LUXURY IN BANGKOK GETS A LOT CHEAPER

The Siam Paragaon Luxury Property Showcase in Bangkok comes to an end this weekend. More than 40 properties from Bangkok, and as far afield as Pattaya and Hua Hin, have been trying to tempt buyers with a range of show-only promotions.
One junior penthouse in the trendy Thonglor area of Bangkok is priced at 33 million baht (about US$1 million) and developers have been trying to tempt buyers with the offer of a Mini Cooper S thrown in with the purchase, along with other incentives worth close to 7 million baht.
But you don't been deep pockets to find something at this 'Luxury Showcase'. For those, like me, with significantly less to spend there area number of one- and two-bed condominiums in the 2 and 3 million baht price range - or less than US$100,000. Luxury in Bangkok has obviously got a lot cheaper!
From speaking to many in the industry, and also to those with nothing to gain from sharing their opinions on the property sector, it seems as though prices in Bangkok have gone as low as their even going to go. There is very strong, local demand for condominium developments priced below 3 million baht, whereas the higher end of the market is now seeing the return of foreign buyers and investors, most of the interestingly right now are from elsewhere in Asia.
If you're in the market to bag a bargain in Bangkok you need to move quickly, is seems.

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CIRCULATION DOWN AT THAI READER'S DIGEST

Reader's Digest Thailand is the only paid-for magazine in Thailand that has an independent and globally recognised circulation audit. As such it's the only magazine published in Thailand where you can be absolutely sure how many copies are being sold, how and for how much.
Looking at the most recent data for the period between January and June 2009, the magazine recorded a 4.11 per cent decline in its headline circulation figures compared to the previous six month period, from 69,191 copies to 66,347 copies. Year-on-year the decline is 5.31 per cent. Subscriptions were down by 11.35 per cent on the previous six months, from 58,902 copies to 52,218 copies.
Five years ago the number of free copies being distributed by Reader's Digest Thailand was an average of 12,943 copies per edition. Now it's just 6,932 copies.
I don't these these figures are too bad, especially given what's been happening elsewhere in the world. And they're certainly a lot more healthy than those recorded by The Bangkok Post, the only newspaper in Thailand that undergoes a similarly transparent audit procedure.
Any publisher who claims his or her publication is gaining sales needs to be able to prove it with independent and transparent data that has been subjected to a global standard of media auditing. None can.
I've said before that it will only be a matter of time before media buyers demand that degree of honesty and transparency from publishers. Auditing will benefit the stronger titles and those who have been honest about their true sales. Those who have been massaging (I am being kind) their sales claims, along with the weaker titles, will struggle for advertising and not survive. It's happened elsewhere in the world and it will happen in Thailand.

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THAILAND: THE WORLD'S MAGAZINE HUB?

I cannot imagine there's a country anywhere in the world where magazines are launching at faster rate than in Thailand. Perhaps the government should seriously consider making Thailand a magazine industry 'hub'. Media seems to be one of the few industries that has escaped from being associated with what is, to me, an increasingly irritating and overused word.
This month alone I've noted at least a dozen new publications appearing on the shelves, and during the last couple of years I've witnessed (and blogged about) an average of six new titles every month.
In common with elsewhere in the world most new titles struggle to make it through the first year. Magazine advertising ranks fourth in terms of spending in Thailand - behind television, radio and newspapers - and during 2009 ad spend in the sector was down around 10 per cent.
The most recent new magazines are pictured here. Prices range from 40 baht to 120 baht. Perhaps the most interesting, in terms of its title at least, is Thai Freedom. Photo Art Contemporary is also an interesting newcomer as it is a bilingual title - Thai and English.
The Magazine Association of Thailand came out with figures last month which noted 39 launches during 2009, two of which were local language editions of international titles. Although there is no official database of new magazine launches in the kingdom I know there were significantly more than 39 and at least four licensed versions of global magazines.
What is apparent with almost all of the new magazine launches is a lack of marketing and a lack of joined-up thinking in terms of the Internet. Many new titles don't even have a functioning web page, and almost all are not making use of social networking tools to generate buzz and attract readers.
For some of the Thai language titles the top-ranking search for their magazine name is my own post about the launch. That cannot bode well for the future of their titles.

