Thai hotel seeks deal with guest facing jail over bad reviews

[ReLo]

16 minutes ago, PaoloR said:

Whereas I understand the views of many on here, I would ask them to look at the bigger picture and both sides of the equation.

no need ! any business sueing any customer must be punished for eternity ! Nothing else to tell or understand, i don't even read your message.

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Too late, pathetic Thailand. This story is ALL over the western media now and putting people off being in the ridiculous expected 'surge' through the tourist gates

[Grandisse]

It seems that I am a minority in the forum, but anyway, I actually liked the idea that this self-righteous teacher pr!ck got a taste of the real world - he had it coming to him. Paying the room doesn't give anybody the right to behave like an idiot - and especially not bringing your own booze to the restaurant and then complain about a corkage fee. And then, even after the hotel already retracted about the corkage fee, writing defamatory loudmouth-sh!t in social media. 

 

As a business person myself, with all the advantages that social media has brought to mankind, it is also a playground for crazy people who get emotionally carried away to write stupid stuff hurting businesses, especially those who have a remarkable track record of very good reviews - like this hotel.

 

I know Koh Chang quite well, especially I like Kai Bae Beach, so once Thailand opens up (if that ever happens) I might well stay there. 

 

 

[gerritkaew]

how crazy thing can get, getting arrested iff you posted a bad review....

Thailand getting more crazy than crazy!!!

[thetravelbee]

Complete and utter nonesense! Or in other words, "when dum meets dummer" type of event report.

[micmichd]

6 minutes ago, gerritkaew said:

how crazy thing can get, getting arrested iff you posted a bad review....

Thailand getting more crazy than crazy!!!

Thailand's got a reputation to lose. Especially on these island resorts. 

[mark131v]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

Yes let get this in context your a Thai basher with no love for Thais, i seen your posts.

 

The hotel had done everything contacting the guest waiting long before contacting the police. The guest was in the wrong, hotel accepted the waive corkage (the should not have because this way loud mouths get better treatment then others). 

 

Then the guest did his first review and then several others with racist remarks about the manager, he was out to damage the hotel. He did not respond to emails and the hotel trying to get in contact. 

 

Then finally having had enough did the hotel act. They could have done so right away because as you said they have the power. 

 

I guess you don't get it this loudmouth wanted to destroy a hotel because he was to cheap to pay corkage fee (quite normal in many places in Thailand). The American should just have left and drank somewhere else.

Ha Ha, glad you've seen my posts Rob as I like to point out hypocrisy!!

 

I actually love Thailand however I have a hard time watching people being walked over by their 'leaders'

 

You are the sort of person who feels they know better than the people, you have history of dislike of democracy and feel Thai's aren't clever enough to make their own decisions

 

Already stated I think the Yank is a mahoosive dick however big man on a little island getting locked up for 4 negative reviews when arguably the one they are whining the most about was not released

 

Still I will speak up if I see something I feel is wrong especially if it is from laws made popular by the junta you actively encouraged

 

Look up hypocrite Rob because that's what I reckon you are...

[rott]

17 hours ago, Shuya said:

I hope the guy sues them for a few millions. Legal costs should be payed by tripadvisor and google, it's their business modell who is at stake.

It's him who broke the law not them. 

[cmarshall]

18 hours ago, mr mr said:

are any of these people adults ? 

 

to all involved. please let go of your egos. offer the man a free stay. provide a service worth reviewing and everyone is happy. 

 

i am 100 % sure mr barnes is totally without any fault..... right mr barnes ? 

Barnes is certainly without any fault that deserves two years in prison.

[rott]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

You can not be charged for making a negative review.

Really? 

 

Read Sections 326 and 330 (Defamation) Thai Criminal Code. 

[mark131v]

4 hours ago, Elkski said:

<deleted> is a gabby yank tourist?   You mean the Yank, from the country, that freed your a$$?

Gobby mate, gobby not gabby look it up it will be on the net somewhere...

 

I don't mean any offense to Yank's as I believe that is a common description for people from the USA same as I don't get upset with Brit, Pommie, Ozzie but up to you personally I recommend either getting a thicker skin or get down to the cop shop and get a report in, <deleted> I despair... 

[Guffman]

I think it's safe to say that the hotel are going to demand a ridiculous amount of compensation in exchange for dropping the case. I seriously doubt they will back down. They've come this far, so it's all in.

