Every day we personally trawl around a dozen websites and post details of vacancies deemed suitable for native English media professionals in Thailand. If you have a vacancy and want it filled, email your details to bkkandy AT myway.com.
Latest vacancies:
pricewaterhousecoopers is looking for an English editor for its Bangkok office.
DDProperty.com urgently needs a writer/editor with fluent written and spoken Thai and English skills.
AA Talent is seeking a native English Corporate Writer/Editor for one of its clients - an international PR and sponsorship agency.
Are you a journalist or writer looking for work in Thailand and South East Asia? Why not post your details and let publishers come to you? See HERE for more details.
Yesterday's Bangkok Post published a story which highlighted the aspirations of an "unknown" Thai businesswoman to gain sole ownership of Thai Air Asia. There are many things wrong with this story, in my opinion.
Post Publishing Public Company Limited, the publishers of The Bangkok Post and other publications, reported a THB 83.2 million profit for the year ending December 31, 2010. This compared to a loss of THB 97.93 million during the previous 12 months.
Singapore's Chic magazine, published by Immedius Press, has adopted an innovative method to guarantee value for money for its advertisers.
Its Cost-Per-Reader (CPR) method of calculating advertising costs ensures that, according to the publisher, advertisers are only charged for paying readers.
A third-party report from Singapore Press Holdings that details the exact number of copies sold is included with every advertising invoice. Unsold copies, browsing or damaged copies, marketing copies or copies passed from one reader to another are not counted - only copies that are paid for.
Nation Multimedia Group Public Company Limited, publisher of The Nation and other Thailand-based newspapers and magazines, recorded a THB 313 million profit during 2010. This contrasts sharply to a THB 81 million loss during the previous year.
Advertising sales rose 25 per cent across all media during the 12 months ending December 31, 2010, with print recording a 22 per cent rise, TV and radio up 34 per cent and new media recording a 16 per cent rise.
In a statement to The Stock Exchange of Thailand the company also noted a 3 per cent drop in revenues from newspaper circulation. Read more...
The Economist Asia Pacific edition has posted a 6.1 per cent increase in circulation for the six months ending December 31, 2010. The weekly magazine now boasts an independently audited circulation of an average of 143,396 copies per week (from 140,032 copies). Globally the magazine registered a 3.7 per cent increase.
For a number of weeks The Nation has been including a China Daily Asia Weekly supplement in its Friday evening, and I have to say it's pretty good.
Don't be put off by the name; this 24-page tabloid-sized production contains some excellent regional journalism, much of it long form. Most stories have been produced by members of the Asia News Network, of which The Nation is a member.
Similar supplement editions are also appearing in newspapers throughout South East Asia, including in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.
This weekly supplement probably ranks as having some of the best English language print journalism to appear in Thailand on a weekly basis, but that's just my opinion.
The pressure for publishing companies and journalists to be first with the news is intense, no matter where in the world you are.
Press releases are published on the Internet in a matter of seconds in some cases, but when that information is wrong the damage can take far longer to correct.
I'm passionate about publishing and the media, and last weekend in Singapore that passion extended to spending S$19 (about 455 baht or getting on for ten quid in UK money) for one edition of a daily newspaper.
Some of you might think I'm crazy, but getting a copy of the weekend edition of The Sydney Morning Herald gives a wonderful glimpse into newspaper publishing down under. And to have it on the same day it was printed adds to the excitement - and the cost!
There's no doubt that having your magazine in premium positions leads to increased awareness and, hopefully, more sales.
In some cases newsagents and bookshops will charge for these prime placements. In Bangkok I know of one bookshop that will ask around 5,000 baht per store for a package that includes window and counter merchandising and prime placements such as the one in this photograph.
On my way through Suvarnabhmui Airport on Thursday evening I noticed a few unusual newcomers to the shelves in Thailand.
Perhaps the most interesting magazine for me was the Indian edition of GQ magazine. I'm not sure why copies of this magazine haven't made it beyond the airport shops, given the potential readership in other parts of the city. Perhaps it's a trend worth watching?
And, it was also interesting to note that I was able to pick up, read and, umm, keep a copy of 'that' last edition of The Economist on board my Singapore Airlines flight. Clearly subscribers were not the only ones able to read that "delicate" content in print within Thailand. Read more...
The January cover of the local language licensed edition of Esquire magazine has probably the most extensive use of English language I've seen on the cover of any Thai magazine,
With headlines such as 'Bangkok's Best Thai Restaurants' and 'Thai Food is Back', a casual browser could assume the stories are in English too. (I'll refrain from commenting on the headline which appears to have bust).
The January edition, which is published by Grey Matter, contains 132 pages of which at least 25 appear to be revenue-generating advertising. The magazine also continues its heavy use of English headlines in many of the inside features. It sells for 80 baht.
There is a certain kudos associated with use of English in Thai publications, and my view is this magazine is using English extensively to attempt to attract a higher class of reader and advertiser.
The number of copies any magazine sells through a particular bookshop is a closely guarded secret, thanks to the lack of circulation auditing, however it's often not too difficult to find out - if you know what to look for.
In the first week of the month most shops will begin the process of returning unsold magazines. In some cases, as in the one I experienced last weekend, the number of sold and returned copies is pretty much available for anyone to see.
