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

[rkidlad]

11 minutes ago, Onrai said:

The international spin on this incident is that Thailand has Draconian defamation laws. There is just so much inherent hypocrisy and enthnocenthric bias in this reporting. President Trump is involved in multiple libel lawsuits.  So, yes it happens all the time in the USA. Posting a bad review is one thing but this guy clearly stepped over the line, used multiple emails to post negative reviews. Trip Advisor and Google and every other social media company have rules to prevent exactly this kind of abuse. ThaiVisa Forum has rules about “flaming”. Clearly the media skewed the story to make it more salacious instead of presenting a clear unbias facts.

He posted 4 reviews of which 3 were published. 
 

This has nothing to do with Donald Trump.

 

It doesn’t matter who you think is right or wrong. People will read headlines like the ones I posted, and they will be put off from coming to Thailand. No one wants to go to jail for a negative review. People in the West will find the whole notion of being arrested for bad reviews as abhorrent. Genuine reviews or not. 

[Tagged]

25 minutes ago, madisongy said:

You can please all of the people, some of the time, and some of the people, all of the time.  But you can't please all the people all of the time.  

Hotel should let it go.   Guy is a moron for complaining about idiotic things while he was drunk, but if your resort is a good one, the positive reviews should outweigh the negative.

Simple as it is! It is not more complicated than that!

[elgenon]

Criticizing a corkage fee results in going to jail? In what world does this happen?

 

I would assume the hotel had a chance to sort it out when the patron decried it while there. No?

 

What happens if the tourist complains about conditions in the lock up? he goes to jail? Oh wait, conditions are excellent as the jails will be a tourist attraction. Or would the particular jail be a tourist attraction because the patron will be forced to uncork and recork bottles.

 

One government entity wants you(tourists) to come and help bail out the economy and and others are waiting to dump on you. Shooting your self in the foot come to mind.

 

Mind you I am not criticizing the lovely police.  : )

 

 

[robblok]

2 hours ago, Tagged said:

Simple as it is! It is not more complicated than that!

It would be as simple as that had the American not taken it a step further. Had he left it by just 1 review then that would be the best thing to do. However he kept posting reviews, using racist remarks about the manager and calling stuff about slave labor. That is just not done.

 

I doubt that this hotel would have cared much if it was just one review. This was multiple with no sign he was going to stop. He wanted to damage the reputation of the hotel anyway he could.

 

That is different from just having a bad client who gives a bad review.

 

 

[mtls2005]

After reading the bench warrant for Mr. Barnes, all I can say is that it is a good thing he didn't have a gun.

 

Read the Probable Cause Statement.

 

https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/726/WBarnes_Redacted?bidId=

 

Assume once things are patched up with the meet up on 8 Oct, that he will be deported? Or is it back to the classroom for him?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Average man]

Trip advisor should discontinue or have a warning of jail . I think it would be funny if they would refuse to list any business that can do this in Thailand.

[Tagged]

11 minutes ago, robblok said:

It would be as simple as that had the American not taken it a step further. Had he left it by just 1 review then that would be the best thing to do. However he kept posting reviews, using racist remarks about the manager and calling stuff about slave labor. That is just not done.

 

I doubt that this hotel would have cared much if it was just one review. This was multiple with no sign he was going to stop. He wanted to damage the reputation of the hotel anyway he could.

 

That is different from just having a bad client who gives a bad review.

 

 

Can not dissagree on that statement! 

[chainarong]

The problem with reviews is that's only your opinion, its the same as doing a reference for someone, cause you don't like them you don't belittle anyone, millions might like them, its only your opinion, when you bad mouth someone or a company a leader of a nation , it becomes liable.   

[BadBouy]

On 9/30/2020 at 8:49 PM, ChipButty said:

I dont think it will effect tourism in Thailand might effect that hotel for a while the amount of bad publicity koh Tao got I mean that was plastered all over the English tabloids it even got the name "Death Island" did it stop people going there?

These OTA's thrive on reviews a listing with no reviews doesn't get bookings then thats no good for for TA or any other OTA 

 If I were some one who had never visited Thailand and read about being arrested for writing a bad review I would quickly scratch Thailand of my list of places to visit.

[banagan]

Good, reap what you sow

[grobec]

I’ve stayed at the the resort in question and it is always my first choice when visiting Koh Chang.

