The Best Bookstore in Bangkok Dasa Book Cafe

My nose tells me when I’m in a good bookstore. The prose defines much of the literary world. Who, what, when, and where dominate how we think about and engage with books. But for me, how a bookstore smells tells me everything I need to know about it. Think about it; what do you smell when you walk into a new bookstore? Usually, plastic.

The sterile, and yes lovely, interiors of most modern books stores turn me off. They feel cold and distant from the physical world of literature. It’s solely when I smell the vanillaish aroma of old books that I feel my synapses begin to come alive with excitement. Dasa Book Cafe is like walking into the perfect library. The warmth, smell, and presence of thousands of used books make it the ideal combination of escape and merchant.

I’ve said the best bookstore in Bangkok is at Open House at Central Embassy. I stand by that claim all things being equal. But when you factor in used books it becomes very simple. Open House can’t compete. Dasa Book Cafe is easily the best bookstore in Bangkok offering used books (and Cds). New and Used Bookstores should be categorized differently.

I’ll leave the vast selection of books aside, with over 18,000 it’s selection quality is a given. But the staff here truly makes Dasa Book Cafe something special for Bangkok residents. They’re knowledgable, welcoming, and downright hilarious people. One of my absolute favorite features about Dasa Book Cafe is its online used book registry.

Dasa Book Cafe has an online directly of all their books, which is updated daily. Not to mention, you can call and ask about a particular book. I’ve honestly never seen a used bookstore with such an extensive system. They also offer local delivery.

Labeling somewhere the “best” is extremely relative, and not something I often do. But calling Dasa Book Cafe the BEST Bookstore in Bangkok isn’t something I waiver on one bit.