Help Needed

[farangconnection]

Maybe I have got the wrong topic title,maybe no-one is as interested as me, but something must be done about the situation. I am of course referring to The Elephant Round-up in Surin. This year, due to unforeseen circumstances, the organisers have decided to put the festival back a week ( see pinned topic) Yet no-one knows about it. I have informed all my customers that have booked with virtually zero results. They do not believe me. No wonder as the TAT web-site still shows the original dates. I had a mail from a customer in the states saying. " Why are you doing this to us? We have looked at the official web-site and it shows 15 & 16th for the festival, and that's when we are coming. I will never look at your web-site again" Another from Australia simply says " I don't believe you" I phoned up TAT yesterday, and they " Yes the Festival has been changed. No, we have not changed our web-site but thank you for pointing it out. " Still the same today of course.

This is also the time of year, when I surf the various web-sites for information on the festival, and try to put them right. Remember last year, when I pulled up Mr Raymond Wells, the esteemed journalist from 2camels.com about his totally false info on Surin. This is what he writes this year, ( pasted direct from web-site) about getting to Surin for the festival.

Getting there:

Numerous international airlines have flights to Thailand. Most touch down at Bangkok's Don Muang Airport. There are air services to Chiang Mai and bus services to Surin.

Other sites, such as Planetware.com and Celebrations.net, give links to Surin beach hotels in Phuket on the Elephant festival page.

Am I being paranoid in maybe thinking there is a Worldwide plan to stop people coming to Surin? Anyway........HELP

[eefoo]

There are air services to Chiang Mai and bus services to Surin.

That is true of course !! Totally unhelpful, but nevertheless quite correct.

Reading his two-pennorth on 2camels (never heard of it before) he also says;

"People come from the far ends of the Kingdom even foreigners pour in bus and train loads from the likes of Bangkok and Chiang Mai."

So there you have it - the preferred method of getting to Surin is take the plane to Chiang Mai and then get the bus down. That's why the festival has been put back a week - to wait for all the tourists caught in transit.

[farangconnection]

There are air services to Chiang Mai and bus services to Surin.

That is true of course !! Totally unhelpful, but nevertheless quite correct.

Reading his two-pennorth on 2camels (never heard of it before) he also says;

"People come from the far ends of the Kingdom even foreigners pour in bus and train loads from the likes of Bangkok and Chiang Mai."

So there you have it - the preferred method of getting to Surin is take the plane to Chiang Mai and then get the bus down. That's why the festival has been put back a week - to wait for all the tourists caught in transit.

WAe think he has a bit of floosy in Changmai

[Thaddeus]

There are air services to Chiang Mai and bus services to Surin.

That is true of course !! Totally unhelpful, but nevertheless quite correct.

Reading his two-pennorth on 2camels (never heard of it before) he also says;

"People come from the far ends of the Kingdom even foreigners pour in bus and train loads from the likes of Bangkok and Chiang Mai."

So there you have it - the preferred method of getting to Surin is take the plane to Chiang Mai and then get the bus down. That's why the festival has been put back a week - to wait for all the tourists caught in transit.

WAe think he has a bit of floosy in Changmai

She must be very busy.

[Cuban]

Dear Martin, if I may.

You clearly feel deeply on this matter and I would expect there is a commerical element as well if the influx of would-be customers in your area swells during this festival.

There is little (not zero) that can be done about other people's web sites, but first let us focus on yours. Things you can do with ease and in a short period of time will give greater rewards than chasing other people who's focus is not on the Elephants or rounding them up.

None of what I write here is ment as a dig or attack, just some guidance, you requested help. Firstly you need to double check your spellings before publication. From your web site's front page this morning: "The Frang Connection apologises to anyone that has made bookings with us." It does help to read the text out aloud duriong your proof reading. There is also a stray & at the end of that page.

