originally came to work in Bangkok. Publishers that intend to use English need to invest in either native English proofreading or copy checking from Thais with near native skills. Either way it costs money, but the cost of poorly produced English language content in the long term is far, far more.

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HEADLINE OF THE YEAR, SO FAR

From The Bangkok Post, online.

"Innocent motorbike killed at Asean"

The story is currently appearing here. I say currently because if the past is anything to go by this headline will likely be rewritten anytime soon.
The story involves a suspect motorbike that was destroyed close to where the ASEAN meeting is taking place on the island of Phuket. The motorbike was subsequently discovered not to have contained any explosives.
Another 'lost in translation' story where you know what they mean, but ... .

ADD:
Five minutes after posting this story the motorbike is no longer innocent. It's merely harmless now and was destroyed, not killed.

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VOICE OF TAKSIN MAGAZINE: FIRST LOOK

In media reports earlier this week it was suggested the new Voice of Taksin magazine would make its debut on Sunday, however copies have already started to appear across Bangkok.
At first glance the front page of the 40 baht, 72-page publication looks a little like Time, however that's where the similarities end. Production wise it looks like a magazine that's been put together in a rush, and I think one could easily provide the same content in about 20 less pages with a better, more regimented design. There is no advertising whatsoever in the debut issue however you can buy a full page ad for 50,000 baht if you want.
Content wise there are more than 25 pictures of the former Thai prime minister, as well as columns on Michael Jackson and food. It's also obvious a lot of the pictures that have been used are low-res screen grabs.
I also have to question the use of 'Taksin" and not the more commonly used "Thaksin" for the name of this magazine? If you Google the former you are asked if you actually mean the latter. King Taksin reigned in Thailand in the late 1700s whereas Thaksin Shinawatra was Prime Minister of Thailand from February 2001 until the coup of September 19 2006. (The Royal Thai Police must issue a license for all new publications and would likely have seen a copy of the intended masthead prior to publication).
Voice of Taksin is published by Somyod Prueksakasemsuk, one of the leaders of the anti-Government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, and is set to appear every two weeks.

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MASKS IN THE OFFICE: GOOD OR BAD?

Yesterday I posed a question on Twitter: In a business meeting, what impression would you give by wearing a face mask when your hosts were not, and vice-versa?
@MichaelBkk and @wise_kwai both commented they'd think the face mask wearer was sick and therefore should be at home. @bangkokbronnie suggested more eye contact would be needed, which could be positive for the relationship.
It's an interesting question, considering the actual health value of wearing face masks is not all that great. But when you have a meeting and yours hosts are wearing masks would you feel compelled to do likewise?

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NEW PUBLICATIONS STILL NEED A LICENSE

The Bangkok Post reports Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban is "unfazed" by the coming launch on Sunday of the Voice of Thaksin twice-a-month magazine.
Under the current publishing laws a license from the Royal Thai Police is required for all new publications, so if they were bothered by this and the other 'red shirt' titles that have been born in recent months, they could have chosen not to grant a license.

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RED OR DEAD? BOTH IF YOU'RE THAI RATH

Thai Rath, Thailand's most popular newspaper, hit the global headlines recently when it published a graphic image of the death of actor David Carradine. For those outside Thailand it was pretty shocking, however pictures of accidents and crime scenes are a common sight on its front page.
Today is no different as you can see from what appears above the fold.
The picture on the top right shows Liverpool Football Club's arrival in Bangkok, whereas the second image shows the dead body of a man under a truck. He is reported to have committed suicide after losing his job.
At least the image of Carradine was pixelated.

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NEW MAGAZINE: PLAY

In the past few months I've reported an average of three or four news magazines appearing on the shelves of bookshops in Thailand each month. There are no official figures but I suspect new launches are outweighing closures by at least two to one.
The latest magazine to appear is Play, and what makes this title unusual is it's the only title to appear this year that is licensed from overseas. All the other launches have been home grown magazines. (And all have been Thai; I have yet to see an English language launch this year).
Play is a Thai language edition of the American magazine of the same name published by Fusion Publishing Inc. In Thailand Play is published by the Future Gamer Company, an established publisher of computer and technology magazines and books.
Play is priced at 95 baht and runs to 90 pages. Advertising, as you might expect from a new, niche title, is minimal at just four pages.

