carew66 Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Yes, but he's younger than me... I've met Belgian Boy. He's remarkably unlike his online persona. I was left with a positive impression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted March 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 I've met Belgian Boy. I've met BB too - in Brussels. I've met a danish member in Kastrup Airport but we were also both members of 2 danish nightlife boards. I've met a lot of board members in BKK and Pattaya, one in PP but we had already met in Thailand.... I agree that persons can be quite different in Thai360 or Facebook compared with IRL. Also I've noticed that some persons with more than one handle on a board can change personality depending on which handle they use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkped Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'll give you a hint guys. Threads like this ain't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'll give you a hint guys. Threads like this ain't it. You're wrong, your contribution proves the opposite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'll give you a hint guys. Threads like this ain't it. Ah, yes - less than 600 posts in 11 years - I admire your restraint, but clearly you haven't felt the need to contribute too often .... elef was in a coma for 2 years and now he posts 60 times a day ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'll give you a hint guys. Threads like this ain't it. People just need to start posting more. Many just read and never post much. Lots of lurkers, but just a small group posting. Same old faces. New blood is needed, but what is there to attract them to the board and get them posting as well? What would be the attraction? There are many other boards out on the net about Thailand these days. The pool of possible members is much more spread out these days. What makes this one site different, or more appealing, and more likely to attract new faces who would feel comfortable posting here? The Pattaya boards seem to be doing okay, even with the economic downturn and less tourists/sex tourists coming to Thailand on holiday (I am talking English speaking tourists, plenty of Russians and others about the country's tourist areas now). Many old posters here have left for different reasons, some, like me, have had less time and are busy and do not post as much as before. Many old posters have been domesticated, have aged, lost interest, been burned by their Thai mate and left, have less money and don't come over as often, have no job even. Just in the past few of months I know of 3 expat men who dumped their Thai wives and went home. I know of 5 that have left for the west with wife in tow. I know of about ten more recently who have gone back to work in the west the past year due to lack of sufficient funds. And this is just from Surin province. I imagine there are many more throughout the country having done the same. And more will likely leave in this next year, less are coming here because of the financials, or less often at least. Thailand has become more expensive as well, the annual crisis that seems to hit the LOS each year has kept others away I think (SARS, bird flu, riots, political instability, yellows closing the airport, reds burning down buildings in BKK, floods, whatever, etc., and the global economic downturn as well) or going to other places. KS also has less time for the board, and less interest. The board has been a labor of love for him over many years, with little financial incentive to spend the time and energy on it. This is the longest running message board of its kind (LOS oriented) I believe. But, why are other sites doing better than this one? That is the question that should be asked. And answered, and corrected, if the site is to grow and attract new blood and posters. I believe sex sells. This board hasn't been 'sexy' for quite a while now. The name doesn't help, as some have said already. Too broad maybe, with not enough focus on the nightlife and nightlife areas the past few years? The Nanaplaza name I do believe attracted many more people to the site. Thai360.com is just too generic possibly? So, any suggestions for KS? Any ideas? Any techie stuff that would help possibly that you guys can suggest? Any suggestions to help KS/the board financially to do more new things that may be costly that some raffles/contests/donation drives or such that could be done to help pay for upgrades and such? Stuff that would not have legal consequences for KS or the board and its members. There are legalities that do need to be considered these days as well, more so then in the past I believe. Just some thoughts. Where would the members like the site to go forward to? What are your suggestions? Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Jesus, CS - somewhere between Stick's ongoing pessimism and your post, I'm not sure I even want to set foot in Thailand again, much less live there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Jesus, CS - somewhere between Stick's ongoing pessimism and your post, I'm not sure I even want to set foot in Thailand again, much less live there. GD, Just speaking the truth of it. Not a pessimist. I love Thailand and most Thais, but threw away my rose colored glasses many years ago. Truth is many expats that married here should not be, should not have, for a myriad of reasons. Many expats here moved here without the money/funds to retire and find, especially once the exchange rates dropped, they no longer had the income they expected to live on, and/or party on. And, every goddamned year it seems there is some sort of crisis that affects tourism and those living here. Just the truth and reality of it. But, many other expats are quite happy living here, or tourists happy to be able to visit again and again, and just deal with any of the negatives they encounter as best they can. No different than anywhere else really. The LOS has its pros and cons, as anywhere else you live or visit will have. Whaddya want... fairy tales? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbaron Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Well said Cent - I think this could be said in any part of the world, especially with the uncertainty of the stock market/interest rates etc over the past decade. I regularly see lads retiring, only to make a late comeback to work a year or so later. I think a lot can't afford to retire in Farangland, and convince themselves they will 'manage' in LOS somehow. They hit the ground and realise it is nowhere near as inexpensive as they hoped, even after years of visiting. The ideas of not hitting the bars every night are soon forgotten, as they meet other farangs -retired/expats/working whatever - there is always a reason to break the "no bars every night" rule - someone's birthday/going home party/getting hitched etc, and they find themselves withdrawing more money from the ATM that they budgeted, and at some stage they say "Fuck!" and do one of three things... Go home and work again, move somewhere they think will be cheaper (cheaper room/city etc - but this simply delays the inevitable), or they find a room with a balcony and jump... Don't get me wrong, I'd think LOS would be a great place to retire, but I'd be very careful in my planning, and try to invent some way to keep myself out of the bars - I know what I'm like and I think I'd end up an alcoholic, very, very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Well said Cent - I think this could be said in any part of the world, especially with the uncertainty of the stock market/interest rates etc over the past decade. I regularly see lads retiring, only to make a late comeback to work a year or so later. I think a lot can't afford to retire in Farangland, and convince themselves they will 'manage' in LOS somehow. They hit the ground and realise it is nowhere near as inexpensive as they hoped, even after years of visiting. The ideas of not hitting the bars every night are soon forgotten, as they meet other farangs -retired/expats/working whatever - there is always a reason to break the "no bars every night" rule - someone's birthday/going home party/getting hitched etc, and they find themselves withdrawing more money from the ATM that they budgeted, and at some stage they say "Fuck!" and do one of three things... Go home and work again, move somewhere they think will be cheaper (cheaper room/city etc - but this simply delays the inevitable), or they find a room with a balcony and jump... Don't get me wrong, I'd think LOS would be a great place to retire, but I'd be very careful in my planning, and try to invent some way to keep myself out of the bars - I know what I'm like and I think I'd end up an alcoholic, very, very quickly. Actually Red, it is one of FOUR things. You forgot the one right before the possible balcony plunge... #?. Take a job as an unqualified English teacher for 20K baht or so a month. I see guys here in Isaan on their last legs scrambling to get these shit jobs teaching English for peanuts just to barely survive, rather than face reality and go home for a few years, get a job and save, save, save. Sick of their whinging about their self induced plight really. Most of them do not even have enough set by for a return flight home if they need to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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