American expat avoids jail for negative review - reaches settlement with Koh Chang hotel

[Miami007]

8 hours ago, sambum said:

As someone else has already mentioned, what's the point of having a website like Trip Advisor in Thailand when negative reviews can land you with defamation charges and possible jail time? 

Only if you live in Thailand and post.. As trip advisor reviews are anonymous, it must be a big issue that lets the hotel identify the reviewer as they remember the situation. 

If my room was dirty and I don't post my room number, name and dates, no hotel would know who posted.

[whaleboneman]

14 hours ago, steven100 said:

The guy refuses to pay the standard corkage charge.

The guy then writes defamatory posts which were supposedly lies on not one or two sites but many.

 

what do you think .....  If I was the hotel owner I'd sue him too

I always suspected you were a politician. Your answer is unrelated to the question.

[whaleboneman]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

This is indeed what happened so yes, Mr. Barnes was a plonker.

 

Isn't it funny how he has appeared to garner the support of a whole slew of plonkers on here?

 

2 hours ago, brian2f2f said:

Same when I go to ihop I get a drink from the supermarket. As their drink prices are way to high. It's like 60 baht or so per drink no refill or anything. Why would I want to pay 120-200 baht for drink at ihop when I can go to the supermarket and get more then enough drink for under 40. Just don't make sense. Sometimes restaurants can only blame themselves by charging way too much for drinks. No I don't expect a drink at a restaurant to be as cheap as 7eleven but at the same time if you are charging like the same price for 4l per drink on soda and so on that's way too much and unresonanable. 

you lost me at ihop.

[RobU]

13 hours ago, rkidlad said:

So sue him. This is a civil case. Not a criminal one. 

 

How easy would it have been to have a lawyer contact him and keep everything 'civil'.

 

They did try to contact him but he refused to engage until the defamation charge was brought 

 

7 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

In this particular case the Hotel lost, big time. The Hotel Manager could have saved the day, he decided to go down another route. Its all over the international news. Who will stay there now?

To your point one negative review WILL NOT hurt your business if there are 10 good reviews. If there a lot of negative reviews maybe your business/Hotel needs to improve. Generally reviews are fair and balanced, but there's always one!

I agree to gives everyone a perceived free stay would probably be not a good idea and your business may suffer, but off course I didn't suggest that. In this particular case though as it had already caught huge international media attention, it would have been a VERY GOOD idea. Just think of the PR it would have generated for a very minimal cost.

As it is this 'judgement' of the guy having to grovel and apologize is once again all over the international news. But that is not what the folks will remember, it will be the threat of going to jail for a bad review of this Hotel.

 

I will definitely go to this hotel if I get the chance. They waived the corkage fee and he still published inflammatory comments. I will shake the hand of the manager and congratulate the management on their success. Added benefit is that fools like him will now avoid that hotel so there will be no loud mouthed drunken bullies staying there because they now know that there will be consequences to their bullying behaviour.

 

5 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

I bet his lawyer fee was 10 times the corkage charge.

I certainly hope so, and I hope he was forced to pay the legal costs of the hotel too.

[GAZZPA]

Utterly ridiculous, retraction wont matter, the negative press on the hotel has been made worse by their actions. I certainly would not stay in a hotel that reacted this way to a bad review. like everything in Thailand it's all about extracting money, makes me sick. 

[CorpusChristie]

9 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

Utterly ridiculous, retraction wont matter, the negative press on the hotel has been made worse by their actions. I certainly would not stay in a hotel that reacted this way to a bad review. like everything in Thailand it's all about extracting money, makes me sick. 

This wasnt a bad review though , it was a fake review to attack the resort because he got charged a corkage fee 

[Stargeezr]

I  have stayed in 2  star motels and hotels that were clean and in a good location,

along with good service. I have stayed in good  and a few bad 5 star hotels that

had all sorts of stuff like a pool that was being repaired, room that was dusty and

had next to no service except at the front desk and restaurant. I was told when checking out that 

they had limited staff due to a flu outbreak, and was able to get my room tab lowered, which

  the front desk staff when I told them of the state of the room, lack of pool, and dirty

exercise areas, which I had the staff come with me to observe, and was why they lowered my

costs quite a few dollars.

  This American was one of the tourists that is very lucky, especially if he was able to keep his job.

He  is lucky to be allowed to stay longer in Thailand as well. Apology accepted.

Geezer

[Jack Hna]

Absolute bell end though. All this after he got a boy on the corkage.

 

Strange he was there with a friend but reports mention he has a wife.

 

 

[RobU]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

This wasnt a bad review though , it was a fake review to attack the resort because he got charged a corkage fee 

If you check the article it says that the hotel waived the corkage fee. It was fake and malicious reviewing because they had the audacity to ask a corkage fee in the first place and he wanted to make a point.

