Bangkok's top 21 independent bookstores

One of those old souls in the Wang Burapha book scene that pops up in the same breath as Burapasarn and Ruam San.

Back in the day, this place was all about fiction, the kind of classic Thai lit that people kept coming back for and over time it opened up to a broader mix whilst still staying true to its roots. Now, you'll find Thai academic and educational books alongside literature, non-fiction, old historie s and the kind of reference books that never go out of style for students or serious readers.

It's right in the Wang Burapha quarter, part of that cluster that used to be the heart of printing houses and text culture, still serving anyone who wants more than a quick scroll.

Location: Maha Chai Rd, Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Founded in the 1950s by Bamrung Thaviwattanasarn and now run by his son Piti, Ruam San built its reputation on one very specific thing: dictionaries. The story goes that a scholar needed help publishing one and no publisher wanted the headache. Dictionaries are brutal to produce. Ruam San said yes and never really stopped.

Decades on, the shop is still doing dictionaries, reference books, magazines and a back catalogue that stretches from the 1970s to now. 

Location: Maha Chai Rd, Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Been around since the 1960s, this shop started out near Siam Theatre before relocating to the Scala Theatre area when it opened in 1969 and it never left.

Today, it spreads across four shophouses, stocked mostly with Thai books – exam guides, novels, magazines and a solid stationery corner.

Location: 1/35-39 Borommaratchachonnani Rd, Arun Amarin, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok

Old-school bookshop that's been in the Wang Burapha area forever, recently relocated to a two-storey white shophouse on Charoen Krung. 

Run by the Kampheerpakorn family (second generation now), they've kept the traditional bookshop energy whilst adding a small cafe so people can stay to read. Fiction, literature, leisure reading, astrology texts, art books – the mix is eclectic in that way family bookshops tend to be.

Location: 122 Charoen Krung Rd, Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Part of the old book district infrastructure, selling Thai books – school textbooks, popular fiction, magazines, practical reference materials.

Not much online presence or English-language coverage, which is typical for shops that primarily serve Thai-reading locals. They're embedded in the community rather than courting wider attention.

Location: 40 42 Charoen Krung Rd, Wang Burapha Phirom, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200

Vintage books of philosophy, religion, Thai history – the heavy stuff, old editions, things you have to fish out of obscure corners.

It's the kind of shop where serious collectors and academics browse so if you're into intellectual history or just love the thrill of discovering forgotten texts, this is essential.

Location: 115 Fueang Nakhon Rd, Wat Ratchabophit, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Another local bookshop in the historic quarter, part of the network participating in the Book District initiative. Thai books, community focus, serving readers who've been coming here for years.

These smaller operations are exactly what the Book District Fest is trying to spotlight – the unglamorous, essential bookshops that keep neighbourhoods literate and connected to print culture.

Location:  77, 79 Fueang Nakhon Rd, Wat Ratchabophit, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Operating in the old city cluster, contributing to that ecosystem of independent bookshops that have survived decades of urban change.

If you're doing a proper Book District walk, this would be one of the stops worth checking even if just to see what's on the shelves and support the continued existence of neighbourhood bookshops.

Location: 167 Dinso Rd, Bowon Niwet, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Travel books in a century-old wooden house near the Giant Swing. The siblings who run this place – Nat's a fashion photographer, Sivika's a writer – organised the whole shop by continent because they're extra like that. But it works. Fiction from different countries, travel writing, cookbooks, biographies, stuff they've collected from everywhere they've been. The whole concept is 'see the world through books' and they commit to it.

The house itself is gorgeous. Blue and green walls, rustic wood, memorabilia from their travels scattered around – Guatemalan dolls, postcards, random beautiful things.

Location: 1 Mahannop 1 Alley, Sao Chingcha, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Been around over 20 years, run by a couple (Num and Yo, absolute legends) who built their collection around their own tastes, which is exactly how it should be.

The shelves are packed with philosophy, travel and non-fiction in both Thai and English. They serve coffee and scones upstairs on weekends. The space is tight and feels like browsing someone's personal library whilst they make you tea.

Location: 28 Soi Samran Rat, Khwaeng Samran Rat, Khet Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Children's books and comics stacked up, the kind of place the neighbourhood actually uses. Thai books, general selection, more local community than tourist dollars.

Location: 93 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok

Art books and photobooks curated by someone who actually knows the scene. Withit Chanthamarit started this as an online platform in 2017, opened the physical space in 2021 and it's become the spot for people who care about visual storytelling. Southeast Asian publications sit next to international titles, zines from global publishers, limited editions, the occasional politics book or pop culture deep dive.

The space isn't huge but it's got seats where you can actually sit and browse the small photobook library they maintain. They host photobook clubs, exhibitions, launches – proper community-building stuff rather than just sell-and-leave transactions.