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REDS IN BANGKOK

Liverpool Football Club arrives in Bangkok this afternoon ahead of Wednesday's match against the Thai national team.
Thailand warmed for the match, for which just a few thousand 1,750 baht and 2,500 baht tickets remain, with a 4-0 victory over Pakistan on Saturday. Liverpool lost 1-0 in Austria on Sunday against Rapid Vienna.
The game kicks off at 8pm and anyone planning to attend the game at the Rajamangala Stadium should allow a lot of time. The traffic is bad most evenings but it will be nothing short of chaotic on Wednesday.

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BANGKOK FROM A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE

I hope you enjoy these photographs. All 54 of them were taken this week with my Nikon D70s on my daily commute. There's very little digital manipulation; I used a mix of slow shutter speeds and camera movement to create these images. Each one is unique and I don't think I could recreate any of them if you asked me.

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WHY THAI AIRWAYS IS IN TROUBLE

Earlier this week Thai Airways International reported a large drop in passenger numbers, citing the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The national flag carrier has also been negotiating to delay the delivery (and payment) of its six Airbus A380s.
It's certain the H1N1 outbreak and the global economic crisis are taking there toll on international travel, but Thai's problems stem from their inability to compete on price.
To prove this I've conducted my own investigation. Using only airline websites and opting for the cheapest possible fares I discovered just how uncompetitive Thai Airways really is.
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The first theoretical trip is from Bangkok to Singapore, departing on the morning of Thursday, August 20th and returning on the evening of Sunday, August 23rd. To even the results I've included the extras to take account of a 20kg baggage allowance that is charged by some low-cost carriers.

Jetstar - 3,469 baht
Tiger Airways - 4,665 baht
Cathay Pacific - 5,710 baht
Thai Air Asia - 5,808 baht
Singapore Airlines - 8,420 baht
* Malaysia Airlines - 9,330 baht
Thai Airways - 9,825 baht

* Indirect flight.
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The second theoretical flight is on the ultra competitive Bangkok - London route on Tuesday, October 20th, returning a week later on Tuesday, October 27th. In the very few cases where pricing was not offered in Thai baht I have used exchange rates from xe.com.

* Qatar Airways - 25,855 baht
* Etihad - 28,120 baht
* Austrian Airlines - 28,135 baht
Eva Airways - 29,095 baht
* Air Berlin - 31,980 baht
* Turkish Airlines - 33,075 baht
* Malaysian Airlines - 33,490 baht
* Jet Airways - 34,920 baht
* Swiss - 35,880 baht
British Airways - 36,790 baht
* KLM - 37,470 baht
* Gulf Air - 37,820 baht
* Emirates - 38,745 baht
* Lufthansa - 38,815 baht
* Alitalia - 41,204 baht
* Cathay Pacific - 43,135 baht
* Singapore Airlines - 44,010 baht
* Air France - 48,075 baht
Qantas - 49,090 baht
* Finnair - 49,415 baht
Thai Airways - 66,965 baht

* - Indirect flight.
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Just to reiterate these were the cheapest available options offered by the airlines' own websites and are inclusive of all applicable taxes. These rates were available for booking during the evening of Thursday, July 16.
Data from the company's Investor Relations website for May, the last available figures, shows a total load factor across the airline of 57.5 per cent - down 15.2 per cent from the same month last year. The only area where the company is making money from its passenger services in on domestic routes.
You can see clearly that Thai Airways may be citing man reasons for its current problems, but when it comes down to price they're the most expensive. And in the current economic climate that makes all the difference.

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OH, PHUKET !

Here's some rather unique marketing from Air Asia. I don't think we'll be seeing this in Thailand.

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THAI GIRLS IN ZOO (MAGAZINE, THAT IS)

The guys over at the Thai language licensed edition of lads mag Zoo magazine know how to have a laugh.
Launched more than 14 months ago the magazine, published here by Inspire Entertainment Co. Limited, appears to be going from strength to strength.
To mark their first year a Zoo Girls Special List has been published featuring lots of studio shots of scantily clad Thai girls.
And the price for this special edition - a mere 69 baht. Not 65 baht, not 70 baht - 69 baht.
I wonder how many readers will notice?