On your 'Elephant festival' page you still suggest that, "This year the dates for the main events will be Friday 14th November for ther elephant breakfast, and Sat & Sunday 15th & 16th for the shows. There are four ways to come to Surin if you do not have your own transport." So what is it the the weekend of the 15th or 22nd ????

Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.

Can you see why your customers distrust your information in emails when it does not even agree with your own web site?

If I were you I would rewrite, or rather re-format the 'Elephant festival' page, the images do not tie in with the text in the right places. You talk of travel and hotels and then give images of elephants futher down, the top 15% of the page needs to be the hook to get people's interest in the subject and establish that your page is the source of information on this particular subject. At the moment I'm sorry to say it is not. Your banner headlines say one thing your main text something else. Details about trains etc. should be at the bottom of the page, I would also say that I spent a few minutes looking at your competition's web sites, no one appears to have anything like a decent map of the exact location of Surin in relation to Pattaya or Bangkok or even where the Elephants could be found when you get there.

The pictures are Ok - but get better close shots this year, whenever it happens, try to get pictures of the elephants with the handlers in the early morning before the sun gets too high. 7am is a great picture taking time. Also later afternoon 5-6pm, the pictures are richer. For a web site promoting business they need to be better than tourist snap shots.

Let me pause a moment to ponder why there are so many wild elephants around Surin that need rounding up, every year?

How could I ask such a stupid question I hear you ask - well if I was to use your web site (or many others) as my source of information I feel justified in the question as no one appears to write anything about exactly what the festival is all about. Your opening few paragraphs on the 'Elephant Festival' spends less than 20% of your words on their breakfast and the remaining 80% about trains and buses. Do a write up about what happens there and why this is such an event to travel 5 hours across the country to see.

There is a good source of information that people trust (rightly or wrongly) see here.

I would suggest that you use a little of this information to pad out your own site's entry on what happens during the festival if nothing else to generate some interest in the event. At the moment it seems to be a parade of dressed up elephants judging by the pictures.

Use a spell checker: Burirum, Aroung, baht, rember, specatacle, accommadation !

This year, due to unforeseen circumstances, the organisers have decided to put the festival back a week ( see pinned topic) Yet no-one knows about it.

You mention a 'royal' event - why not expand on that, explain why and the impact to the elephants. Give the full story on your site - that way your would-be customers might have something to believe.

I phoned up TAT yesterday, and they " Yes the Festival has been changed. No, we have not changed our web-site but thank you for pointing it out. " Still the same today of course. This is also the time of year, when I surf the various web-sites for information on the festival, and try to put them right.

OK, you have a list of tasks to correct your own web site, let's look at the others. Email and phone the senior managers make them aware of the errors, communicate with the event organisers or local TAT office. Some will stone wall you, there is little that can be done about that.

The Wikipedia site can be edited directly - write something useful and interesting and submit it for publication, if you are wise you will be able to promote your business with cleverly worded prose. This site also needs elephant information, are you the man to write it?

I mentioned maps before, do something with this Wikimapia.

Remember last year, when I pulled up Mr Raymond Wells, the esteemed journalist from 2camels.com about his totally false info on Surin. This is what he writes this year, (pasted direct from web-site) about getting to Surin for the festival.

These people are too busy (?) to write useful information on their web sites. So if you want to get something useful, try writing a brief article for them to publish - in return for which they give a link to your site. Use a very cut down version of your own information.

I have just read his web site on this subject - probably better you copy from him.

Finding the information: I see you are aware of SEO, but I am unsure if you are doing this yourself, via an automated website or have paid mister Phill to do this for you. Either way I would suggest that it could be improved, it should be too difficult for your 'Elephant Page' to be top of the ratings on Google, although as you are already in the top ten (on various elephant searches) you are already doing well, this is the least of your worries. Focus on your content.

HTH

[farangconnection]

Dear Martin, if I may.

You clearly feel deeply on this matter and I would expect there is a commerical element as well if the influx of would-be customers in your area swells during this festival.

