Starting

You got me there L. Naive i know..

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.

OK, let's leave the discussion of moderation alone for now please.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

Discussion of moderation is not on the agenda.

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.

OK, let's leave the discussion of moderation alone for now please.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

Discussion of moderation is not on the agenda.

Further to the above and in additional clarification - Discussion of moderation issues IS allowed, but ONLY through the medium of PM and off-forum communication. Any further open posts along the lines of some we have seen on this thread are likely to result in disciplinary measures being taken as per the forum rules. Keep it on track and within the rules please girls.

5) Discussion of moderation issues, actions or moderation policies concerning individual cases are not allowed in the forums. Such comments should be directed to a moderator or administrator, and not discussed on the forum.

Ideas for internet content worth paying money for.

Music file swapping forum

Movie and Television download site

Auction Site

Hackers forum

Hard Core Porn

Thats it

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

OK, so are there likely to be some other benefits, besides those which could be found on-line? E.g. the promotions schemes mentioned earlier, or some other benefits? Or is it only enhancements or additions to this site and forum which we will be getting for our subscription fee?

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.

OK, let's leave the discussion of moderation alone for now please.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

Discussion of moderation is not on the agenda.

Further to the above and in additional clarification - Discussion of moderation issues IS allowed, but ONLY through the medium of PM and off-forum communication. Any further open posts along the lines of some we have seen on this thread are likely to result in disciplinary measures being taken as per the forum rules. Keep it on track and within the rules please girls.

5) Discussion of moderation issues, actions or moderation policies concerning individual cases are not allowed in the forums. Such comments should be directed to a moderator or administrator, and not discussed on the forum.

As they say This Is Thai Visa TITV

Cheers

I can see certain benefits in a paid forum, if only it would keep out Trolls.

The big downside would be if there were less controls in place and it became a free for all, not very appetizing in my opinion.

Swearing for the sake of swearing, well no thanks, if it ever happens, please keep the software block on this.

Moss

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.

Cool! I take it you have english and Thai, what about other langauges?

German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Hebrew, Russian, Polish and a few others. However, we stay away from Thai so as to not piss the Thai book dealers off.

Something without all the Advertising banners, google ads etc would be fine.

Some small fee to offset the sponsorship revenue would be acceptable.

Thats the way forward.

Something without all the Advertising banners, google ads etc would be fine.

Some small fee to offset the sponsorship revenue would be acceptable.

Thats the way forward.

Well put Wolfie. A ThaiVisa access fee of around 1000baht/month should do the trick.

Good luck with the Beta testing George.

I detect a hint of sarcasm here perhaps...!

Anyway, in my opinion, if you want to get people to pay for the Platinum Membership then you have to expand the benefits beyond simply forum related enhancements.

What about a little section for the 'bookies'...not a gambler myself but sometimes its nice to put a few baht on the Grand National.

Also an up and coming events forum, for all events that people like eg. Acid House Party in BKK? Child Care meeting in Isaan and so on. A dedicated forum to advertise events...

ok there probably already is one but I am to lazy to look. However for club nights and some cool events people in the know always get hits....

ps. I just looked you dont have one that stands out anyways. I think a section for club nights and meetings is a good alround idea...get on the case Boss Hogs... must be a good Mor Lam dance onto night that is quite underground that silly falang cannot find...missed it...dam its not advertised on TV...

Actually, a "Nightclubbing in Thailand" subforum to The Farang Pub might draw a lot of viewers to keep up on whats going on where.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

the attraction of forums like thai visa is , for the most part , the quality of the posts , the knowledge of the posters , and the banter and humour to be found.

until recently thai visa had it all sown up , there was little to touch it.

over the past few months , for a lot of members it has lost some of its magic , posts closed by a seemingly unstoppable wave of political correctness and the dozens of emotionally heated discussions running simultaneously is now a thing of the past.