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NATION: 'ALMOST A DOZEN RED SHIRT RAGS'

The Nation's Thaweeporn Kummetha writes today about the emergence of "almost a dozen" 'red' pro-Thaksin publications in Thailand.
The story questions why so many titles have been launched, and whether the sheer number of titles reflects a similar number of factions within the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship. It also suggests "disappointment" with the recently launched weekly newspaper Thai Red News might be one reason for the appearance of new titles.
What the story doesn't cover is the point I made earlier this week about whether the number of 'red' titles can survive financially. Advertising is limited, and although Thaksin retains popularity in parts of the country it will cost a lot to get these titles to all of his supporters.

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CNN'S DAN RIVERS GETS EMMY NOMINATION

CNN's Bangkok correspondent Dan Rivers has been nominated for an Emmy for his coverage of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. His nomination comes in the "Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Regular Scheduled Newscast".
On Twitter yesterday Rivers said: "Very chuffed I have been nominated for an Emmy. Low chance of winning against stiff competition but nice to get to the last six." Commenting in a story about his experiences on CNN he said: ""It was bad, and ... it's the kind of story you really feel emotionally. In that way, it's easy to write the story, because it just flows out. You feel passionate about it."
Rivers had to operate undercover for his Myanmar assignment and was constantly being hunted by the authorities.

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THAILAND JACKSON COVERAGE IS OK!

The Thai edition of OK! magazine has opted not to use the controversial 'final image' of a dying Michael Jackson on its cover this week.
Global publisher Northern & Shell is reported to have paid around US$ 500,000 for the U.S. and U.K. exclusive rights to the images of the star in an ambulance. MediaWeek reported those images were also set to be used in some of OK!'s 18 international editions.
The Thai edition of OK! is published by Media Transasia, and I suspect there would have been some additional costs involved in obtaining the rights to those images here. From my own experiences those costs are likely to have been way in excess of what the market here could justify. And I wonder too whether the graphic image of the dying star would have been considered culturally wrong when compared to the eventual front cover image choice of Jackson in his prime.
Copies of the U.K. edition of OK! have made in to the shelves in Thailand.

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THE DRAWBACKS OF MAGAZINE LICENSING

BusinessWeek is reportedly being offered for sale by McGraw-Hill, and regular readers of The Bangkok Bugle will know my connection with the Thai language licensed edition.
Earlier this year I blogged about the demise of print editions of Arena, Maxim and Cawaii and the possible impact on the licensed Thai editions. There is absolutely no suggestion that BusinessWeek will cease printing, but this does highlight how in this industry your ultimate destiny is controlled by what happens elsewhere.
There are more than 50 licensed Thai editions of overseas magazines but even with, in the case of BusinessWeek, an 80-year-old history, global brand image and reputation for high editorial standards, none of these local editions of international magazines can rest easy.
While our 'parent' in the United States is suffering some serious declines in revenue, we're still expanding our magazine as we approach our second anniversary next month. We're pressing ahead with plans to increase circulation and expand our readership. It would be foolish to pretend things are easy here, but I don't think they're anywhere near as bad as in other parts of the world.
So in the absence of facts and with so much speculation I think it's safe to say the coming months will be interesting.

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THIRD 'RED' PUBLICATION TO LAUNCH

Voice of Thaksin, a bi-monthly magazine for pro-Thaksin supporters will be launched next week, according to a report from The Nation. This will be the third 'red' publication to debut inside two months, with the Thai Red News newspaper and Red News magazine appearing for the first time in recent weeks.
Regardless of politics I seriously doubt there will be enough advertising and revenue from copy sales to justify three publications aimed at the same readership. Neither of the first two titles have achieved anything noteworthy on the advertising front so far, and I cannot really see this newcomer being any different.
Advertisers don't really want to be firmly associated with one side of the political divide; you only have to look at the problems being experienced by the 'yellow' ASTV Manager group to see that.

