Thai Readers Join Global Potter Mania

Hundreds queue to buy the first copies

Bangkok Post - A 43-year-old woman became the proud owner of Thailand's first copy of the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series yesterday after spending the night camped outside the CentralWorld shopping centre awaiting the launch of the book. Bongkotkorn Rod-anan, an ardent fan of the series, was the first local reader to lay her hands on the 759-page Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows novel at the B2S bookstore's Harry Potter fair when the book, by British author J.K. Rowling, was released at 5am yesterday.

Miss Bongkotkorn said she didn't want to miss the opportunity to be among the first owners of the book, so she left her home in Bung Kum, on the outskirts of Bangkok, for CentralWorld early on Friday night.

She arrived at the department store at about 10pm and waited in front of the store until the book fair opened early yesterday morning.

''I didn't even take a nap throughout the night,'' she said, adding that the store's security guards seemed bemused as to why she had put in so much effort to get a copy of a book.

''I've been waiting to read this final volume of the series for so long. I really want to know the ending. I hope it's a happy ending. For me, the series is so captivating. Once you read it, it draws you in,'' she said.

Miss Bongkotkorn said she loved the character of Harry Potter, the series' main protagonist, whom she said was courageous, moral and considerate.

''I'm not at all bothered about waiting for the book the whole night. It's worth the trouble,'' she added.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released globally in 93 countries at 00.01am British summer time yesterday.

By Sirikul Bunnag.