so many good threads just degenerate into nasty abuse ( as opposed to winding up and sarcasm) , and although the quality of the serious advice given in the visa sections is still first class (once the wheat has been separated from the chaff) , a lot of the other stuff is just the same old same old warmed up and re hashed.

too many subjects are deemed to be taboo and posts are closed , when in fact , they are subjects worthy of discussion , because they are certainly relevant to thailand and those that live here.

george et al have given us the board to play with , he is amply remunerated by advertising revenue etc.

it is the posters who make the board popular and give it a high hit rate , to charge posters for posting would be a gross betrayal of the people who have actually made this board what it is.

what on earth can you charge them for ? a silly discount card ? a booze up every three months? for expressing their own opinions on a web forum ? a restricted forum with no moderation ?.....( it will just be full of prostitution and sex topics .... like the other pay sites ).

you certainly need to put the fun back into this site , but i dont think charging members will raise many laughs.

personally i would like to see more input from thais , and not just in the language forum.

it would be instructive to all of us (thai and falang) to be able to discuss our feelings (good and bad) about thailand with thais , instead of reading the predictable replies from the same old falang posters (including myself).

the thais that do post rarely get stuck in , (apart from heng) , there must be some thais out there who can fight their corner ??

do you market this site to thais in any way ? university thais ? ads for thai visa in the better thai press?

if not why not ??

as I said, a nightclub/events forum would be good...

German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Hebrew, Russian, Polish and a few others. However, we stay away from Thai so as to not piss the Thai book dealers off.

I am so going to have to visit you whenever I get to LOS.

too many subjects are deemed to be taboo and posts are closed , when in fact , they are subjects worthy of discussion , because they are certainly relevant to thailand and those that live here.

Without getting into discussion of moderation, that is always going to be a difficult subject Tax.

The obvious dodgy subjects (discussion about the royal family, political speculation about Privy Concil members or junta leaders for example) could get the forum added to the ICT Ministry's blocked list... which isn't in any of our interests... forum admin and members alike.

ThaiVisa is read by the Royal Thai Police, the FTPA's (Foreign Tourist Police Assistants), formerly known as TPV's (Tourist Police Volunteers), and other Thai Government departments, and we (as mods) are responsible for ensuring that threads/posts that may jeopardise TV are shut down or deleted.

Freedom of expression/freedom of press is not as we all know 100% free in Thailand, and in order to remain freely accessable ThaiVisa must also "toe the line".

It is not an easy line to walk.

German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Hebrew, Russian, Polish and a few others. However, we stay away from Thai so as to not piss the Thai book dealers off.

I am so going to have to visit you whenever I get to LOS.

Just remember, we import many of our books from the US and elsewhere, so they are more expensive than buying them there because of transportation costs and duties. Actually, used book prices in Thailand are very close to the prices in proper used book shops in Australia (that doesn't mean charity shops that get their books for free).

Just remember, we import many of our books from the US and elsewhere, so they are more expensive than buying them there because of transportation costs and duties. Actually, used book prices in Thailand are very close to the prices in proper used book shops in Australia (that doesn't mean charity shops that get their books for free).

I think what we can't get in America might surprise you.

ThaiVisa is read by the Royal Thai Police, ................., and other Thai Government departments,

would be nice if they responded to some of the genuine concerns expressed on the forum.

Just remember, we import many of our books from the US and elsewhere, so they are more expensive than buying them there because of transportation costs and duties. Actually, used book prices in Thailand are very close to the prices in proper used book shops in Australia (that doesn't mean charity shops that get their books for free).

I think what we can't get in America might surprise you.

I honestly think that my shops are much better than most used book shops in Thailand and other countries as far as content, but books in the US are dirt cheap and they can just buy everything from customers so we can't match the prices.

Just remember, we import many of our books from the US and elsewhere, so they are more expensive than buying them there because of transportation costs and duties. Actually, used book prices in Thailand are very close to the prices in proper used book shops in Australia (that doesn't mean charity shops that get their books for free).

I think what we can't get in America might surprise you.

