10 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Don't give a bad rating to any thai business or you end up in prison,.Trip advisor should be sued for not warning the people'Do not leave a bad rating for a Thai hotel or end up in prison'

I wonder if the number of reviews about any Thai hotels will take a nose dive on any site?

Is this some kind of promotion for the free Thai prison tour being promoted recently?

Just now, FarFlungFalang said:

I wonder if the number of reviews about any Thai hotels will take a nose dive on any site?

Not a bad idea to resist any temptation to review on Lazada too... and they always send emails nagging people to review.

18 minutes ago, JensenZ said:

This has nothing to do with saving face. Damaging an hotel's reputation affects their profitability. This is about money, not face.

Disagree. You obviously don't know what the Asian concept of saving face is.  Saving face is a big time concept to Thais which is why they avoid confrontation and endeavour not to embarrass themselves, their family, friends, business or other people. The hotels reputation and appearance is an extension of who they are. Think circular not linear. Greng Jai.

8 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Tourists posting from their home country won't be affected, Expats living and working Thailand should know better.

I don't think so.There are tourist traveling around in Thailand they maybe stay in 20 different hotels.Since today every tourist has to worry if he left a bad rating.If you left Thailand they will catch you the next time you enter Thailand."Expats should know" I'm not sure about that.There are many expats they know nothing about defamation laws or other laws in Thailand.

5 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I wonder if the number of reviews about any Thai hotels will take a nose dive on any site?

They probably pay to get the bad reviews deleted

5 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I just clicked on the link you gave. Almost all the recent reviews were highly positive (4's or 5's). I could only find two bad ones within the last year or so, one of which is obviously from the guy who is the subject of this thread.

 

Based on the comment at the top of the Tripadvisor page about reviews that were not based on personal experience, I think they may have removed some of the negative reviews as not meeting their criteria for being genuine reviews.

 

The two bad comments were definitely there yesterday, but when I checked today (just now), they were gone.

 

Maybe somebody reported about his case being not genuine.

6 minutes ago, Rockbottom said:

Disagree. You obviously don't know what the Asian concept of saving face is.  Saving face is a big time concept to Thais which is why they avoid confrontation and endeavour not to embarrass themselves, their family, friends, business or other people. The hotels reputation and appearance is an extension of who they are. Think circular not linear. 

You're right, I've only lived full time in Thailand for 16 years (over 20 years in Asia - as you mention Asian), so I have much yet to learn. Maybe in another 10 years I might get to your level of understanding, or I'll die first LOL.

 

But you are totally wrong about this case. It's a push for compensation. Money trumps face everyday. He contacted his lawyer - the lawyer can see the potential of a big payday and they go for it.

1 minute ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

They probably pay to get the bad reviews deleted

Its a bit simpler than that. If they keep getting bad reviews they terminate the payment for their TripAdvisor listing.

1 minute ago, JensenZ said:

You're right, I've only lived full time in Thailand for 16 years, so I have much yet to learn. Maybe in another 10 years I might get to your level of understanding, or I'll die first LOL.

 

But you are totally wrong about this case. It's a push for compensation. Money trumps face everyday. He contacted his lawyer - the lawyer can see the potential of a big payday and they go for it.

I've been here 25 years and worked for and hired Thai people. Seems to me after 16 years you still don't get it. Take 10 more.

4 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

The two bad comments were definitely there yesterday, but when I checked today (just now), they were gone.

 

Maybe somebody reported about his case being not genuine.

you must click'most recent'

Just now, Rockbottom said:

I've been here 25 years and worked for and hired Thai people. Seems to me after 16 years you still don't get it. Take 10 more.

Oh I do love a "my dick's bigger than yours" contest.

1 minute ago, Rockbottom said:

I've been here 25 years and worked for and hired Thai people. Seems to me after 16 years you still don't get it. Take 10 more.

Irrespective of vast knowledge of and experience with Thais...

 

This case is about money, not face.

 

Maybe disagreeing with you affects your face.???? Been here too long maybe?

1 hour ago, polpott said:

You and I but a Thai court doesn't think that way. They'll hear the rich thai with connections giving evidence in thai and the poor American goes down for the max.

