American expat charged with defamation after leaving multiple negative reviews online

[sitti]

3 minutes ago, smew said:

It should tell you something about the hotel, considering the resort name: '' Sea View Resort'' in Chiang Mai ???

It's in Koh Chang. So resort name "sea View Resort" does make sense because there is sea right in font of it.

[mrmicbkktxl]

4 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

why? because  one arrogant western dick head can't stick to the know rules. Such people don't influence the thinking majority. 

arrogant or not arrogant you don't let paying customers end up in prison for a bad review even it was bs.Now the news are around the world.Bad for the hotel,bad for Thailand

[Bogbrush]

I once wrote in an (otherwise fairly complimentary) review on the Hyatt hotel in Kwantan that ‘the reception area was as large and bleak as a North Korean parade ground.’ TA wouldn’t publish it.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, polpott said:

Boulder?

In San Francisco now, my VPN moves whenever it needs to.  Either that or I use an obfuscated server.

[Dustdevil]

The man may have been naïve about Thailand's fascist defamation laws. In the U.S. it's difficult to win a libel case, much more so than in Europe, let alone Asia, thanks to the First Amendment. It protects ordinary citizens from the wrath of the powerful. That's why Trump has spent a career threatening defamation suits but hasn't brought one yet. The plaintiff has to PROVE that the defendant outright lied and that damaging loss of reputation has in fact occurred. Maybe the arrogant Brits and Commonwealth people here wisecracking about "self-entitled Yanks"  think it's part of your empire and that two years in prison for defamation without the aforementioned evidence is just fine. But criminal penalties for tripadvisor posts?

Edited September 27, 2020 by Dustdevil

[bkk75]

16 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I disagree. If the guy has a genuine issue then he has the right to publish it on all media outlets and sites to tell others of his issue. After all not everybody will go to all the sites of every hotel to find his review and therefore get a false impression.

 

The only issue the hotel can possibly take up is having him post multiple reviews about the same hotel under different names on the same sites. That I would agree with as being defamtion. Otherwise they are fair game in my opinion to a review of the person feeling aggrieved on all review sites.

 

Your viewpoint is he could only complain on the BBC rather than ITV, Channel 4, 5 ABC, FOX - which is inappropriate in my opinion

White privilege (also known as Karenism) doesn't work here unless you’re really connected.

Edited September 27, 2020 by bkk75

[Kaopad999]

1 He left fabricated stories on his reviews on TripAdvisor and Google that included
xenophobic connotations, accusations of slavery and even comments that could mislead
readers to associate our property with the Coronavirus.
2. He had been posting reviews roughly 1-2 weeks apart with obvious defamatory
intentions. 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.
3. Despite our multiple efforts to contact him to resolve this in an amicable way for well
over a month, he chose to ignore us completely. He only replied to our emails, messages
on review sites, etc. once he had been notified of our complaint by the authorities.


And there are still people defending this guy?  ???? 

[Jack Hna]

Looking through the content it appears this guy was contacted on numerous occasions to retract the statements. Tripadvisor have shut the resorts listing. This is not going well for anyone. The guy seems to have taken aim at a fellow expat who was a manager there.

[vandeventer]

Sometimes people go way to far and yes they can ruin a business  over unending negative reviews. Please remember you are not in a farmhouse in Kansas.

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by vandeventer
miss spell

[NanLaew]

15 hours ago, madmitch said:

The criminal defamation laws in Thailand are an absolute joke.

 

 

And repeatedly banging on the internet about slavery and covid while maintaining a bizarre fixation with the nationality of the restaurant manager isn't?

 

Yes, the defamation rules are applied somewhat arbitrarily in Thailand and mostly serve to protect the rich and powerful. However, this guy with his repeated bad reviews weeks after the event made it personal so yes, it sucks to be him right now but with his initial 'real' complaint about the 500 baht corkage fee ultimately being waived in his favor, he made this mess and I am quite agreeable to seeing him wallow in it a bit more.

[randy723]

I paid for 3 nights at this place and after the fisrt night i wanted to leave because of very bad service and they hate farangs they would not even give me back my money for the other 2 nights so i agree with ALL the bad comments make about this place. If you hate bad food unclean rooms and vary bad staffs then you should like this place because that is what you will get. Now sue me and i will counter sue you and own the hotel and then tire it down

[NanLaew]

10 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

... But criminal penalties for tripadvisor posts?

