Guest JamesBarnes Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 The year is almost half way through so there is plenty of time for you to vote for all your favourites in the OUT iT Readers' Choice Awards. Remember, you can vote in every category, in every area, every month and if your favourite is not there... you can nominate! Just go to http://www.out-in-thailand.com/awards/ Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 Not having seen the Awards before now, I had a look at those for 2011. I am really curious about how extensive the voting is. I seem to remember in another thread (or another Board) your mentioning that about half your readership is Thai - which I find admirable. Yet, the results - for Bangkok at least - illustrate establishments firmly in what another poster here calls, with a large degree of truth, a "farang ghetto". For example, the Balcony Pub, Telephone Bar, Tawan, Dreamboy, Sphinx and Dick's Cafe all feature, some more than once. But I think it is reasonably fair to suggest that, with the possible exception of Tawan, there are not all that many Thais who visit these establishments - unless accompanied by farang or meeting farang. I believe the two discos, DJ Station and G.O.D., have many more Thai clientele, but again both are in the Silom farang ghetto. None at all further out in Ratchada and other areas where most Thais venture. And with Babylon and Senso as the preferred Massage/Fitness venues, it does seem to cement the fact that the voting is being done by a large majority of farang readers - not by Thais. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course, if that is the objective. But I, for one, would be very interested to read more about the voting for some of the less well-known establishments. So instead of just winners and runners-up in each category, might you consider adding one or two more that came further down the list, establishments which are outside the "ghettos" yet which might still be of interest to readers? And is it possible to break voting down by farang and Thai? I realise that many of the other venues are basically Thai-for-Thai, but certainly not all. I need only mention Lookme Spa which I visited last year and which was extremely welcoming to farang. I also wonder if voting numbers could be given so that readers can see how much more popular the winners are over the runners-up. Just a thought. Quote
Bob Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 James produces a very nice (and, I think, popular) magazine and I and others in Chiangmai certainly have told him that before. And I like James (we know each other but admittedly not all that well). Getting that out of the way, I'd also be curious as to the numbers (presuming James is willing to share). A few of us in Chiangmai were a bit surprised by the local winner a few months ago - not that the given bar didn't deserve some praise but because several of us thought that one or two other bars might have scored higher. I'd note that none of the 4-5 guys I talked to voted (and we also wondered who it was that did vote and how many actual votes were cast). But I leave that up to James as to whether he wishes to disclose that information. Some of the guys I know in Chiangmai didn't vote as they weren't aware of the competition at the time whereas others didn't vote (myself included) because they simply didn't want to register at the magazine's website (only registered members are allowed to vote). For whatever reason, the older I get the less I've been willing to give up my email address. Simple as that (and no reflection on James, his magazine, or website). Quote
TotallyOz Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 whereas others didn't vote (myself included) because they simply didn't want to register at the magazine's website (only registered members are allowed to vote). For whatever reason, the older I get the less I've been willing to give up my email address. That also stopped me from voting. However, I do think a registration is required in order to maintain real results. It is easy to verify emails and one bar most likely won't register 1,000 different emails in order to win. So, I do understand the concept. I just didn't have the time to register. I do not mind giving up my e-mail as if I get constant spam from anyone, I just remove them from my list and I never hear from them again. I know James runs a good company and I am sure that they would not sell e-mails or give them to other companies. That said, I will take the time to register and vote. It is the least I can do. I do with James would post more information on this website. It is good PR for him and it free! Quote
Guest JamesBarnes Posted May 24, 2012 Posted May 24, 2012 Michael, you are quite right, the registration for voting means that the vote is limited to one in each category per month. I did consider publishing the actual numbers cast but decided against it as I did not want to shame poor performers. Fountainhall notes that the Bangkok votes favoured estbalishments associated with foriegn rather than Thai customers but the people who voted cannot be identified by nationality by their registered email addresses. As for spamming, we do not share our data base with anyone- as is stated in our privacy policy. Hope this clears things up! Best wishes, James. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted May 24, 2012 Posted May 24, 2012 I don't doubt for one moment that your results are accurate. It would just be nice to see one or two of the other venues which received votes and are not inside the Sathorn/Silom/Suriwong/Saladaeng "ghetto". (I think in future I will refer to this area as the "4S" district - no dears, not the "for sex" district !). Perhaps they could be listed as "selected also rans". Quote
