Book publishers and sellers are turning more to e-commerce channels, as today's consumers like to buy books online, says the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (Pubat).
President Charun Hormtienthong said online book sales represented almost 10% of total book sales this year, but their growth was much higher than those via bookstores.
This year, total book sales are expected to be worth 15 billion baht after flat growth for two consecutive years due to the economic downturn. Of the sales, 80% will come from bookstore chains and independent shops.
"The number of bookstores is declining, especially upcountry, as some independent shop operators cannot survive due to very high operation costs, while Thais read fewer books in general," Mr Charun said.
Most Thais still prefer to read physical books rather than e-books.
E-book growth has continually dropped to only 1-2% in Thailand this year, while Germany has been facing a similar trend with slowing growth of only 3.8%.
Mr Charun predicts sales of physical books will still have potential to rise, as people still enjoy reading books from time to time.
Readers often have an emotional attachment to physical books, while e-book readers are not widely available in Thailand.
In the industry as a whole, Pubat found the children's books category has grown at a modest pace, as the government has not seriously promoted reading among Thai children and youths.
A recent survey by Pubat found Thais last year spent only 28 minutes a day reading books.
At this year's Book Expo Thailand, which ended on Sunday, 421 publishers and sellers were satisfied with their sales.
Although official book sales from the 12-day fair have not not released, Pubat expects they will reach 400 million baht.
Some 2 million visitors attended the event at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.
Mr Charun said book sales from the fair this year were 20% lower than last year due to effects from the economic slowdown and lower consumption.
Among the visitors to the fair, Pubat found teenagers had the highest purchasing power, but they turned out in lower numbers, as many schools had already opened for the second semester on Oct 26.
Some students were busy with preparations for the GAT and PAT tests from Oct 29 to Nov 1.