I honestly think that my shops are much better than most used book shops in Thailand and other countries as far as content, but books in the US are dirt cheap and they can just buy everything from customers so we can't match the prices.

You might have a point there, but if I live in LOS one day you might be my first stop shop.

ThaiVisa is read by the Royal Thai Police, ................., and other Thai Government departments,

would be nice if they responded to some of the genuine concerns expressed on the forum.

To be perfectly honest I agree with you there.

It would eliminate or minimise a lot of uncertainty and speculation.

We have from time to time had responses from members of the FTPA for example, but they too have been constrained by what they are allowed to say publically about their operation.

as I said, a nightclub/events forum would be good...

Agreed, and could have a kind of on-line clickable calendar too to make it even more user-friendly - it would surprise me if Invision didn't have such a facility available.

However, it would be rendered next to useless if it was hidden behind a pay-only area. Good idea for the main site though.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

the attraction of forums like thai visa is , for the most part , the quality of the posts , the knowledge of the posters , and the banter and humour to be found.

until recently thai visa had it all sown up , there was little to touch it.

over the past few months , for a lot of members it has lost some of its magic , posts closed by a seemingly unstoppable wave of political correctness and the dozens of emotionally heated discussions running simultaneously is now a thing of the past.

so many good threads just degenerate into nasty abuse ( as opposed to winding up and sarcasm) , and although the quality of the serious advice given in the visa sections is still first class (once the wheat has been separated from the chaff) , a lot of the other stuff is just the same old same old warmed up and re hashed.

too many subjects are deemed to be taboo and posts are closed , when in fact , they are subjects worthy of discussion , because they are certainly relevant to thailand and those that live here.

george et al have given us the board to play with , he is amply remunerated by advertising revenue etc.

it is the posters who make the board popular and give it a high hit rate , to charge posters for posting would be a gross betrayal of the people who have actually made this board what it is.

what on earth can you charge them for ? a silly discount card ? a booze up every three months? for expressing their own opinions on a web forum ? a restricted forum with no moderation ?.....( it will just be full of prostitution and sex topics .... like the other pay sites ).

you certainly need to put the fun back into this site , but i dont think charging members will raise many laughs.

personally i would like to see more input from thais , and not just in the language forum.

it would be instructive to all of us (thai and falang) to be able to discuss our feelings (good and bad) about thailand with thais , instead of reading the predictable replies from the same old falang posters (including myself).

the thais that do post rarely get stuck in , (apart from heng) , there must be some thais out there who can fight their corner ??

do you market this site to thais in any way ? university thais ? ads for thai visa in the better thai press?

if not why not ??

Good suggestions and well argued points, I think.

I would love to see more Thais posting here as well, but to participate in the discussion you need to have everybody understanding and posting in near-perfect English -this makes it very difficult for a large number Thais to participate. If you notice, despite the large number of Europeans, Indians and Malays who live in Thailand and can communicate reasonably well in English, the Thaivisa membership still leans heavily toward the Anglo side.

When a non-native English speaker does make a comment using imperfect grammar, punctuation or spelling, it usually doesn't take long for somebody to jump in with a or smiley instead of trying to help or encourage them.

A lot could be improved in the way of welcoming new posters and giving them friendly nudges in the right direction. It's much more difficult to create that type of atmosphere, and a sense of familiarity with such a large forum as TV has become.

You and I both remember the old days where the low number of posters made it possible (for a while) to discuss even heavily charged subjects. With a low number of posters, peer pressure works reasonably well to keep the majority in line and not going too far off on a tangent.

In some ways, forums are like real communities - small towns have closer knit populations and more peer control than large cities where "anything goes" - this also means a higher crime rate (in the forum world, read hate trolling, spam, motor posting etc.), more apparent differences of opinion, and less of a feel that one is a contributor to a community/group of friends, not only a reader with the right to complain.

Of those Thais who have the language skills required to argue their point in English, they would need a thicker-than-average skin to be able to withstand the barrage of very blunt, direct or sarcastic posts against Thais we increasingly seem to get here.

