Disagree - there are loads of sub only forums that are successful (somethingawful.com)

Important part - Sub Only. (and has it always been that way?)

Every site I know that has previously been free access to all areas that then tried to charge a fee for some small privilege has failed miserably.

One forum that I visit intermittently now has a subscription fee if you want to post pictures....... guess what, nobody ever gets to see any pictures of mine, their loss and no hardship to me.

As far as I am concerned the most important aspect for TV is

"Most users ever online was 9,371 on 2007-09-24 07:22:05"

Nonsense, I think it's a great idea. I'd be willing to pay a modest fee, say 1000 baht per month to peruse the lastest entries on "The Last Word" or similar very entertaining threads. A money maker for sure, well done George, don't be put off by the usual pessimists.

Oh and I thought it was a wonderful gesture to allow McGriffith free membership. I know he has trouble making ends meet.

Hmmmm.......I thought Bedlam was one of the lamest sub-forums on TV. Now you expect me to pay? No way!

Nonsense, I think it's a great idea. I'd be willing to pay a modest fee, say 1000 baht per month to peruse the lastest entries on "The Last Word" or similar very entertaining threads.

Wow, I guess that I've really been missing out.

I don't even like looking at that thread for free.

Nonsense, I think it's a great idea. I'd be willing to pay a modest fee, say 1000 baht per month to peruse the lastest entries on "The Last Word" or similar very entertaining threads. A money maker for sure, well done George, don't be put off by the usual pessimists.

Oh and I thought it was a wonderful gesture to allow McGriffith free membership. I know he has trouble making ends meet.

So we can count you in as charter member #1, then! Good chap!

PS: Buddy, can ya spare a dime?

Lamphun must have some kind of serious psychic powers here to extrapolate "Bedlam is closing" from these posts of George's.

We are running a beta test and will make an announcement later. The "no-ads" bit of it it just a little tiny part of the whole package.

If any Paypal transactions should occur during the beta test we will refund them immediately, as this is just an internal test.

I can't give any more details right now, as we are evaluating possible privileges and member options.

We are still beta testing and will tell you when we have some news.

Thanks

Naturally followed by the requisite number of posters who assume the OP to be the gospel truth.

Thai Visa Chinese whispers at its finest

Nonsense, I think it's a great idea. I'd be willing to pay a modest fee, say 1000 baht per month to peruse the lastest entries on "The Last Word" or similar very entertaining threads. A money maker for sure, well done George, don't be put off by the usual pessimists.

Oh and I thought it was a wonderful gesture to allow McGriffith free membership. I know he has trouble making ends meet.

So we can count you in as charter member #1, then! Good chap!

PS: Buddy, can ya spare a dime?

Ok buddy, cheque is in the post.

You have to pay? Don't know about that.

Still waiting for McGriffith to let us know how much he paid. Perhaps it wasn't much.

Let's just say I received what is called a professional courtesy discount.

Although still under development, we do want to hear what members would consider valuable.

The fast skin loading feature and the ad-free environment are just part of the whole package.

Lots of other benefits are being considered. Private forum is just one of them.

Let us know what you think would make this a good package for you- and be realistic, please!

I really have all I want from TV already. What could I need more of that I can't find in the forums already in use?

took the words right out of my laptop........

My laptop must be synchronised with yours

Lamphun must have some kind of serious psychic powers here to extrapolate "Bedlam is closing" from these posts of George's.

There you go spelling psychotic wrong again.

You have to pay? Don't know about that.

Still waiting for McGriffith to let us know how much he paid. Perhaps it wasn't much.

Let's just say I received what is called a professional courtesy discount.

Although still under development, we do want to hear what members would consider valuable.

The fast skin loading feature and the ad-free environment are just part of the whole package.

Lots of other benefits are being considered. Private forum is just one of them.

Let us know what you think would make this a good package for you- and be realistic, please!

I really have all I want from TV already. What could I need more of that I can't find in the forums already in use?

I agree with Bop. What more could you want?

So that probally means that some forums will soon be pay per view. I would like to be wrong on that one.

You have to pay? Don't know about that.

Still waiting for McGriffith to let us know how much he paid. Perhaps it wasn't much.

