SIX WEEKS LATE, DOES ANYONE CARE?

Monthly magazines in other parts of the world publish editions almost one month in advance of the cover date. For example a December edition will have been printed and on sale by mid-November at the latest, but often in the first few days of the preceding month.
In Thailand it's different. I would guess less than three per cent of all the local magazines on the shelves right now (1st of the month) are displaying the current editions. The rest will trickle in over the course of the next week or three, perhaps.
With imported titles there are very few January editions on the shelves. There were printed at least six weeks ago, or maybe more. Perhaps it's a distribution issue? I'm sure there must other ways for overseas publishers to get their magazine on sale here sooner, and in doing so benefit from extra and more timely sales.