An Open Letter To The Phuket News.

[up2you2]

It's not every day that a new newspaper is launched, let alone in Phuket.

So it was with a good dose of anticipation that I purchased my first copy.

Right from the outset it felt good, the size of the paper made a statement, layout and typeset also were a winner. They say you only make first impressions once, and this paper has duly obliged.

What a joy it has been not to have to wade through a catalogue of advertisements, and try to spot the copy.

So my first question is in a years time what will the maximum percentage of your paper be devoted to advertisements.

There's a sweet spot whereby hopefully you can accommodate all concerned, try to learn from other's mistakes.

On the internet is wasn't long before users discovered tools like Adblock Plus, unfortunately you haven't got such a luxury, whereby the only alternative will be not to continue purchasing your paper.

In a Fistful of Dollars you had the Baxters at one end of town and the Rojos at the other, even if you take both of them out that doesn't eliminate your threat, winning battles against your competitors will seem irrelevant against trying to win the war against the internet.

So what will your paper offer that the internet doesn't or can't?

Next up are you going to base your survival on the property advertising revenues, no problem as long as your are going to remain fiercely independent in criticising this industry, as without it we are not only talking about your own survival but the island's survival as we presently know it.

So I was initially really gladdened to see your headline in your supplement The Phuketian, The battle for Phuket.

Regrettable it was for the past, not the present or the future, which begs the question are you going to be just another witness observing the decline of this island, or are you going to try and represent a force for change?

There's seemingly not a day that goes by at present without another hotel chain jumping on the bandwagon, declaring an entry into this market.

Can there never be enough hotels, condominiums and shop house developments, if so why do we need a new bridge, as tomorrow we may have to reclaim all the land to the mainland.

Can the Farang community finally have a voice and be taken seriously by the Phuket establishment.

It seems iniquitous that on one hand you have abundance of highly educated, skilled and talented Farangs, who could devote some hours to a current standard of state education that's crying out for help.

Who if given half the chance would make sure no child left the school premises on a motor bike without a helmet.

After we had proven our worth, hopefully for those you had really helped the Thai community, for example might be given the choice of becoming a resident, as opposed to spending their dying days on visa extensions.

Finally there's a mountain of untapped resources on hand throughout the island to contribute to your paper.

Is it possible to make a new start, what have you learnt from the mass exodus of previous writers over the years.

For me personally I feel that every email should be personally replied by default, even if the response is a canned one.

Why should readers write to a wall when they can have masses of replies over a medium such as this.

[BillR]

you on drugs bro?

[Boater]

you on drugs bro?

probably just very very bored !

[Ulysses G.]

Take back Phuket from the capitalist pigs maaaan!

[Somtamnication]

Slow news day.

[grumpyoldman]

Slow news day.

All I know is that some new newspaper in Phuket has been spamming my message inbox on my cel. Extremely annoying. I wonder if it's the OP's new paper. Next time I'm going to take the name of this outfit, ring them up and tell them to p**s off as their bugging the hell outta me with the texts. Totally unnecessary.