New Thai Voting!!!

[James Barnes]

Your voice is important, your views are respected and OUT iT is sure that you want to let the gay businesses in Thailand know exactly what you think about the scene here.

We are proud and excited to launch the first Annual OUT in Thailand Awards. It is the first time any national gay awards have been made by readers in Thailand. The best bars, restaurants, massage spas and hotels etc in each of the five locations covered by our guides will be presented with our prestigious trophies. All the winners will be announced in the first birthday issue of OUT iT in January, 2012. And the winners will all be decided by your votes.
You can vote in every category, every month from now until December 10th and you can choose your favourites in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Phuket- every business listed in our guide section will be eager to get your seal of approval. All you have to do to be heard is log on to www.out-in-thailand.com (http://www.out-in-thailand.com) click on тАШAwardsтАЩ and register your votes. It couldnтАЩt be easier!

Your winners will influence the development of the gay future here in the Land of Smiles and we are frothing with the anticipation of who you will select to be the best. You can start voting NOW! And donтАЩt forget, you can vote in every category. Your voice will be heard!

[thonglor55]

All you have to do to be heard is log on to http://www.out-in-thailand.com click on тАШAwardsтАЩ and register your votes.Register on another site? You must be joking. What's in it for me?

[James Barnes]

All you have to do to be heard is log on to http://www.out-in-thailand.com click on тАШAwardsтАЩ and register your votes.Register on another site? You must be joking. What's in it for me?

Dear thongklor55,

Registration is simple, quick and free and you have the chance to reward those businesses that have served you well.

Best wishes,

James.

[thonglor55]

Registration is simple, quick and free and you have the chance to reward those businesses that have served you well.Fabulous! I usually reward those businesses that have served me well by becoming a repeat customer and taking other people along with me. The Barbican anyone?

Thankyou James you made the voting easy but some businesses i use were not there.

Hopefully everyone will vote that hasnt already.http://www.out-in-thailand.com and click on awards.

Once again thankyou for your willingness to post my long lost friend's photos on your site , i havent seen them since early 2005 ,they use to be at the old monty's pool bar.
I was going to pay for an advert in your mag to find them but you were kind enough to send me an email that this was not necessary.
Unfortanetely i havent heard back from Monty as yet about where they went.
I will contact you shortly and hope everyone votes .Thanks James you truly are a good guy and i will remember you.

[Beachlover]

I had a look a the award section of your site...

You are missing a LOT of venues and gay businesses. The non half-arsed way to do it would've been to open up a nominations period first.

I think you also need to define the criteria for being included in the vote. At the moment, it looks like any business can get in. For example, why the hell should the Unico Grande Silom (which is actually now the Furama something) be included but not the nearby Sofitel SIlom or Dusit Thani? They are just as gay friendly.

Can't be bothered to think of what businesses you've missed but off the top of my head, I noticed Hiranyikara Spa in Phuket is missing.

Hiranyikara is the only professional (non-sexual) luxury male massage/spa aimed at gay men I know in Phuket: http://www.hiranyikara.com

--

Some thoughts... you should make a bigger effort to include more relevant images in your articles on gay businesses and venues. E.g. If you're covering a spa/massage place include some nice photos of it. If you're covering a bar, cafe, restaurant or hotel, get some nice photos of it. Ask the business owner to hire a photographer and take some decent photos if you need to!

The photos need captions too. I think captions are the second or third most read thing (after the headline) in any publication.

I think people tend to flick through these magazines briefly so you need to have is articles, which are easy to "scan" through and relevant/appealing images and informative captions.

[James Barnes]

Dear Beachlover,

Thank you for your suggestions, which are appreciated.

We have now added a nomination facility to the awards and you are most welcome to add any businesses that are your favourites.

Best wishes,

James.