Opinion: Bad review of Koh Chang hotel: The only real loser is Thai tourism

[PEE TEE]

7 hours ago, French mate said:

Its perfectly fine.

They just need to add a sign at the airport arrival, next from the one stating electronic cigarette is illegal,  that posting a bad review about your trip while in Thailand is an inapropriate behavior who can get you fined and jailled ????

i wish i knew why e cigs are illegal when in theory they save lives from smoking   

[Bartman1369]

The one point that has been missed in all of this debate is the timing of the arrest. If you are in the knowledge and a complete A$****e then you will make the charge on a Thursday or Friday so the arrest can be made on a Friday. This does not give the defendant the opportunity to go before a court and make bail before staying 2 or 3 nights in the jail house. This has happened to a friend of mine on a couple of occasions. Funny enough (but not for him) also a defamation case. For a charge of this nature it is a bit extreme.

 

Guilty until proven innocent????

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, PEE TEE said:

i wish i knew why e cigs are illegal when in theory they save lives from smoking   

Its to do with the Thailand Tobacco monopoly, no tax being paid 

[ChipButty]

25 Hilariously Negative Reviews On Tripadvisor About Popular UK Tourist Attractions 

https://www.boredpanda.com/tripadvisor-reviews-uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

[apetryxx]

6 hours ago, Skallywag said:

The guy was a jerk.  Deport all American jerks I say. (just not me - haha)

I know other Americans and UK expats and younger people living here who are same way. 

Some have been here for years and complain about the "standards" of Thailand businesses, wondering why they do not operate on the same level as American or UK establishments for 1/3 the price.   They cannot seem to think rationally or accept reality IMO.  

The story of this guy sounds like he was acting entitled and superior and just plain argumentative.  No wonder no one at the resort "smiled" at him or were polite

There are American jerks, Brit jerks, Thai jerks etc and the list goes on. It’s usually a small percentage so generalizing is never a good thing. The hotel was tone deaf in handling this and the authorities more so. Now the hotel is a pariah and the customer a sympathetic figure so sometimes it’s better to just let an issue like this pass, swallow your “loss of face” and get on with things. You reap what you sow. 

[Tengtai]

Thailand in a nutshell...

[Fat is a type of crazy]

57 minutes ago, NotJoeMama said:

I stayed there in June of this year.  The first customers there upon reopening. 

 

Agoda has it listed as a 5 star.  The only thing 5 star about it is the view.  The beach is only decent at high tide and only in a certain area or else you’re walking on rocks and shells.  Two swimming pools.  One is very nice and the other mediocre.  Unless you get the golf cart,  you’re walking up VERY STEEP hills,  especially from the top pool to the top (above it) rooms where we were staying.  No safety measures working in the cable car when it broke on us.  We had to scream for someone to hear us to send help.  Breakfast is very poor.  Nothing around so without a car,  you’re not going anywhere.  I wouldn’t go back,  no matter what the price.  We got it for a deal at 100 bucks US a night and I don't think it was worth that.  They deserve bad reviews,  but probably not what this guy did.  I purposely didn't post a review as I know,  as seen here,  what can happen.

I'll sound like an apologist for the hotel but would like to give a counterpoint to this opinion.

You are right the hotel has an amazing outlook. There is a full sea outlook from all rooms in the hotel unless you are on the ground floor in the cheapest rooms.

The cheapest rooms are about 3 1/2 star but I think priced accordingly.  Huge rooms with that stunning beach outlook and many are seconds from the beach.  The top rooms are expensive but they are 5 star. 

The beach does have some rocks at some parts but you work out where to swim and it is pretty and sandy. 

I think both pools are stunning with the sea outlooks so I am not sure which you didn't like. 

 

The breakfast when I have stayed was close to the best I had at any hotel and the best in Koh Chang. Salads and other vegetables on site. Maybe the buffet's now gone because of covid.

I was in the cable car when it stopped once and had to call security on the phone and they got it going. Maybe the phone didn't work when you were there.

You mention the steep hills, but there is the cable car, and they are happy to take you up in a mini car, and  there are winding paths that are not that steep in beautiful forest with birds, flowers, monkeys and butterflies. It is actually built into the forest thus the old huge trees. A  large waterfall in low season. It is surely the best garden in Koh Chang. 

