“I have been watching Chiang Mai residents read as well as being in a position to facilitate their love of books for most of my life,” said Trasvin Jittidecharak, of Suriwongse Book Centre who is also the long term organiser of Chiang Mai’s annual book fair, Big Bad Wolf.
Each year, bar the few over the pandemic, Trasvin has worked with Malaysian based BookXcess, which launched the roaming Big Bad Wolf fair in 2009. Each year the fair travels across our region, to-date having visited 34 cities in 13 countries, where they ship anywhere between hundreds of thousands and millions of books to be sold, at a fraction of the cost of those found in book shops.
The company says that it primarily wishes “to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy world wide and build a new generation of readers by making books more affordable and accessible for everyone.”
As the Chiang Mai partner of Big Bad Wolf, Trasvin herself has been very involved in the selection process of books throughout the years.
“Having observed the purchasing habits of Chiang Mai’s readers, in comparison to those in many other areas across Thailand, I have really enjoyed selecting a great number of more exciting and newer books to be featured in the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair this year,” said Trasvin. “In Chiang Mai the feedback tends to be really good and it is clear that people are choosing their books carefully, and well. They are not just looking at the pretty prices, the covers or the more well known books. Here, not just the expatriates, but mainly the Thais, are looking for books which will educate them, surprise them, challenge them, interest them and it is clear that they know what quality is. Last year we ran out of the good books before the end dates of the fair, and I wont let that happen again this year. I feel like expanding my chest with pride at our local love for books.”
While Trasvin says that in other fairs around Asia, Big Bad Wolf organisers tend to do the majority of book sections, here in Chiang Mai, she is heavily involved, simply because she understands and respects the needs of the Chiang Mai market. “I know the high standards of Chiang Mai readers.”
Trasvin comes with a a hefty amount of experience under her belt. Not only is she the owner of Silkworm Books, which has published over 500 books over the past three decades. She is also the founder of Mekong Press Foundation which publishes many cross border and cross cultural themed books and which is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Being only the second woman in over a century to sit on the International Publishers Association’s Executive Committee as well as the Freedom to Publish Committee makes her a genuine Chiang Mai literary icon and someone we should be proud is onside and helping to bring the love of the written word to our children and our public. Trasvin is also constantly travelling the world to various book fairs and literary fairs to either listen and learn, or speak and share.
“In the past only a few rare items or intellectual items would be brought in, but now those stocks are increasing greatly. These are the heavy books, the tomes, the more topic-specific books. Other provinces tend to see Big Bad Wolf cater more to the children’s market; here in Chiang Mai it is definitely adult-driven.”
There will be books on a great variety of topics from classical literature to history; architecture to technology; philosophy to lifestyle; environmental conservation to self help. There will, of course, also be a massive section of children’s books in Thai and in English as well as learning toys and tools. Not only that, 18 Thai publishing houses have also joined up and will be featuring their many award winning, popular and newest as well as most classic books.
“We collaborate with Big Bad Wolf because their model of bulk buying means that prices are dropped dramatically and suddenly international books especially became much more affordable.”
“I find it very heartening when I see parents and grandparents bringing their children in to fill a trolly of books, but when they get to checkout, so many of those books are in fact adult books! This means that the fair is really providing something for everyone,” added Trasvin.
This year’s Big Bad Wolf Book Fair promises thousands of titles, with over one million books to be available for purchase in total.
“Do try to get there early,” said Toni Albert, a long term expatriate who used to visit the fair with her since-graduated children, but who still goes every year with her husband to scoop up books for the coming months. “If you do, you are going to find some great gems which you can just fill your cart with and check them out at really cheap rates. Considering how pricey books are in Thailand—and so often we just get ripped off buying then at airports at the last minute—this is a must!”
Books can be found at as low as 90% off cover prices. So what are you waiting for?
Big Bad Wolf Book Fair will be held at Chiang Mai Hall, Central Chiang Mai Airport between 29th August and 7th September 2026 between 10am and 9pm daily. There will be children’s activities throughout the fair as well as a special promotion for big purchases!
A free notebook for every 1,200 baht purchased
A free tote bag for every 2,000 baht purchased
A free lucky draw surprise gift for every 4,000 baht purchased.