Let's just say I received what is called a professional courtesy discount.

Although still under development, we do want to hear what members would consider valuable.

The fast skin loading feature and the ad-free environment are just part of the whole package.

Lots of other benefits are being considered. Private forum is just one of them.

Let us know what you think would make this a good package for you- and be realistic, please!

I really have all I want from TV already. What could I need more of that I can't find in the forums already in use?

I agree with Bop. What more could you want?

So that probally means that some forums will soon be pay per view. I would like to be wrong on that one.

Could be the beginning of the end. Nothing lasts forever.

Maybe it should aim to be like an affordable Thailand Elite scheme.

- Free miniature golf.

- Thaivisa Samlor transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang.

- Letter on official Thaivisa stationary explaining to customs officials that "This guy's ok".

- 10% off at King Power.

- Concierge service at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.

Maybe it should aim to be like an affordable Thailand Elite scheme.

- Free miniature golf.

- Thaivisa Samlor transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang.

- Letter on official Thaivisa stationary explaining to customs officials that "This guy's ok".

- 10% off at King Power.

- Concierge service at Chiang Mai Night Bazaar.

Yes, free visa advice from 20 different posters, all with different answers. Oh, wait........... Never mind.

Could be the beginning of the end. Nothing lasts forever.

If all goes ahead without affecting the main forum as it is now, then what's the problem? Hopefully this is the case though, as I remember before when Thaivisa momentarily accidentally became a Pay-Per-View site and it was greeted with the expected very frosty reception. Don't think George would be foolhardy enough to make that mistake again!

I don't really have much interest in a Platinum forum, but if I was a platinum member I'd probably pop in from time to time. Can't see what could be in there which isn't in the other forums though - it would be nice to have some more relaxed moderation in there, but sadly I can't see this happening, so it would basically just be Bedlam mark II but with much less people. Would also be a moderation nightmare I imagine as people would be a lot more pissed off when posts that they've paid to write get deleted!

Speed improvements would be of little interest also as it's fine for me how it is now.

Main advantages for me would be some decent partner discount schemes - but not like others I've seen in Bangkok proudly announcing a measly 5% off your food bill at such and such a pub - that would normally amount to a discount of 10 Baht or so! A decent discount at Sunrise tacos, for example is an obvious one that springs to mind, but a range of good (i.e. > 5%!) discounts at a fair number of establishments (as opposed to poor discounts at dozens of places) could be attractive.

And a decent party / event every couple of months or so with good food and good drink in a nice venue would be good also. Again, though, would have to be some freebies on offer for platinum members; not just that platinum membership gets you an invite and then you still have to pay for everything when you get there.

Valuable suggestions and insights, dantilley. No where has it been suggested that Bedlam (or other current forums) are going to become pay-per-view.

Some of the things you mention will be taken into consideration, and thanks for your input! Anyone else have any ideas- what would make a Platinum package worthwhile to you?

That's the trouble. What else can you offer people?

Private forum? Already is one where we basically talk <deleted>.

Free email? Already offered.

Letting members disable swear filtering? Possible.

Shoutbox visible only to Platinum members? That would be ok.

Now you have to ask if any of this is something people will pay for. If you got a vip card that entitled you to deals at all TV sponsors then it would make economic sense all around. That people may pay for. A private forum probably, not.

If you have the money and the time, try it,

Then let's all get back to normal.

Now you have to ask if any of this is something people will pay for. If you got a vip card that entitled you to deals at all TV sponsors then it would make economic sense all around. That people may pay for. A private forum probably, not.

Would have to be more than just the TV sponsors though, although a fair number of establishments are covered by Sunbelt alone I suppose.

Can't imagine anyone would want to pay for anything strictly forum-related, i.e. new sub-forums, special forum rules, etc. but things like this could be a sweetener for a membership scheme primarily focussed on more off-line related benefits.

personally, i think that there is only 1 element of information on this site that is worth paying for. And that is the Visa advise that is offered for free by namely Scouse but also some of the other quite knowledgeable members.

Apart from that, i can't honestly think of anything else i would pay for.

Just my opinion.