Rather than ranting let’s say I give it a strong 4/5 for location, beach, landscape etc.

i give the staff a 5 for efficiency, politeness and eagerness to communicate when  required. I was not present for this event but having read various versions I can visualize someone coming to the restaurant carrying a gin bottle after consuming much of it by the beach. Can’t you?

FWIW don’t miss out enjoying this lovely resort based on slanted opinions posted here by folks who have never even stayed there. A happy ending would be where both parties leave the table having learned something.

 

I am not by the way connected to them in any way other than being a very contented return guest.

 

[Darksidedude]

Should be able to say what you want, customer is always right but thais dont get that, 

 

if i stayed somewhere i wasn't happy with for whatever reason i just would not go back, i couldn't be bothered writing to tell the world about it

[CheelBeel]

If the complainer was Thai, this would never happened
In Thailand the laws like feeding fish or touching a sea cucumber or complaining about the hotel apply only to foreigners. 

[lapamita]

many thaimanager of hotels are just arrogant.

walking arround with a sticky suit and tile even on a pool daytime,nose up,no comunication w guests

but if somebody have problem w a corkage fee in a restaurant hmm what i can say

2 alpha monkeys was meeting

[Thingamabob]

I blame the American. Childish and way too self-important.

[ReLo]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You think you are smarter than Thai’s ???  The fact that you announce that highlights that you aren’t and nullifies the rest of your post such that it squanders only in the realms of idiocy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes you certainly know Thai better than me, and your immigration friends or cops friends are so smart ! it's famous that people wearing uniforms are sooooo smmmarrttt ! especially here ! I guess that your girlfriend is also a nobel prize, right ?

 

 

 

 

[ReLo]

2 hours ago, CheelBeel said:

If the complainer was Thai, this would never happened
In Thailand the laws like feeding fish or touching a sea cucumber or complaining about the hotel apply only to foreigners. 

 

yes it's true ! someone needs to be able to think first to then complain !

 

[ReLo]

3 hours ago, grobec said:

I’ve stayed at the the resort in question and it is always my first choice when visiting Koh Chang.

Rather than ranting let’s say I give it a strong 4/5 for location, beach, landscape etc.

i give the staff a 5 for efficiency, politeness and eagerness to communicate when  required. I was not present for this event but having read various versions I can visualize someone coming to the restaurant carrying a gin bottle after consuming much of it by the beach. Can’t you?

FWIW don’t miss out enjoying this lovely resort based on slanted opinions posted here by folks who have never even stayed there. A happy ending would be where both parties leave the table having learned something.

 

I am not by the way connected to them in any way other than being a very contented return guest.

 

 

Keep going ! next time it's you in the news ! No foreigner with a brain should go back to this place !

[BobinBKK]

On 10/1/2020 at 9:22 AM, rkidlad said:

As suggested before, Trip Advisor, etc, should have a disclaimer stating that negative reviews of hotels can result in jail time and even prison sentences. The irony being that hotels would kick up a stink and threaten websites like Trip Advisor as that would make Thai hotels look bad and the truth is never an excuse. 

 

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

 

And it goes on. I wonder how bad these headlines will be for all of tourism in Thailand compared to the three published comments the American made?

 

Seems TAT might be looking to sue someone as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps this will help stir up the pot on dual pricing as well. ????

[Onrai]

11 hours ago, rkidlad said:

This has nothing to do with Donald Trump.

 

It doesn’t matter who you think is right or wrong. People will read headlines like the ones I posted, and they will be put off from coming to Thailand. No one wants to go to jail for a negative review. People in the West will find the whole notion of being arrested for bad reviews as abhorrent. Genuine reviews or not.

I agree with you completely. The article does nothing to promote Thailand and reflects poorly on the country.

Yes people will read it get a negative impression of Thailand.

I was trying to point out that libel, slander, defamation is common in other countries and is often prosecuted. It seems  unfair to report as if it is somehow worse here than elsewhere. How about an up lifting success story about how Thailand has succeeded in controlling Covid where other countries have failed? That would be a more interesting and constructive story. It is disheartening that even the NYT has to focus on the negative rather than the positive. 

[rkidlad]

18 minutes ago, Onrai said:

I agree with you completely. The article does nothing to promote Thailand and reflects poorly on the country.

