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Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 23/04/2021

» A blogger a number of years ago cited an alleged Unesco statistic stating that Thais only read eight lines per year compared to the five books a year Singaporeans and Vietnamese read. I couldn't find the statistic anywhere but a former editor for Guru also wrote in one of her past editor's note that the National Statistic Office reported in 2005 that Thais read an average of just seven lines a year. However, the Unesco site which you can check out has traced that illiteracy has begun declining in 2015 so perhaps the seven-lines-per-year has improved. But why in the world am I talking about Thailand's literacy rates when we usually talk about food or Uncle Tu's latest blunders in this magazine? Well, today is actually World Book Day, and we're listing out a few things you can do to celebrate the occasion -- and perhaps also keep that upward trajectory on the Unesco stat going. So choose a cozy spot and get ready to bury your nose in a few pages as we celebrate World Book Day 2021.