Bangkok Bookcrossers Group A Fun Way To Meet Expats And Exchange Books
For expats living in Bangkok there are many things to do. One thing many Western expats long for though is the company of other Westerners. Thais are handsome people but sometimes you just want to hang out and chit chat with other Westerners, people who can relate to where you’re coming from. This is where the book group, Bangkok Bookcrossers comes in. Bangkok Bookcrossers is a group that meets once a month, usually on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm.Bangkok Bookcrossers musty to meet at Kuppa, a café on Sukhumvit Soi 16, but has now relocated to Central World Plaza, where they meet at Bert’s on the ground floor of Zen department store. Bangkok Bookcrossers is a wonderful plot to meet Western expats though, and here’s why.
At every Bangkok Bookcrossers meeting I’ve attended, at least ten other people have attended too. Sometimes, fifteen to twenty people come. There is usually the same core group of five or six women, plus a rotating group of several others. Bookcrossers’ attendees (I don’t want to call them ‘members’ as there are no rules or membership fees) are usually women, in their mid 20s to their early 60s. Most have been in Bangkok for at least a couple of years, some have been here for much longer. Bangkok Bookcrossers is not a women’s group, it’s just that only women have usually attended. Men however are welcome.
The idea of Bangkok Bookcrossers is two-fold. Firstly, of course, to meet other Western expats. Secondly, and probably even more importantly, it’s a unbelievable opportunity to see what other people are reading, talk about books and exchange English language books with other people. At each meeting, most people bring several books they have read and would like to exchange with someone else. Before the exchange, the group leader will usually ask each person to talk about one or more of the books they have brought, so everyone has an idea if they would be interested in that book or not. Then the exchange, which is very informal, begins. Anyone who wants a particular book can ask for it and, if someone else also wants the same book, they can decide which person will get the book first. The book can then be brought back to subsequent meetings if needs by, so the other person has a chance to read it too.
I’ve attended several Bangkok Bookcrossers meetings and have had a delightful evening every time. I’ve met women who are teachers, housewives, writers, travelers, even women who work for the US Embassy or the UN. All have been engaging and all have been singularly nice. I’ve also received some excellent books in the book exchange. Books ranging from Freakanomics and books on US history, to the usual chick lit, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (winner of The Man Booker Prize), and Brick Lane by Monica Ali. Books range from the purely fun to the serious and educational, but there’s something for everyone.
At Bookcrossers meetings, I’ve sometimes reach with two books and left with seven. Other times, I’ve brought five books and left with one. The number doesn’t matter, only that you indulge in yourself and you leave with some unique reading material and that others do too.
Bangkok Bookcrossers also usually meets once a month on a Friday lunchtime. The Starbucks on Soi Langsuan is often the meeting space, but more information on this and the regular evening meeting can be obtained by attending the Tuesday evening meeting, as days and times do sometimes change.
I highly recommend attending a Bangkok Bookcrossers meeting if you’re in Bangkok. You don’t have to be a resident in Bangkok, simply traveling through is gorgeous too. You’ll have a wonderful time, meet some interesting people, get a lot of different perspectives about life in Bangkok, and have some great reading material to peruse at your leisure.
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Filed under Conf Call by on Jan 23rd, 2012. 