Tripbase is running a campaign to “To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.” I normally don’t do these type of things but it’s a pretty unique idea as far as Meme type posts go and how can I refuse when 2 beautiful ladies and also Thailand bloggers, Snap from Cooee and Lani from the Tell Thai Heart, both nominated me.
And as the rules go as soon as I share my 7 links I get to nominate 5 other blogs to do the same as long as they aren’t already on the ever growing list over at Tripbase
My 7 Links Land of Smile Style
1. Most Controversial Post on Thailand Land of Smiles?
By far the most controversial post in the history of Thailand Land of Smiles was actually a series of posts I did on the British Documentary Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand. After the initial post I watched the Documentary on Youtube and wrote about what I felt was creative editing and outright made up scenarios to garner attention and viewers. This caught the attention of the Producer Gavin Hill and Journalist Andrew Drummond and the war of words began.
I still stand behind every word I wrote and if you want read it check out the following links.
Fallout From Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary
More Trouble for Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary
Gavin Hill & Tim Wright Respond to Big Trouble in Thailand
2. Most Popular Post on Thailand Land of Smiles?
This was an easy one, by far the most popular post ever on TLoS is Thai Police Watching Nude Chinese Teen. This was just a quick story I wrote back in 2008 that to this day still gets over 300 hits a day. Back in 2008 an earthquake rocked China and a Chinese college student went all out to raise money for victims in her community by posting racy pictures of herself wearing only underwear and promising to take more clothes off and post much racier pictures for donations. The Thai police were reportedly scared that Thai teenagers would pick up on the idea.
The post was so popular that it caught Google’s attention and they threatened to yank my adsense account if I didn’t remove the adsense ads from the post because I included a few very innocent clothed pictures of her. Since then the pictures have all been removed and Google still hates the post but it still draws a ton of hits every month. The woman pictured above is not the woman I originally wrote about but she is beautiful, yes?
Honorable mention goes to The Power of the Brown Nipple as it has also racked up huge numbers over the years…whoda thunk that brown nipples were so big?
3. Most Beautiful Post on Thailand Land of Smiles?
Obviously this is a very subjective pick but also a very hard post for me to pick out. I have made so many posts with photos capturing the beauty of Thailand. I personally think my most beautiful post would be Thailand Flowers on a Cold Winters Day or Thailand’s Amazing Orchids…I don’t think anything captures the beauty of Thailand as well as it’s flowers. I would also consider these galleries as the most beautiful.
Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens 2007
Nong Nooch Tropical gardens 2008
4. Most Helpful Post on Thailand land of Smiles?
This, again, is a tough call for me as I’d like to think there have been many helpful posts on TLoS and I have had many emails regarding different posts. One of the more helpful posts that many people e-mailed me about and commented on was Visa Run: Thailand to Vientiane, Laos. I think it served to help out a lot of people who were getting ready to or contemplating making the visa run to Laos.
5. Successful Thailand Land of Smiles Post that Surprised me?
Again another easy pick for me. Back in 2009 Louis Tussuad’s Waxworks was getting set to open in Pattaya and they decided on a rather distasteful billboard to be displayed along the highway to Pattaya that pissed off quite a few people and that led to me writing Hitler’s Not So Triumphant Return.
I literally wrote this short post in 5 minutes and thought no more about it until I checked my stats the next day and saw that the post had received over 14,000 page views in 24 hours. By the time the week was over the post had gotten over 70,000 page views thanks to some popular German blogs picking up the story.
6. Land of Smiles Post That Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved?
Living with the Tiger was a post that meant a lot to me because it was for such a good cause. The documentary is about Thai children living with HIV/AIDS and being abandoned by their familes. The Producer/Director, Mike Thomas, put his heart and soul into this project in order to bring these Thai children’s plight to the world and bring more exposure to a wonderful place called Baan Gerda that takes in and takes care of these children in a surrogate family type situation.
While this post did very well thanks to the many Thailand bloggers and friends who participated in getting the word out I had hoped that it would do much better and reach much further. If you have the time write, tweet or share on Facebook something about Living with the Tiger or Baan Gerda and help spread the word.
7. The Land of Smiles Post I am Most Proud of?
I’m not exactly sure why but Each Journey Begins with One Single Step is one that really makes me proud. I think it might be because I took that scary step and moved away from the known to the unknown. It was hard leaving America especially after losing both of my parents and wrapping up their estate.
I love Thailand and always wanted to be here but making that first step to live my life here was very scary and I think I handled it well. I think all that came through in this post very easily for me and to this day when I see it or remember it I get that proud papa smile on my face.
Well, That’s it for my links and now it’s time for me to nominate 5 more blogs to have a go at it.
1. Camille’s Samui Weather Blog – Camille writes about much more than the weather and he shares some great photos and experiences… Tag
2. Behind the Noodle Curtain- Rick is a great friend and I love to listen to and read his point of view. His posts are always a good read and very insightful. Tag
3. One Editorial - Written by a Thai who has commented on TLoS posts often with his unique points of view…Likewise he shares his distinct point of view on his blog and it’s always a good read. Tag
4. Thailand Musings - Steve and I started blogging about Thailand right around the same time and as he just moved to Bangkok I’m sure his 7 links will be a good read.
5. Life of a Lounge Lizard - Our Lounge Lizard writes about his daily activities in Bangkok and other areas of Thailand and it always sucks me in…He has nicknames for all his friends and acquaintances that just bring you in further trying to figure it all out. Tag
Again, a big thanks for the nominations from Snap and Lani who both have very unique voices in the Thailand blogosphere….go read their blogs now!
Blog Post RSS
Who is Pookie?
Rambone, Pookie is the ex girlfriend…we were together for 3 years but only lasted a few weeks once I moved here.
An excellent choice of posts, I remember Each Journey Begins with One Single Step, it’s a very well written piece.
Your most popular pick proves once again that someone can write the most beautiful post ever but at the end of the day sex pulls in the punters every time.
Thanks Martyn, there is no doubt that sex sells, especially when it comes to Thailand…now if only Google would let me monetize it
I was in Pattaya in Nov 2009 when the waxworks opened. I was staying at Diana Inn and every morning I was awaked by a megaphone on a truck moving down the street advertising the place. That and the fact it was a little expensive even for a falang made me decide not to go ($35+ for two). I don’t think they even offered the ‘Thai’ discount they can get at other attractions. Instead we posed with the Joker for free.
Rambone, that seems to be the way in Pattaya…in 2009 when they opened the Joe Luis Puppet Theatre I thought that would go over well but apparently prices were steep and they didn’t last long…
Talen, I’m having great fun reading your old posts…haven’t made it past the ‘Big trouble in Thailand’ series yet. Very interesting to say the least!
Snap recently posted..Sanctuary in Pattaya
Thanks Snap, always like it when people find my older stuff interesting
So how did ‘Hangover 2′ get past Article 23 of the motion picture law?. Possibly a generous donation to a surely charitable government agency…
But probably less than what they paid in their settlement to Tyson’s tattoo artist.
Rambone, they actually submitted hangover 2 to the board but there really wasn’t anything bad about Bangkok or Thailand…whereas the Big Trouble in Thailand crew didn’t submit the final cut and fled the country when the shit hit the fan leaving the Thai production crew to take the heat.
yea!!!!!!!! i knew you’d have good stuff. and hey, you called snap and i beautiful so extra points na ka
Lani recently posted..alien in chiang mai