This occasional series will highlight some of those Pattaya businesses which are surviving the most devastating attack ever on the resort’s tourism in this age of coronavirus. The common thread running through them all is a niche market which each has carefully cultivated in its own way. The series will cover restaurants, bars, massage parlors, retail outlets etc.
The TK Bookshop, located opposite Pattaya post office in the soi of that name, has been there for as long as anyone can remember. A family business, it is many years since there was a serious attempt to sell books although a few volumes still exist on dusty shelves, including a Teach-Yourself-Thai with the aid of a VHS video cassette. Not many of those around these days.
20 years ago, the single shophouse unit had a comprehensive outside display of literally dozens of fresh newspapers and magazines. You could buy The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Telegraph and even dailies from Germany and France. At one time there were four local Pattaya newspapers and a fortnightly one which all sold like hot cakes. All except Pattaya Mail have bitten the dust.
Now the print edition of the Pattaya Mail stands proudly alone on a single stand which also promotes a small number of Thai newspapers which have also survived. “It’s always been my favourite anyway,” says sales assistant Noy, “since it never made Pattaya look bad.” We had better all remember that.
Of course, the decline of the print media in Pattaya long antedates the Covid-19 pandemic. The weekly editions (summaries) of British newspapers had mostly ceased by the year 2000 as English-speaking readers worldwide turned their attention to internet news and later to social media. The monthly Pattaya magazines which have survived to date appear to receive strong financial support from the property market. Nobody has yet found a regular print publication in Pattaya which attracts Chinese or Russian readers. Not even when they were plentiful here.
TK is one of the diminishing number of newspaper and magazine stands in Pattaya apart from some of the supermarkets. But it is still in business because of another and healthier market: packaging items for customers heading to the post office across the street. Even the bulkiest parcels appear to be no problem and can be made ready by a combination of plain or coloured wrapping paper, sticky tape, string and a variety of stapling tools. Prices are reasonable. It works.
Yes business has declined, but a Pattaya institution of 30 years plus is still going strong. Long may it continue.