And none for vehicular homicide?

 

These inspirational "let me take a quick look out the window" and "you're not in Kansas any more" moments inspired by @Dustdevil

 

PS: Please don't sue me.

[NanLaew]

3 minutes ago, randy723 said:

I paid for 3 nights at this place and after the fisrt night i wanted to leave because of very bad service and they hate farangs they would not even give me back my money for the other 2 nights so i agree with ALL the bad comments make about this place. If you hate bad food unclean rooms and vary bad staffs then you should like this place because that is what you will get. Now sue me and i will counter sue you and own the hotel and then tire it down

You been drinkin' gin on the beach again?

[leither69]

15 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I disagree. If the guy has a genuine issue then he has the right to publish it on all media outlets and sites to tell others of his issue. After all not everybody will go to all the sites of every hotel to find his review and therefore get a false impression.

 

The only issue the hotel can possibly take up is having him post multiple reviews about the same hotel under different names on the same sites. That I would agree with as being defamtion. Otherwise they are fair game in my opinion to a review of the person feeling aggrieved on all review sites.

 

Your viewpoint is he could only complain on the BBC rather than ITV, Channel 4, 5 ABC, FOX - which is inappropriate in my opinion

You think the accusations of human slavery are real? He went far beyond a nevstive review

[NanLaew]

11 minutes ago, Jack Hna said:

Looking through the content it appears this guy was contacted on numerous occasions to retract the statements. Tripadvisor have shut the resorts listing. This is not going well for anyone. The guy seems to have taken aim at a fellow expat who was a manager there.

Yes, looking at the guys Tripadvisor posts as linked on Richard Barrow's twitter feed, he had a really bizarre hard on for the Czech Republic.

[ScotBkk]

15 hours ago, kenk24 said:

you want to live in the rest of the world so badly, I think you have plenty of choices... 

That's a typical answer from someone like yourself.

I remember years back people from TV saying "go back to your own country" if you don't like it, if anything was criticised, about Thailand. This as if they've already made a choice for you. I for one did exactly that. Thailand to me is no big deal. There is much better places around the world and not so much hassle. I will come back soon somewhat reluctantly to work again in Thailand for three months a year. Not because I want to, but have to on behalf of our company. TV members are a tiny minority in comparison with the rest of the world. Thus, considering these Thai apologists are out of sync on how the rest of the world lives works or is conceived. They become so engrossed in their so-called Thai life's they actually believe they can slate anyone who hasn't ascribed or indoctrinated themselves into their way of thinking. Personally I think they're just a load of old miserly grumpy faced farts, living on their <deleted> poor interest, telling you their tales of Woe. In civilised countries you can write what you like and need not worry about retribution. I suppose that's where the amazing Thailand fits into place. 

 

Rant over ...

[Foghorn]

Well I will not visit that hotel , not worth the risk . Please leave a review but only a good one or else ! 

[riclag]

16 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

For goodness sake. Taking outside alcohol into a restaurant anywhere in the world is a no no unless you ask for permission.

Spot on ! May I apologize for this individual, he obviously has delusions of entitlement ! No wonder why Thais say many falangs are kee neow! I believe you Brits would say a cheap Charlie

Edited September 27, 2020 by riclag

[TSF]

Just now, Foghorn said:

Well I will not visit that hotel , not worth the risk . Please leave a review but only a good one or else ! 

Agree entirely, damned if I'd pay 6000bt a night to stay there, sounds like a horrible place to stay. 

[Kaopad999]

7 minutes ago, ScotBkk said:

That's a typical answer from someone like yourself.

I remember years back people from TV saying "go back to your own country" if you don't like it, if anything was criticised, about Thailand. This as if they've already made a choice for you. I for one did exactly that. Thailand to me is no big deal. There is much better places around the world and not so much hassle. I will come back soon somewhat reluctantly to work again in Thailand for three months a year. Not because I want to, but have to on behalf of our company. TV members are a tiny minority in comparison with the rest of the world. Thus, considering these Thai apologists are out of sync on how the rest of the world lives works or is conceived. They become so engrossed in their so-called Thai life's they actually believe they can slate anyone who hasn't ascribed or indoctrinated themselves into their way of thinking. Personally I think they're just a load of old miserly grumpy faced farts, living on their <deleted> poor interest, telling you their tales of Woe. In civilised countries you can write what you like and need not worry about retribution. I suppose that's where the amazing Thailand fits into place. 