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SAME INTERVIEW, DIFFERENT STORIES

My life as a journalist in Thailand never fails to amaze. A week ago I attended an interview with journalists from the kingdom's two English language newspapers. One still hasn't published a report while the other leads on one aspect of the interview that I didn't consider important enough to include within my own piece.
I don't think this example is about media censorship. It's more about how two different reporters view what's being said by the person being interviewed, and perhaps about the editorial stance taken by respective publishers. To me it also says lots about the stance of the newspaper that has yet to publish anything!
The report that's already appeared focuses on how foreign property investors are seeking more clarity and consistency in the market. To me that's not news. It's been said time and time again. My own piece, I believe, is a touch more controversial because it quotes the executive questioning Thailand's competitive advantage in the eyes of businesses wanting to come here, and calling on the country to learn lessons from its competitors and neighbours.
I have to add that quotes directly attributed to the source in the newspaper story are not correct. In one case they're also misrepresenting what was actually said. I know because I've gone back to my recording of the entire one-hour chat.
I don't say this lightly because questioning the accuracy of a fellow journalist is not something to be taken lightly.

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READERSHIP VERSUS CIRCULATION

I have always been somewhat skeptical of magazine and newspaper readership figures versus circulation statistics. The general assumption made by many publishers is that every copy of their print publication is read by three people. Today I witness that for myself.
I was on a short sky train trip earlier today. I noticed one man reading a copy of The Bangkok Post. As he got off he passed the newspaper to the person sitting next to him, who started to read it. Two stops later that guy got off, passing the newspaper to the passenger next to him as he alighted. That's three readers in the space of ten minutes.
I wonder how many sets of eyes saw that particular copy?

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THE YEAR-OLD MAGAZINE STILL ON SALE

I've blogged about some weird and wonderful sights on the bookshelves in Thailand, and this has to rank up there with the best (or worst, depending on your view).
Yesterday I noticed one copy of Asia Pacific Tropical Homes on sale. Nothing too unusual about that, until I add that it's been on display for 12 months! This was the January-June 2009 edition of the twice-yearly English language publication.
This magazine, according to its website, claims: "No other magazine produced in this part of the world has ever achieved such complete and powerful distribution. No lifestyle magazine from afar can be found in so many locations. Only Time and other news magazines can be found in as many outlets." Obviously it can be found in many outlets because, even after a year, no one is buying it. (Ouch, see disclosure below for balance).
The retailer in question deserves a lot of the blame here, in my view. How can they allow a magazine to remain on sale for 12 months after it was originally distributed and a full six months after the supposed off-sale date? One reason might be that there hasn't been a subsequent edition to replace it, as far as I can tell.

Disclosure: I am Editor of Property Report Thailand magazine which may be considered by some to be a competitor to Asia Pacific Tropical Homes. However as always, the views expressed here are my own and in no way reflected of any of my current or previous employers.

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THAILAND'S STRANGE MAGAZINE PRICES

What is it with Thailand's magazine and cover prices?
Earlier this month I blogged about newly launched D&D (Design and Decor) magazine and its bizarre 91 baht cover price. This week I've spotted another - Thai language travel magazine Dazzle - with an equally strange cover price of 124 baht.
Actually, in the case of D&D I know the answer. I met the magazine's Head of Editorial on a recent press trip and she told me it was chosen to create a talking point. It's achieved that goal with two mentions here already!

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OUTDOOR THAILAND MAGAZINE REBORN

Outdoor Thailand magazine has resumed publishing after taking a break for what the editor describes as 'economic' reasons.
It's rare for a magazine to resume publishing after taking the drastic decision to stop; in most cases print editions move entirely online or disappear altogether.
I'm not entirely sure how long Outdoor Thailand has been away for, but it will no doubt face a tough task in winning back the confidence of its readers and, most importantly, its advertisers.
The January edition has a cover price of 90 baht and runs to 108 pages. Paid-for advertising constitutes less than 10 per cent.
Could this be the start of a new trend, dead magazines being resurrected? Which magazines would you like to see resurface in print?

