PCEC members and guests hear about the “Buzz in Pattaya”. Did you know that there is a public swimming pool on the roof of Mike’s Shopping Mall? Did you know that the Hill Tribe Village near Pattaya has an Umbrella Street? They are just two of the bits of information that Trevor Knight and Mark Stainton James from the Buzzin Media Group shared with PCEC members last Sunday. The Buzzin Media Group is into collecting and sharing this type of information. Their target audiences are expats, tourists and Thais.
The Buzzin Media Group shares information about what’s going on in Pattaya and elsewhere in Thailand through a variety of vehicles. They include a free monthly newsletter called “Buzzin Lifestyle,” with a production of run of 10,000 copies delivered by hand to over 500 establishments – not the usual spots like 7-11 or Family Mart, but rather bars, restaurants and other venues where people gather.
MC Richard Silverberg presents Trevor Knight and Mark Stainton James the PCEC’s Certificate of Appreciation for their presentation to the Club on their Buzzin Media Group’s activities whose goal is to be an information resource for tourists and expats to keep abreast of what’s going on in Pattaya.
The vehicles also include a Facebook page, BuzzinPattaya, with 17,000 followers. “Facebook is the most valuable tool for sharing,” Trevor said. They also have a website (www.buzzinmedia group.com) which has had 35,000 visits despite having only been established on 1 January of this year. The website includes a directory of service providers. They even have a second website: www.buzzinthailand.com.
Other vehicles for sharing include a YouTube video channel (where 176 videos have been loaded since August 2015; Google Plus I (https://plus.google.com/+Buzzinpattaya/about); Twitter; and a show on Sophon Cable (currently on Channel 6 at 1 and 8 pm, though both the channel and times are subject to change). There is even a BuzzinThailand app for the iPhone and Android phone users. Mark said that it has over 10,000 events and listings from across Thailand.
Ann Ensell makes her inaugural appearance as coordinator for the PCEC’s Open Forum where members and guests can ask questions or make comments about Expat living in Pattaya.
Trevor explained that he came to Pattaya five years ago to retire and then decided he wanted to do something different. He realized that he did not know what was going on in town. He went to a few 7-11s and picked up about 15 publications, which he perused, but he still didn’t know what was happening. He said he tried finding information on the Internet, but found it tough going.
So he decided to create the Buzzin Media Group. Somewhere along the way, he ran into Mark, who knows a lot more than Trevor about the technical side of things, and they became partners. Trevor and Mark stressed that theirs is not a for-profit undertaking. They do it for the fun of it; although it is free of charge for organizations and folks to use their outlets to disseminate information, they do charge if it is a business. These revenues are used to offset their cost. They invited anyone that has an event or a group they’d like people to know about, the Buzzin Media Group can help.
Member Ren Lexander interviews Trevor Knight about his presentation about Buzzin Pattaya to the PCEC. You can view the interview at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxsy6N72ux4.
Mark said that Trip Advisor lists more things to do in Pattaya than any other city in Thailand. However, he mentioned that Trip Advisor doesn’t tell you where to go to find the attractions. Buzzin Media Group provides full information.
At the meeting, Trevor and Mark conducted a quiz. They showed photos of some of the local attractions and asked the audience to guess what they were. Very few people were able to identify: The Love Art Park in Banglamung (http://www.loveartpark.com/en/); The swimming pool on the top of Mike’s Shopping Mall; The Hill Tribe Village north of Pattaya; The train resort on Sukhumvit (on the left-hand side before Ocean Marina, going south); An Army surplus store on Sukhumvit going south which features everything from old airplanes to old cameras and old typewriters; Rubber Land Pattaya, on Sukhumvit between Pattaya Tai and Pattaya Klang – near Soi Boonsampan (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rubber-Land-Pattaya/157153547306091), and 2 Sky Rocket Ball ride on Walking Street
Trevor Knight and Mark Stainton James from the Buzzin Media Group talk about their Buzzin Pattaya information outlets which include a newsletter, online guide, YouTube, Facebook, TV show and an app you can put on your smart phone to access information on what’s happening and places to visit in Pattaya.
On the YouTube channel, some of the recent uploads have been about human slingshot on Thepprasit Soi 9; the Rocket Ball; Flyboard Pattaya, on Thepprasit Soi 7, described as an extreme sport that allows you to both “float” above the water and dive under the water; and ATV Pattaya Jungle Adventures (another extreme sport).
They felt that Buzzin Pattaya’s success was due to a dedicated and committed team, proactive approach to deliver constant information, strong networking connections, and a local knowledge of area. They demonstrated the latter when, during the Open Forum, they were able to answer several of the questions posed by members and guests about where to find certain items or locate certain types of businesses.
At the conclusion of the presentation, MC Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on Club and other events and called on Ann Ensell to conduct the Open Forum, where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at www.pcecclub.org.
