BOOK FAIR DEFIES DOWNTURN

The seventh Bangkok International Book Fair, which ended on Monday, attracted some 1.5 million people and grossed an estimated 600 million baht according to figures release today.
Revenue beat initial estimates although visitor numbers were roughly the same as last year.
"Brisk sales had a lot do with the best-selling comic titles snapped up by youngsters. They came to the fair with titles they wanted to buy in mind," said Woraphan Lokitsataphorn, vice president of the Publishing Association of Thailand. Teenagers were reported to be responsible for 70 per cent of all buyers at the fair.