NATION WEBSITE TO USE PAYWALL?

The website of The Nation newspaper in Thailand appears to be close to introducing a paywall for its online content - again.

An advertisement appearing on its website says: "Enjoy 45 articles per month free before paying". No pricing details are provided.

This isn't the first time Nation Multimedia has toyed with the idea of charging for content. In February 2010 the company introduced “The Nation Exclusive”, a paywall-protected section of its free-to-access website that promised to deliver “exclusive news, in-depth analysis, tips for investors, premium lifestyle articles, exclusive video, exclusive business tips, best offer for your lifestyle, privilege for high-class travelers and audio analysis." This service is no longer being offered.

The issue of charging for content, especially in Thailand, is a difficult one. Unless The Nation will be providing significantly different content from The Bangkok Post, Thailand's other English language daily, then it will likely not make much money from this initiative. Very little news in Thailand is truly exclusive.