Thailand Expats

erik1 · #1 11-07-2005, 18:50

At this moment we are working very hard to do a project to promote Phuket as a tourist destination on the european market. We have so far 9 nationwide magazins that have declared to be willing to publish when we deliver articles.

we have a team of 4/5 person standing ready but have great difficulties getting things arranged on the Thai end. We can not promote phuket by ourselves but need the cooperation of thai companies and individuals.

At this moment we find it very hard to communicate with hotels. Emails are unanswered, faxlines are bad or unanswered. I am looking for someone that is willing to assist by either sending faxes or visiting the hotelmanagement to deliver our fax.

We also need help assisting transportation and translation during the 2 weeks we are working there. We need to talk to hotels, restaurants, small businessen that were hit by the tsunami and running again, etc etc.

We will be there with a team of 1 photographer/journalist, Stylist/journalist, Make up Artist and 1 or 2 models

It is impossible to do this without local assistance. To bad TAT Phuket does nothing at all. We talked to TAT section Netherlands and they will do as much as they can but also have to rely on Phuket.

Who can assist? please PM me

I atatch the photo's of the models we have on standby
model on bridge will be number 1
model in elle (top right corner) will also come if we manage to bring team of 5

Erik

Nicke · #2 11-07-2005, 19:02

I will help you.

Let me know what hotels you want to get in touch with, send your fax as PDF and other details and I will try to assist you.

If we can get positive articles published it is good for us all.

erik1 · #3 11-07-2005, 20:48

Nicke, I will talk to TUI again tommorow after their meeting on the subject. If they jump in they can arrange hotels, otherwise I will email you the word file with hotel adresses and phonenumbers and the faxfile

Erik

stevem · #4 12-07-2005, 20:58

Why dont you contact the TAT directly. They are very active at the moment in promoting Phuket in Europe, and I'm sure that if they where aware of your efforts they would be only too helpful. ONce you have them on your side anything is possible.

raycone · #5 13-07-2005, 00:29

Hi Erik1

I can't help you but your project is a very good idea...

I hope in the future that your project runs and attracts a lot of tourists

With my best regards

Nicke · #6 13-07-2005, 03:22

As I understand he have trouble getting responses from TAT and others regarding his requests...

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Why dont you contact the TAT directly. They are very active at the moment in promoting Phuket in Europe, and I'm sure that if they where aware of your efforts they would be only too helpful. ONce you have them on your side anything is possible.

erik1 · #7 13-07-2005, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Why dont you contact the TAT directly. They are very active at the moment in promoting Phuket in Europe, and I'm sure that if they where aware of your efforts they would be only too helpful. ONce you have them on your side anything is possible.

Steve, I was expecting the same, so far I have 12 national magazine that are willing to recieve articles (some even combining them with promotional deals for their readers) to put Phuket into the picture.

We have contacted TAT Phuket, TAT Bangkok and PTA in phuket and found that they are not responding at all to emails and faxes at all. After 1,5 week we recieved a mail from TAT Holland (firm hired to represent them) and they told us that all they can do is give minimal support as TAT Phuket is nit even responding to them many times and TAT Bangkok is doing nothing.

They too find it hard to get positive publications. We keep working through the lines of TAT but sofar they have not done anything. My company is willing to invest in time and energy (so far I allready spent 40 hours on the project) to send a team of 4/5/6 people. But it is impossible to do it by ourselves.

- I need to do restaurant reviews at different levels (backpackersmagazine --> magazine for executives) I can not select all the restaurants my self
- I need to do hotel reviews both budget and upperclass, I can not make interview appointments all by myself
- I need to do a piece on bangla road (mensmagazine), I can not discuss with every barowner to see who has a great story myself
- I need to do a piece on golfcourses, I have no time to play them all myself so I need to talk to people who play golf regularly on the different courses.

I can continue for a while to show you we need support from TAT but they have a lot of words, but I am not seeing the deeds.

Erik

I have from 35 hotels contacted recieved 2 responses
-Marina in Kata (is renovating)
-Merlin Phuket (requested info when we want to come and which hotel we want to stay at)

we have tried to send faxes but the lines are terrible.