[DrTuner]

As can be seen, the way to deal with Thais is to take their self acquired cultural flaw, face, to the grinding wheel of the western press and push it mercilessly in. Then action occurs. No mercy, it's self afflicted.

[vinny41]

23 minutes ago, mark131v said:

Ha Ha, glad you've seen my posts Rob as I like to point out hypocrisy!!

 

I actually love Thailand however I have a hard time watching people being walked over by their 'leaders'

 

You are the sort of person who feels they know better than the people, you have history of dislike of democracy and feel Thai's aren't clever enough to make their own decisions

 

Already stated I think the Yank is a mahoosive dick however big man on a little island getting locked up for 4 negative reviews when arguably the one they are whining the most about was not released

 

Still I will speak up if I see something I feel is wrong especially if it is from laws made popular by the junta you actively encouraged

 

Look up hypocrite Rob because that's what I reckon you are...

The 1st review was released and it was taken down after 5 days as report here and other media outlets

At least one review was posted in June on TripAdvisor accusing the hotel of 'modern day slavery' -- which the site removed after a week for violating its guidelines

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8775143/American-sued-Thailand-negative-Tripadvisor-review.html

[Lingba]

18 hours ago, seajae said:

its in aussie papers and the hotel doesnt look good, they really need to save face now, appologies all round is the best bet for them

 

all over the US papers too

[spidermike007]

Notice how nobody from the hotel is named? Such cowardice. The hotel thought they were being smart, and they could not have possibly done anything dumber. Faced with bad publicity that may likely force them out of business, now they are ready to mediate. Such fools. 

 

The good thing to come out of this, is another black eye for the morally bankrupt Thai laws. It makes all the authorities and the police look like a house of hooligans. And Thailand thought it could not get any worse. Just keep up the insane foolishness and cowardice. It can get alot worse. 

 

This incident is making Barnes look like a martyr and a victim of over reaching laws, ignorance, and stupidity. 

[Watchful]

2 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

Let me put it this way, I will avoid this hotel like the plague, not due to the reviews placed by the guest but because of their complete and over the top reaction to them.

Dukeleto, I believe the problem is much bigger than tourists avoiding this hotel. The problem is tourists avoiding Thailand! Yes, the hotel went too far, but that was only possible because of Thailand's laws.  A prudent tourist will avoid any country where they can be imprisoned for simply voicing their opinion.

 

Look, this is one big mess. According to several posters, Barnes has already been fired. He will most likely have to return to the US. And what will he do once home? Does anyone really expect he will remain silent?  

 

He'll be telling his story everywhere about the corrupt laws in Thailand. He'll be cautioning travelers to avoid Thailand and advising companies against investing in Thailand. He'll be telling companies with operations in Thailand to get out before their US managers are imprisoned.

  

I don't see any way that this will end well for anyone. It has just escalated to the point that there is no solution that works for all parties. Once the Thai police got involved on the side of the hotel, that ended any hope for a "peaceful" solution. Indeed, this is why most countries leave libel and defamation to civil courts. The government takes no side. It simply allows both sides to present their case to a jury, who decides who is telling the truth (and often neither is) and whether penalties should be assessed.

 

Thailand's heavy handed approach should be worrisome to both travelers and investors.

 

Regards,

Watchful

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Watchful
Punctuation

[spidermike007]

2 minutes ago, Watchful said:

Dukeleto, I believe the problem is much bigger than tourists avoiding this hotel. The problem is tourists avoiding Thailand! Yes, the hotel went too far, but that was only possible because of Thailand's laws.  A prudent tourist will avoid any country where they can be imprisoned for simply voicing their opinion.

 

Look, this is one big mess. According to several posters, Barnes has already been fired. He will most likely have to return to the US. And what will he do once home? Does anyone really expect he will remain silent?  

 

He'll be telling his story everywhere about the corrupt laws in Thailand. He'll be cautioning travelers to avoid Thailand and advising companies against investing in Thailand. He'll be telling companies with operations in Thailand to get out before their US managers are imprisoned.

  

I don't see any way that this will end well for anyone. It has just escalated to the point that there is no solution that works for all parties. Once the Thai police got involved on the side of the hotel, that ended any hope for a "peaceful" solution. Indeed, this is why most countries leave libel and defamation to civil courts. The government takes no side. It simply allows both sides to present their case to a jury who decides who is telling the truth (and often neither is) and whether penalties should be assessed.

