Collecting Highlights

3/15/2005:  Anne McCaffrey in the Thai Language
by Hans van der Boom

I suppose the (pirated) Thai editions of Anne's books are only collectible for the die hard fan/collector. At least I think the first of the two books I will present here is a pirated edition. It sure looks like it. This little booklet is printed on a poor quality paper and measures only 23 x 15,5 centimeters (9.05 x 6.10 inches), is not listed by Matthew Hargreaves (Anne Inez McCaffrey, Forty Years of Publishing) but does have a copyright message on the title page If it really is a pirated edition that seems a rather silly thing to do.

I suspect there must be (have been) more (pirated) editions in the Thai language as this volume has the title "Kon Kumangkon" which means Dragondrums, which happens to be the sixth Pern book and the last volume of the Harper Hall trilogy. It was printed in May 2531 that's May 1988 to us "westerners". It has part of the cover art by Steve Weston for the UK Corgi paperback edition of Dragondrums that was published in 1981.
The Thai edition is translated by somebody calling himself "Kangsa" and the original price was 42 Baht. A pittance and simultaneously maybe the best indication of it being a pirated edition since 1 Baht is about 2 euro/dollarcents. So this book would have cost you the royal sum of about 85 euro/dollarcents.

I've searched and searched the internet but never, ever came across a pirated Anne McCaffrey book in Thai. The only copy I was able to behold (maybe you already guessed since this happened to me before) was ín Ireland, at Anne's house, which is also where I shot this picture of the cover.

If any of you (or whomever reads this) has knowledge of other editions than this one: please email me!)

I have no idea what the book is worth but I assuredly would pay many times its original price to get it in my possession!

While checking the internet again, shortly before submitting this Collecting Highlight (to check whether a copy wasn't suddenly offered somewhere on the net) I came across an official Pern edition of Dragonflight on a Thai online shop that also sells books! What's even better: the book seems to have original cover art! Sorry for the quality of the picture but it's the only one available.  Prices have gone up over the years as this Dragonflight costs 199 Baht originally It has ISBN 974-9741-13-7 and has been published in 2547 (2004). I think I'll order a few of them.

With special thanks to my Thai friend Sunee Torsy-Tha in for translating (the data on) the original title page of the 1988 edition.

Previous Highlight     Return to Collecting Highlights Index     Next Highlight