Yes people will read it get a negative impression of Thailand.

I was trying to point out that libel, slander, defamation is common in other countries and is often prosecuted. It seems  unfair to report as if it is somehow worse here than elsewhere. How about an up lifting success story about how Thailand has succeeded in controlling Covid where other countries have failed? That would be a more interesting and constructive story. It is disheartening that even the NYT has to focus on the negative rather than the positive. 

As for Thailand, their defamation laws are some of the worst in the world. In the West, if you can prove what you said is true, there’s no case. That’s not the same here. The truth isn’t an excuse. 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts, troll posts and the replies have been removed.

[Pancho]

The genie is out of the bottle. Once the venomous world press gets hold of this, I expect more of the same and a really bad landing for the wonderful democratic citizens of the land of smiles.

 

[Wongkitlo]

On 10/1/2020 at 3:57 PM, ChipButty said:

Do you mean the property profiles are old or the reviews?

I don't usually look at the property profiles as booking.com with all its faults seems easier and cheaper. I just use the forums for travel research but a lot of the stuff seem really old.

Edited October 2, 2020 by Wongkitlo
Edit

[GinBoy2]

One thing thats been puzzling me, about this, and maybe I am just not understanding some part of the process.

 

But how did the restaurant get his contact details? I don't think I've ever seen a review where real names are used, just either screen name or email, and nothing shows up when you click the reviewers profile

 

So doesn't this mean that Tripadvisor handed over the IP address where the reviews originated? 

 

If thats the case they must have also used the computer crime act to make Tripadvisor comply

Edited October 2, 2020 by GinBoy2

[Huckenfell]

On 10/1/2020 at 12:12 PM, camble said:

This resort owes the customer a free weekend in their finest suite for having to spend a weekend in jail, and with no corkage fees.

Get your facts together!  The Yank was not just posting a review, but kept repeating vindictive reports over several months, just because he was not allowed to do as he pleased. The hotel management went out of their way  to talk with him, but he refused and kept saying nasty things with a racist tone.  The Yank in my opinion is a nasty piece of work and deserves what he gets.

[ReLo]

34 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

One thing thats been puzzling me, about this, and maybe I am just not understanding some part of the process.

 

But how did the restaurant get his contact details? I don't think I've ever seen a review where real names are used, just either screen name or email, and nothing shows up when you click the reviewers profile

 

So doesn't this mean that Tripadvisor handed over the IP address where the reviews originated? 

 

If thats the case they must have also used the computer crime act to make Tripadvisor comply

I think he used his real name.

 

 

[Huckenfell]

On 10/1/2020 at 12:32 PM, 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

The Yank was mouthing off about Thai slavery, but he forgets that American restaurants do not pay their waitering staff enough to live and that they HAVE to rely on tips to exist.

[Huckenfell]

On 10/1/2020 at 12:25 PM, 2 is 1 said:

Why even coming in hotel bussines if can't stand criticism! It's impossible to please everybody!

Always there is people who don't like all and have different kind desire what hotel offer!

Even in 5 star place! Maybe they total value was poor also from other guest!

Read their "genuine" reviews. This resort has many very good reviews. The Yank was just vindictive because he could not get his own way and was charged corkage on a bottle of Gin which he brought into the restaurant. Try doing that in a large American Resort restaurant and see how he will get on. He then proceeded to write detrimental vindictive and racist remarks over a period of several months. The point is that seeing as how he could not afford to use that restaurant, he should not have been there.

[Huckenfell]

On 10/1/2020 at 12:36 PM, Lacessit said:

I can remember leaving a bad review of a Thai hotel once on Agoda, place was a s##thole. Rusty cold water, damp linen, perfunctory cleaning. Maybe I was lucky not to be charged with defamation too.

Nowadays, I only book places I have been before. I do walk-ins for the rest, ask to see a room, walk out if it is not to my standards. Which are not onerous - aircon that works, clean, big bed, quiet.

I wouldn't be bothered arguing corkage. I'd pay up, just never go back there again.

I'd agree the hotel industry here is shooting itself in the foot if it can't take bad reviews on board.

But did you keep repeating and expanding on it over several months, i doubt it.  I too have posted less than good reviews, but one only then left it at that.