Why so few Premium Members????

**maokaang** · 18th Jun 2011, 06:22

Originally Posted by ddwjg

It might be a good idea to have a donation button on the site, so that people can add to the fund out of their own generosity, rather than limit it to what some consider an insignificant amount.

Premium Membership contributions are no longer limited to an insignificant amount. £10 is the minimum but options were added last month to allow people to donate more if the so wished. If someone wants to send a significant, one off amount to charity, they can easily do so themselves direct with the charity. I have no desire to act as middle man or take credit for any such contributions.

There are already enough people mistaken into believing Premium Membership is a donation to the costs of running Thailand-UK. I've even been on the receiving end of snide remarks in the past that it is a fund for my back pocket. Adding a donation button would just amplify those misconceptions. We manage to cover the costs of running the website and forums solely from commissions gained through various affiliate schemes and the occasional sponsorship deal.

Premium Membership does benefit Thailand-UK, but NOT financially. It keeps the number of people able to upload images, photo albums or run up large private mailboxes, to a manageable and affordable amount. If we allowed every member to uploaded 5Mb of attachments, we'd be heading for trouble. As it stands, anything up to a few hundred we can easily manage without having to seek extra funding for the site.

... and, once a year, a charitable cause benefits from every penny we've raised.

**dan&ploy** · 18th Jun 2011, 07:04

I think, Paul, you forgot to mention the upkeep of the Moderator's Gentlemans club lounge and didn't Gordie let slip that you have employed two extra Philippina hostsesses this year.

**maokaang** · 18th Jun 2011, 07:16

Three. smilie shhh.gif

**dan&ploy** · 18th Jun 2011, 07:33

**Casey Jones** · 18th Jun 2011, 10:04

Yes access to this site is easily worth the subscription fee but there are many ways of 'paying' for the service it provides. Giving advice can be worth it's wait in gold to some members & anyone who posts on the forums has probably saved someone somewhere a good few quid by sharing their knowlwdge & experiences with others. Donations come in many forms....& the most important for T-Uk is the advice which is donated...because without it there is no reason for T-UK to exist.

PT · 21st Jun 2011, 15:35

At the risk of upsetting the 'premium' members of this forum, I was shocked and frankly, put off by a harshly written thread last week suggesting that more non-premium members should 'pay up'.

We all know that this website has been a tremendously helpful resource for all kinds of Thai/UK matters for so many people over the years, especially those on the path to marriage or citizenship. I myself gleaned helpful information for my first, rather naive, trips to Thailand. However, let's not forget the very same people who have TAKEN advice (whether they have paid or not) have also GIVEN their experience and knowledge to the site - without charge! It works both ways. Operating a bias towards subscribers sounds more like the Murdoch empire than a friendly forum.

I am quite shocked that this forum is choosing to make a publicly noticeable distinction between those who paid and those who haven't. Having something in common makes us all family - adding visible 'conditions' simply makes us feel segregated.

I'm not against payment - in fact, I would be more than happy to make a donation for the goodness of the site, but I shouldn't feel obliged to make one just because premium members are making other contributors feel uncomfortable if they don't! Let's keep this forum family.

**Linne** · 21st Jun 2011, 15:42

i don,t think the forum did although 1 member did voice an opinion not sure that paying up is a division although there are some incentives for those who pay..........but advice is issued at the discretion of those who do ....not sure any percieved status makes any difference. But then again your entitled to your opinions as are others.

**Casey Jones** · 21st Jun 2011, 15:58

I don't think the 'forum' is trying to make any distinction like that at all PT. Nor do I think there is any bias involved from premium members. As you have pointed out....& as has already been pointed out in the thread you are referring to....we ALL donate to the forum in many ways, giving advice being the most obvious one. Debate is healthy & that comes from folk holding different opinions. Nothing harsh in that.

**krumike** · 21st Jun 2011, 16:11

I completely respect ALL opinions.

Here's why I chose to pay a bargain price.

Whilst receiving and giving (often valuable) advice is free, the maintenance of this forum is not. That's it. Simples!