 

Thailand's heavy handed approach should be worrisome to both travelers and investors.

 

Regards,

Watchful

 

Thailand deserves whatever comes its way as a result of this. Those insane and cowardly defamation laws have been around way too long. They were written and passed by sold out politicians, for men who sell inferior products, offer inferior services, and steal alot of money. And do not intend to be answerable to anyone. Perhaps some of that will change. 

 

For those of us who have been here a awhile, we know that positive change only happens here through utter embarrassment, humiliation, and a loss of face. It never happens because it is the right thing to do, or due to fairness or equity. So, it must be thrust upon them, such as in this incident.

 

The lack of vision prevents them from seeing it coming. Egg on the face can be a cure for many diseases and weaknesses. 

[mark131v]

24 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

The 1st review was released and it was taken down after 5 days as report here and other media outlets

At least one review was posted in June on TripAdvisor accusing the hotel of 'modern day slavery' -- which the site removed after a week for violating its guidelines

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8775143/American-sued-Thailand-negative-Tripadvisor-review.html

Pigeon chess again, I bow to your superior grasp of the facts and unswerving trust in what the hotel has said...

[Meaowma57]

I wonder if Mr Barnes will be leaving a review for his short stay in jail - if he is being fair to all concerned he should leave an honest review of every establishment he stays in right??

[marinediscoking]

25 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

The 1st review was released and it was taken down after 5 days as report here and other media outlets

At least one review was posted in June on TripAdvisor accusing the hotel of 'modern day slavery' -- which the site removed after a week for violating its guidelines

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8775143/American-sued-Thailand-negative-Tripadvisor-review.html

I don't understand your constant defense of this hotel. You take their statements as word of god, were you a witness to the interaction? The hotel's response was way over the top and they deserve what has rained down on them.

 I ran a business in Thailand over 15 years and had to deal with some of the biggest idiots on the planet, this goes with operating any business anywhere.  Owners need to protect their brand by deescalating not escalating.  My biggest fear was not dealing with foreign idiots but an upset Thai's with friends in low places like this hotel. 

[Moncul]

18 hours ago, Shuya said:

I hope the guy sues them for a few millions. Legal costs should be payed by tripadvisor and google, it's their business modell who is at stake.

Tripadvisor removed his original defamatory comment, so if he breached their T&C's good luck winning a lawsuit.

[Watchful]

7 minutes ago, Meaowma57 said:

I wonder if Mr Barnes will be leaving a review for his short stay in jail - if he is being fair to all concerned he should leave an honest review of every establishment he stays in right??

According to several posters, Barnes has been fired. He'll most likely have to return back to the states. So your suggestion is he should publish an "honest review" of his short stay in jail.

 

My guess is he'll publish a lengthy review of his entire experience with the Thai Judicial System. It will make for interesting reading by prospective tourists and prospective investors. I'm quite certain that this "review" will NOT help the Thai recovery efforts.

 

Regards,

Watchful

[vinny41]

13 minutes ago, mark131v said:

Pigeon chess again, I bow to your superior grasp of the facts and unswerving trust in what the hotel has said...

It was what the hotel has stated and what the media outlets have stated if you don't believe them tough

anyone that publishes reviews on trip advisor is aware that trip will only block postings that contain Profanity words similar to this web site.

TA doesn't offer a pre vetting/approval option to hotels , the 1st notification that the hotel receives is xxxx has posted a review of your establishment and would you like to add a comment if you disagree with the listing you have to submit a report to trip stating why you disagree and the process can take upto 14 days for trip to review the post

What You Don’t Know About TripAdvisor

How the World’s Largest Travel Monopoly Ultimately Hurts Travelers & Small Businesses

https://medium.com/choking-on-a-macaron/what-you-don-t-know-about-tripadvisor-15d31d745bdc#.pag4hfvxj

[rexall]

2 hours ago, DualSportBiker said:

It must be fun living in a country you consider medieval. Win many friends telling them they are backward?