Location: 96, 96/2 Thanon Chakkraphatdi Phong, Wat Sommanat, pom prap, 2 Chakkraphatdi Phong Rd, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok

A vintage-style book cafe in the historic Chakkraphatdi Phong area – Nang Loeng if you know it better. Paengrum's does old-school charm but also actual good food, which isn't always a given. Wood furniture, antiques, collectibles mixed in with old books and odd finds. The owner's cat patrols, checks on things, judges your choices.

No strict genre focus – just eclectic titles you can browse whilst sipping coffee or working through a proper Thai-style breakfast. Snacks too.

Location: 96/6 Chakkraphatdi Phong Road, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap, Bangkok

Small secondhand operation on Ram Buttri, one of the quieter streets peeling off Khao San – part of the Book District network.

 Ram Buttri's got a few bookshops clustered together actually, so if you're already wandering that way, it's worth poking around properly rather than just passing through.

Location: Ram Buttri, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Another Ram Buttri entry. Fiction is organised alphabetically. Comics mostly live upstairs on the second floor. Rare books, older editions and foreign language titles sit alongside military books, history, fiction, biographies, psychology, sport and comics. Fiction readers in particular will want to linger. 

Beyond English, there are books in French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and Italian.

Location: 59 Ram Buttri Aly, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

A publisher first, bookshop second, putting out gorgeous titles on Southeast Asian art, history and culture for over 30 years. Founded by Narisa Chakrabongse who came back to Thailand needing to reconnect with Thai culture after growing up in London. The small bookshop attached to the publishing house sits near Wat Pho – you walk in and it's basically a library of everything they've ever published. Archaeology, ethnography, cookbooks, dictionaries, contemporary Thai culture.

A well-stocked bookshop and cafe in the heart of old Bangkok stocking all the River Books range and many more books about Thai politics, art and culture. Delicious Monsoon tea, coffee, smoothies and soft drinks. They're committed to recording disappearing cultures even when it doesn't sell well, which is exactly the kind of publishing ethos that deserves support.

Location: 396/1 Maha Rat Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok

Dark green walls, plants everywhere, resident cats lounging on shelves. The inventory's mostly Thai with occasional English titles, heavy on politics and social issues.

There's a proper little bar serving Thai tea, coffee, juice – the Espresso Nutella is their signature move. Sometimes they run workshops on weekends but honestly the real draw is just existing there.

Location: 721, 723 Samsen 17 Alley, Thanon Nakhon Chai Si, Dusit District, Bangkok

Three floors of secondhand English books that have been around since 2004. The wooden everything, the soft lighting, the way they've organised over 18,000 books by author so you can actually find stuff without losing your mind.

The selection skews heavy on fiction but they've got decent French, German and even some Scandinavian titles too. The cafe situation is tiny but functional – grab something cold and settle in. The vibe makes up for it. The staff will buy back books at 50 per cent of the price you paid if you're done with them too.

Location: 714/4 Sukhumvit Rd, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok

Started as a beloved indie bookshop in RCA with all the charm and none of the commercial backing because owner Tong (Pravit Phansawang) hated how expensive certain titles were – hundreds, thousands of baht just sitting there out of reach – and wanted to make quality reading actually accessible.

Then reality hit. Financial challenges, the brutal economics of book retail, the usual story. Instead of packing it in completely, Tong integrated the bookshop into a restaurant called Hen Ok Hen Jai Ratchawat. So now their bio reads 'a restaurant that sells books (not a whole lot but we do)'. It's a hybrid situation – you're eating surrounded by books, the concept persists even if the business model had to adapt to survive.

The selection's mostly Thai with occasional English titles, leaning literary and translated works. They publish stuff themselves too, better specs and lower prices than the overpriced editions that started this whole thing.

Location: 544 Rama V Rd, Thanon Nakhon Chai Si, Dusit District, Bangkok

This tiny bookshop does more than just bookselling. Fathom Bookspace is a versatile space you could take a look at its impressive collection of art books, practice the piano, get on the mezzanine to enjoy Thai novels from the shelves, or grab coffee downstairs.

An English lit professor's personal collection. Out in Pathum Thani, still soft launching, grass half-planted. If you're into a proper curated library setup though, it's worth the trek.

What they're selling: English literature and academic texts, here and there of Thai books, especially scholarly stuff by the owner's academic friends, plus design books, graphic novels, art books, cookbooks, all those beautiful coffee table things people collect but never have space to display properly. It's essentially browsing someone's dream library.

Message before you rock up – they're still setting things up. Also there are dogs. The owner calls them 'the real owners of the house' and they're big on the greeting committee, so if you're not a dog person, flag it when you message.

Location: 82 Moo 11, Soi Phahon Yothin 64 Yaek, Khu Khot Subdistrict, Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani