THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 'GIFT'

The vast majority of magazine subscription marketing in Thailand is driven by the free gift or premium - and not by the money that can be saved.
This fact is underlined by the subscription offer in place from the newly-launched Thai edition of Lonely Planet Magazine. The cover price is 100 baht per month and the price for a one-tear 12-issue subscription is 1,200 baht - saving absolutely nothing. The free gift, however, is a Quicksilver bag valued at close to 2,000 baht.
I've personally tried the 'Western' style of giving a substantial discount - upwards of 40 per cent off cover price - with limited success. Thai consumers still want their gifts, seemingly regardless of the amount of money they can possibly save with a financial-only subscription offer.