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´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines launches Lonely Planet Magazine in Thailand, making it the tenth international edition of the publication since its launch in the UK in 2008.

Lonely Planet Magazine Thailand is published by Media Expertise International, which also publishes Top Gear for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines, and lifestyle titles Harper's Bazaar and Wallpaper.

The first issue of Lonely Planet Magazine Thailand is on sale from 1 September 2011, with a 120, 000 print run and a cover price of 100 Thai Baht. The editor-in-chief is Mr. Rathasiam Sinlakhun.

´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines' Licensing Manager in Asia-Pacific Chun Leong Ong said: "We are excited about working with Media Expertise on another key brand for the Thai market. Lonely Planet Magazine Thailand, our sixth international edition in Asia in the last two years, is a clear signal that the consumer travel market in Asia continues to grow at a tremendous pace. At the same time, it is also a fantastic testament to the magazine's editorial strength, trust and the reputation that it enjoys internationally."

Mr. Rathasiam Sinlakhun, editor-in-chief of Lonely Planet Magazine Thailand said: "Combining almost four decades of experience and a trustworthy reputation for providing sound and resourceful content, from exotic travel destinations to reliable travel information, with the great work of Lonely Planet writers and photographers from around the world, the new magazine will undoubtedly be warmly embraced by Thai readers seeking inspiring travel information to enrich their journeys."

NOTES TO EDITORS
Lonely Planet Magazine launched in the UK in November 2008 and is the UK's best-selling travel magazine with an ABC circulation figure of 62,204. The magazine is now available in the UK, Korea, Brazil, France, Spain, Asia (Singapore), Argentina, Philippines, Taiwan and India, with more international deals in the pipeline.

About ´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines
´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines is the magazine publishing division of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide, the main commercial arm and wholly owned subsidiary of the ´óÏó´«Ã½. It publishes over 30 regular consumer titles, including Top Gear, Good Food, Gardeners' World and Radio Times and many children's titles including Doctor Who Adventures and CBeebies Weekly.

On 16 August 2011, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide and Exponent Private Equity announced that they have signed a sale and licensing agreement for the publication of titles currently published by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Magazines. Under the terms of the deal Exponent will acquire, in full, Radio Times and a number of magazines less closely aligned to the ´óÏó´«Ã½, as well as the rights to publish ´óÏó´«Ã½-branded titles under licensing and contract publishing arrangements.

The transaction has the full approval of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust. Completion of the deal is expected to take place in the autumn, following clearance from the Office of Fair Trading.

Sarah Williams-Robbins