Novel idea: Thailand, Vietnam take books on the road in reading drive

Tran Dai Thang spotted two young people who had picked up their drinks at a pop-up cafe beside his travelling bookstore and were about to leave, so he called them over.

One of them said they did not read books, Thang recalled. But he kept the conversation going and eventually persuaded the visitor to buy a book for 10,000 dong (US$0.40) – heavily discounted from its original price of 45,000 dong.

For Thang, an artist and publisher, the small sale mattered far less than the fact that someone who said they did not read had chosen to pick up a book.

“Who knows, it might be the start of a new habit,” he said.

Thang, 53, is spending a year travelling across Vietnam in a truck with his “Books To Every Home” project, also known as “Roaming Turtle”.

In neighbouring Thailand, a similar book truck named “Somelee” (Cotton) is pursuing an equally ambitious mission: visiting all 77 provinces to take literature beyond Bangkok and the country’s other urban centres.

Their goal goes beyond selling books. By taking their trucks beyond the big cities, the two projects hope to spark curiosity, build connections through storytelling and turn chance roadside encounters into lasting reading habits for people who might otherwise never enter a bookshop.

But bringing books to the provinces comes at a cost – from fuel and accommodation to staff wages – and neither truck can guarantee a crowd at every stop.

‘Come with me for a year’

Thang’s decision to start Roaming Turtle followed the closure of the last branch of his Ca Chep bookshop chain on Ho Chi Minh City’s Vo Van Tan Street in June. Customers were increasingly buying online, he said, and he no longer had the time or focus to run the store.

As its closure approached, a former employee offered to help him sell books.

“Then come with me for a year,” Thang recalled replying.

With no advance plan, the truck set off on July 15 from Ho Chi Minh City on a journey scheduled to last until July 2027. By mid-October, Thang said the Roaming Turtle had reached its 27th stop – Nam Dinh in the Red River Delta – with Thai Binh next on the itinerary.

“The Ca Chep Bookstore may have closed its fixed location, but we don’t want the story of Ca Chep to end there,” he said, noting that Ca Chep means carp in Vietnamese. “Ca Chep only temporarily paused, but never stopped swimming.”

Growing up in mountainous Hoa Binh province, Thang loved reading and drawing. After graduating from the University of Industrial Fine Arts in 1995, he designed book covers at a state-owned publisher before establishing Dong A, his own book company.

On the road, those skills come together. Together with a driver and a sales assistant, Thang introduces readers to Dong A’s titles and hand-draws book covers upon request. Bystanders even help unload boxes, arrange displays and manage sales.

His autobiography has become a particular attraction. He initially brought five copies to sell at each stop, illustrating every cover differently. When those sold out, readers began ordering copies online and bringing them to his truck to be illustrated. In Da Nang, he hand-illustrated 22 covers.

“Each book cover is a unique illustration, connected to a person and a memory from my journey,” he said.

Other encounters have triggered deeper personal memories. In Quy Nhon, he met an unemployed mother who used her limited savings to buy books for her child – a scene that reminded him of his own childhood and mother.

Beyond the capital

In Thailand, the team behind the Somelee book truck began with a similar problem of access.

Bookshops and literary fairs were concentrated in Bangkok and other major urban centres, according to Yasawath Chuthivisitrathikul, a project manager at P.S. Publishing. The publisher was previously affiliated with Somewhere Bookshop and Home Cafe in Bangkok’s Yai district, which closed its doors on Sunday.

“We saw this as an opportunity to reach everyone – both readers and people who have never read books before,” Yasawath said.

Founded by Borisat Pongwat, or “Turk”, Somelee aims to reach regular readers and non-readers alike.

So far, the five-person Somelee team, including Yasawath and Borisat, has visited about 25 venues and plans to cover all 77 Thai provinces within two years.

Jarungdach Phosri, or “Ton”, who drives the truck, said journeys had grown rapidly, from three cafe visits in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) to a single tour covering 15 provinces over nearly three months.

Somelee’s inventory initially focused on Thai novels, short stories and poetry, before expanding into children’s literature. However, the team discovered reading preferences varied widely by region.

Jarungdach said some stops showed strong demand for translated literature, while others preferred short stories or Thai works. Unfulfilled reader requests are logged as feedback to guide future stock selection.

“What makes it worthwhile, beyond selling books, is meeting readers,” Jarungdach said. “Some are people we have only spoken to through a keyboard. We get to meet and exchange ideas.”

One reader travelled three hours on a motorcycle from another province just to visit the truck, Yasawath recalled.

At Natit Coffee and Crafts in Nong Khai province, proprietor Raviya Wongsathitana said the cafe connected with Somelee through a local community page on social media while taking part in the first Nongkhai Reading Week.

The cafe hosted activities alongside the truck, including a workshop on making simple handmade books or 'zines. Most visitors were existing customers, Raviya said, although the event also attracted wider local interest.

“I see Somelee as a living mobile bookstore,” she said. “They share stories of their travels and tell people who they’ll meet and where, allowing visitors to be part of an experience beyond simply buying books.”

Keeping things moving

Behind these encounters is a complex mobile supply chain. To keep inventory stocked, Somelee posts book shipments ahead to hotels along their route, while local cafe owners offer travel tips and help arrange accommodation.

Nevertheless, operational costs are a constant burden. Fuel, lodgings and equipment add up quickly, while turnout at remote stops can be unpredictable. Unfavourable weather, particularly heavy rain, can easily disrupt operations for days.

“We want to promote a reading culture, so we started driving out to meet people in the provinces, far from Bangkok,” Yasawath said. “Both readers and people who have never read books before are welcome, and we continue to stay in touch with them online.”

In Vietnam, Thang financed his truck with a bank loan of around 1.2 billion dong (US$46,360). Sales cover everyday living and operating expenses on the road, while Dong A handles staff salaries and vehicle loan repayments.

Both projects sometimes lower prices to keep books accessible. Somelee offers reductions of 15 to 30 per cent – sometimes exceeding 50 per cent for students – while Thang focuses sales in cities so he can give books away for free at schools in more remote locations.

For Thang, a year on the road has sharpened his approach to publishing.

“Making good, beautiful books remains important, but prices must allow them to reach people with different means,” he said. “People who truly want to read should not have to give up a book they love just because they lack money.”