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THAILAND'S GHOST JOURNALISTS

My friend Khun Napacha works in public relations and has recounted experiences in her blog about Thailand's ghost journalists. These are individuals from non-existent publications who attend press conferences with, it seems, the sole intention of grabbing the free goodies on offer.
Khun Napacha writes: "Thai ghost journalists are getting scarier every day, while the media landscape is also getting more diverse and wider. Therefore, PR people must know their operating landscape well to be able to detect scams. Some say the number of ghost journalist can indicate how famous an event is, and some say having them would add more media to the headcount and make an event look like it gets a lot of media attention. For me, I would rather not have any."
I've not yet come across any, but after tweeting about Khun Napacha's experiences on Friday it seems this is not an isolated occasion. There could be more than a few ghost journalists in Thailand.

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER INTERVIEW

I've been to more interviews this week than for a very long time.
What I really like is when the subject says 'good question', or has to pause and really think how to answer. That happened three times in today's interview alone. I'm not saying I am a good interviewer, but I think I do ask questions that many reporters in Thailand might shy away from.
Today's 'exclusive' interview opportunity also included a reporter from both of Thailand's English language daily newspapers - The Bangkok Post and The Nation. The Bangkok Post reporter made copious amounts of notes and asked some good questions. The Nation reporter hardly wrote anything, was 25 minutes late and left half way through the interview. It's her loss. She missed out on some good quotes and an equally nice lunch!
I also can't help but wonder what she's going to write.

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THAI'S MAGAZINE TAKES FLIGHT

Sawasdee, the in-flight magazine for Thai Airways, must be popular.
Earlier this month, less than a week after it had presumably been delivered to the airline, copies were on sale at Bangkok's very own magazine Mecca, the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Yes - a free magazine on sale. Yes - I did buy a copy.
Regular readers of The Bangkok Bugle will know the process where, through some miracle, copies of international magazines left on inbound aircraft find their way to several magazine retailers at Bangkok's popular weekend market.
My visit earlier this month netted at least a dozen magazines that are either not normally available throughout the bookshops in Thailand, or are sold at pretty high prices. Often the current editions of magazines arrive at Chatuchak weeks before anywhere else in Thailand. My dozen titles on this trip cost just a little more than buying one conventionally-sold title at Asia Books or Kinokuniya.

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A PRESS CONFERENCE: MAI KOW JAI

During my obviously sheltered life in Bangkok I've been fortunate to attend only press conferences where some degree of English has been used. Yet despite my best attempts to ensure I only attend events where I can actually comprehend what's being said, yesterday I ended up at one where I was the only non-Thai attendee, and where no English was used during the presentations.
This was an event for the launch of penthouses at a prestigious condominium complex in Bangkok. Prices here start at 33 million baht - roughly US$ 1 million. The developers own estimates are that half of these sumptuous suites will be purchased by non-Thai buyers, so it seems strange that I was the only representative from the English language media in Thailand.
It was not all bad news though. My lack of Thai meant I got exclusive opportunities after the formal part of the press conference to conduct one-on-one interviews with the key people - something that wasn't afforded to my Thai media colleagues.
And if you're wondering, 'mai kow jai' is a Thai phrase I'm using a little too often at the moment. It means 'I don't understand'.

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SUBSCRIBE FOR A YEAR, SAVE JUST 40 BAHT

There's one magazine in Thailand that is offering an amazing deal on its subscriptions.
This monthly title sells in the shops for 120 baht - meaning if you were to buy each edition over the course of one year it would cost you 1,440 baht.
Yet they're offering a 12-issue subscription to readers at "only 1,400 baht" - a saving of 40 baht over the course of a year, or roughly 3 per cent. And there are no premiums or free gifts on offer either.
When you consider that most magazines outside Thailand offer savings of as much as 90 per cent, but commonly between 30-40 per cent, to their subscribers you can see that it's no wonder that most publishers in Thailand are failing miserably when it comes to this potentially lucrative area.
This surely is an amazing deal.

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NEW YEAR GIFTS: A THANK YOU OR A BRIBE?

