BANGKOK, 1 September 2012 – The latest survey has shown that the young population of Thailand has been the most active in reading while newspapers continue to be the most preferred reading materials
National Statistical Office (NSO) Director General Viboondhat Sudhantanakit said on Friday that the NSO’s survey in 2011 concluded that 68 percent of Thais aged 6 years and over have been active readers, up slightly from 2008.
Mr. Viboondhat said that the survey also showed men have been more active than women when it comes to reading, while residents of Bangkok represented the highest level of reading at 84 percent of the total population.
Interestingly, children were found to be the most active readers, with 91 percent of them preferred reading, followed by youths, working age and the elderly.
The NSO chief stated that, since 2008, Thailand’s readership has continued to increase and newspapers have been the most preferred materials, with 63.4 percent of readers opted for the traditional prints.
Mr. Viboondhat went on to say that the survey has concluded that, in order to promote reading, book prices should be lower and the contents should be more interesting, with more libraries opened in all communities.
It also suggested parents should start teaching children to read at a very young age, while the books must carry attractive cover designs and be compact in size.
