Thai version of BusinessWeek launches

A Thai-lanaguage version of BusinessWeek magazine has launched this week, and the publisher hopes the operation will break even in 18 months, writes Woranuj Maneerungsee of The Bangkok Post.

Maneerungsee wrote, “The publication is the first Thai-language version of an international business magazine available in the local market. The company closed the deal with New York-based McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, the publisher of BusinessWeek, late last year. But the local version is monthly instead of weekly because it takes longer to find and translate international stories relevant to Thai readers.

“Mr Batt said the first issue had been presented to media agencies and received positive feedback. The company expects ad revenues would contribute between 80% and 90% of income to the new publication. It has circulated 30,000 free copies of the first issue to target readers, mostly business executives. Meanwhile, it expects 15,000 issues would be sold monthly by the end of the year, of which 30-40% would be to customers who take out subscriptions.

“The monthly BusinessWeek aims to become the first commercial magazine in Thailand that would be audited by the global auditor BPA. Very few publications of any kind in Thailand are audited — the Bangkok Post is an exception — and circulation claims are highly inflated.

“The content of the first Thai edition is mostly translated from international issues. Topics include business, the environment, social issues and technology suited to general readers as well as businesspeople. The newstand cost is a pricey 175 baht a copy, similar to The Economist, which costs 190 baht and comes out weekly.”

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