An American has been sued by an island resort in Thailand for a negative TripAdvisor review. The authorities announced this on Saturday. He can face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
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Domestic tourism still takes place in Thailand, where the number of coronavirus infections is relatively low. Locals and expats mostly head to near-empty resorts, including Koh Chang Island, famous for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters.
But a recent visit to the island’s Sea View Resort got Wesley Barnes in trouble after writing unflattering online reviews about his vacation. “The owner of the Sea View Resort filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews about his hotel on the Tripadvisor website,” Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang Police said to French news agency AFP.
Arrested
He said Barnes is accused of causing “damage to the hotel’s reputation”. He is also said to have argued with the staff about not paying corkage for alcohol brought to the hotel.
Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested by the immigration police. He was held briefly and then released on bail.
According to the TripAdvisor review that Barnes posted in July, he came across “unfriendly staff” who “pretended they don’t want anyone here”.
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“Barnes was accused of causing “damage to the reputation of the hotel.” Imagine what damage the resort’s lawsuit will to Thailand’s tourism industry. Who would want to travel to a country where you can be imprisoned for posting a bad review?