TripAdvisor slaps warning on Thailand's 'Sea View Resort & Spa' review page

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

   He would only have gone to jail if the Judge at the trial gave him a jail sentance , he got released without charge and didnt go to a jail 

 

Blimey you are extremely pedantic aren't you, all that despite being shown umpteen times that you have been incorrect on many facets of this case!!!

 

Shall we meet in the middle?

 

Barnes was incarcerated and deprived of his freedom in a Thai cell for two nights and days on the word of the SeaView Hotel Koh Chang after they accused him of a crime, does that meet with your level of pedantry or not, just curious that's all

 

 

[Bradmeister]

Unnecessary Arrest and Prosecution

 

This speaks poorly for the entire community of Koh Chang, Trat Province, and Thailand.

 

Unfortunately, the bad apple does ruin the barrel...... The Hospitality Industry is sometimes a thankless and under-appreciated industry,. However, that type of business does have obligatory responsibility to keep guests served, and simultaneously exercise discretion for public domain and continuous prosperity.

 

It's not just the Hotel/Resort itself, but the entire Island of Koh Chang, is now marred by the potential; to have our parents, children, relatives or close friends arrested, because they have an opinion. Then, should they decide to voice or print that opinion, they will be arrested and prosecuted by The Thai Royal Police. 

 

Is there a prominently displayed sign, warning visitors ( regardless of being locals, non locals or international visitors) that clearly states: "You will be arrested and prosecuted if you speak or write poorly about any business establishment on this Island" ?   If so, where is it?  Ill be glad to honor and abide by the law, rule, or local regulation. 

 

I may also exercise my freedom of choice, to turn around and get back on the Ferry and find another destination to enjoy my holiday, with family and friends. 

 

....or maybe the Island Community can take the Communists approach in Beijing, China where citizens and visitors alike, are threatened with imprisonment, over loud speakers via a pre-recorded message in several different languages....

 

Koh Chang businesses could broadcast a message of similar threats:  " You are warned not to be opinionated on this Island. Any person not heeding this warning will be arrested and prosecuted ".  

 

                THIS IS THE MESSAGE KHO CHANG SENT OUT TO THE WORLD, 

" You are warned not to be opinionated on this Island. Any person not heeding this warning will be arrested and prosecuted ".  

 

                         The Executives at Trip Advisor have responded.  

 

 The idea that a man or a woman can be arrested and was, as well as prosecuted over an opinion, (left on a website), speaks volumes about The Koh Chang Community, The Businesses and its Residents. 

 

This may have been handled by a quite court order summons, and settlement out of court.  Instead, it was made public record and put on the worlds stage, during a period of layoffs, decreased commerce/business, and world economic crisis. 

 

In closing : The Thai Constittution clearly states: A person shall enjoy the liberty of communication by lawful means. Its in section 36 for anyone whos interested. I did not read or interpret any subparts that inferred "a poor review on any social media  to be unlawful"  ......nor warrant arrest and prosecution. 

[Freigeist365]

What goes around, comes around... ????

[Tony Calderazzo]

Hospitality venues have policies that guests need to comply with,  it is opportune prior to booking to check such policies or if in doubt to ask .

it seems that both parties went to extreme actions .

Social media and platforms such as Trip Advisor  are at times too freely abused by people lacking adequate knowledge ,

there are situations where establishments being at fault lack proper Customer care .

There is no need to splash a bad experience everywhere unless the intention is to damage the other party.

Any  such action causes a reaction that in this case is as excessive .

No need to bully each other and cause any disaffection between locals and farangs .

Fairness seems to be forgotten in this occasion . 

 .      

 

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

It was a knocking bet what the american was going to do once he got out of the country, I also bet the hotel are now wishing they had never accepted his apologies 

 

I believe there has been no further comment from Barnes but I await his side of the story

 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Media would be all over this like a rash

 

Good!!

[Buba Ho Tep]

How many people warned Seaview that pressing defamation charges against a customer for making negative reviews wasn't something that was going to be accepted by most Western tourists and tour organizations, Trip Advisor Corporate included.
Pressing defamation charges for a review is asinine and as they have just discovered, very counterproductive.  If hotels could threaten reviewers for negative reviews then the reviewing system would be worthless.  The purpose of a review and rating system is to provide feedback, good and bad, for businesses to consider in order to make their businesses better.
They should have dropped it and found common ground with the customer.  Instead they paraded him in front of the media and forced him to issue apologies under duress.  Lord knows what would have happened to him had he refused to apologize and that servile Thai manner that didn't sound like anything a normal Westerner would have ever said.
Now that Seaview Resort and Spa Koh Chang have made their bed, I truly hope they enjoy the rest, relaxation, and quiet time they'll be getting without tourists who read and heed travel reviews.
Heck, maybe they can file a defamation suit against Trip Advisor now. 

