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

[Huckenfell]

On 10/1/2020 at 1:01 PM, meechai said:

There was only ever going to be one defense for this hotel getting a negative review from this US man....deserved or not...

That was to get 10 more positive reviews

 

This is such a simple business concept which utterly escapes the face saving at all costs mentality that is Thailand

The hotel management is European, so the "Thai face" thing has nothing to do with it. Their concern was the continous posting of vindictive reviews by the Yank who was bitter because he could not get his own way.

[Onrai]

11 hours ago, rkidlad said:

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.

No where is truth a more fluid concept than in a court of law. 

[metisdead]

A post using a racist hashtag has been removed. 

[camble]

10 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

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.

Get your facts together! The Yank did get his way.  A hotel has a guest thrown in jail for posting negative reviews and you think the guest is vindictive?  You must be a nasty piece of work.  The guest would have stopped at one review had the hotel not had it removed from trip advisor.

[RJRS1301]

35 minutes ago, camble said:

Get your facts together! The Yank did get his way.  A hotel has a guest thrown in jail for posting negative reviews and you think the guest is vindictive?  You must be a nasty piece of work.  The guest would have stopped at one review had the hotel not had it removed from trip advisor.

You knows this how?

The fact he did not stop shows immaturity and a sense of entitlement 

[fasteddie]

On 10/1/2020 at 3:12 AM, 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.

Not a chance, his fault, the hotel is in the right here, ''The hotel claims they tried to contact the complainant to sort out the matter but he only stopped when police got in touch and took him to jail in Koh Chang.''

[camble]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

You knows this how?

The fact he did not stop shows immaturity and a sense of entitlement 

In the US, we don't believe in entitlements. That's your culture. 

[aroiaroi]

36 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

Not a chance, his fault, the hotel is in the right here, ''The hotel claims they tried to contact the complainant to sort out the matter but he only stopped when police got in touch and took him to jail in Koh Chang.''

"Sort out the matter?" Normal business procedures might try and reach some compromise but there is no no evidence of that intent. based on the charges laid, it's not unreasonable to say the hotel made contact with ill intent. In Other words, "sorting out" the matter = escalating take down threats, legal threats, culminating in charges. 

 

 

[fasteddie]

4 hours ago, aroiaroi said:

"Sort out the matter?" Normal business procedures might try and reach some compromise but there is no no evidence of that intent. based on the charges laid, it's not unreasonable to say the hotel made contact with ill intent. In Other words, "sorting out" the matter = escalating take down threats, legal threats, culminating in charges. 

 

 

''but there is no no evidence of that intent'' au contraire, there is plenty of evidence they made numerous attepts to contact him to no avail, he just kept on slandering them. He's had his chance now let the courts decide, after all TiT!

[John Drake]

17 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

Their concern was the continous posting of vindictive reviews by the Yank who was bitter because he could not get his own way.

I'd say the number of vindictive comments you have made over several topics on this subject makes the "Yank" seem tame and normal by comparison.

[camble]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

I'd say the number of vindictive comments you have made over several topics on this subject makes the "Yank" seem tame and normal by comparison.

He’s guilty of PWI (Posting While Intoxicated).  I hope he paid the corkage fee ????

[aroiaroi]

1 hour ago, fasteddie said:

''but there is no no evidence of that intent'' au contraire, there is plenty of evidence they made numerous attepts to contact him to no avail, he just kept on slandering them. He's had his chance now let the courts decide, after all TiT!

I was refering to the intent behind the contact attempts: ill willed and disingenuous.

There is a big difference between reaching out with the intent of resolving a situation aimicably vs take down requests backed by legal threats & jail time threats.

The hotel has obviously phrased it this way in order to cover themselves legally and make themselves look reasonable. I suppose it's fooled some - but it's not too difficult (shouldn't be) to read between the lines and get the context.
 

Edited October 3, 2020 by aroiaroi

[Nout]

Another spoilt, yank forgot his entitlement stopped at the border. He will be more diplomatic next time.

[Nout]

On 10/2/2020 at 1:33 PM, ReLo said:

 

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 ?

 

 

 

 

You can always leave here.

[Nout]

6 hours ago, camble said:

In the US, we don't believe in entitlements. That's your culture. 

555 The land of safe space and microagressions and the cultural appropriation. The USA invented all this PC nonsense.

[fasteddie]

1 hour ago, aroiaroi said:

I was refering to the intent behind the contact attempts: ill willed and disingenuous.