Now you have to ask if any of this is something people will pay for. If you got a vip card that entitled you to deals at all TV sponsors then it would make economic sense all around. That people may pay for. A private forum probably, not.

I know one sponsor who is not interested in paying to advertise and then having to give discounts to members on top of that. I'm trying to make money, not give it away!

Now you have to ask if any of this is something people will pay for. If you got a vip card that entitled you to deals at all TV sponsors then it would make economic sense all around. That people may pay for. A private forum probably, not.

I know one sponsor who is not interested in paying to advertise and then having to give discounts to members on top of that. I'm trying to make money, not give it away!

If it brings trade that didn't exist before and there's a profit on it, isn't it still a plus?

Nobody ever printed a coupon or had a sale out of generosity.

Selling used books is quite different from selling new books or other easily replaced commotities.

If I sell a great new book for any price, I just order another one and it is there for the next customer. If I sell any of my most popular books in a used store, there is often no replacement until someone sells me another one sometimes months later. Therefore, I want to sell it for the best price that I can, rather than discount it.

If most people would buy John Grisham or something easily replaced, discounting would not be a problem, but inevitably, in a used book store, they will choose the hardest book to replace in the entire store!

Pineapples to all that

Selling used books is quite different from selling new books or other easily replaced commotities.

If I sell a great new book for any price, I just order another one and it is there for the next customer. If I sell any of my most popular books in a used store, there is often no replacement until someone sells me another one sometimes months later. Therefore, I want to sell it for the best price that I can, rather than discount it.

If most people would buy John Grisham or something easily replaced, discounting would not be a problem, but inevitably, in a used book store, they will choose the hardest book to replace in the entire store!

Do you operate in Bangkok? I always want to know where good book stores are.

It seems that most here are talkigg about advantages that members who live in Thailand can take advantage of, what of those of us who don't live there?

Selling used books is quite different from selling new books or other easily replaced commotities.

If I sell a great new book for any price, I just order another one and it is there for the next customer. If I sell any of my most popular books in a used store, there is often no replacement until someone sells me another one sometimes months later. Therefore, I want to sell it for the best price that I can, rather than discount it.

If most people would buy John Grisham or something easily replaced, discounting would not be a problem, but inevitably, in a used book store, they will choose the hardest book to replace in the entire store!

Do you operate in Bangkok? I always want to know where good book stores are.

It seems that most here are talkigg about advantages that members who live in Thailand can take advantage of, what of those of us who don't live there?

Sounds like Monty Python.

Customer "I'd like to buy this book"

UG "You can't have it, it's too difficult to replace"

Customer "This is a book shop isn't it ?"

UG "Oh yes sir the finest in the region"

And so on.

Customer "I'd like to buy this book"

UG "You can't have it, it's too difficult to replace"

I didn't say that I won't sell it. I said that I won't sell it for a discount.

Do you operate in Bangkok? I always want to know where good book stores are.

I have 5 locations, all in downtown Chiang Mai. However, the main branch is much bigger than the others. It is actually 3 buildings that are next to and across the street from each other - one of them double sized - so about the size of 4 or 5 Asia Books shops all stuck together, but with a lot more books.

Lots of other benefits are being considered. Private forum is just one of them.

Let us know what you think would make this a good package for you- and be realistic, please!

Whilst its free to use this forum then 'we' the members have no right to question the admin and moderation, however, once a price is in place then Admin with have to change its attitude and at least act with some courtesy when binning topics and posts at will.

They will be duty bound to explain their actions, is that possible? I don't think so as they seem to have a cavalier attitude as I've witnessed over a number of years.

I would love to be proved wrong.

Lots of other benefits are being considered. Private forum is just one of them.

Let us know what you think would make this a good package for you- and be realistic, please!

Whilst its free to use this forum then 'we' the members have no right to question the admin and moderation, however, once a price is in place then Admin with have to change its attitude and at least act with some courtesy when binning topics and posts at will.

They will be duty bound to explain their actions, is that possible? I don't think so as they seem to have a cavalier attitude as I've witnessed over a number of years.

I would love to be proved wrong.

I hope they prove you wrong as well, but I'm starting to see what you mean..

Starting