[newatthis]

4 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

 

Eh?

I think what the poster was trying to say is that before you call people brain dead, you should ensure you know all the story. Did you interview the hotel management, staff etc and also the American OR did you rely solely on news articles, TVF etc?

[mark131v]

1 hour ago, Wavel said:

The owner of this place is a foreigner, who unfortunately for him tried to bring draconian rules acceptable in his own country, to Thailand. Poor man very ill advised. Som Nam Na  my friend

 

Nope, the owner is from a very influential family on Koh Chang they're local Royalty and it would appear a bit thin skinned and vindictive, the owner and his management team aren't very bright it would seem...

[Techno Viking]

1 hour ago, P100 said:

Tripadvisor likes when their users are free and not in jail under drakonian military laws in Thailand.

 

I love this site.

Thank you for speaking on behalf of your user who has been silenced.

 

As long as tripadvisors customer dont go flaunting the slander laws they wont be going to jail !!

 

 

[mark131v]

36 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

I see this story has brought out the usual comments from the brain dead idiots that know nothing about the full story

 

A quote from the American who stayed there

 

after the American apologised for "repeatedly false and untrue statements... made to maliciously defame Sea View. These reviews were written out of anger and malice".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you believe in the tooth fairy too?

 

Most people will say whatever they need to when their looking at a 2 year stretch in a third world jail I know I would...

[fceligoj]

Hope Barnes has trouble traveling to Thailand again, if he ever does.  How can you write a draconian review about a hotel that charges one corkage.  Oh wait, the guy probably never ate or brought his own alcohol into a top shelf resort.  That is what it sounds like.  TripAdvisor should have stayed mute, or just notified all that a corkage fee would be charged if you brought your own alcohol into the establishment.  Barnes sounds like a real turd.

[mark131v]

38 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

This wasn't just a negative review , if it was just a negative review nobody would have mind . This guy went on a rampage but didn't have any right to do so he was in the wrong . Just should have paid the corkage fee .

 

Blimey hang em high's are out in force!!!

 

Four online reviews one of which was withdrawn do not equal a rampage

 

It was a negative review and I have seen all four of them it's all a storm in a teacup but the hotels reaction was epic in it's mind-numbing stupidity!!

 

Reap the whirlwind bitches!!!

[T Lee]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

TripAdvisor slaps warning on Thailand's 'Sea View Resort & Spa' review page
By The Thaiger

 

 

Be careful if you want to trash a Thai hotel in the land of fragile egos who use the handy tools of eager lawyers and draconian libel laws.

 

Now TripAdvisor, the review website everyone loves to hate, is warning potential travellers to a particular Thai hotel that they could face severe consequences for sharing negative opinions about their experience.

 

One visitor, Wesley Barnes from the US, was arrested after he waxed lyrical in his opinions about poor service at the particular establishment. Mr. Barnes was freed and eventually apologised in a settlement between him and the hotel. But TripAdvisor slapped this notice on the hotel’s listing…

 

 

Just in case you are warming up your fingers for a quick critique, this listing for the Sea View Resort & Spa in Koh Chang now includes a blatant warning.

 

“The reviewer spent time in jail as a result.”

 

Management at the hotel made an official complaint to the local police about the critique at the time. Mr. Barnes’ review strayed somewhat from the usual commentary about dirty bathrooms and cold soup to include “modern day slavery”. The resort’s management claimed that it had first tried to reach Mr. Barnes directly to “resolve the matter”, but took legal action because other reviews had been posted across different platforms, a few weeks apart.

 

At the time he was facing 2 years in a Thai prison after posting his negative online reviews about the Sea View Resort & Spa. Barnes, who works in Thailand, reported that he was arrested at the time by immigration police and that his passport had been confiscated until the matter was resolved.

 

Mr. Barnes stayed at the resort in June and had a disagreement with restaurant staff who tried to charge a corkage fee for alcohol he had brought on to the premises. He also added later that he felt the hotel’s management “were aggressive”.

 

Koh Chang police confirmed that an official complaint had been filed and that Mr. Barnes was accused of causing “damage to the reputation of the hotel”, and of bickering with staff about the corkage fee.

 

After weeks of media attention, local and international, and 1000s of online comments over the matter, the resort agreed to drop the police complaint if Mr. Barnes apologised and could convinced TripAdvisor not to display a “red badge” on the hotel’s TripAdvisor listing, which “could harm its business”.

 

The hotel’s use of Thailand’s notoriously tough libel and defamation laws rattled TripAdvisor, which now displays a clear warning about negative reviews that could land you in jail as a result of criminal charges filed by the hotel’s management.