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SUMMER HOLIDAYS AT FORBES ASIA

"Forbes Asia will be taking its summer hiatus, returning in late August with an issue dated Sept. 7."
That's the message from the Singapore-based bi-weekly's editor Tim Ferguson at the end of his column in the current July 13 edition. So that's no magazine for almost two months. No advertising revenue. No revenue from sold magazines. No continuing brand awareness.
At a time when magazines around the world are pleading poverty having an almost two-month gap in issues isn't exactly good for business.

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JAMIE IN THAILAND, FINALLY

Copies of Jamie magazine, the food magazine published by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, have finally gone on sale in Thailand.
The fourth issue (dated July/August) of the bi-monthly magazine is currently available from Asia Books and Kinokuniya in Bangkok, some eight months after its UK debut.
Jamie is different from traditional food and cookery magazines in that it has more of a 'book' feel about it. And unlike other magazine its content does not date quickly.
I really like this magazine, and at least now I will not have to rely on trips to Singapore to get future copies.

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ECONOMIST: "EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED"

Distribution of this week's The Economist has returned to normal after last week's decision by its distributor here not to handle that edition due to coverage of Thailand's lese majeste laws.
Along with their copy of this week's edition, subscribers have received a letter in which The Economist says: "We are extremely disappointed with the service you have experienced. We are working with our distributor to improve matters .."
I doubt the publisher is likely to find any distributor that will handle such controversial content. They've used at least four distribution companies in the past 12 months alone, and have seen six issues - four this year - not distributed in the Kingdom.
But I do wonder what might have happened if last week's issue had been distributed, especially given the online version of the 'problem' story is freely accessible.

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MORE RED PUBLICATIONS

Red News magazine is the latest pro-Thaksin publication to appear on the shelves in Thailand.
This magazine, which is now into its third edition, comes after the recent launch of the weekly Thai Red News newspaper.
Priced at 40 baht and running to 52 pages, Red News contains no advertising. Although much of its content relates to 'red shirt' activities there are also food features, travel and a review of the latest Harry Potter movie.
With the amount of red ink used in this edition I cannot help but wonder whether the Kingdom may face a shortage in future months?

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MAGAZINE SHOWCASE AT SIAM PARAGON

A new addition at central Bangkok's Siam Paragon shopping center is the 'Magazine Gallery from The Magazine Association of Thailand'.
Located on the third floor outside Asia Books, the area seems intended to be a library where magazines from TMAT's members can be browsed.
Currently TMAT, which was founded in 2005, currently has around forty member companies. All the magazine on show are from member companies, and all are Thai publications.

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NEW DESIGN TO MARK 1,500TH POST

The Bangkok Bugle celebrates its 1,500th post today with a new design that, hopefully, will give this blog a more newsy feel whilst being easy on the eyes of its readers.
Content is, and will always be, king and you can expect to read more exclusive stories and interviews over the coming days and weeks.
I will continue to make small design tweaks over the coming days, however I would really like feedback - good and bad - from my readers.

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BUYING ENGLISH MAGAZINES IN THAILAND

An increasing number of bookshops in Thailand are stocking English language magazines.
With 54 stores nationwide Asia Books is the largest chain. Around two thirds of their stores are in Bangkok. The company purchased the Bookazine chain around a year ago, and while a small number of Bookazine outlets remain in Bangkok most have been re-branded as Asia Books outlets. B2S, which is part of the Central group, is number two in terms of outlets. These stores carry a good range of English and Thai magazines and can be found in all Central department stores.
Kinokuniya has three large stores in Bangkok that stock a good range of English, Thai, Japanese and Chinese magazines. For me, the Kinokuniya stores at Siam Paragon ranks as the best in Bangkok in terms of the sheer number and range of titles available.
The number one Thai language bookshop chain is Se-Ed, and in the past year they have started stocking a limited range of popular English magazines. Nai-In, which operates the stores at Suvarnabhumi Airport, also carries a small number of English publications.
The expat-focused Villa Supermarket chain also stocks a decent range of English magazines, and a range of popular titles can also be found at the checkouts at the Emporium and Siam Paragon supermarkets.
Bangkok has one discounted bookshop, The Book Lounge, which is operated by Asia Books and is located at Amarin Plaze. This shop stocks a reasonable range of English magazines. Regular readers of The Bangkok Bugle will know that a sizable number of English magazines also appear on sale at Chatuchak Weekend Market at substantially discounted prices.
Almost all of the imported English magazines are handled by Asia Books owned Distri Thai, so the range of titles does not vary much from store to store and chain to chain.