There is a big difference between reaching out with the intent of resolving a situation aimicably vs take down requests backed by legal threats & jail time threats.

The hotel has obviously phrased it this way in order to cover themselves legally and make themselves look reasonable. I suppose it's fooled some - but it's not too difficult (shouldn't be) to read between the lines and get the context.
 

So you say, I read it differently, as far as I can see they just wanted him to stop the slander but his refusal to respond to their attempts until they used the law speaks for itself.

[aroiaroi]

7 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

So you say, I read it differently, as far as I can see they just wanted him to stop the slander but his refusal to respond to their attempts until they used the law speaks for itself.

There is a dramatic escalation of events, between the 1 star review and the pressing of charges, that the hotel has inadequately explained.
It's unreasonable to believe the customers silence was responsible for the escalation.

It's quite obvious the hotel knives were out and sharpened prior to "reaching out for contact" / "negotiations.

[vinny41]

1 hour ago, aroiaroi said:

There is a dramatic escalation of events, between the 1 star review and the pressing of charges, that the hotel has inadequately explained.
It's unreasonable to believe the customers silence was responsible for the escalation.

It's quite obvious the hotel knives were out and sharpened prior to "reaching out for contact" / "negotiations.

Disasgree

Here is the timeline of events

29 Jun First TripAdvisor Review

3 July Second TripAdvisor Review

21 July Email (He later replied 11 Sep after he got arrested)

Roughly between 21-9 Aug First Google Review

A week after the first G- review Second Google Review

9 Aug TripAdvisor message sent (He later replied 11 Sep after

he got arrested)

3 Sep Phone call (He picked up but refused to discuss the

matter.
September 10, 2020 Collected NON B visa today
September 11, Arrested

 

If "the special one" stopped published reviews in July no-one knows if the hotel would have press charges

but no "The special one" decided 2 reviews wasn't enough so he decided to published 2 more reviews with google

[bwpage3]

This guy was a school teacher. Meaning he probably doesn't have a lot of money.

 

He wanted to bring his own alcohol in without paying a corkage fee.

 

The hotel needs to sell alcohol as well as food and other services to survive.

 

What is so hard to understand?

 

He was probably already hitting the bottle and belligerent with the staff when he was told he would have to pay a corkage fee of 500 baht.

 

I mean who wants to go a resort and get into a scrum over 500 baht?

 

Then write a negative review over the simple fact he did not get his own way?

 

He was told to pay, why not pay and get it over with?

 

Because he was probably already drunk and is one of those expats that think the rules don't apply to him.

 

He was <deleted> off not getting his own way so he retaliates with a poor review.

 

Does Thailand really need this type teaching kids in school, or even living in their country in general?

 

Why expats are willing to get into a legal scrum over 500 baht is beyond all reasoning?

 

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

32 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Does Thailand really need this type teaching kids in school, or even living in their country in general?

100% no.

You need type his full name into google.

Your will read full history in USA.

Should be kicked out yesterday. Having serious issues. BTW all the posters that complain about oppressive Thai defamation laws try Google similar in western countries. I'm Oz. 

This kanker started a vendetta. 

His criminal past supports this suggestion.

Go home yank. If he was Oz, I would say exactly same.

[aroiaroi]

34 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

Disasgree

Here is the timeline of events

29 Jun First TripAdvisor Review

3 July Second TripAdvisor Review

21 July Email (He later replied 11 Sep after he got arrested)

Roughly between 21-9 Aug First Google Review

A week after the first G- review Second Google Review

9 Aug TripAdvisor message sent (He later replied 11 Sep after

he got arrested)

3 Sep Phone call (He picked up but refused to discuss the

matter.
September 10, 2020 Collected NON B visa today
September 11, Arrested

 

If "the special one" stopped published reviews in July no-one knows if the hotel would have press charges

but no "The special one" decided 2 reviews wasn't enough so he decided to published 2 more reviews with google

It's disingenous by the hotel or anyone else to frame the Sep 3 call from the hotel as an attempt to simply "discuss" the matter. Lets get real, it was a take down demand, backed by legal threats. 

Basically he made a few 1 star reviews, the hotel then demanded to take them down or be charged criminally, he ignored them, and ended up in jail and is going to court.
 

As ridiculous as it sounds, the narritive the hotel is spinning is that "we tried, we did all we could, but were left with no other option except criminal charges".
The escalation by the hotel from 1 star review to criminal charges betrays their intent.
This critical point may be lost on some but it hasn't been overlooked by the foreign journalists that have covered this story. 
 