There is little (not zero) that can be done about other people's web sites, but first let us focus on yours. Things you can do with ease and in a short period of time will give greater rewards than chasing other people who's focus is not on the Elephants or rounding them up.

None of what I write here is ment as a dig or attack, just some guidance, you requested help. Firstly you need to double check your spellings before publication. From your web site's front page this morning: "The Frang Connection apologises to anyone that has made bookings with us." It does help to read the text out aloud duriong your proof reading. There is also a stray & at the end of that page.

On your 'Elephant festival' page you still suggest that, "This year the dates for the main events will be Friday 14th November for ther elephant breakfast, and Sat & Sunday 15th & 16th for the shows. There are four ways to come to Surin if you do not have your own transport." So what is it the the weekend of the 15th or 22nd ????

Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.

Can you see why your customers distrust your information in emails when it does not even agree with your own web site?

If I were you I would rewrite, or rather re-format the 'Elephant festival' page, the images do not tie in with the text in the right places. You talk of travel and hotels and then give images of elephants futher down, the top 15% of the page needs to be the hook to get people's interest in the subject and establish that your page is the source of information on this particular subject. At the moment I'm sorry to say it is not. Your banner headlines say one thing your main text something else. Details about trains etc. should be at the bottom of the page, I would also say that I spent a few minutes looking at your competition's web sites, no one appears to have anything like a decent map of the exact location of Surin in relation to Pattaya or Bangkok or even where the Elephants could be found when you get there.

The pictures are Ok - but get better close shots this year, whenever it happens, try to get pictures of the elephants with the handlers in the early morning before the sun gets too high. 7am is a great picture taking time. Also later afternoon 5-6pm, the pictures are richer. For a web site promoting business they need to be better than tourist snap shots.

Let me pause a moment to ponder why there are so many wild elephants around Surin that need rounding up, every year?

How could I ask such a stupid question I hear you ask - well if I was to use your web site (or many others) as my source of information I feel justified in the question as no one appears to write anything about exactly what the festival is all about. Your opening few paragraphs on the 'Elephant Festival' spends less than 20% of your words on their breakfast and the remaining 80% about trains and buses. Do a write up about what happens there and why this is such an event to travel 5 hours across the country to see.

There is a good source of information that people trust (rightly or wrongly) see here.

I would suggest that you use a little of this information to pad out your own site's entry on what happens during the festival if nothing else to generate some interest in the event. At the moment it seems to be a parade of dressed up elephants judging by the pictures.

Use a spell checker: Burirum, Aroung, baht, rember, specatacle, accommadation !

This year, due to unforeseen circumstances, the organizers have decided to put the festival back a week ( see pinned topic) Yet no-one knows about it.

You mention a 'royal' event - why not expand on that, explain why and the impact to the elephants. Give the full story on your site - that way your would-be customers might have something to believe.

I phoned up TAT yesterday, and they " Yes the Festival has been changed. No, we have not changed our web-site but thank you for pointing it out. " Still the same today of course. This is also the time of year, when I surf the various web-sites for information on the festival, and try to put them right.

OK, you have a list of tasks to correct your own web site, let's look at the others. Email and phone the senior managers make them aware of the errors, communicate with the event organizers or local TAT office. Some will stone wall you, there is little that can be done about that.

The Wikipedia site can be edited directly - write something useful and interesting and submit it for publication, if you are wise you will be able to promote your business with cleverly worded prose. This site also needs elephant information, are you the man to write it?

I mentioned maps before, do something with this Wikimapia.

Remember last year, when I pulled up Mr Raymond Wells, the esteemed journalist from 2camels.com about his totally false info on Surin. This is what he writes this year, (pasted direct from web-site) about getting to Surin for the festival.

These people are too busy (?) to write useful information on their web sites. So if you want to get something useful, try writing a brief article for them to publish - in return for which they give a link to your site. Use a very cut down version of your own information.

I have just read his web site on this subject - probably better you copy from him.

