The Search Function

[amexpat]

I needed a haircut.  I know some posters would grumble to use the fabulous TV search function instead of asking about it.

 

Search of this forum with widest parameters found no results for "barber" or "haircut".

 

However, it does return one (1) hit for "beer".  Is CM only populated by shaggy teetotalers?

 

Don't bother replying about barbers or beer, I can find both OK.

 

P.S.  When the forum page loads there may be some news items on the right that a quickly snowed under by an avalanche

of ads. Do you ever read any of those ads? 

 

 

[donnacha]

41 minutes ago, amexpat said:

When the forum page loads there may be some news items on the right that a quickly snowed under by an avalanche

of ads. Do you ever read any of those ads? 

Every Web property that gains traction goes through the same cycle of starting with a keen sense of what the users want, growing to a profitable size, then gradually attracting more money-focused managers or new owners who start loading on more and more ads, usually with no understanding of how this will affect the users.

I use roughly a hundred different forums every month. ThaiVisa is by far the worst example of the owners cashing in with as many ads as possible. On mobile, the ads actually obstruct important UI elements. It is clear that, at this stage in its lifecycle, no one in the management is worried about killing the golden goose. At this stage, it is all about squeezing as much money out of it as possible.

ThaiVisa got very lucky. They started at the right time, were able to register a domain name with strong keyword value, and, once they became the dominant English-speaking forum for expats and visitors to Thailand, it was easy to stay on top because it is an older, essentially conservative audience who tend to stick with what they know.

They may well be making more advertising revenue than ever, thanks to the ridiculous number of ads, but it is clear that the forum itself is on a downward path. They could be very vulnerable to some less jaded competitor emerging with better forum software, or possibly you will see social media (such as Facebook groups) continuing to suck away their audience. When you see this many ads, you know that it is all about the money at this stage. No one there is thinking about how to provide a better user experience. That is a pity, but quite possibly the right business call, perhaps this whole market (serving Westerners in Thailand) is past its heyday anyway.

 

 

[NancyL]

To answer the OP's question, the search function of the forum has always been bad.  I find that if I use google and input words like "Thaivisa.com" "Chiang Mai" and "barber" then google will do a much better job of searching TV than TV's search function.

[canthai55]

I read Forums for the information.

As a matter principle I refuse to buy anything advertised.

Other websites I visit have an opt out option - not that I have ever used it as they are not nearly so jam packed on every page with useless S***

If I want to buy a car ... insurance ... real estate ... anything - I go to dedicated forums or websites

 

[lexilis]

The search function is even worse now than it was it seems to me. Its buried under one of the header tabs and I cannot figure out how to make it search a particular forum (like the CM forum). I think Donnatcha's comment is pretty close to the mark.

[KhunBENQ]

28 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I find that if I use google and input words like "Thaivisa.com" "Chiang Mai" and "barber" then google will do a much better job of searching TV than TV's search function.

https://www.google.com/search?q=barber+chiang+mai+site%3Athaivisa.com

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=haircut+chiang+mai+site%3Athaivisa.com

[MrBrad]

If you're using a computer rather than a smartphone to follow Thai Visa, one way to avoid seeing the ads is to enlarge the screen (and subsequently the font size for easier reading) to at least 150%.  Maybe this is something that could work on phones also; I don't know the ins and outs of that.  Anyway, the ads disappear to somewhere off to the right of the screen.  At least that's the case on my PC. 

[orang37]

words to the wise: tweak your google searches using this format:

 

site:thaivisa.com haircut

 

this example results in: clickee

 

~o:37;

[orang37]

Khun AmExpat: for an excellent 100 baht hair-cut in a traditional Thai barber-shop for men, I go here:

 

clickee

 

Khun Nung (owner), and staff, are very friendly (but, not fluent in English).

 

south of the Railway Station on Rot Fi Alley near where Thanon Sai Kong joins it at the north-eastern perimeter of the Kawila Military compound. There's a large art-supply store near it.

 

~o:37;

[Slip]

A couple of years back there was a good thread about mattresses which had links to some suppliers.  I need a new mattress, so I searched.  Nowhere to be found.

 

Do regular users put up with all the ads plastered everywhere?  I haven't put up with them for years, and if I had to I just wouldn't come back.

[emptypockets]

No, I don't look at the ads. Nor do I look at the real estate 'bargains' posted at the top of the newsletter. Who, in their right mind, would pay 16 million baht (reduced by 7%!!) for a property in Thailand given the current exchange rates. Particularly when the demographic using the forum are, apparently, older mostly white pensioner males whose main interest is trying to figure out how stay in Thailand for the foreseeable future, often due to money issues. They won't be buying a 16 million baht property anytime in the near future. Neither will I.

[orang37]

for some fresh hot tips on buffclicking [1] your Google  searches: 

 

cliickee

 

~o:37;

 

[1] what is buffclicking ? i don't know, I just coined it, but, I think it follows, logically: it is the opposite of buttclicking.