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Giving a resort a one-star review online could land you an all-expenses-paid trip to a Thai jail.
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According to TMZ, Wesley Barnes — an American working in Thailand — could face up to two years behind bars along with a fine after writing unsavoury reviews about the Sea View Resort on Koh Chang island, with one posted on Tripadvisor.
The Sea View Resort filed a complaint with authorities after Barnes reportedly stayed at the accommodation. During his stay, the man reportedly had a dispute with hotel staff over a corkage fee.
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The resort disputes that Barnes wrote several bad reviews, including one that read: “The staff was not friendly. Nobody could smile. The restaurant manager was very rude and full of himself. He is from the Czech republic. There are other hotels with better-friendlier staff. Avoid this place like it was the Coronavirus!”
The resort is legally going after Barnes, citing defamation.
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On social media, Richard Barrow, who claims to be a friend of a friend of Barnes, went into further detail about the incident, stating Barnes spent a couple of nights in jail before posting bail after a complaint was made against him by the resort owner.
“In most cases, defamation laws are good as they are there to protect us. But it is sometimes abused,” Barrow wrote on social media. “To have someone arrested at their workplace for posting a negative review is surely a step too far. Does this now mean none of us should post one-star hotel reviews in Thailand?”
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Barrow believed the case shouldn’t have gone to court as it not only damages the reputation of the report but also that of Thailand.
“This should have been settled out of court. Now the world knows that if a tourist posts a negative hotel review in Thailand they risk going to prison,” he concluded.
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