UK motoring magazine Evo has launched a licensed Singapore edition.
Marketing-Interactive, which describes the high-end title as a "rag" in its story, says the local edition is published by Magic Pen Publishing.
Editorial Director Sheldon Trollope isn't a big fan of auditing according to the story. Quoting a print run of 10,000 copies, Trollope says: ""It [independent circulation auditing] is not very accurate as an audit takes at least three months, and having been in the publishing industry for a while, I have seen publishers put out higher numbers, then in between audits, go back to publishing lower numbers. I do not think that it is accurate."
Owned by Dennis Publishing, Evo was first published in 1998 and boasts local editions in a number of countries, including in Thailand where it is published by Penta Media. Read more...
Copies of The Economist magazine have once again failed to appear on the shelves in Thailand this week, the tenth time that distribution has been disrupted since January 2009.
A story in this week's edition, which should have started to appear on the shelves in Bangkok on Saturday afternoon, discusses increasing use of lese majeste laws in Thailand.
It is understood the publisher has declined to distribute copies, and a spokesperson for one bookstore has confirmed to me that copies did not arrive in Thailand. It is not known whether copies to The Economist's 1,800 (approx.) subscribers in Thailand were delivered as usual. (Update 08/02 - Subscribers did receive their copies as usual over the weekend).
Since January 2009 there have been eight occasions where the publishers have declined to distribute editions of the magazine to Thailand. On one occasion magazines made it to the Kingdom but were pulped by the distribution company.
A busy Thailand-based web content provider is seeking a Managing Editor to supervise a team of 50 freelance writers and editors, producing travel guides for major web sites.
Working from home, with flexible full-time hours, the Managing Editor is responsible for delivering large amounts of content to international clients, with the help of sub-editors.
A minimum two-years editorial experience, manpower management skills, impeccable editing/proof reading ability, professional work ethics and good understanding of web publishing/marketing is needed.
A work permit, leave and a salary of circa. 60,000 baht per month is available. A Chiang Mai-based person is preferred.
Only relevant CVs will be considered. Contact andrew.bond AT virtualtravelguides.com.
It's not Asia Books, Kinokuniya, Bookazine or B2S. For the sheer variety and unpredictability of English and foreign titles the best place to shop for magazine is Chatuckak Weekend Market. Where else can you pick up a copy of Hana Hou!, the Hawaiian Airlines in flight magazine, alongside the Indian licensed edition of Autocar magazine?
Not so long ago Where Magazine held the title as the kingdom's oldest tourist publication, having been formed as long ago as 1967. The magazine, the September 2005 edition pictured (right), was published by Media Transasia. I'm not sure when it finally disappeared.
Where was a decent magazine. Aimed at tourists and priced at 70 baht, it was a A4-sized monthly guide to everything happening in Thailand. Perhaps the closest thing we have today is Bangkok 101 magazine.
It was interesting to see the "Post comes under attack" story on the front page of today's Bangkok Post newspaper. This was the story which I revealed first here on Tuesday morning.
What is perhaps most interesting is that the Post missed the opportunity to comment as to whether they're taking the 'threat' seriously. There's no comment from anyone from Post Publishing in the story, nor from Google.
Still, having my little (by growing) website 48-hours ahead of a mainstream news organisation with what is obviously deemed an important story (judging by its front page placement today) is a good feeling for any journalist.
Add: It does seem The Bangkok Post is taking the threat seriously. It appears to have removed all Google Adwords advertisements from its website.
... is perfectly highlighted by what I saw at two different bookshops in one Bangkok shopping centre in the space of 20 minutes last weekend.
On the shelves of one shop are copies of the October edition of South East Asia Globe magazine (left image), yet just 100 metres away in another shop the current January edition (right image) was on sale.
The January edition of Vivi, the licensed Thai language edition of a popular Japanese fashion magazine for girls and women in their teens and 20s, gets my vote for Cover of the Month in January
Every month I will select my favourite cover from all magazines produced in Thailand, and from any nominations from readers of The Bangkok Bugle, and at the end of the year an invited panel of editors and magazine designers from around the world will select the Cover of the Year from the monthly winners.
In escalating tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, one Cambodia website has suggested attacking the website of The Bangkok Post.
The 'Cambodia Air Defense' website has published an article headlined 'Counter Media in Thailand' in which it asks readers to "attack" the website of Thailand's leading English language newspaper through is use of Google Adwords. This is apparently retaliation for what it sees as biased media coverage.
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"The Bangkok Bugle is an amazing blog – I really like it. During my presentation a mentioned your blog a couple of times…" A.K. - Stuttgart, Germany. "I've been following your blog for some time now, as I'm trying to learn as much as I can about the media in Thailand. So far I've found it to be very informative and diverse in its content - thanks!" N.H. - Canada.
"Can I just say how chuffed I am to find your blog, thanks." Rich - U.K.
"... a tightly-written and insightful blog about the media in Thailand." Lana, Phuket - www.serratededges.com
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"Wow, wow, wow. I am really inspired by your passion." P.C. - Singapore.
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.. about the media and publishing industry in Thailand, and I will do my best to assist you. You can email your question to bkkandy AT myway.com.
