President Xi’s book gets second print run after selling out in Thailand

World Today

A collection of speeches, delivered by China’s President Xi Jinping, is selling remarkably well in Thailand.

CGTN’s Tony Cheng went to find out why so many Thais are keen to read about his plans for the future.

It is a sign of the importance of the relationship with China, that General Prayuth, Thailand’s Prime Minister, made visiting Beijing a priority once he came to power.

His host, has always been considered a shrewd statesman and the collection of speeches published later that year, are thought to offer the best insight into China’s president’s plans for the country.

Now that book, Xi Jinping’s ‘The Governance of China,’ has become a surprising best seller in Thailand.

For what many would consider a rather dry and academic tome with limited appeal, the Thai publishers have just finished a second hurried print run

That comes as no surprise to the Thai editor however, who got the idea to publish a Thai version while living in Beijing. He admits his efforts have been aided by the frequent mentions the book gets in government ministers’ reading lists.

“The reason the book got popular in Thailand is because the Finance Minister and the PM mentioned that is was a must read book,” Panlop Samsi of Matichon Publishers said.

Of course some world leaders are more familiar with celebrity than others. The success of his book may not make Xi Jinping a household name around the world but a collection of speeches may make a more coherent and considered global view, than the 140 characters of a tweet.