Thailand Blogger: Jamie's Phuket

Jamie's Phuket Quick Facts

Author: Jamie Monk
Google PageRank: 4
Focus: Phuket Resorts, Attractions, Events and Dining
Operating Since: 2006
Ever Met Him in Person? Surprisingly, no

Living in Phuket long-term you sometimes forget that this is a holiday island.

About 5 million people come here every year for fun in the sun, many of which are sold the dream of paradise by their travel agents' glossy brochures.

And when they arrive, they will find several local publications and websites full of purple prose about the island and the luxurious, perfect life to be had here.

As a local resident, such writings are of little interest because those who have lived here for any length of time know that Phuket is a place with many challenges and downsides, just like anywhere else in the world.

And as for the tourist, the rise of such websites as tripadvisor.com, where readers rate and discuss resorts, restaurants and attractions, shows that more travelers are looking for real information on a destination, and not so quick to believe all the tourism-industry drivel.

Enter Jamie's Phuket, a blog that brings a local perspective in an engaging, straightforward way to people interested in Phuket.

A British national, he has lived in Phuket about 9 years and has a Thai wife and two children. His blog is usually updated a day or two after a family outing to some lesser-known spot on the island. He also does reviews of restaurants and resorts.

While I have yet to see a negative report on any of the places he visits, I expect it's because he chooses only to cover things he likes, rather than having any hidden agenda or sales strategy.

I visit the site often for ideas on where to go with my family, and looks as though many others do the same. His photos and local events coverage are superb, better than many here who are paid to do such things! Some of the site's most notable shots are from the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is covered in depth every year.

The site has benefitted from Jamie's savvy marketing, too, having a Facebook group with more than 160 members and a strong following through RSS and blogs. Jamie's Phuket has an impressive Google PageRank (4) for a three-year-old blog covering what could be considered a rather obscure location in the global scheme of things.

A compelling element of his site is the way in which he writes in a personal style, yet reveals little of himself, a balancing act that few bloggers (myself included!) achieve.

This has been very much by design, as I discovered when I interviewed Jamie (in cyberspace) about his site…

How many blogs do you operate now and what are they?
Jamie's Phuket - http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com

This is the main one, the Phuket blog.

Phuket Weather - http://phuket-weather.blogspot.com

Aside from weather reports, there are lots of photos, lots of weather links, little news snippets, odd aside comments on the state of the world, occasional rambles, but basically it's the best place on the internet to find Phuket weather information!

When did you start blogging?
April 2006. This coincided with getting a digital camera. I add a lot of photos on my blogs and to be honest hate reading huge blocks of text on other blogs. I like photos. A picture tells a thousand words. Cliché? TRUE.

Why did you start a blog?
I started the Phuket blog first with several ideas - blogging was trendy, there had just been a Booker prize for blogs awarded, I wanted to note down some ramblings, a place to put ideas and favourite stories, songs, videos, memories. But mainly a way of showing "my" Phuket.

I was sick of hearing people on chatrooms moaning about "Phuket is ugly and touristy and full of bars and beach umbrellas and McDonalds and… (you get the drift)". I was already contributing to forums and kept answering "you have not seen Phuket, only Patong beach". So, the blog was partly to show why I love living here. It only took a few weeks for me to make the blog only about Phuket and stop adding inane ramblings...

Why do you think your blog has done so well with readers?
The main blog now gets around 300 visitors per day average, many return readers, the weather blog gets almost as many (people are obsessed with weather). Why... because there is not much out there which has the same kind of content. Most Phuket websites are very broad, cater to the out and out tourist, whereas I really try to concentrate on the bits of Phuket that we like (we = my family). So, Patong does not get much of a mention …

The blog gets readers I think because it's unique, honest, has lots of photos and ideas for things to do in Phuket that most people would not know of from other websites or from tour agents. I would like a few more people to see the real Phuket that we locals get to know over time. Also, the blog is popular because I try hard to keep adding fresh content, though it can be hard when I am working in high season.

Do you do any SEO/promotion to expand readership of your site?
SEO - well, I do a lot of SEO at work on the dive shop site (www.sunrise-divers.com) , it's a bit harder with a blog as some of the formatting is sitewide and you don't have total control over layout, but I do try to get links, and I do try to use relevant, strong keywords and good linking through the site, but nothing dark and mysterious.

Most visitors come from searches, mostly from Google, and you only get Google hits by having a strong website. Inbound links is a factor in high rankings with Google.

The blog feed is also important - via Feedburner - this helps to get regular readers who will be notified of updates. Facebook - I have a Facebook page for Jamie's Phuket.

So - actually quite a lot of "SEO"!

Do you think you'll ever blog full-time?
Dream? The blogs make a small income from ads and affiliate links, but would need to be a LOT more to consider full time. I have some plans/dreams/ideas that may come to fruition in a few years, but for now let's say YES I would like to have a lot more time on the blogs.

How has blogging affected your business life?
For sure we get some customers in the dive shop (Sunrise Divers) who have seen the blog, but I don't specifically use the blog to promote my work... in the future that may change. As I say, I have some plans/dreams/ideas.

What has surprised you the most since launching the blog?
I am surprised that "the blog" is actually "successful". Although I am happy that people do read it, and happy to get emails or messages on Facebook about it.

Have your goals/ideas about your blog changed since you started?
As mentioned earlier, there was a very quick change from a general "life" blog to a "Phuket Blog"… and later I introduced some hotel reviews. It was a bit of an experiment at first, but when it started to get a readership that was encouraging. The goal is to keep blogging. The goal is to make a living! Ha!

What do you like the most about blogging?
Showing that there is a helluva lot more to Phuket than most people realise...doing the blog has helped me to get out and explore. Blogs need food, so we do sometimes try new things because of the blog. And will keep doing so.

What do you dislike about it?
Almost the same answer - a blog needs updating, so sometimes I HAVE to blog even if there seems to be nothing new to write. I do get blogger's block and sometimes hate trying to balance work, family and finding to time to blog.

***
Jamie, I'm with you on that last point! And hope we can meet in real-time soon...

Readers, who's your favourite Thailand blogger? Tell me in the comments, please!