Updated September 2026
You can buy inexpensive English-language books in Thailand through independent secondhand shops, discounted new stock and online sellers. The American Half Price Books chain has no listed Thailand branch. If you are searching for “half priced books,” the useful question is which local shop has a book you want at a fair total price.
I would start with Dasa in Bangkok for a searchable used-book collection, Gekko in central Chiang Mai for browsing, or Little Lion for English children’s books. None of these choices means every title costs exactly half its original price. Edition, condition and demand matter, and a shop’s return credit is a separate part of the deal.
Bangkok: Dasa Book Cafe
Dasa is at 714/4 Sukhumvit Road, between Sois 26 and 28, a short walk from BTS Phrom Phong. The shop is on the main road, not inside either soi. It sells used fiction and nonfiction in English and several European languages.
Regular hours are 10am–8pm daily. The telephone number is 02 661 2993, or +66 2 661 2993. Check before a special journey around a holiday. There is no shop-owned parking next door, so I would use the BTS if the rest of the day allows it.
Dasa’s searchable catalogue is especially useful when you want a particular author. Search the title and author, check the edition and price, then confirm availability before crossing Bangkok for one copy. A used-book inventory can change between your search and your arrival.
Domestic mail orders are possible, but they require confirmation of the books and shipping total. Do not assume that finding a title online means it has been reserved or paid for. For a short hotel stay, confirm both dispatch timing and whether reception will accept the parcel.
How Dasa’s return credit works
Eligible books bought at Dasa can receive up to 50% of the purchase price in store credit when brought back. Condition affects the offer, and books returned after six months fall outside the normal half-price-back arrangement. Travel guidebooks are generally non-returnable. Acceptance is not guaranteed.
For example, if a book costs 200 baht and is later accepted for 100 baht in credit, that credit can help pay for your next purchase. You still paid 200 baht initially. I would only count the credit as useful savings if I expected to return and buy another book.
Books acquired elsewhere are assessed individually; there is no automatic one-for-one swap. Selling for cash also requires an assessment and photo identification. Ask about your own titles before carrying a heavy bag to the shop.
Chiang Mai: start around the Old City’s eastern side
Gekko Books
Gekko Books is at 2/6 Chang Moi Kao Road, near Tha Phae Gate. Older references sometimes spell the name “Gecko.” This location makes more sense as part of an Old City or Chang Moi walk than a special trip to Nimman.
The selection centres on used English books, including fiction and nonfiction, with some new copies mixed in. I would browse here with an author or subject in mind while remaining flexible about the exact title. A bookshop with changing secondhand stock cannot promise the same books every week.
Confirm current opening arrangements before travelling specifically for the shop. If you use its Gekko Books Chiang Mai seller account on Shopee, check that orders are being accepted; a visible catalogue does not necessarily mean the shop can dispatch immediately. Ask for the actual copy’s condition rather than treating a cover image as a condition report.
For a walk in this area, the Tha Phae Gate guide helps place the bookshop relative to the Old City. The gate itself is not a dependable daily secondhand-book market.
The Lost Book Shop and older Backstreet listings
The Lost Book Shop’s address is 34/3 Ratchamankha Road, inside the Old City. Confirm its current opening arrangements directly before making it the main purpose of your day; older opening-hour listings should not be treated as a guarantee.
Backstreet Books is another name that appears in older Chiang Mai guides. Its historical location was on Chang Moi Kao Road, not Nimmanhaemin Road. I would not plan a journey around an old Backstreet listing without first confirming that the specific shop and address are operating.
English children’s books: Little Lion
Little Lion Children’s Bookshop is based in Hang Dong, Chiang Mai, and sells pre-owned English children’s books sourced from the UK and US. Its online categories include board books, picture books, early readers and chapter books, making it a more focused starting point for a child’s reading level.
The shop grades copies as Good or Fair. Read the individual condition description, particularly for a gift or an activity book. A lower-priced copy with cover wear may suit home reading perfectly well.
Little Lion ships within Thailand, with delivery cost calculated at checkout. For an in-person visit, confirm the Hang Dong address and opening hours first; it is a separate outing from the Old City bookshop area. I would compare delivery with the journey cost if I only wanted a few books.
Do not arrive expecting an automatic exchange. Its current arrangements do not include buying books from customers or accepting donations, and a possible future credit scheme is not the same as an operating one.
When buying new can be the better deal
Use Kinokuniya Thailand and Asia Books as price comparisons for new English-language books. They are also useful when you need a particular edition, a recent release or an intact children’s workbook. Search by ISBN where the edition matters.
A sale on selected titles does not mean every book is half price. Compare the actual checkout total with the used copy, including delivery. For a book you need this week, confirm that it is in local stock rather than available only as an overseas order.
Kinokuniya’s annual membership costs 500 baht and offers a standard 10% discount on eligible books. On that discount alone, you would need 5,000 baht of eligible full-price purchases to recover the fee. Exclusions and other promotions can change the calculation. I would not join solely to buy one inexpensive paperback.
For Thai-language titles and some bilingual or learning materials, also compare Naiin and SE-ED. Check the language, format and edition in the product description: an English title on a listing can still belong to a Thai translation.
Check these details before paying for a used book
- Language and edition. Confirm that the book is unabridged if that matters, and check the publication year for textbooks and reference works.
- Completeness. Look for missing pages, loose sections and heavy writing. For children’s books, inspect flaps, stickers and activities.
- Condition beyond the cover. Check the spine, page edges and any damp damage. An attractive stock photograph may show a different copy.
- Final cost. Add postage or the transport needed to collect it. A small discount can disappear in a cross-city taxi ride.
- Return or exchange terms. Ask whether the offer is cash or store credit, how long it lasts and whether that particular book qualifies.
For online purchases, ask for enough detail to judge the copy before paying. Some sellers can provide photographs; others work from catalogue descriptions and cannot photograph individual books. If the information is insufficient for a collectible or expensive edition, I would buy somewhere I could inspect it.
A cheap old travel guide can be enjoyable background reading, but its accommodation prices, transport schedules and entry requirements may be obsolete. I would choose a novel by condition and taste; I would choose a practical reference book by edition as well as price.
Markets, sale events and a realistic book budget
Market stalls and temporary book sales can reward flexible browsing, but they are poor bets for one exact English title. Confirm a sale’s current dates, venue and language selection before travelling. An old event poster is not evidence that the sale is running again.
I would not go to Pattaya Walking Street expecting a dependable secondhand-book market, or build a Chiang Mai book hunt around generic “Tha Phae market” advice. A named shop, a confirmed opening time and a clear idea of the language you want make a more useful plan.
For one holiday read, buy something you want at a price you can afford without assuming a future buyback. For regular reading, a shop with suitable stock and workable exchange terms may save more over time. For a child’s collection, compare a small delivered order with a dedicated shopping trip, and keep the books’ condition and reading level ahead of the discount sign.