Amber and Theo Endorse...

So we started breaking the news today to our blog readers, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers. When we told them that we were not selected as semi-finalists in the UTE competition, the most common response we heard was, "But we were just waiting to vote for you!" We wanted to let everyone out there know that they can still vote, even if it's not for us. While we're still campaigning to be the Ultimate Thailand Explorers, we think the following teams are worthy of your vote. We're definitely not going to split our votes like some, "Sure we'll vote for you today, but tomorrow..." We not duplicitous or disingenuous. We genuinely believe the following teams would make ideal Ultimate Thailand Explorers, and they receive our official endorsement.

Chiang Mai: Greg and Phil. Greg and Phil joined the contest shortly after we did, and they have had the right approach to this contest the entire time. They've been fun, irreverent, and witty, and they've been fairly active throughout on Twitter and their blog. You can also follow them via their Facebook fan page. They'll approach Thailand with a fresh set of eyes that will get people to follow them over their large network. We aren't going to vote for spammers, self-absorbed people who live in Thailand and want to keep prizes to themselves, and pros who skipped a puddle to make a slick video there.

Bangkok: Cheryl and Genevieve. This team (aka Two Happy Campers) are newcomers to this competition, and while they are as slick and professional as anyone else, they've enthusiastically promoted Thailand already through their great application video, their Twitter account, Facebook page, and even through the press. Their video was one of the most creative and best produced we've seen. Everyone else "talked" about how they'll use Web 2.0, but they demonstrated their plans for promoting Bangkok. They're enthusiastic travelers, and they showed better than anyone how they'll travel. We know they'll do a great job of promoting Bangkok to the world. We like another couple on a personal level, but they've been to Thailand way too many times. And while screaming "Thailand is my favorite country" may curry votes, ranking places you've been is just poor etiquette.

Phuket: Connor and Mike. While they are professionals (Connor is an international tour guide and filmmaker and Mike is a graphic designer), their video shows them to be adventurous travelers. Theo sees a kindred spirit in Connor, I see a creative and seasoned filmmaker. Check out his Twitter account and his YouTube channel. It was hard for us to choose a team in this category, because we loved Marcin & Agnieszka's creative video, but they've been absent from Web 2.0, as far as we can tell. (Hey kids, we tried.) And for all those teams who are trying to sell us on sending them back to Thailand, go there on your own dime. And we're not voting for Mathieu and Emilia, who arrogantly told us they would go to Phuket even if we didn't vote for them.

Pattaya: Justin and Libby. Justin and Libby's video stood out to us, because it was different from any others we've seen in the contest. They have also been active in other ways online, and we know that they can write entertaining and informative travel blogs. Check out their Facebook fan page. (And we've read a lot of travel blogs.) While they have been to Thailand before, as new parents, we think they will enjoy it even more this time. We're not going to send two pathetic Carrie Bradshaw wannabes, a Free Credit Report Band knockoff, or two self-absorbed dudes who write press releases.

Koh Samui: Personally, we'd send Craig and Jono, two Kiwis with the best narrative in the competition. Instead, we're left with a bunch of teams filled with pros, hucksters, and bad story telling. One video was great, but didn't say a single thing about Koh Samui as a destination. We're sure as hell not going to send someone who does this for a living. You wanna go lay on beaches, have your company sponsor you on your own dime, not TAT's. And don't you dare think you deserve to go over someone who's never been there. So we're officially endorsing NO ONE for Koh Samui. If we could send ourselves there, we would, because we'd certainly come up with better results than a girl trying to improve her odds at starring in "Candide" in the West End. (psst... one more word of warning, if you've just come back from Portugal, write a real blog).

So vote Greg and Phil, Cheryl and Genevive, Connor and Mike, and Justin and Libby. Since we can't go to Thailand, we think these teams deserve to.