My friend Khun Napacha works in PR. She's written an excellent post about the traditional of New Year visits to media companies. She says: "While it can be considered as a bribe in other counties, this practice has become a necessity to keep the local media in our friend circles."
So far this year I've had a couple of visits from companies bearing gifts by way of a 'thank you' for our support during the past year. I've also had a number of gifts and greetings arrive via post and messengers. The gifts have so far ranged from a lavish book from one property company, to a selection of biscuits and cakes from one hotel.
At my previous magazine we were not allowed to accept gifts of any kind if they were above US$25 in value. We were also not allowed to take part in press trips organised and paid for by companies. If a trip was required then the magazine had to pay for it. Whilst this practise did reinforce high ethical standards of journalism, it did take a while to be understood and not to be considered rude. And that's because it's such a common thing in Thailand.
So the big question has to be, do gifts at New Year have any impact on editorial coverage? The answer from me is a big 'no' because I will always talk to people relevant to the story I am working on at any given time. And just because a company has presented a New Year gift, it will not stop me from asking tough questions if and when required.

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MORE NEW MAG LAUNCHES IN THAILAND

It's time to look at some recent additions to the bookshelves in Thailand. If you thought that Thai language magazine launches were abating then think again. I've seen at least 10 new titles in the last few weeks.
First up is D & D Magazine, which stands for design and decor. This is a glossy, coffee-table type magazine with lavish, colourful images of property and decor. The debut December edition runs to a chunky 140 pages and sells for a somewhat bizarre 91 baht.
Torque made its debut this month and has a nice feel to it, both in terms of design and content. It's competing in a very tough and overcrowded sector and I'm not certain it's significantly different from other magazines to gather a decent following. This magazine sells for 90 baht and the January edition runs to 58 pages.
Rasta Variety Magazine also makes its debut this month. It's smaller, both in terms of size and pages (just 52), but is cheaply-priced at 35 baht. The niche nature of this subject is reflected by the fact it has just a handful of ad pages.
I wonder how many of these new magazines will still be around come June?

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A LACK OF THAI ENGLISH WRITERS

There appears to be a lack of (available) Thai English language writers in Bangkok.
I've been advertising a position at my magazine for more than a month now and I've not found anyone. I know at least three other English language magazines are also looking for Thai national journalists, so the problem doesn't appear to be unique to me. (Motivated, experienced media sales executives are always in demand as well).
If you're a Thai national looking for work as a journalist in Bangkok please email your resume to thailandjj@yahoo.com. Experience is useful but not essential as training, in some cases, will be provided. Obviously it's important to have the ability to communicate well in English too.

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PRICE HIKE FOR THE ECONOMIST

The Economist now costs 250 baht per week in Thailand - a rise from the previous cover price of 230 baht. Twelve months ago the magazine was priced at 210 baht.
Just last week the magazine declared 2010 will be "the year of the paywall"as publishers make significant strides towards getting readers to pay for content. It has also introduced charging for access to its archive of stories more than 90 days old. One way or another it's likely that readers will soon have to pay for anything other than general news, either in print or online.
The good news for readers of The Economist in Bangkok is that you can still get copies of the current week's edition for a fraction of the cover price from several magazine stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market.

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BANGKOK'S BEST WHAT'S ON MAGAZINES

Catherine from WomenLearningThai recently posed an interesting question to me on Twitter. She asked: "What are the best magazines for keeping up-to-date with what's happening in Bangkok?"
There are a few English language magazine that are aimed at informing visitors and expats about current events in the Thai capital. Starting with free magazine there's the weekly BK Magazine and Guru. Both can be easily found in coffee shops and on the counters of some bookstores throughout Bangkok. The latter is also distributed with Friday's edition of The Bangkok Post. Also free and monthly is the recently launched Do Pocazine.
Paid-for monthly magazine that are worth looking at are Bangkok 101 - which aims more towards tourists and visitors - and Big Chili which is more focused more towards expats.
There are problems relying on magazines for what's on information. New events are often scheduled after magazines have gone to print because, for monthlies especially, deadlines are so far in advance. Many magazines also contain a significant amount of reporting of events that have already happened - not much use if you're looking for an event this weekend.
There's no local edition of global events and listings magazine TimeOut! in Thailand yet. There are editions in Malaysia and Singapore. I know several publishers have been exploring the licensing opportunities here in recent years but nothing has appeared.

