American expat charged with defamation after leaving multiple negative reviews online

[polpott]

4 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I thought the ugly part was that he was wearing togs with a Stetson.An Akubra would have been much more stylish.

Akubras are great especially with a few corks on strings around the rim. Unfortunately these days the hat of choice for ugly Americans is a red baseball cap with MAGA on the front. Uncool, sub-zero.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by polpott

[DirtyHarry55]

On 9/28/2020 at 3:29 PM, Huckenfell said:

But with him, it was not "a bad review"  it was malicious and repeated over and over for a couple of months.

Repeated over for couple of months? maybe I am missing something?

Afthe resort had the TripAdvisor review removed how many other reviews did he make?

 

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

That's a fair point, I was assured that it is him, but I will investigate further ..... thanks 

Seems like the same guy better I dont post the links

[Eloquent pilgrim]

50 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Seems like the same guy better I dont post the links

You were the one questioning whether or not it is the same guy. I then replied to you proving evidence that it was the same guy, but you didn’t respond 

[hellohello123]

a lot of people saying the americans actions were vindicitve, which  I agree

 

years ago, I stayed in a selfrated 5 star hotel, was probably 4 star at best,

 

checking out of hotel trying to pay the bill via credit card, got told we accept cash only, I told the lady I didnt have any cash,

and she screamed at me, snatched my card and processed it

 

I wrote a negative review on it, on trip advisor, google and sent an email to their general enquires line,

 

I guess I was technically I was breaking the law too!

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, hellohello123 said:

a lot of people saying the americans actions were vindicitve, which  I agree

 

years ago, I stayed in a selfrated 5 star hotel, was probably 4 star at best,

 

checking out of hotel trying to pay the bill via credit card, got told we accept cash only, I told the lady I didnt have any cash,

and she screamed at me, snatched my card and processed it

 

I wrote a negative review on it, on trip advisor, google and sent an email to their general enquires line,

 

I guess I was technically I was breaking the law too!

Off to the gallows with you my friend

[DrTuner]

44 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Off to the gallows with you my friend

Maybe the resorts could leave a few farang corpses hanging from the trees as a reminder what happens when you leave a bad review. Would go well with the GPS trackers and disclosure of your social media accounts. Welcome to Thailaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Edited September 30, 2020 by DrTuner

[Ganesh108]

The Right Honourable Mr. Barnes is quite used to sparring with the law:

 

https://conandaily.com/2020/09/29/wesley-barnes-biography-13-things-about-u-s-man-jailed-over-tripadvisor-review-of-thai-resort/

 

And this gentleman worked as a teacher in Thailand ????...

 

Sorry if someone has posted this link before, I didn't check.

[Ventenio]

9 hours ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

9 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Before you post things like this are you sure it's the same guy? I have seen this posted on another forum and if he has plenty of previous as you quoted how would he get work permit?

That's a fair point, I was assured that it is him, but I will investigate further ..... thanks 

 

background check is only for THAILAND.  Fingerprints are only to see if you committed a crime in LOS.   I showed them a police report from my home country that was like 5 years old, and that didn't seem to be important in the hiring process.  

 

of course other countries aren't going to let Thailand use their database unless some joint investigation.   

 

but YES......schools can use google.  

[Curt1591]

On the TA's review page, the resort has close to 2,000 surveys completed. Less than 100 are negative. Of those, only 3 left a comment to explain their dissatisfaction.  Personally, if I was considering staying at this place, I wouldn't give the negatives too much weight. 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Curt1591

[A512]

11 hours ago, pegman said:

100,000? Do you really think the Chinese or other Asians care that an American felon got locked up. Amused maybe but surely not concerned. Same goes for single males from anywhere. 

I agree with the asians tourists, they are totally brainless, whatever happens in this case this resort will have to focus on chinese only. I already shared this article with a very influential friend in the tourist business, he laughed hard ....." oh thailand again.".. not sure what he meant .

[alecranb]

9 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

...

I believe that our countries ' foreign affair web sites should post warnings about the disproportionate risks of having a holiday in Thailand, people must be aware that a minor brain fart me destroy their lives.

......

Well, i think your foreign affair country need some pages about it, because the list of the countries where defamation is a criminal law is quite big.

I checked some and found that this page of wiki seems to be correct :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation

 

He was lucky not be in south korea:

In South Korea, both true and false statements can be considered defamation. Any statement made with the intention to harm another person's reputation can be considered illegal, and those charged may face fines and/or imprisonment of up to seven years

 

I'm not a fan of this type of law, but also not a fan of fake review that can harm a business (not this case anyway, because i think the resort will be work good when borders will be open)

[Don Mega]

13 hours ago, Ganesh108 said:

 

 

If this thing goes to court, Thailand will lose 100,000 potential tourists,

Where does that number come  ?

[aroiaroi]

Where there is smoke there is fire. It's highly unlikely this is an isolated incident.

In this particlar case, hotels, and the tourism industry, are the beneficiaries of this draconian law (probably quite a shock when their facade was exposed internationally). But more generally, this law extends to protect the interests of big companies and industries in Thailand. (yes, TIT).

 

I wonder how pervasive this practice is, how many reviews have been silenced via threat. Have a handful of 1 star reviews been deleted? Or hundreds (or more) via legal threat and gag "agreements" ? Some have been jailed (because they were lying or because they couldn't prove they were not ?) ????

What cosy relationship have the police had with the various industries, including the tourism industry to "protect" Thailands interests and each other ? 

Farang expats survive in Thailand by acquiescing, or at the very least, holding their tongue. This thread reflects some of that. No shame in that. I'd do it too if I were an expat.

However, defending this draconian law on a (semi-anonymous) forum is another issue.

