Read Café a giant leap for knowledge dissemination in digital era
The country's first coffee shop learning space, "Read Café", has been launched by Thailand's Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) in partnership with DAD Asset Development and Bangchak Retail Co Ltd.
The innovative project, which opened on Tuesday, aims to promote reading among people of all ages through online platforms, offering access to more than 10,000 learning materials free of charge for members.
Located in Parking Building D of the Government Centre in Chaeng Wattana district of Bangkok, Read Café combines the ambience of a coffee shop with state-of-the-art digital learning resources. The project, which took over eight months to complete, represents a significant step towards elevating knowledge dissemination in the digital era.
Explaining the concept behind the project, OKMD president Twarath Sutabutr said the 'Read Café Model Area' project was implemented to elevate knowledge into the digital era, which is one of OKMD's important missions in promoting lifelong learning for the public.
"We aim to create a public learning process through providing knowledge services in modern model learning sources. We aim to create a reading culture, develop creativity, and increase opportunities to access knowledge in various fields for Thai people of all ages effectively," he explained.
Read Café offers a unique "blended reading and learning experience" by providing modern knowledge services on online platforms. The centrepiece of this digital offering is the TK Read Application, a digital library application from TK Park.
Highlighting the app’s features, Dr Twarath said: "Read Café is an enhanced learning experience that combines technology with an atmosphere conducive to reading and relaxation, making learning a more engaging and accessible activity for everyone. Interested parties can sign up for the TK Read application for free and receive various benefits just by signing up as a member," he said.
The app boasts an impressive collection of over 10,000 items across various categories, including travel, literature, history, business and investment, computers, and children's books. Content is regularly updated, ensuring a fresh and diverse selection for users.
According to recent data, the TK Read application has garnered rapid user engagement, with 592,557 subscribers and a total of 1,944,725 users recorded between 2023 and 2024. The platform has facilitated more than 1,146,634 loans during this period.
The Read Café project is the result of a collaborative effort between several organisations.
Nalik-atipak Sangsanit, managing director of DAD Asset Development, emphasised the importance of the initiative.
"The Read Café prototype area has elevated the development of the area with a creative concept over 50 square metres in Parking Building D on the 2nd floor of Government Centre to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of His Majesty the King on December 5, 2007 to further benefit the public by promoting a learning society in the digital era and promoting reading," he said.
Bangchak Retail general manager Yosathorn Arannath was enthusiastic about the project.
"The company is very pleased to work with OKMD and DAD to enable Thai society to become a knowledge society, which is an important foundation for driving the country's economy. By developing Read Café with international service standards, it can provide knowledge services with a variety of formats, processes, and technologies," he noted.