[Don Chance]

This is another issue of culture shock. Let's remember why we like Thailand: because it has a different culture. And when in Rome do as the Romans.

 

Farangs think that the world is like or similar or should be similar their countries, multicultural. But Thailand isn't. It is a mono-culture. You are not invited to immigrate to Thailand. You are not invited to live separately in your own cultural bubble. You are expected to become Thai, speak the language, learn the customs.  Don't you expect the same from immigrants to your country?

 

Farang should not try and push their culture onto foreign countries they visit. Even if you believe in freedom of speech, freedom to dance naked at a temple, freedom to smoke weed etc. Thailand is not a culture that appreciates individuality. If everyone does what they want then your neighbour become the adversary, this is the chaos we have in the west.

 

[rott]

14 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

They should also revoke his work permit. Totally unacceptable behavior from a grown man

Did he have a work permit.? 

I have seen contradictory comments (a) that he did not and was due to be deported, and (b) that he has a wife here. I have also read that he only started teaching after he was stuck here in the lockdown. 

Don't know what's true and what's not. 

Edited October 9, 2020 by rott

[rott]

13 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Wrong. He is a tourist that will be quickly forgotten. This extremely tone deaf, incompetent and arrogant administration, will have egg on their faces for a long time, over this foolishness and very poorly timed pettiness. And the hotel will lose an enormous amount of business over this lack of goodwill. As far as the local franchisees go (the cops), their reputation could not be any worse, so no real loss there.

 

Horrible judgment all the way around. 

"Tourist"? He was working as a teacher. 

 

He knew enough about Thailand to know that it is acceptable in SOME places to take your own drink, but not enough to know this did not apply to all. And he did not appreciate the defamation laws. 

[rott]

11 hours ago, raccos21 said:

All this can be settled without going through any big drama in first place.

Really.? 

 

Please do explain how. The hotel tried to sort things out but he would not respond to them. 

 

[kiwikeith]

20 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

The issue never should have gone this far in the first place.....from either side.    Glad to see the matter can be settled amicably though

 

????????????????????????????????????

 

Its a pity the B2 couldn't have got a agreement like this and be released immediately 

[metisdead]

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

 

Edit:  A post using a trolling video has been removed. 

Edited October 10, 2020 by metisdead
Additional info added.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

So, Billy big-time folds up like a wet paper bag, like all aggressive bullies do once confronted; perhaps he will now go back to Kansas and start adding to his string of felonies, which so far include drink driving, drugs, 4 firearms charges and impersonating a Federal Agent ……

 

And still we have apologists for this disingenuous reprobate on here.   

[DBath]

Grovel and apologize to everybody and their grandmother.
 

Or...

 

Go to prison.

 

Real tough choice there.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

15 minutes ago, DBath said:

Grovel and apologize to everybody and their grandmother.
 

Or...

 

Go to prison.

 

Real tough choice there.

Or, alternatively, don't embark on a vendetta of multiple malicious online reviews including fake accusations of slavery  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Truth Will Set You Free]

What was done has been done. Everyone that has read this from the beginning knows it’s all about the money here in Thailand. No matter what he sends to the rest of the world to keep from going to jail is just a paper trail in the Western eyes. 
 

Thailand is mark and people will surely consider reviews of others when it comes to resorts and hotels in Asia. There was a Thai that gave this place a 1 Star. That’s says a lot not to include all the others 1 Stars afterward.

 

Here a 101 travel tip, take photos or video and post them when you write your reviews. They don’t lie. People should be aware of the poor standards when visiting Asia. 

[hellohello123]

19 hours ago, aroiaroi said:

Amazing Thailand, enjoy your stay or go to jail.

 

The hotel owner/management, in their breathtaking stupidity, has written, by itself, on the international stage, the worst 1 star review possible.

It's like using a shotgun to kill a mosquito biting your face.

 

well, as long as the hotel owner has saved face,

 

thats the most important thing to them isnt it?

 

like the case of those 3x17yr olds who killed an old expat in pattaya after they were sitting on his bike and hte old guy told them to get off, so they killed him, and asked why they killed him, "cos I/we lost face"

 

full respect to the 3 of them if they are sitting in jail and saying it was worth it, as they saved face

[hellohello123]

19 hours ago, poohy said:

Faced with jail, I too would lie through my teeth and apologize

 

Western media will see through this poor PR apology  stunt!

