Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 6:26 am Post subject: Thaivisa.com revisited.
I am loathe to admit in open forum, that I was right, however, since my IP addy is banned by thaivisa, I have to put it here and have it noted elsewhere.
I stated in another thread, that the likelihood of moving thaivisa to one which pays was enormous. The amount now admitted by site admin on thaivisa (george) is $9.00 USD per MONTH.
There has been some backstepping since this news was released, by the aforementioned site admin, however, you heard it first right here in Asia-Expats.
The silliness of an admin stopping any discussion on his rule is beginning to bite I think. Why ever would a thinking person, spend good money to find that something he said gave george the sh!ts, especially about the forum moderation/administration, got him banned.
Sillier still, why do people (moderators) spend so much time cleaving to George as he pushes Thaivisa towards what has to inevitably, be a sale, leaving the moderators out in the cold?
Are they nuts? How many members will pay that? 9 US per year is more like it.
As for moderators--they should be fully aware of what to expect in exchange for their moderating services. _________________ Asia Expats Forum Expat Friends Dating
Should be in the 100,000 baht per month income, but I doubt it is. More likely around 40K in my opinion.
If he goes ahead with paid membership, which in many forums of that size is reasonable, he will lose 70-80% straight off, of his membership.
Paid membership adds value to a sale, but the membership charge reduces the membership numbers. Sort of dammed if you do dammed if you don't scenario.
I suspect George is keen to get out of it, though I haven't seen it said, just a feeling I get with the way he lets mods run amok in the forum, chopping and cutting, though he does a fair bit of it himself as well.
George doesn't understand that there are about 6 people in the forum who think like he does "my forum, do what I want" and the rest of the members can't understand why they are prevented from rationally discussing decisions which effect them.
many of the members spend a lot of time in tehre, and that helps his google Pr immensely, since they are contssantly adding content. The limit of Georges additions are really news articles he cuts and pastes from other sources, and he doesn't actually ad any original content. Even the posting rules were written by others to Georges specification. They also change every time someone says something challenging, which isn't exactly covered by the rules as they stand at the time. My suspicion is that many members fell they are with no real view of a final point of their until they give in and go and
I imagine an even bigger drop in membership if it goes to pay. The biggest portion of "members" are drop-in, non-posting lurkers... who certainly would not pay. A recent thread at TV pointed out that something like only 250 members account for 75% posting. Assuming ALL others would drop off and that of the 250, the majority of even them would drop off.... There's simply no reason for paying for something of that forum's nature. I like it because it's a method to get a lot of farang's to pause for even a moment and contemplate the whole world of Thailand that exists outside their little parameters of "farang-land". I realize that perhaps posting as much anti-Thaksin comments as I do exposes me to be subject for a potential "knock-on-the-door", but what the hey.... I did the same verbally and physically (pre-Net days) in the Philippines in support of a variety of anti-Marcos movements.
The large viewing audience at TV...even if most are those that are
non-commenting... is a plus for passing on good informational pieces that should be of concern for them in Thailand, even tho' most don't realize it...and actually don't care about Thailand enough to be concerned; it is still worthwhile if only they read it.
Having said that, I realize that the vast majority of TV is nothing more than "junk mail".... titilating the old Norwegians that hang in Nana... but it is a big enough site that there are are enough other forums that are worth reading.... but cetainly not worth paying to read it.
Should be in the 100,000 baht per month income, but I doubt it is. More likely around 40K in my opinion.
If he goes ahead with paid membership, which in many forums of that size is reasonable, he will lose 70-80% straight off, of his membership.
Paid membership adds value to a sale, but the membership charge reduces the membership numbers. Sort of dammed if you do dammed if you don't scenario.
I suspect George is keen to get out of it, though I haven't seen it said, just a feeling I get with the way he lets mods run amok in the forum, chopping and cutting, though he does a fair bit of it himself as well.
George doesn't understand that there are about 6 people in the forum who think like he does "my forum, do what I want" and the rest of the members can't understand why they are prevented from rationally discussing decisions which effect them.
many of the members spend a lot of time in tehre, and that helps his google Pr immensely, since they are contssantly adding content. The limit of Georges additions are really news articles he cuts and pastes from other sources, and he doesn't actually ad any original content. Even the posting rules were written by others to Georges specification. They also change every time someone says something challenging, which isn't exactly covered by the rules as they stand at the time. My suspicion is that many members fell they are with no real view of a final point of their until they give in and go and
But that is just an opinion.