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NEW MAGAZINE ON THE SHELVES

Thailand continues to buck the global print media downturn as yet more magazines appear on the country's shelves each month.
The latest is The Prototype Electronics Magazine published by Innovative Experiment Co. Limited. Priced at 75 baht and running to 84 pages, this title can certainly be described as specialist and niche. As you would expect from a new magazine the advertising content is low at less than 10 per cent.
There are no official figures for the number of new magazines versus those that cease publishing, however it does seem the overall number of titles is increasing month by month.

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JACKSON MAGAZINES APPEAR IN THAILAND

Michael Jackson tribute magazines have started to appear on the shelves in Thailand.
Besides the weekly news magazines Nation Weekend and Matichon Weekly which appeared last weekend with Jackson front pages but limited content inside, the first special editions of regular Thai magazines have started to appear.
Leading the way is Michael Jackson Memories from Music Express magazine, published by Inspire Entertainment Co. Limited. Hot on its heels is In Memory of King of Pop from Who? Magazine, published by Solid Media (Thailand) Co. Limited. These editions are priced at 60 baht (£1.05, US$ 1.75) and 65 baht respectively. Both magazines are locally produced and are not related to similar named magazines overseas.
When I was in Singapore last weekend I counted at least a dozen local and imported magazines featuring the death of the pop icon. Only a few of those imported titles have made it into Thailand so far.

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POLICE DENY THAILAND ECONOMIST BAN

The Bangkok Post reports today that the Special Branch Police Division of the Royal Thai Police has denied banning sales of this week's edition of The Economist.
The story quotes Pol. Lt. Gen. Teeradej Rodphothong as saying his agency was not authorised to prohibit sellers from ordering the magazine for sale in Thailand, and it had still not examined whether the content offends the monarchy. But if anyone complains to the Police about the issue and the article breaks the lese majeste law, the officers would act against the sellers.
So it would appear even more certain that Thai distributors took the decision themselves, as it would be the sellers who could face action and not the publisher.

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ECONOMIST: DID COPIES GET TO THAILAND

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance is reporting about the non appearance of this week's edition of The Economist magazine in Thailand.
Subscriber copies, and those destined for the news trade, have not appeared. This is the fourth time this year this has happened. Interestingly the article which appears to have led to the decision by Thai distributors not to handle this edition is still available online and had not been blocked.
Normally copies of each week's edition arrive in Thailand around lunchtime each Friday. Subscribers were only notified of the problem at 4pm on Friday afternoon, which leads me to suspect copies did actually make it into the Kingdom before someone took the decision not to distribute this edition. Previously subscribers were notified shortly after the magazine went to press at 10pm on a Thursday evening.

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LIVERPOOL TICKETS SELLING FAST

Liverpool Football Club's match against the Thailand national team in Bangkok on July 22 looks set to be a sell out. As of today tickets in some parts of the ground have already sold out. Tickets are only available as follows:

• A small number of North Zone (600 baht) tickets are available directly from Profitable Group's offices in Bangkok.
• A number of West Zone Maroon (1,750 baht) and West Zone Orange (2,500 baht) tickets are available from Adidas shops and from the Profitable Group offices.

Tickets in the VVIP, South Zone, West Zone Yellow (VIP) and East Zone Kop have already sold out. Tickets for Liverpool's match in Singapore on July 26 are in equally short supply.
For details visit the Profitable Group website.

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JACKSON IN PRINT: THE DEMAND CONTINUES

Last week I reported that copies of Thailand's newspapers featuring the death of Michael Jackson were being sold on eBay.
In the past few days some have sold. Copies of The Nation (US$9.99), The Bangkok Post (US$9.99) and Kom Chad Luek (US$4.99) have attracted single bids whereas others have remained unsold.
The frenzy for Michael Jackson newspapers and magazines is global. Mark Fletcher, author of the Australian Newsagency blog and a newsagent himself, said last week: "We could have sold four times our Time and Rolling Stone allocation. Hopefully, publishers will reprint as I suspect the appetite for Michael Jackson retrospectives is a way off being satisfied."