Without this forum I wouldn't have the comparatively friendly online space to contribute and gain wisdom.

Edited: I should have added that I realise the money goes to charity. That's even more reason to show my support to the dedicated team that run/maintain this site.

**brian99** · 21st Jun 2011, 16:21

I would pay if it were possible to do so anonymously, which I don't think is the case. Not that i do not trust people who run it, i just take my privacy seriously and would not want my name to be known on an internet site of people I never met.

**Casey Jones** · 21st Jun 2011, 16:27

brian99....Why not p/m Maokaang if you wish to become a premium member & arrange to have your payment posted to him at the T-UK Thai Office? That way you need only ever use your site name.

**Wolfy** · 21st Jun 2011, 16:46

Why has a new thread been started by the o/p on a topic that he/she knows was openly discussed only last week ?

**Harvey at home** · 21st Jun 2011, 17:14

Originally Posted by brian99

I would pay if it were possible to do so anonymously, which I don't think is the case. Not that i do not trust people who run it, i just take my privacy seriously and would not want my name to be known on an internet site of people I never met.

Its possible to make a contribution direct to the charity chosen by the forum though, isn't it Brian?

**ash** · 21st Jun 2011, 17:15

PT
I don't recall many premium members even commenting on whether people should pay up or not. Just a couple of people asking the question. Its your money, your life and as often said in Thailand 'up to you'.

simples
ash

Brian send lee 10 quid in a plain brown envelope propblem solved

**Gary & Nok** · 21st Jun 2011, 19:07

Hopefully nothing I have said in the other thread (not sure why we had to have another on the same subject) has offended you.

I have an opinion and voiced it, as said by others debate is healthy and you have a choice to be a Premium Member or not. One of the reasons I decided to be is that I can add more photos to posts.

I also wanted to give something to others in the name of a great site, which I am pleased to say I was personally able to do when we donated to the Father Ray Organization.

**ddwjg** · 22nd Jun 2011, 04:07

PT, as others have already commented, why have you started a new thread? Why didn't you tag this onto the thread you refer to in the o/p.

Posted by Krumike :-

Whilst receiving and giving (often valuable) advice is free, the maintenance of this forum is not. That's it. Simples

And, with respect, totally wrong. Maokaang and others have made it quite clear that none of the 'fee' is used for the maintenance of the forum. It is the website, not the forum, that needs to pay for itself.

The forum is often confused, by users, with the website, which is run very successfully.

The forum and its contributers attract visitors to this website, and those visitors, many of whom never join, click on the many links that the website provides. When they do so the advertiser knows that they have linked from T-UK website, and this promotes more business. It could be said that the visitors/guests are of more value to the website, though not the forum itself.

Our posts and the forum attract many of these visitors, and therefore our posts and banter are of more value than any fees. Keep them posts coming.

Dave.

**handyman** · 22nd Jun 2011, 04:48

Well put Dave ... I must admit I was not aware of any pressure to get more premium members ... Just the benefits

PT · 22nd Jun 2011, 10:11

My reason for starting a 'new' thread was simply because I couldn't find the old one!!! (that's such a trivial point to raise).

I still maintain that making a public distinction between those who donate and those who don't is prejudice. Why do people need to wear a t-shirt saying 'don't hassle me... I've paid!'

I think Brian's point about donating anonymously is an extremely good idea!!! I'd like to think people would still donate if they WEREN'T publicly recognised for it. Remember the old story about Bono giving a ten pound note to a homeless guy on the street... but it's funny how he only did that when cameras were around!!! Donating anonymously is the only way to prove your true charitable spirit.

Admin Note: The two threads have since been merged.

**ddwjg** · 22nd Jun 2011, 12:04

Totally agree PT.

Dave.

**Phetchy** · 22nd Jun 2011, 12:05

If it's just the 'Premium Member' addition to someones user name that ia the problem, I'd be quite happy to have it removed for the sake of a quiet life. I'm sure most other PM's couldn't give a toss either. Shall we get the reputation boxes removed as well, just in case that causes any jealousies?