As new authors can attract new readers, this means bookstores can only expect a shrinking number of customers. Youngsters are turning to electronic devices for their all their reading, perhaps not realising the strain this puts on their eyes. Yes, it's true: real books are better for your eyesight. But few people know it, which means bookstores might soon disappear for good.
Reading inspires new ideas and new opportunities. And while it's true that digital books offer greater convenience, research has shown that readers retain less information from scrolling e-books than they do from turning the pages of their paper equivalents.
So it would be more than just sad if all bookstores had to close their doors: it would be a serious blow to hopes of instilling a reading habit in future generations of Thais.