Phuket Facebook Group S.O.P
Table Of Contents
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General SOP
Property
Items For Sale
Buy & Sell
New Era Expats
Phuket Teachers
Auto Trader
What Are These Facebook Groups?
The Phuket Facebook groups were started in 2012 to help bring the local community together. They were made for both Thai people and foreigners living in or visiting Phuket.
At first, there was only one group. As it became more active, it made sense to create separate groups for different topics.
For example, the first group started getting a lot of posts from people selling second-hand items. Because of that, we created the Items For Sale group. Later, that group became flooded with bike and car sale posts, so we created another group just for those posts called Phuket Auto Trader.
Over time, this grew into 7 different groups, and each group has its own purpose.
Because the groups have a lot of members, they need regular management and attention. This guide is here to teach you how to look after the Phuket Facebook groups properly.
What Maintenance Do They Need?
These groups need regular checking every day.
One of the main jobs is reviewing join requests. When someone asks to join a group, we must check their request and decide whether to accept or deny it.
Another important job is watching out for scammers. The groups are often targeted by fake accounts and scam posts, especially the second-hand selling groups.
We also need to stop people from using the groups to promote their business. Business promotion is not allowed, and this happens often, especially in the selling groups.
One of the biggest problems is property posts. Property agents often spam the groups with posts about houses, condos, or land. These posts are not allowed and need to be removed.
Facebook Groups also has a built-in AI tool that helps detect spam and inappropriate posts. This tool is useful, but it is not always correct. Sometimes it flags normal posts by mistake, so we still need to review flagged posts manually.
The next sections will show you how to handle each of these tasks properly.
4 Things You Need to Do Every Day
4 Things You Need to Do Every Day
There are 4 main things you need to check every day in the group.
First, check Participant Requests and decide whether to approve or deny each one.
Second, check Potential Spam Posts and review whether they should be approved or denied.
Third, check Member Reported Content to see if any posts or comments break the group rules.
Last, check the group’s recent posts and comments to make sure no one has posted or said anything that should not be in the group.
Below is a guide showing how to do each one.
Participant Request
The biggest part of the job is filtering participant requests. We get a lot of them, but it should stay manageable if they are checked every day.
When someone requests to join a group, they must answer all 3 questions and agree to the group rules. If they do not do this, Facebook will usually reject the request automatically after 1 hour.
The requests that remain must be reviewed manually. This means you will need to check each one and decide whether to approve or deny it.
The main question is: who should be approved, and how can we spot spammers or possible scammers?
The next section will explain what to look for when reviewing participant requests.
Checking the Answers
When reviewing join requests, always look at the answers carefully.
Some people do not give real answers. For example, they may write things like “yes, yes, yes” or “ok, ok, ok” just to get through the questions.
If someone does this, deny the request.
The reason is simple: if they cannot take a moment to answer a few basic questions properly, they have probably not read the rules and do not really care about following them.
Good answers do not need to be perfect, but they should show that the person actually read the questions and made a real effort to answer them.
Signs to Look Out for When Approving
When reviewing participant requests, there are a few red flags to watch for.
A single red flag does not always mean the person should be denied. The important thing is to use judgment. If someone shows several red flags, or one red flag in a very obvious way, it is usually safer to deny the request.
Check where they live
If the person has made their location public, Facebook will show it in their profile information.
Check whether they live in Phuket or have a clear connection to Phuket. If they are joining a Phuket group but seem to live somewhere completely unrelated, that can be a warning sign.
Check how many groups they are in
Look at how many Facebook groups they have joined.
Scam or spam accounts are often in a very large number of groups. As a general guide, 300+ groups is a strong warning sign. It is also uncommon for a normal person to be in more than 150 groups.
This does not automatically mean they are fake, but it should make you more careful.
Review their post
Sometimes people try to post in the group before fully answering the join questions, so Facebook shows you the post they wanted to make.
Always check that post. See whether it matches the purpose of the group.
For example, if someone is trying to post a bike for rent in the Property group, that is a sign they may not have read the rules or may be trying to spam the wrong group.
Use all of these signs together when deciding whether to approve or deny a request.
Potential Spam
Facebook has an automatic system that checks for possible spam posts.
This often happens when someone copies and pastes the same post into many different groups. Facebook can also catch posts from suspicious accounts. Most of the time, this system works well.
However, Facebook is not always correct. Sometimes it marks a real post as spam by mistake.
Because of this, we need to check these posts manually.
When reviewing a potential spam post, decide if it looks genuine or not.
For example, if someone is selling an item in the Items For Sale group, and the post looks normal, you can approve it.
But if the post is about property, business promotion, or looks like a strange crypto scam, deny the post.
After you deny a post, Facebook may give you the option to ban the person.
Use this guide:
If the post is a scam, business ad, or property post, deny the post and ban the person.
If the post is just not right for that group, deny the post but do not ban the person.
If the post looks genuine and fits the group, approve it.
Member Reports
Group members will sometimes report posts or comments that they think are inappropriate, break the rules, or are rude to other people.
Each report needs to be checked individually. You should review the post or comment carefully and decide whether the person is being rude, toxic, or breaking the group rules.
If the person has a history of this kind of behavior, they should be banned from all groups.
If it seems like a one-off situation, we can delete the post or comment and give them a warning instead.
Always check the full situation before making a decision.
Check Recent Posts
Another important job is checking the posts that were made during the day.
Some people may accept the group rules and pass the join checks, but still post things that are not allowed. If we do not check the groups every day, these people may keep breaking the rules.
Each day, go through each group and check the recent posts. Make sure everything looks okay and follows the group rules.