I would expect him to get at least 40K on google ads alone. Charging 9$ per month will kill the site. Lots of other forums raise cash via paypal donations which of course adds no resale value.
Premised on current knowledge it would be a high end sale at 400-450 K Baht. It would have to carry the radio as well.
I agree about the numbers too. I would have put regular posters at around the 300, you have said 250 which is within the guidelines. Most lookers (lurkers) who don't post, certily would not part with cash for the "privilege".
Membership numbers are grossly overstated since all mods have a minimimum of 2 accounts, because they are not allowed to post "expressively" on controversial topics. They have to use their second nick for that.
Given that someone comes in and posts once then leaves after asking question about a visa, actually accounts for the biggest numbers in the forum again calls into question the numbers, and it is a game. The front page may well say 12000 members but in reality, it's far closer to the 250-300 mark, and of those, between 50 & 70 are regular posters, which means of course, that they spend many many hours per week in there.
Lets think about a demographic here:
Extrapolate postings to a purchase of the site, to give your product access to a new and expanded market, and what do you get for you money?
* 70-80 middle aged men who spend more time than is healthy in front of a computer, communicating in the ether with like minded/bodied others.
* An occasional visit from soneone who was looking for information on getting a thai visa and ended up at thai visa, not realising what it was.
* Arguments and complaint about arbitrarily passed laws of posting, usually ipso facto.
* People being rudely routed daily since they had the gall to disparage one mod or another, in open forum.
* (Moderation issues not to be discussed in forum. Email mods; humor actually... they don't answer, because they don't understand the point you were making, merely that it mentioned George and bast@rd in the one email.
Take that a step further, many are married to women they can't communicate with, who do all the shopping, and are the ones who do the socialising at places like Gymkhana in Chiang Mai. The chaps just tag along and drink with others similar to them, while the wives gossip in Thai on the verandah or on the golf course.
Tied to that, the mens' income is immediately spent at a family level, and wifey doesn't actually give him leave to go make major purchases anyway.
"TEERAK PANG MAKH" springs to mind at this juncture.
A response from hubby, who has set his sights on a big ticket item, then ends up with a shouting match, he gets drunk and forgets about buying it anyway. (Too much hassle).
What are you going to be able to sell to these people?
IMHO not very much at all.
Last edited by ice treasure on Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:51 am; edited 1 time in total
Premised on current knowledge it would be a high end sale at 400-450 K Baht. It would have to carry the radio as well.
I agree about the numbers too. I would have put regular posters at around the 300, you have said 250 which is within the guidelines. Most lookers (lurkers) who don't post, certily would not part with cash for the "privilege".
Membership numbers are grossly overstated since all mods hava a minimimum of 2 accounts, because they are not allowed to post "expressively" on controversial topics. They have to use their second nick for that.
Given that someone comes in and posts once then leaves after asking question about a visa, actually accounts for the biggest number sin the forum. The front page may well say 12000 members but in reality, it's far closer to the 250-300 mark, and of those, between 50 & 70 are regular posters, which means of course, that they spend many many hours per week in there.
Lets think about a demographic here:
Extrapolate postings to a sale, to give your product access to a new and expanded market, and what do you get for you money? 70-80 middle aged men who spend more time than is healthy in front of a computer, communicating in the ether with like minded/bodied others.
Take that a step further, many are married to women they can't communicate with, who do all the shopping, and are the ones who do the socialising at places like Gymkhana in Chiang Mai. The chaps just tag along and drink with others similar to them, while the wives gossip in Thai on the verandah or on the golf course.
Tied to that, the mens' income is immediately spent at a family level, and wifey doesn't actually give him leave to go make major purchases anyway.
"TEERAK PANG MAKH" springs to mind at this juncture.
A response from hubby, who has set his sights on a big ticket item, then ends up with a shouting match, he gets drunk and forgets about buying it anyway. (Too much hassle).
What are you going to be able to sell to these people?
IMHO not very much at all.
400-450K for a site that brings in 40K per month?40 k is conservative IMO) Thats a steal
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:Y&
with no real view of a final point of their 
until they give in and go and 