I've already suggested one reason, but I will bite my tounge and not speculate on the other reasons.

 

 

 

[vinny41]

11 minutes ago, A512 said:

TV is very well known to suppress the truth, here I go again to be blocked for another 5 days. LOL. 

Nominees to Federal Trade Commission vow to investigate TripAdvisor for deleting reviews

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2018/02/15/nominees-federal-trade-commission-vow-investigate-tripadvisor-deleting-reviews/340733002/

Two women said TripAdvisor told them to write negative reviews for businesses listed on its site after they accused employees of the businesses of sexual assault, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

https://www.insider.com/tripadvisor-sexual-assault-claims-reviews-2019-3

[A512]

4 hours ago, Ganesh108 said:

The Right Honourable Mr. Barnes is quite used to sparring with the law:

 

https://conandaily.com/2020/09/29/wesley-barnes-biography-13-things-about-u-s-man-jailed-over-tripadvisor-review-of-thai-resort/

 

And this gentleman worked as a teacher in Thailand ????...

 

Sorry if someone has posted this link before, I didn't check.

kids were in good hands ????

[vinny41]

Hopefully he has a good lawyer if the court goes down the defamation route that carries a 2 year jail if they go down the posting allegedly false information online under the computer crimes law that carrries a 7 year jail 

[mbenson]

This has made it to the news services now. It's gone global. Too bad, because it just stands to hurt the hotel. The idiot who issued the reviews has little to lose unless they really throw the book at him and he gets locked up. They will have a fun time trying to deport him to the US, if that is penalty that could be imposed. Now, people have investigated him and discovered that he has been convicted of a crime in US, so that might be grounds for kicking him out. 

 

It is no loss if he is deported. The guy is an bona fide idiot. He was arrested in the States for illegally discharging a firearm and claiming to be some sort of law enforcement officer. I am not surprised that he became unhinged because of the "indignity" he suffered at the hands of the hotel and has been harassing them. Not surprised in the least.

Edited September 30, 2020 by mbenson
some info already posted here

[oldhippy]

4 minutes ago, mbenson said:

This has made it to the news services now. It's gone global. Too bad, because it just stands to hurt the hotel. The idiot who issued the reviews has little to lose unless they really throw the book at him and he gets locked up. They will have a fun time trying to deport him to the US, if that is penalty that could be imposed. Now, people have investigated him and discovered that he has been convicted of a crime in US, so that might be grounds for kicking him out. 

 

It is no loss if he is deported. The guy is an bona fide idiot. He was arrested in the States for illegally discharging a firearm and claiming to be some sort of law enforcement officer. I am not surprised that he became unhinged because of the "indignity" he suffered at the hands of the hotel and has been harassing them. Not surprised in the least.

Right.

Do you have an opinion on the use of libel laws in Thailand?

That is what this thread is mostly about.

 

[torturedsole]

56 minutes ago, mbenson said:

It's gone global. Too bad, because it just stands to hurt the hotel.

By the time tourists return to LOS it will of been a distant memory.

 

Not sure that your average tourist blacklists resorts on the back of these stories anyway. 

[oldhippy]

4 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

By the time tourists return to LOS it will of been a distant memory.

 

Not sure that your average tourist blacklists resorts on the back of these stories anyway. 

They might blacklist Thailand.......

[ChipButty]

3 hours ago, oldhippy said:

They might blacklist Thailand.......

Who do you mean? Tripadvisor

[Tagged]

1 minute ago, ChipButty said:

Who do you mean? Tripadvisor

People, might blacklist Thailand, but I doubt!

 

After so many years of horror stories about locked up tourists in Dubai, taken their passports, let them waiting months to a year before a trial for minor incidents with locals. And also women who have been arrested after reported being raped. 

 

People have short time memory when it comes to incidents to other people.

 

When saying, to be earnest, there should not have been one single tourist left on Koh Tao, after all the bad press they had!

[Don Mega]

4 hours ago, mbenson said:

The idiot who issued the reviews has little to lose unless they really throw the book at him and he gets locked up.

it will cost him a truck load of cash to avoid jail time unless the resort decides to drop the charges.

 

but then there is the computer crimes act if the police want.

[polpott]

3 hours ago, torturedsole said:

By the time tourists return to LOS it will of been a distant memory.

 

Not sure that your average tourist blacklists resorts on the back of these stories anyway. 

They will remember that its possible to be thrown in jail at the whim of an hotel owner. It may or may not damage the resort but it will damage Thailand.

[Don Mega]

16 minutes ago, polpott said:

They will remember that its possible to be thrown in jail at the whim of an hotel owner. It may or may not damage the resort but it will damage Thailand.

And if they don't run their <deleted> up mouth they will not have an issue.

 

This American kicked off the mess he is now in, maybe next time he will think twice !!

[Eloquent pilgrim]

I can't wait to read his Tripadvisor review of his 2 nights in the detention facility; I want to know how much corkage they charge on a bottle of gin  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[polpott]

14 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

And if they don't run their <deleted> up mouth they will not have an issue.

 

This American kicked off the mess he is now in, maybe next time he will think twice !!

Well he and many others will think twice before booking a hotel in Thailand.

[vinny41]

3 minutes ago, polpott said:

Well he and many others will think twice before booking a hotel in Thailand.

People in many different countries are being sued for negative hotels reviews that they have left in many different countries

if you are sued its an expensive and costly business

The problem for both hotels and review sites is without reviews their business model is screwed and in the case of review websites they may as well closed if no reviews are being published

 

[Don Mega]

27 minutes ago, polpott said:

Well he and many others will think twice before booking a hotel in Thailand.

Hopefully many will think twice before running their filthy mouth however if the person is that way inclined tourism is better off without them anyways.