You can get a taxi for 50 baht easily to the nearest big town, they come in a few minutes,  and you can walk there in 5 to 10 minutes along the beach at low tide. They have a few free transfers as well.

Has an amazing spa and gym.

Not saying your opinion is wrong. Let the readers decide. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by Fat is a type of crazy

[PEE TEE]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Its to do with the Thailand Tobacco monopoly, no tax being paid 

AHH so its a money thing . i did remember the pm saying that it is very bad for your health . its true as dropped my mod on my foot 

[natway09]

Is he being charged as a civil case by the hotel or the prosecuter's office ?

[Bender Rodriguez]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

a series of bad reviews of a Koh Chang hotel on Trip Advisor

is trip adviser thai owned ? do they have juris-DICtion ?

 

so only good or  FAKE reviews for  ELSE

[tifino]

12 minutes ago, Bartman1369 said:

The one point that has been missed in all of this debate is the timing of the arrest. If you are in the knowledge and a complete A$****e then you will make the charge on a Thursday or Friday so the arrest can be made on a Friday. This does not give the defendant the opportunity to go before a court and make bail before staying 2 or 3 nights in the jail house. This has happened to a friend of mine on a couple of occasions. Funny enough (but not for him) also a defamation case. For a charge of this nature it is a bit extreme.

 

Guilty until proven innocent????

Not just the Timing, but the rapidity of the rsponse to drag him away!

 - Bib are certain;ly more efficient when a Suit is involved; especially when compared to a murderer, who gets mailed a courtesy letter asking him to come in for a cuppa at his convenience... 

 

[LomSak27]

44 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Too bad the internet and international press doesn't focus on the real problem: Thailand's libel and defamation laws having been designed to shut up criticism

 

You would be partially wrong there. The New York Times does a pretty good job. Check the lead sentence under the headline and the segue to Suchanee Cloitre case (& +)  The internet, well that is another story.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/world/asia/thailand-koh-chang-defamation.html#:~:text=the main story-,American Could Face Prison in Thailand After Posting Negative Reviews,law might be “excessive.”

[natway09]

The only real loser is Thai Tourism ? What tourism ?

What with Covid, the mafia taxis , the scammers & new Immigration requirements for entry 

what is in store, millions of Chinese, the rest will just go elsewhere

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, YetAnother said:

thais consider being criticized as loss of face; not allowable in their culture

yet shooting themselves in the foot to save said face is acceptable...

arresting someone and charging them for deformation is one thing, but when the world is watching sometimes prudence dictates a more diplomatic approach.

[Benmart]

7 hours ago, Skallywag said:

The guy was a jerk.  Deport all American jerks I say. (just not me - haha)

I know other Americans and UK expats and younger people living here who are same way. 

Some have been here for years and complain about the "standards" of Thailand businesses, wondering why they do not operate on the same level as American or UK establishments for 1/3 the price.   They cannot seem to think rationally or accept reality IMO.  

The story of this guy sounds like he was acting entitled and superior and just plain argumentative.  No wonder no one at the resort "smiled" at him or were polite

This article is concerning an action directed towards one man and not all Americans or UK citizens. Your slanted and biased statements are without merit, as obviously you have not met or witnessed the behaviors of all citizens from those nations.

 

Futhermore, your statements make you sound much like the description you painted of the person in question.

[impulse]

13 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

7 hours ago, YetAnother said:

thais consider being criticized as loss of face; not allowable in their culture

yet shooting themselves in the foot to save said face is acceptable...

arresting someone and charging them for deformation is one thing, but when the world is watching sometimes prudence dictates a more diplomatic approach.

 

As I recall from reading an early version of the story, the manager of the hotel, who filed the complaint, is European.

 

I also recall he was rather apologetic about having to do it, but it was the only way to prevent the guy from posting negative stuff all over the internet.  Stuff about "slave labor", among other falsehoods.

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by impulse

[metisdead]

Some offensive posts have been removed. 

[randy723]

Thanks to the resort and their actions my 4 friends who were coming here and going to go into quarantine  for 14 days, then stay here for 3 months have now cancelled their trip and going to Vietnam. Thanks to the Thai court and police, keep up helping the resort and helping your pockets, now I will not get to see my friends.

