Deep inside Soi Charoen Krung 45, amidst the shadows of skyscrapers and the bustling sounds of the neighborhood, a shop with a mint green sign stands at the entrance. From the outside, it looks like an instagrammable cafe, perfect for taking photos or enjoying a coffee in peace. But in reality, it is much more than that.
A coffee shop, a record store, a place selling knick-knacks, and a space for film screenings—but if you go back to the original intention of Zac-Chango Zaza Favre, the founder, this was a secondhand French bookstore. The name BALZAC comes from Honoré de Balzac, a French writer regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time.
Besides selling books, Zac also intended it to be a space where French speakers in Thailand could meet, socialize, and exchange ideas, surrounded by literature and various forms of art.
Before the first book was placed on the shelf, Zac was a Frenchman who had lived in Thailand for nearly ten years.
Previously, he had worked and lived in China for about a year before traveling through Asian countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.
On his first trip to Thailand, he went north to Chiang Mai and immediately fell in love with the Lanna culture. He then moved to Chiang Mai for about four years, working in real estate until he felt saturated, after which he wanted to start his own business.
Seeing that Chiang Mai's business growth was slow, Zac planned to move to Bangkok, which offered more business opportunities. But before settling down seriously, he decided to fly back to France, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard.
Zac decided to quarantine at his mountain home in Switzerland. Though far from people and conveniences, he felt safe, and being surrounded by forests and mountains sparked some ideas.
Two years later, he flew back to Thailand with a business plan for his small bookstore.
A young man raised among books.Zac dreamed of opening a bookstore because he grew up surrounded by books.
Zac also explained why he chose to settle and open his bookstore in Thailand. For him, Thai people are relaxed, not easily stressed, and exemplify a balanced lifestyle. “I used to be very stressed, anxious, and a bit intense. Coming here gave me some positive energy. Sure, it’s hot and polluted, which many dislike, but some live a ‘sabai sabai’ life—accepting things as they are, living in the present, not rushing all the time. It’s very different from France or Switzerland.”
Statistics from Francophonie, the international organization of French speakers, indicate that about 500,000 people in Thailand use French to communicate. In Bangkok at that time—as far as Zac knew—there was only one French bookstore, and it sold new books.
“I thought if one percent of those 500,000 people came to my store, I could make the business work. So I started investing time and effort into this project, giving myself three months to find a location.”
Initially, he wanted to open the store in the Sukhumvit or Thonglor area. He found a unit owned by Koreans that seemed perfect for a bookstore but was too expensive to rent, so he looked for other options.
In the last two days before his three-month deadline, he visited rental spaces near Yaowarat, close to the French Embassy, and walked through to Charoen Krung, where he found a three-story wooden house for rent. Something inside told him this was the right place.
Zac spent a year collecting French books, shipping them from his home country to Thailand, and establishing his dream French bookstore into a tangible reality.
The books at BALZAC cover many categories, but the common thread is that all are secondhand.
Zac then led us to explore, starting with the recommended bookshelf near the coffee counter, then deeper toward the mezzanine stairs. The scent of old books greeted us as we scanned novels, nonfiction, and picture books. Some had folded corners; others looked as pristine as new.
“When choosing, I think about what readers might want, which books would interest people. I can’t quite explain it, but I believe the books I select will sell. We have literature, poetry, history, children's books, comics, art books, thrillers—many genres.” He explained the selection criteria.
Besides books, Zac's youth was surrounded by 'food for the eyes' and 'food for the ears' such as film, art, and music.
More than carefully selected books, his shop features a record corner, artwork by artists, handmade knick-knacks, and on special occasions, the second floor hosts French film screenings.
“This place was planned as a bookstore, but now it’s quite a hybrid space. Many Thai influencers come not for the French books at all, but because they like the space and want to take photos. It spread on TikTok and Instagram, and after that, this place became an Instagram Cafe.”
We asked if he felt the purpose of his store was being missed.
“I don’t judge them. People who come can do whatever they want. Most bookstores don’t allow photos, but I do, because I know 80% of visitors come to take pictures. I just ask them to be careful not to damage the books. Who am I to judge, right?” the young owner emphasized.
“This place feels like my home. Sometimes teenagers come in, see me sitting in a corner, and ask if I’m the owner. I reply, ‘Maybe’ (laughs). I want to live in Thailand because it gives me a warm feeling, and that kind of atmosphere is what I want to create. I want to build a store where people feel good when they come.”
Like the carefully selected, diverse books, the records in the store don’t focus on just one genre. “We have everything—French progressive rock, French electro, French Dutch styles, even singers from the 1920s—all presenting French culture. That’s why on the shop sign, I put a small phrase: French Culture Center. It started as a bookstore, but it’s also a cafe, gallery, and cultural center.”
For Zac, founding BALZAC is a milestone in his life.
“I consider it an achievement because, as I told you, during COVID-19, it was the first time I really thought about wanting to do something good with my life. This place brings together what I love. I do what I like, in a country I feel is home. I feel Thailand is more of a home to me than Switzerland.” He concluded with a smile.