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MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Despite the carnage being witnessed globally in the print publishing industry, I don't foresee the same happening in Thailand. The Kingdom has escaped relatively unscathed so far and I can't envisage any significant decline in reading habits - and that should mean print remains attractive and, to a certain extent essential, for brands that want to get their message across in a targeted way.
Although newspapers and magazines have trimmed staffing levels, and indeed some have disappeared or merged, I feel the number of new titles being launched will only increase as the global economic recovery begins to strengthen. Print suffered in 2009 but 2010 is looking more promising, especially for strong and trusted brands that have weathered the crisis relatively intact.
Publishers do need to move more towards increased levels of transparency and honesty, and doing so can only benefit their titles. Strong titles with healthy circulation levels will benefit the most, at the expense of those publishers who have been significantly inflating their sales figures. Publishers should adopt independent circulation auditing before advertisers demand it.
We might also see more widespread use of 'compact' editions of what are now traditionally-sized magazines. These editions are now widespread in Europe and I think it's only a matter of time before these conveniently-sized publications become trendy here.

Have Your Say: What developments do you expect to see in the Thai publishing industry during the year ahead? Leave a comment and join the debate.

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A CLEVER 3-D COVER FOR THAI MAGAZINE

Unusual magazine covers are a rare thing indeed in Thailand. It often seems that many publishers are wary of trying new things, or perhaps even wanting to stand out from the crowd too much.
Business+ Magazine, formerly known as Business.Com magazine and published by A.R. Information & Publication Co. Ltd, has something different on its December edition - a 3d image that actually gives two covers in one.
It's clever. On the one hand there's a striking image of a tiger, a reference to the forthcoming Year of the Tiger. And there's also image of Thailand leading business and financial figures, asking what lies ahead in 2010.
I remember as a child seeing these kind of images used as giveaways with breakfast cereal packets. It's not a new concept, but in terms of magazines in Thailand it's not something I have seen before.

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NAME CHANGE: RALF TO RUSH

Thai language men's magazine Ralf has changed its name to Rush.
The title, which was launched in September 2009, came to the attention of Australian publishing company ACP Magazines, the publishers of leading men's magazine Ralph. In September I blogged how I felt Plus One Media, the publishers of Thai Ralf, might face problems because of their use of an incredibly similar name, font, style and concept to the Australian edition. That now appears to have happened.
The January edition of Rush makes no mention of any legal problems. It says the name change has happened in an attempt to make the title appealing to foreign publishers who might want to license the title. If that happens it would be the first home grown title to achieve an overseas license, but surely it would just be easier for a publisher to copy an existing successful magazine concept and just give it a new name?

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NOT ALL NEWS MAKES IT ONLINE

... just as not all online news makes it into print.
It might come as a surprise to some people that both The Nation and The Bangkok Post do not post all the news from their print editions online. This isn't a new development, it's been happening for a number of months.
Significant news still appears for free online but I've noticed a trend towards keeping some news, especially business news it seems, solely for the print edition.
Some might argue this is the wrong way to approach the problem that publishers face in getting income for their expensive content, however with the revenues from website advertising still in the poor to pathetic range it seems like a reasonable attempt at tackling this issue.

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MORE ABOUT BULKS AT THE BANGKOK POST

A regular reader (and someone connected to the newspaper) wrote an email following my recent story about the decline in circulation at The Bangkok Post. I am publishing his comments below as it explains what is in the minds of many publishers, especially those with significant numbers of bulk and complimentary copies of their publications.
He wrote: "That massive drop in bulk sales is almost certainly partially deliberate. Paper and printing costs make bulk sales far less attractive than in the good old days and advertisers are not particularly impressed with circulation pumped up artificially with bulk sales – especially to places like schools which used to be a significant portion of bulk sales at the BP. If I remember correctly, the price per copy of copies sold in bulk has also jumped considerably, turning off some hotels."
I know for a fact the price for bulk copies has risen. Just three years ago I was quoted 2 baht per copy for buying several thousand copies of a particular edition. I believe the price is considerably more now.

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NO FREE READING IN THE AIR

Following six flights over the past six weeks it's becoming apparent that the days of getting a free newspaper or magazine when you board are over - or at least they're coming to an end.
None of my flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Heathrow and Mumbai were offering any free reading material other than the standard airline in-flight magazine. I'm not surprised though. It's in line with publishers cutting their print runs and cutting back on bulk sales of their publications.
Perhaps the upside, at least when passengers realise, is that sales of newspapers and magazine at airport shops might increase.
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Belated New Year greetings. I'm now back in Bangkok following Christmas and the New Year in the UK. Normal service will be resumed.

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