For example, check that:
property posts are not being posted in the Items For Sale group
business ads are not being posted in any of the groups
people are not posting things that break the rules
If someone is clearly breaking the rules, take action.
For serious rule breaks, such as property posts or business ads, ban the person. Most people who post these already know they are not allowed, but they do it anyway.
Phuket Jobs
Phuket Jobs is one of the largest and busiest groups.
This group is also one of the most important groups for a Burmese-speaking team member to help with. Many Burmese people use this group to look for jobs in Phuket.
There are a few important things to watch for in this group.
Jobs Outside of Phuket
Job posts in this group must only be for jobs in Phuket.
Jobs in other parts of Thailand, or jobs in other countries, are not allowed.
Be careful with job posts for other countries. Many of these posts are scams.
If someone posts a job outside Phuket, delete the post and ban the person from the group.
Vague Job Posts
Be careful with job posts that do not give enough information.
A good job post should usually include things like:
- job location
- type of business
- job position
- salary or pay details
- contact information
If a job post has very little information, it may be a scam.
For example, if the post does not say where the job is, what the business is, or how much the salary is, you should be careful.
Phuket Property
The Phuket Property Group is a smaller group for property owners.
This group is for people who own property in Phuket and want to post it for rent or sale.
Property agents are not allowed to make posts in this group. However, they can reply in the comments if someone is asking for a property and their reply is useful and relevant.
No Agent Posts
Many property agents spam lots of property posts every day.
This is not allowed.
If an agent joins the group and posts property ads, ban them from the group.
Irrelevant Comments
Comments must be useful and match what the person is asking for.
For example, if someone is looking for a rental property in Rawai with a budget of 8,000 to 10,000 baht per month, the replies should match that request.
If an agent or property owner replies with a property in Kamala for 42,000 baht per month, that is not helpful. They are just trying to push their own property ad.
If someone keeps doing this, ban them from the group.
Items 4 Sale & Buy & Sell Groups
These 2 groups are for normal people to sell second-hand items only.
They are not for:
property posts
business sales
new bulk products
car or motorbike sales
Property posts should be deleted, and the person should be banned.
Car and motorbike sale posts should be redirected to the Phuket Auto Trader group.
No Business Selling
These groups are not for business selling.
Some people run small businesses or side hustles and try to sell in these groups. For example, they may buy many items from China and then try to sell them as “second-hand” items.
Some businesses may also try to post clearance sales or product promotions.
They may try to make the post look like a normal second-hand sale, but you can often spot them because they keep posting the same item again and again.
If it looks like business selling, do not allow it.
Scam Posts
These groups often attract scammers.
Common scam posts include:
cheap MacBooks
fake iPhones
expensive items at very low prices
If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Another common scam is when someone sells an item, asks the buyer to send money first, and then never ships the item.
We cannot stop every scam, but we can help by checking posts carefully and warning the community when needed.
Phuket Auto Trader
Phuket Auto Trader was created because the Items for Sale groups were getting too many bike and car posts.
This group is only for normal people selling second-hand bikes and cars in Phuket.
It is not for:
businesses selling new cars
rental shops advertising bikes or cars
people posting many vehicle ads like a business
No Business Selling
Business ads are not allowed in this group.
Some people will still try to advertise bikes or cars for rent or sale while pretending to be a normal person.
You can usually spot this if the same person keeps posting many different bikes or cars every week.
If you notice this, ban that person from the group.
Scam Posts
Like the Items for Sale groups, scammers may also post here.
Be careful with prices that look too cheap. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
Also be careful with luxury car rental posts. Some scammers use photos of expensive cars to make the post look real.
Check the photos carefully. Sometimes you can see from the background that the photo was not taken in Thailand.
If the post looks like a scam, delete it and ban the person.
New Era Expats
The New Era Expats group is for foreigners living in Phuket.
This group is for people to:
ask questions
share recommendations
ask for advice
help other people living in Phuket
This group is not as large as some of our other groups, but the members are more active and often comment more.
No Business Advertisments
Many businesses try to post ads in this group.
We want to keep this group free from:
business ads
rental ads
selling posts
spam promotions
Posts in this group should only be about questions, enquiries, advice, or recommendations.
No Toxicity
Many expat groups and forums can become very negative. Some people use fake or anonymous profiles to complain, troll, or leave rude comments on other people’s posts.
We want the New Era Expats group to stay helpful and positive.
If you see comments that are rude, toxic, or not helpful, delete them and give the person a warning.
You can check how many warnings a person has by clicking on their profile.
Phuket Teachers
The Phuket Teachers group is for teachers in Phuket.
It first started as a group for English teachers who wanted advice about teaching in Phuket. Over time, it became a group for all teachers in Phuket.
The content in this group is similar to the New Era Expats group. It should mainly be used for questions, advice, and helpful information related to teaching and living in Phuket.
No Business Selling
Like the expat group, people may try to post business ads, bike rental ads, event ads, or other promotions.
These posts are not allowed.
If someone posts these kinds of ads, ban them from the group.
Scam Posts
This group can also get scam job posts, similar to the Phuket Jobs group.
Be careful with posts about jobs that are:
not in Phuket
online only
missing important details
too vague or unclear
If a teaching job post does not clearly explain the job, location, school, or pay, it may be a scam.
If the post looks like a scam, delete it and ban the person.
Not Sure About Something?
If you are not sure about something, please ask.
It is okay to ask for help. You do not need to feel shy, nervous, or worried. If you do not understand something, just tell me, and I will explain it again in a simpler way.
It is always better to double-check first than to make a mistake.
If you are unsure about a post, comment, or join request, ask me before approving it. This helps stop scammers and spammers from getting into the groups.