[4MyEgo]

7 hours ago, rkidlad said:

As for people who think the actions of the hotel were justified, here are some headlines from big news publications about the story:

 

"American faces prison in Thailand over bad hotel review" - the Guardian

 

"US man faces jail in Thailand over hotel review" - BBC news

 

"American could face prison in Thailand over negative reviews of a resort" - The New York Times

As @impulse pointed out in a post above, the hotel is owned by a foreigner and not a Thai national.

 

TVF didn't mention that and looks like TVF members were quick off the mark to go the Thai's.............I think sometimes we have to research a little before leaving out the finer details, suffice to say it's not the Thai's fault for the actions of this owner and the customer, just two stubborn people not seeing eye to eye in the LOS which has smeared it's reputation somewhat, perhaps Thai's should start sueing them and the newspapers for not reporting the full story, e.g. foreign owner of a Thai hotel suing American expat/tourist on a Thai island. 

 

Wesley Barnes stayed at Sea View Koh Chang in late June and said he had a disagreement with a foreign restaurant manager over a corkage fee for a bottle of gin he brought to dinner.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-01/american-arrested-in-thailand-over-bad-review-of-hotel/12716776

Edited October 1, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[Tagged]

1 hour ago, British Bulldog said:

Ha ! Went to a Restaurant in Vientiane once, I took a bottle of Champagne that a friend had bought me for my birthday ... the restaurant said, I'm sorry there is a corkage fee equivalent to $12 ... I said, OK how much for a bottle of this Champagne here .... they went off, came back and said; Sorry Sir, we don't sell that brand ... so I said OK, I can drink mine here ... no surcharge ... took a bit of back and forth, but they eventually agreed ... after I'd near on finished the bottle ...

Did you haggle to bring a bottle inside a reataurant? 

[Naturesway]

This is why much better a local guest house or a private home other than supporting to posh life pretending multi millionaire organizations. But lessons come usefully. 

[Walter Travolta]

Wow!! What is the point of having a review section if you are not allowed to post something that might offend? 

[Foghorn]

How can any blame be on the American,  they ask for a review , the hotel understands what a review is , if they only accept positive views they should say and then we can look at places with no reviews as a bad place . The hotel is so wrong and now it’s famous for it 

[jmccarty]

I stayed in that hotel before and the staff and management were very nice and did not complain about bringing my own into my room purchased from 7-11.  It was a very nice place and pleasant memory. Perhaps more than meets the eye with this story.

[camble]

I'm on Koh Chang now, at The Dewa. The Emerald Cove Resort is also very good. Stay at these places and you won't have to worry about leaving a bad review. I haven't stayed at the Sea View for 12 years. 

[terryofcrete]

7 hours ago, Skallywag said:

The story of this guy sounds like he was acting entitled and superior and just plain argumentative.  No wonder no one at the resort "smiled" at him or were polite

I have a mental picture of him in my head .. like the Yank in the Fawlty Towers episode demanding the chef keep the kitchen open dangerously funny to watch.

[Purdey]

When your good reviews far outweigh the bad reviews, dont react. Saying you want to negotiate with the reviewer means bribe him to shut up. It looks just as bad.

[thailand49]

Does a bad response count?????

[Geoffggi]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Many see the actions of the hotel in going after a disgruntled guest as idiotic. 

They should watch a couple of episodes of "Faulty Towers" ............LOL

[rkidlad]

46 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

As @impulse pointed out in a post above, the hotel is owned by a foreigner and not a Thai national.

 

TVF didn't mention that and looks like TVF members were quick off the mark to go the Thai's.............I think sometimes we have to research a little before leaving out the finer details, suffice to say it's not the Thai's fault for the actions of this owner and the customer, just two stubborn people not seeing eye to eye in the LOS which has smeared it's reputation somewhat, perhaps Thai's should start sueing them and the newspapers for not reporting the full story, e.g. foreign owner of a Thai hotel suing American expat/tourist on a Thai island. 

 

Wesley Barnes stayed at Sea View Koh Chang in late June and said he had a disagreement with a foreign restaurant manager over a corkage fee for a bottle of gin he brought to dinner.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-01/american-arrested-in-thailand-over-bad-review-of-hotel/12716776

Did I state the person who made the complaint is Thai?