Wednesday 24 October 2012

Re-Vamp of Thong Nai Pan Magazine


Thong Nai Pan Magazine is a rare thing on the internet. It is a destination guide that is not set up solely to make money from affiliate links. Nearly all the websites about the various beaches on Koh Phangan are blatantly about selling rooms for Agoda and the like. They contain information primarily about hotels and resorts and nothing else.

Although many of these sites have been punished by Google’s new algo update in March 2012, the new search results are even worse! Much more so. I frequently do a search on some KP related topic and I get 10 pages of search results that are 90% Trip Advisor. TA has its place but it only needs 1 listing. People are getting turned off Google for this reason and starting to explore the net through social media.

Corporate entities are trying to get the lion’s share of traffic about what are seen as key terms, and Google is helping them. The internet was once a place to find information; it is now becoming a place to sell people things.

It is thus a breath of fresh air to see the new look Thong Nai Pan Magazine site. Not only is it still on page one but it also attempts to give all the information a visitor to Thong Nai Pan Noi or Thong Nai Pan Yai could want. Yes, it covers accommodation, but also things to do, kids’ activities, places to visit, diving, Thai massage, events, bars and restaurants. It is the most comprehensive guide to Thong Nai Pan online by a long shot. It is also full of pictures and slides shows.

One look at the site and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into presentation and to making information accessible. There is a search box, a site map and plenty of links on each page as well as on the drop down navigation bar. Moreover, they have included loads of maps. Not naff Google map smears, but ‘hand drawn’ digital maps that help people locate a business if they were staying at Thong Nai Pan.

Thong Nai Pan is undoubtedly a special place and it now has a special website to accompany it! Don’t bother with wikitravel (manipulated by business owners and lacking in information), Trip Advisor (piece meal, out-dated and biased) or any of the rash of cheap sites put up to cash in on TNP’s hotels. Go straight to http://www.thongnaipan-magazine.com

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