 

Rant over ...

I think it's the complete opposite, the ones that usually complain about everything Thai are the "old miserly grumpy faced farts"
The ones that  actually enjoy living here don't need to complain every 2 minutes. 

[Leef]

Sure the only think that matters is is what he said true or a lie. If he lied then he deserves trouble if he told the truth then he should be left alone.

[SomchaiCNX]

16 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Only in Thailand could this happen. No cease and desist orders necessary or blocking him and having the posts removed.  Not like tbe rest of the world.

Tripadviser does not remove them on your request. Trip adviser doesn't even check if the hotel, resort or agency is legaLly in order or even has a license to operate. I have seen many lies and fake reviews on trip advisers from places I know. They just want to direct business to their site that is owned by a tour operator. The original idea was good but the founders sold it a long time ago. They should charge trip adviser also. Some people really deserve to be sued.

[Sundown]

Cheapo checking in a luxury hotel for just one night. Could see that coming.

 

When it comes to rent/hotel cheap people are always the ones making BIG issues. 

 

Well deserved in my opinion

[BobBKK]

Sounds to me like he got a bit drunk and there was a mini-drama. Posting multiple neg reviews is not exactly smart. To be fair the hotel tried to contact him but he arrogantly thought he would ignore those overtures. Neg reviews can be a real pain but mentioning words like 'slavery' is a no-no and IS defamation. 

[visacrack]

So spreading bad news about a business has to be multiple times to be considered defamation? Before that, it's then considered legitimate information?

 

After reading many good things about a well-known Pattaya computer repair shop, my own experience with them is rather mixed - to say the least. Give me some more time to mature my thoughts before possibly publishing them here - if they pass 'moderation'  .)
 

[Pilotman]

38 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

1 He left fabricated stories on his reviews on TripAdvisor and Google that included
xenophobic connotations, accusations of slavery and even comments that could mislead
readers to associate our property with the Coronavirus.
2. He had been posting reviews roughly 1-2 weeks apart with obvious defamatory
intentions. 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.
3. Despite our multiple efforts to contact him to resolve this in an amicable way for well
over a month, he chose to ignore us completely. He only replied to our emails, messages
on review sites, etc. once he had been notified of our complaint by the authorities.


And there are still people defending this guy?  ???? 

well said.  Others are defending him, because a great number of people here, on TVF,  think that everything in Thailand  is wrong or corrupt.  The fact is, that this idiot does appear to have defamed the restaurant and if proved to be do, he will pay for his over reaction, as indeed he should.  

[Expat Tom]

"You aren't in Kansas anymore Dorothy." 

[FarFlungFalang]

26 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

And repeatedly banging on the internet about slavery and covid while maintaining a bizarre fixation with the nationality of the restaurant manager isn't?

 

Yes, the defamation rules are applied somewhat arbitrarily in Thailand and mostly serve to protect the rich and powerful. However, this guy with his repeated bad reviews weeks after the event made it personal so yes, it sucks to be him right now but with his initial 'real' complaint about the 500 baht corkage fee ultimately being waived in his favor, he made this mess and I am quite agreeable to seeing him wallow in it a bit more.

Sounds similar to people banging on about corruption here in Thailand within the RTP and the like I imagine it would also suck if they decided to take action on those numerous posts.I'm not sure if it's true that this guy was alone in making this mess and I wonder if we will see or hear what the outcome will be and if any lessons are learnt.I think he will be considered sufficiently wallowed by time it gets to court and no more wallowing will be deemed necessary.Maybe a Wai and 500 Baht corkage court costs will be sufficient.

[tandor]

...a private matter. There really are more important things to worry about! 

[Foghorn]

They want reviews for help give good name but cry at bad reviews , shouldn’t have it both ways .

I understand hotel are suffering but ain’t foreigners fault , the virus is chinese