Tourist faces 2 years jail term for negative TripAdvisor review of Thai Hotel

New York: Not satisfied with the services of a hotel you stayed in? Not happy with your expectations of the hotel you booked? Planning to pen down your experiences and review it on online hotel review apps? Beware! Your one review might land you in jail as it happened with one tourist in Thailand, notorious for its anti-defamation laws which have been criticized many times by human rights group.

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Wesley Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested for allegedly causing damage to the reputation of the Sea View Resort on Koh Chang Island.

Barnes allegedly wrote reviews on multiple sites in which he claimed that he dealt with “unfriendly staff” who “act like they don’t want anyone here” during a recent visit to the popular resort destination.

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At least one TripAdvisor review that accused the hotel of “modern-day slavery” has been removed for violating the site’s guidelines, the report said.

The hotel said it took legal action against the former guest to prevent more reviews from being posted.

“We chose to file a complaint to serve as a deterrent, as we understood he may continue to write negative reviews week after week for the foreseeable future,” the hotel said.

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In addition to the unflattering reviews, Barnes was also accused of fighting with staff over not paying a corkage fee for booze, the report said.

Barnes was taken into custody and returned to Koh Chang, where he was briefly detained before he was released on bail.

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If found guilty, Barnes could face up to two years in prison and a $6,329 (or 200,000 baht) fine, the report said.

In December 2019, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for criticizing a chicken farm on Twitter.

The post Tourist faces 2 years jail term for negative TripAdvisor review of Thai Hotel appeared first on Prag News.

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