LivinLOS · #8 13-07-2005, 08:49

Send that information to Phuket Gazaette (alasdair@Phuketgazette.com from memory) and make sure its for the Editor (Alasdair seems a good guy to talk to) firstly to name and shame them and secondly to push a response..

I would think this forum could help probably the most.. I know a few guys who have played all the islands courses that could give you info and a run down.. We can help with Bangla stories.. We can recommend some good resturants that are worth making the cut on different price levels..

erik1 · #9 13-07-2005, 11:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Send that information to Phuket Gazaette (alasdair@Phuketgazette.com from memory) and make sure its for the Editor (Alasdair seems a good guy to talk to) firstly to name and shame them and secondly to push a response..

I would think this forum could help probably the most.. I know a few guys who have played all the islands courses that could give you info and a run down.. We can help with Bangla stories.. We can recommend some good resturants that are worth making the cut on different price levels..

Nicke has my company email so any help would be welcome, just got of the phone with a sweet lady from TAT Bangkok Public Relations Office. But have not that much faith in them.

People willing to assist in any way please PM me or ask nicke for my direct email.

All input is welcome as after all it is the local people I am doing this for (including doing an all nighter like Nicke likes to do. Sun is up again and have not seen my bed yet)

erik1 · #10 13-07-2005, 12:30

I think I should do what I do best, email the one on top. So have send an email to the personal email of the governor of TAT Mrs Siriwan.

Nicke · #11 13-07-2005, 13:49

Hi Eric,

I received your email. I thought your faxes to the hotels was to get information to base your articles on, not to ask for free rooms/food. In that case I can understand the responses are few, it is always difficult getting such deals althought it is a benefit for them too since you promote them.

itstime · #12 13-07-2005, 14:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicke

Hi Eric,

I received your email. I thought your faxes to the hotels was to get information to base your articles on, not to ask for free rooms/food. In that case I can understand the responses are few, it is always difficult getting such deals althought it is a benefit for them too since you promote them.

I agree with Nicke on this one as well, in the end it looks like you are getting a free holiday in exchange for promo then as well geting money from the Magazines as well maybe. Sounds like a good racket

erik1 · #13 13-07-2005, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by itstime

I agree with Nicke on this one as well, in the end it looks like you are getting a free holiday in exchange for promo then as well geting money from the Magazines as well maybe. Sounds like a good racket

Well to be precise, the articles are presented to the magazines free of charge as are the photo's. Sponsorship is meant here as support. And believe me, to provide all the articles and all the images will be a more then full time job. Not my way of spending a holiday. Offcourse there will be a chance to go for a drink in the evening, but that will be it for most of the time.

We are doing this non profit. Magazins are not willing to pay the price for positive stuff, but are willing to publish when they are offered it for free. This way we managed to overcome the problems TAT was facing with the media to get there attention.

It is fairly common to facilitate to the media with large promotions like this one, and in return they get publicity.

Accomodation has been arranged allready.

stevem · #14 13-07-2005, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Send that information to Phuket Gazaette (alasdair@Phuketgazette.com from memory) and make sure its for the Editor (Alasdair seems a good guy to talk to) firstly to name and shame them and secondly to push a response..

Good call, make sure you do this. That would really get the pot stirred. I find it unbelievable that your getting this shit from the TAT, as all we are hearing here in Phuket is how much they are doing to promote the area.

erik1 · #15 13-07-2005, 22:56

I have contacted him . Actually had 2 times before to chief editor and 1 to main email adres laying out our plans to them as we also need input on stories etc. They also did not respond. But after LL's remark I send email to his direct mail and got immediate respons. We will be in touch with each other as soon as we are in thailand.

Today I talked to TAT Bangkok again and have resent our request to the international PR Division through te lady on the phone. I also cc to the emailadress of the Governer herself (happened to lay around) hoping to stir things up a bit.

Though it feels strange to beg to be given the opportunity to help out and promote. If I was not so determent having been there during the tsunami myself I would have quit weeks ago.

Hehe and to the one saying about it being a holliday

we are missing over 500000 TBH in revenues, I figure I can have a great holliday on that if I go alone instead of with an entire team. No ST or LT for me during this trip.