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FOURTH TIME ECONOMIST FAILS TO APPEAR

The current edition of The Economist is the fourth edition of the magazine that has not appeared in Thailand during 2009.
Two editions at the end of January failed to make it to the Kingdom, and in April an article about the monarchy led to a decision by the publishers not to distribute.
What's different about this week's case is the clear identification (in an email to subscribers) that the company which looks after deliveries to subscribers took the decision not to handle this edition.
Although no official figures are available I understand The Economist has in the region of 1,800 subscribers in Thailand. Each has had their subscription increased by one copy to take account of the "missing" edition.

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JACKSON MAGAZINES HIT THE SHELVES

The first magazines featuring Michael Jackson started to appear on the shelves in Bangkok on Thursday. Leading the way were the Asia Pacific editions of Time and Newsweek. At that time none of the locally produced magazines had appeared.
As I mentioned earlier, the distribution and printing processes in Thailand largely prevent a quick response to global events such as this. Even those publishers with their own printing presses or distribution networks are looking at four or five days as an absolute minimum.
I am now in Singapore and both Borders and Kinokuniya have copies of the Australian and United Kingdom editions of magazines produced earlier this week featuring Michael Jackson.

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NO ECONOMIST FOR THAILAND

The Economist magazine will not be distributed in Thailand this week。
In an email to its subscribers earlier today, The Economist said: "We deeply regret to inform you that our distributors in Thailand have decided not to deliver the July 4th issues of The Economist in light of our coverage relating to the lese majeste law."
For the last three months subscriber copies in Thailand have been delivered by a company called Angler's Liberation Co. Limited. It is not clear from the email whether copies will appear in the bookshops, but I suspect not.
The story in question is headlined 'Treason in Cyberspace' and, given the current provisions of the lese majeste laws, it is clear why this edition of the magazine will not be seen by subscribers in Thailand.

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LESE MAJESTE PROBE AGAINST FCCT BOARD

The Nation is reporting that the entire board of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has been accused of lese majeste by selling DVDs of a controversial speech that took place in 2007.
According to the report which quotes from a story on the ASTV Manager website, 57-year-old translator Laksana Kornsilpa filed the complaint earlier this week alleging "the whole board may be acting in an organised fashion and the goal may be to undermine the credibility of Thailand's highest institution". The story also quotes Laksana as saying some major local newspapers may be part of a movement to undermine the monarchy.
A total of 13 people make up the current board of the FCCT, including staff from the BBC, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Channel News Asia and The Nation.

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IMITATION, IN MY VIEW

If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery then I owe a debt of gratitude to The Nation.
The concept for the front cover design of their 'Crisis' special supplement, published to mark their 38th anniversary (right), looks remarkably similar to the design (left) we have been using for the last three months to promote our Thailand Business Essentials range of pocket books.
Of course the wording is different but the concept isn't.
And now for a gratuitous plug. Copies of the Thailand Business Essentials:Banking book, written and edited by yours truly, are available at all good bookshops and from Amazon.com. Thailand Business Essentials:Property is set to be published within the next two weeks.

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HAPPY 38TH BIRTHDAY TO THE NATION

The Nation, which was launched this day in 1971, celebrates its 38th birthday today. Many congratulations.

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JUNE STATS FOR THE BANGKOK BUGLE

My coverage of Thai Rath's publication of the David Carradine photographs drew a large number of visitors last month. The number of unique visitors to The Bangkok Bugle was up 143 per cent on the previous month, and up a staggering 441 per cent on the same month in 2008.
Only two non-Carradine stories made it into the top ten; Liverpool Football Club's impending visit to Bangkok (7th) and the launch of the Thai Red News newspaper (10th).
This website is my hobby and I am always amazed by the number of people the visit and interact, either by leaving a comment or by email. I want to once again record my sincere thanks to everyone that has visited, and also to everyone that has linked to one of my stories.

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