What language do suggest a Thai court use - simplified English, as spoken in the USA?

Some call it Thainess/Thai culture, I call it Banana Republic.

 

Edit. Apologies, Kingdom.

20 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

That's one hell of a corkage charge now. That leo from 711 just became one of the most expensive beers ever. 

I get your post is tongue in cheek but do we know what the actual beverage was? Everything is pertinent like.

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

What language do suggest a Thai court use - simplified English, as spoken in the USA?

I don't suggest anything I just state facts. What language do you think Thai courts use?

2 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

But the real issue in this case is not the corkage!

 

The issue here is that an American expat living and working in Thailand was arrested by the immigration police  and returned to Koh Chang where he was detained and only freed on bail, now possibly facing years of jail and deportation, based on the fascist Thai defamation law. A law which was created by the mafia-style elite in this country to curb freedom of speech and to suppress any critic about their often highly controversial businesses. A law which enables bad actors to use legal harassment against critics. And all this because of a review on Trip Advisor!

 

The owner of the hotel is not this Czech guy. The claim of the Czech guy that the hotel "is not owned nor has any links to any large corporate entities" is not true, or in other words, it's a lie. The hotel is owned by one of the most influencal powerful persons on the island. People familiar with Thailand know what this means, how these families act, and that the defamation law was basically created by/for them to be used against critics.

 

So, we should take any comment from this employed Czech manager also with a grain of salt. He has to do and to write what his boss tells him.

 

The whole case is about much more than a "tourist wanting to avoid corkage". It's about an expat facing jail and deportation on base of a fascist law made to curb freedom and freedom of speech, just for posting a hotel review on Trip Advisor.

 

I do not defend the American, and maybe his review was a little over the top. But it's beyond me how any person coming from a pluralist western democracy can side with the hotel, its reaction in this case, and the use of this fascist defamation law. 

 

 

. "But it's beyond me how any person coming from a pluralist western democracy can side with the hotel"

Me I cannot stand with a man going as far as writing that it is not simply "a bad review"

And on top of it after discussion with the manager he did not had to pay any "corkage" at all.

I do not condone this horrible law this law is a shame, but I certainly will not support this man!

That’s what you get for being a male Karen! The nerve to even think about bringing your own booze to a restaurant!!! Have fun in prison, sweetie! 

Like the resort said. this is not about an unhappy customer leaving one unhappy review online.

 

Any cyberbully that goes to great lenght to unfairly attack and damage a busines, or people, should be locked up. The damage that can be done online is just too severe, and most likely will stay online "forever".

20 hours ago, Nout said:

Another self entitled yank bites the dust.lol

It’s their tourist industry biting the dust - not so funny...

Thank you for the information. I will not stay at this hotel in the future and I will not be drinking anymore Red Bull. 

1 minute ago, Tchooptip said:

Me I cannot stand with a man going as far as writing that it is not simply "a bad review"

And on top of it after discussion with the manager he did not had to pay any "corkage" at all.

I do not condone this horrible law this law is a shame, but I certainly will not support this man

Me neither, pretty disgusting but I've seen as bad on TV. Doesn't deserve to go to jail. Now some TVF posters............

1 hour ago, rott said:

And already out. 

out because he managed to post 100 K thb bail after the weekend.
trial will still follow, 2 years max.

In normal times this would not ever be noticed. Too much time on their hands now. No tourists.

 

This has hit the International news. Not saying who is right or wrong here, but it really doesn't help the tourism industry in Thailand which is struggling. The AFP said "Thailand's notorious anti-defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle free expression"

Restaurants sell food and drink in order to make money.  Bringing any food or drink from outside of the restaurant is unacceptable. 

20 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.

I don't know why the most people on TV believe: "This is only in Thailand!!!"

This is not true!!! In almost ALL countries now business owners start defamation cases against people who made false reviews. But you all close your eyes for this.

If you want to see the reality just google for: defamation case false review

19 hours ago, Neeranam said:

It not Thailand that's suing the guy, it's one hotel. 

No,it’s Thailand’s judicial system that are criminally prosecuting him. This has made MSM news abroad so the damage done not only to this hotel but Thailand’s struggling tourist industry is exponentially worse. 

20 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.

So much for democracy!!