Thailand’s e-reader market is growing, with 66% of people preferring digital reading. Despite reading for an average of 64 minutes daily, social media and streaming compete for attention.
Key Points
- A national survey in Thailand revealed a shift towards digital reading, with 66% of respondents primarily using electronic devices and averaging 64 minutes of daily reading, five days a week.
- The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) emphasizes that social media and streaming, alongside limited free time, hinder more frequent reading.
- Rakuten Kobo and MEB Corporation are expanding their partnership to enhance the e-reader market, leveraging Kobo’s technology and MEB’s local expertise to support the growing preference for digital books.
A growing preference for digital reading is creating new opportunities in Thailand’s e-reader market, with 66 percent of respondents in a national survey reporting that they primarily read on electronic devices.
The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) survey found that respondents spent an average of 64 minutes a day reading, about five days a week. However, competing activities such as social media and streaming, along with limited free time, remain key obstacles to reading more frequently.
The findings come as Rakuten Kobo and MEB Corporation expand their partnership to develop Thailand’s e-reader market. Officially launched in early 2026, the collaboration combines Kobo’s e-reader technology and global catalog with MEB’s local expertise and distribution network.
The partnership comes as reading habits shift, with electronic devices becoming an increasingly popular way to access books. The industry’s challenge is to turn this growing preference into more consistent reading habits, despite increasing competition for people’s time and attention.
Source : Survey Points to Growing Digital Reading Trend in Thailand