Neither Thailand the hotel or the bloke are winners here 

imagine the difference in outcome had hte guy been living outside of thailand or about to leave

 

he would never apologise or he would apologise, get it sorted, and then later recant and say he was pressured/threatened,

 

double whammy for the hotel had this happenned

 

but im sure the hotel wouldnt have thought that far ahead

[hellohello123]

19 hours ago, Silencer said:

I think THAT is the point, in THAILAND, using the term treated like "modern-day slavery", worked like "slaves", IS treated differently from the West. Thousands of business review on a website like Glassdoor that call companies, managers, CEO's "slave master's", "Hitler", and other damaging names but the reviews remain because it is seen as an expression of opinion. In Thailand, opinions can get you sent to jail.

I wonder if any of this would have happened, had his review said something along the lines of "the manager treated their staff like scum", because its an opinion and nothing defamatory, and could be completely true

[hellohello123]

17 hours ago, Johnnyy said:

Sometimes in life when you are not happy you just have to suck it up and move on. You can’t beat the system. I bet he wished he had done that now. 

agree, however if I receive that bad service, I will make sure that I write a review or let others know to the best of my ability,

I would never take a bottle of alcohol to a bar/restaurant who's primary income is alcohol

 

years ago, me and a mate were checking into a 5 star hotel, we met a third friend already in a different hotel at the lobby,

the hotel started to insinuate the max room capacity was 2 ppl, and that we would be charged extra for him to stay,

 

luckily a little insistence convinced them he wasnt staying , however if we did get charged, I would have written a bad review

 

 

[hellohello123]

17 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Wrong. He is a tourist that will be quickly forgotten. This extremely tone deaf, incompetent and arrogant administration, will have egg on their faces for a long time, over this foolishness and very poorly timed pettiness. And the hotel will lose an enormous amount of business over this lack of goodwill. As far as the local franchisees go (the cops), their reputation could not be any worse, so no real loss there.

 

Horrible judgment all the way around. 

but will the hotel/tourist board ever realise this?

or will they care?

[charliebadenhop]

55 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

So, Billy big-time folds up like a wet paper bag, like all aggressive bullies do once confronted; perhaps he will now go back to Kansas and start adding to his string of felonies, which so far include drink driving, drugs, 4 firearms charges and impersonating a Federal Agent ……

 

And still we have apologists for this disingenuous reprobate on here.   

Is there any truth to this?

Has someone checked and the guy has a record?

 

[johnarth]

although he loss (money) he won the case, the hotel and Thailand lost the world over, sad but lucky no turos at the moment

[rkidlad]

8 hours ago, Miami007 said:

In a few months nobody will remember.. foreign tourism is closed anyway.. so the hotel isn't losing anything 

Will you be staying there? 

 

[Silencer]

1 hour ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

So, Billy big-time folds up like a wet paper bag, like all aggressive bullies do once confronted; perhaps he will now go back to Kansas and start adding to his string of felonies, which so far include drink driving, drugs, 4 firearms charges and impersonating a Federal Agent ……

 

And still we have apologists for this disingenuous reprobate on here.   

You seem incapable of separating the person from the bigger picture. Many of us might think the guy is an ass and someone we would not choose to associate with but writing bad reviews should not end with you going to prison. Businesses have dealt with very bad, wrong, lying reviews in many ways...countering them in their responses, asking for them to be removed, etc....not taking the person to court with a possible jail term.

 

I see today....the New York Times, when contacted by him about his "apology", can see through the fog. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/world/asia/thailand-review-american-apology.html

 

[hellohello123]

17 hours ago, kentrot said:

Yes it is a common practice.

But in this case i believe I read that the amount charged was 350 Baht .

Pretty steep "corkage" for washing 2 glasses !

I believe I read that they were drinking from an open bottle of Gin that they started drinking at the beach.

you are completely missing the point,

as a former hospitliaty venue owner (we didnt allow any outside drinks in because it wasnt asked often , plus its not really in our culture to bring)

 

the corkage doesnt just cover the cost of providing 2 glasses and water and soap, its the opportunity cost of what they would have or could have spent purchasing from your venue,

 

a fair corkage fee would be for example the $40 bottle of whatever, 23 shots per bottle, thats $2 each, sells for $8 at the venue, is $6 profit, x 23 = $132 per bottle

obviously very few people are going to go for that so the venue could adjust it to suit their goals

[rkidlad]

7 hours ago, RobU said:

 

They did try to contact him but he refused to engage until the defamation charge was brought 

 

 

I will definitely go to this hotel if I get the chance. They waived the corkage fee and he still published inflammatory comments. I will shake the hand of the manager and congratulate the management on their success. Added benefit is that fools like him will now avoid that hotel so there will be no loud mouthed drunken bullies staying there because they now know that there will be consequences to their bullying behaviour.

 

I certainly hope so, and I hope he was forced to pay the legal costs of the hotel too.

You’ll definitely go to this hotel? 
 

But what if you don’t have a good experience? Will you put a positive spin on it and look at it as another opportunity to take it up the wrongun?