 

My analogy was just that, an attempt to make the process of events the hotel went through relatable. I don't believe that you would not react to a blatant and public slander of such a magnitude, I know I would because they are fight'in words as you put it. Defamation laws exist in many countries, not just here, "In the UK, defamation allows freedom of speech to prosper but keeps a check on telling lies that could damage someone’s reputation or business." Notice the language states 'could' not 'proven to'. I reject your position that his statements were expressed as an opinion. That is a weak excuse for unfounded and unwarranted slander. The guy clearly lashed out 'cause he was angry and he went too far. If it were not for the likely damage to Thailand's reputation, the muppet should be whipped.

It is not what I consider or don't consider. Much of Thailand operates as an "honor culture," as do most societies that are based on "face." The same can be said for some subcultures and groups in the U.S., unfortunately, and I would guess the UK as well. Some of it  is more extreme than others. In the most extreme, you get "honor killings;" teenage girls murdered by their parents for defying traditional morals.  In Thailand, you get defamation laws and  ridiculous, vengeful  lawsuits.  
 

 "I don't believe that you would not react to a blatant and public slander of such a magnitude"
 

It hardly matters how I would or would not react. I suspect that I would not like it very much. That hardly is the point. I get to be p issed off all that I want; but I don't get to put people in jail just because I don't like something they have said, excluding, of course, real and demonstrable injury to me. 
 

Please. Don't twist my words.  It is a lot of fun, sometimes, to live in Thailand.  And I did not say that the entire country was medieval or that was all there was to the story. But the behavior and conflict resolution practices of "honor cultures" are indeed medieval. The defamation and similar laws in Thailand are medieval. Sorry if that upsets you.  But don't worry, just make sure you report all of your movements to the government with your TM 30, and feel secure in modernity!

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by rexall

[Jimbo53]

19 hours ago, YetAnother said:

whole thing is a tempest in a teapot; thailand is what it is, including a sea of foolish, irrational laws; they need settle this with a couple wais; damage already done to thai tourism and that hotel;

he gets jailed then even worse

Another unwanted nail in the Tourism coffin,hammered in by a bunch of fools...TIT.

[GWS]

Pretty sure this is how it will play out -

Mr Barnes will be on national television and apologise to Thailand and will also agree to being part of some finger pointing photos.

Case closed.

[ChrisvS]

18 hours ago, fishtank said:

Why would he want to stay in that dump?

Even if it was free.

Agreed. He was not happy before, said so, got jailed, go and stay there again? Thailand this is, disappear he might.

Not happy then do not go back

[ukrules]

7 minutes ago, GWS said:

Pretty sure this is how it will play out -

Mr Barnes will be on national television and apologise to Thailand and will also agree to being part of some finger pointing photos.

Case closed.

I doubt that very much, this guy went on a hate campaign, in his mind he's winning...I suspect he will attempt to make some money out of this.

 

Then he will be deported for being a dangerous criminal.

 

[xvend]

Wesley Gene Barnes is an American citizen who worked as a teacher in Thailand while the world was battling against the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He made headlines after posting a negative review of a resort in the Southeast Asian country.

According to Barnes, he got the teaching job in Thailand on a tourist visa and obtained all of the documents from his school to apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa-B. He said he received a letter from Thailand’s Ministry of Education informing the Thailand Immigration Bureau that he was allowed to apply for a a Non-Immigrant Visa-B in the country due to COVID-19.

Barnes was on visa amnesty, his tourist visa expired on May 9, 2020 and his immigration office is in Samutprakarn, Thailand, he said. Here are 13 more things about him:

 

 

1. He was born on May 2, 1983.
2. He is related to Lilian Barnes, Quintin Barnes, Kayla Barnes, Christel Barnes and Montana Barnes.
3. He is 5’11”.
4. He is originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. He lived in various parts of Kansas including Lawrence, Olathe and Manhattan.
5. After driving under influence of alcohol or drugs on May 8, 2004, he was jailed in a state prison in Kansas on August 02, 2004. He was discharged on February 3, 2009.
6. On October 17, 2017, he claimed that he was a federal agent while inside Bobby Baker’s Lounge at 7418 Wornall Road in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA and showed a witness a handgun. He told the same story at Waldo Bar at 7438 Wornall Road and opened fired after being kicked out from the bar at about 1:00 a.m. on October 18, 2017. He opened fire again at 1:30 a.m. on the same day at the QuikTrip at 10232 Wornall Road. Police traced him through a credit card he used at the bar and on October 19, 2017, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker charged him with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.