Finding the information: I see you are aware of SEO, but I am unsure if you are doing this yourself, via an automated website or have paid mister Phill to do this for you. Either way I would suggest that it could be improved, it should be too difficult for your 'Elephant Page' to be top of the ratings on Google, although as you are already in the top ten (on various elephant searches) you are already doing well, this is the least of your worries. Focus on your content.

HTH

Cheers and point taken. Actually I had already seen that Frang mistake. I will also change the Elephant Festival dates. I did know I had left them, but that was as a reference to when they first announced the dates. Also I do have a spell checker, but it gives the American way to spell some words, which is totally wrong to us British. The ones you pointed out were typos more than wrong spelling though. In fact Burirum airport is just that, Burirum. I think baht is also right.

Thank you for your positive input. Got to rush as someone wants the com

[Cuban]

Burirum airport is just that, Burirum. I think baht is also right.

With Thai word transliterations there are usually a few versions in "English", to maximise your hit rate use the both the most popular versions, Burirum(646,000) & Buri Ram(397,000) - figures are Google hits on each spelling.

'baht' should be Baht.

[sabaijai]

Burirum airport is just that, Burirum. I think baht is also right.

With Thai word transliterations there are usually a few versions in "English", to maximise your hit rate use the both the most popular versions, Burirum(646,000) & Buri Ram(397,000) - figures are Google hits on each spelling.

'baht' should be Baht.

Correction:

Burirum 198,000 hits

Buri Ram 373,000 "

Buriram 647,000 "

Buriram is clearly the most popular spelling. It is also the official Royal Thai General System transliteration.

[Thaddeus]

Buriram is clearly the most popular spelling. It is also the official Royal Thai General System transliteration.

And at least 3 airlines have flown in an out of the airport in the last five years, none have them stumped up for the few Baht needed to change the sign.

[lampard10]

Latest update:

For those who know Thailand this will come as only a mild surprise, but to those who do not know the Thai system it is totally unbelieveable.

I finally got the recognition I wanted. I had a phone call at the weekend thanking me for my efforts in telling them about the changes in the festival dates and for pointing out that their web-site was wrong. Who may you ask did this. Yes, you've guessed it. TAT. The Tourist Authority of Thailand.

I checked this morning. Yes. Finally they had changed the dates. Unfortunately they had put the dates down a week earlier, instead of a week later. Instead of reading 15th & 16th which was on there from the word go, this morning it read 6th-17th November. Back on the phone. " No, you are wrong " they said. After a good ten minutes, where they were trying to convince me I was wrong, they said they would check it for themselves. " Oh, " they came back with" It seems you are right"

I have just checked it again, and finally after two weeks of campaigning the right dates are now showing.

All that is left for me to do now is to try and convince the English <deleted> of a jounalist Mr Raymond Wells, that you do not have to fly to Chaing Mai to get to Surin.

And also, for all those out there saying that I have an ulterior motive for all my troubles, namely getting customers into my restaurant, just put your brains into gear before you comment. If people do turn up a week, or even a fortnight early then it is going to make me a handy little packet. I am more happy with people coming halfway across the World on the correct dates. So there

[Dave the Dude]

Buriram is clearly the most popular spelling. It is also the official Royal Thai General System transliteration.

And at least 3 airlines have flown in an out of the airport in the last five years, none have them stumped up for the few Baht needed to change the sign.

Maybe the pilots dont look at the roadsigns when landing, Thad

[ThaiLawOnline]

Martin, could you clarify this: WHEN IS THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR ???

No matter on which website is it or not, what is your information and are you 100% sure about it.

Many thanks.

[lampard10]

Martin, could you clarify this: WHEN IS THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR ???

No matter on which website is it or not, what is your information and are you 100% sure about it.

Many thanks.

Come on Seb...........just click on my link,the pinned topic or just go to http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-ev...ntent-4835.html

[ThaiLawOnline]

Thanks Martin .

I didn't see it was pinned!

Will buy some glasses!