 

 

[vinny41]

4 minutes ago, aroiaroi said:

It's disingenous by the hotel or anyone else to frame the Sep 3 call from the hotel as an attempt to simply "discuss" the matter. Lets get real, it was a take down demand, backed by legal threats. 

Basically he made a few 1 star reviews, the hotel then demanded to take them down or be charged criminally, he ignored them, and ended up in jail and is going to court.
 

As ridiculous as it sounds, the narritive the hotel is spinning is that "we tried, we did all we could, but were left with no other option except criminal charges".
The escalation by the hotel from 1 star review to criminal charges betrays their intent.
This critical point may be lost on some but it hasn't been overlooked by the foreign journalists that have covered this story. 
 

 

 

Its impossible to say as "the special one" refused to enter into a  discussion on the subject

Edited October 3, 2020 by vinny41
typo

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, aroiaroi said:

This critical point may be lost on some but it hasn't been overlooked by the foreign journalists that have covered this story. 

I suggest that you read further. The reports I have read from overseas news reports often have chitchat comments, bit like thaivisa. They, in the main have been negative towards this guy.

If he was Australian I would be posting that this guy is a kanker and not all Oz are as stupid as this guy.

[aroiaroi]

Just now, vinny41 said:

Its impossible to say as "the special one" refused to enter a discussion on the subject

Because he thought they were empty threats. 

Even if the timeline went like this: customer posted 1 star reviews, hotel sends flowers and a bottle of gin, and requests a discussion in good faith to see if some amicble solution could be found.... no response.... silence..... hotel pressed criminal charges.

 

Your justification for the dramatic escalation by the hotel between between the time of the 1 star review and the pressing of criminal charges, is weak.



 

[tomauasia]

On 10/1/2020 at 10:11 PM, Mayhem11 said:

It is without a doubt an extremely disturbing story. The usual approach to a bad review is to respond on the site where it is made. I can only hope that the tourist does not settle by paying this hotel some money, or that the Judge throws it out. It is clearly a waste of the Court’s time. I will follow this case with great interest.

 

i also think that this Koh Chang hotel needs to be named and shamed. 

Agreed

[vinny41]

1 minute ago, aroiaroi said:

Because he thought they were empty threats. 

Even if the timeline went like this: customer posted 1 star reviews, hotel sends flowers and a bottle of gin, and requests a discussion in good faith to see if some amicble solution could be found.... no response.... silence..... hotel pressed criminal charges.

 

Your justification for the dramatic escalation by the hotel between between the time of the 1 star review and the pressing of criminal charges, is weak.



 

You don't get it do you Hotel contacted him trip advisor contacted him, "The special one " ignores all emails,and phonecalls and still publishes more reviews, Hotel doesn't know when "The special one" will stop or if he will ever stop so "The special one" left the hotel with no alternative but to report the issue to the Police what happens to "The special one" after that is outside their remit

If if thought the hotel was writing empty threats with no validation most people would take advice from friends or legal advice to confirm if the threats of legal action is correct or not

[aroiaroi]

15 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I suggest that you read further. The reports I have read from overseas news reports often have chitchat comments, bit like thaivisa. They, in the main have been negative towards this guy.

If he was Australian I would be posting that this guy is a kanker and not all Oz are as stupid as this guy.

I have. The general tone is "<deleted>..... I won't be travelling to Thailand next". 
The topic headline sums it up.

Foriegn diplomats also are considering including warnings for their citizens. 
TripAdvisor and Google and doing something similar.

It's clear this isn't an isolated incident related to 1 crazy tourist.
The real problem is a structural one. 

Edited October 3, 2020 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[aroiaroi]

2 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

 left the hotel with no alternative

????  if the hotel couldn't think of better alternative, they must be run by incompetent management... wait a sec, wasn't their reason for pressing charges to stop the 1 start reviews ? how did that work out for them ????  

 

 

[DrJack54]

Just now, aroiaroi said:

????  if the hotel couldn't think of better alternative, they must be run by incompetent management... wait a sec, wasn't their reason for pressing charges to stop the 1 start reviews ? how did that work out for them ????  

 

 

More important for farang is how will that work out for him.

Again I suggest you read complete thread or Google his full name.

He will be flying back to usa soon.

Very foolish guy given his history and trying to work as teacher in Thailand, or anywhere for that matter.

 

[fuzzie]

They really don't want to lose face, not every guest is going to get what they want, But going to prison.!!