My hunch is many Thais do find their way to Thaivisa at some point, read a few posts and then decide not to bother with it, because of the direct, unforgiving attitude and negativity of many posters. Thais with good written English are usually well educated and come from environments where you need to mind your manners and taught to avoid people who don't.

Perhaps I am wrong though...

You and I both read Thai. I don't know if you've explored the non-English Thai web forum world any? My experience of it is that posters are usually much more helpful and to the point there than they are here...

Perhaps I am too harsh, but really: For a Thai - unless you were looking to put down an opinionated foreigner loudmouth, why would you bother with people who often do not seem interested in trying to understand you and your culture, and insist on their own perspective being correct, despite living in a new country?

To do some stereotyping: Thais are, largely, taught to defer to authority. Westerners are, largely, taught to question what they hear.

In many Thai people's view, when it comes to Thailand and Thai culture, the Westerner should first listen and say thanks for the explanation, not tell them what is wrong with their reasoning.

If you need clarification or disagree with something, then you should do so politely and in a non-imposing or sarcastic manner... i.e. preserve face...

Anyways, I am starting to ramble now and you probably know me well enough through my posts that you would have been able to compose my post yourself.

Good to hear your views all the same.

Of those Thais who have the language skills required to argue their point in English, they would need a thicker-than-average skin to be able to withstand the barrage of very blunt, direct or sarcastic posts against Thais we increasingly seem to get here.

Like this example you mean?

Yep, that is one example...

Then again, it isn't easy to know who is a troll and not. We do get a lot of troll posters too... it would just be nice if more people could try to give new posters the benefit of the doubt and try to help out instead of lashing out.

I'm stating the obvious, but the best way of dealing with obvious troll posts is not to reply to them at all.

TV admin is looking to hear your ideas and suggestions... both good and bad... in the interests of providing a value-added premium section of the forum.

the attraction of forums like thai visa is , for the most part , the quality of the posts , the knowledge of the posters , and the banter and humour to be found.

until recently thai visa had it all sown up , there was little to touch it.

over the past few months , for a lot of members it has lost some of its magic , posts closed by a seemingly unstoppable wave of political correctness and the dozens of emotionally heated discussions running simultaneously is now a thing of the past.

so many good threads just degenerate into nasty abuse ( as opposed to winding up and sarcasm) , and although the quality of the serious advice given in the visa sections is still first class (once the wheat has been separated from the chaff) , a lot of the other stuff is just the same old same old warmed up and re hashed.

too many subjects are deemed to be taboo and posts are closed , when in fact , they are subjects worthy of discussion , because they are certainly relevant to thailand and those that live here.

george et al have given us the board to play with , he is amply remunerated by advertising revenue etc.

it is the posters who make the board popular and give it a high hit rate , to charge posters for posting would be a gross betrayal of the people who have actually made this board what it is.

what on earth can you charge them for ? a silly discount card ? a booze up every three months? for expressing their own opinions on a web forum ? a restricted forum with no moderation ?.....( it will just be full of prostitution and sex topics .... like the other pay sites ).

you certainly need to put the fun back into this site , but i dont think charging members will raise many laughs.

personally i would like to see more input from thais , and not just in the language forum.

it would be instructive to all of us (thai and falang) to be able to discuss our feelings (good and bad) about thailand with thais , instead of reading the predictable replies from the same old falang posters (including myself).

the thais that do post rarely get stuck in , (apart from heng) , there must be some thais out there who can fight their corner ??

do you market this site to thais in any way ? university thais ? ads for thai visa in the better thai press?

if not why not ??

Great post tax exile, and further toward the end of rejuvenating the forum, I propose a general amnesty of banned members. I've seen so many banned lately and I've been left wondering why.???

Great post tax exile, and further toward the end of rejuvenating the forum, I propose a general amnesty of banned members. I've seen so many banned lately and I've been left wondering why.???

BRING BACK THE GENTLEMAN!