 

“The hotel may have been exercising its legal rights under local law, however, it is our role to inform you so you may take this into consideration when researching your travel plans.”

 

The hotel has issued a statement accusing Tripadvisor of breaking its part of the settlement that was reached with Wesley Barnes.

 

“We fail to understand how Tripadvisor going back on their word, and not being impartial, is helpful to any of the parties involved in this case,” the resort’s manage responded in a statement to the NY Times.

 

By the way, if you want to visit the Sea View Resort and Spa Koh Chang in the middle of December, we randomly chose a date on Bookings.com and found a room for 2,900 baht a night. Have a great time, but don’t argue about the corkage!

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/tripadvisor-slaps-warning-on-thailands-sea-view-resort-spa-review-page

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-11-12

 

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[Freigeist365]

Way to go, TripAdvisor!!!! Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (y)

[SiSePuede419]

Did the review mention the concrete porpoise in the pool?  That's a deal breaker for me ????

[northengr]

No matter what a jerk this guy might have been, and I mean bringing outside stuff to a restaurant is pretty ignorant, no matter, Trip Advisor is right to warn us of the Hotel's fragile ego and the awful Thai laws they can and did use in this squabble. Right on TripAdvisor. 

 

[Buba Ho Tep]

I love this:
"The hotel has issued a statement accusing Tripadvisor of breaking its part of the settlement that was reached with Wesley Barnes.

“We fail to understand how Tripadvisor going back on their word, and not being impartial, is helpful to any of the parties involved in this case,” the resort’s manage responded in a statement to the NY Times."

Trip Advisor has absolutely no obligation to Seaview at all.  Trip Advisor was never a party in the libel case. They can do anything they wish and they obviously did with this sharply worded warning. 

Seaview thought that charging Barnes with defamation was a shot across the bow of tourism reviewers who may issue negative reviews and cause Thai establishments to lose face.
Trip Advisor's action is a shot across the bow of any hotel or resort who may be tempted in the future to use libel laws to silence reviews and ratings.  Quid pro quo my friends.  Every action has a reaction.

[Brollox]

10 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Dumb comments as usual without knowing what happened. The reviewer acted like an idiot in the hotel, started a massive slander campaign (not 1 bad review which wasn't even the truth). Had a criminal record by threatening staff with a gun in the USA who had problems with his attitude.  

Yeah its amazing how people support a lie. I wonder now, if under Thai defamation law TripAdvisor executives themselves could be liable for arrest upon arriving in Thailand in the future? They are afterall now also defaming the business. Having had similar experiences with Trip Advisor I hope this malicious act backfires on them. They should say nothing or delist the hotel.

[bimmerbob]

10 hours ago, camble said:

The resort has raised it’s rates to make up for the lost revenue.

complete 'a***hole' thinking, so typical of them not to understand basic supply/demand.

[T Lee]

I have never in my life seen a story so wrong-headedly reported in the press, even the NY Times, which I´ve subscribed to for decades.

 

I´ve stayed at the Sea Lodge three years ago for several days and also this year for a second delightful experience.  I have no connection to the hotel other than the fact that of the 60 or 70 hotels I´ve patronized in Thailand,  the Sea Lodge is somewhere in the top three.  Every employee I dealt with there was friendly, welcoming, cheerful, and beyond reproach.

 

Somehow, journalism at times jumps the tracks and becomes a smoldering train wreck.  This is one of those times.  The NY Times swallowed the bait and printed a slanted tale some weeks back.  Anyone who takes the time to read all the details might come to realize that yes, we all have a right to state our professed experiences in postings whether they are favorable or testy, but there is also the concept of defamation and outright sabotage and malicious lying.

 

It is disheartening to see journalists who should know better seizing upon this sad tale and massaging it in true yellow journalism style.  It may wrongfully hurt an honest and earnest hotelier, but by golly, I´ll bet it helps the newspapers sell!  A shame about the collateral damage, though.

 

 

[mark131v]

1 minute ago, T Lee said:

I have never in my life seen a story so wrong-headedly reported in the press, even the NY Times, which I´ve subscribed to for decades.

 

I´ve stayed at the Sea Lodge three years ago for several days and also this year for a second delightful experience.  I have no connection to the hotel other than the fact that of the 60 or 70 hotels I´ve patronized in Thailand,  the Sea Lodge is somewhere in the top three.  Every employee I dealt with there was friendly, welcoming, cheerful, and beyond reproach.

 

Somehow, journalism at times jumps the tracks and becomes a smoldering train wreck.  This is one of those times.  The NY Times swallowed the bait and printed a slanted tale some weeks back.  Anyone who takes the time to read all the details might come to realize that yes, we all have a right to state our professed experiences in postings whether they are favorable or testy, but there is also the concept of defamation and outright sabotage and malicious lying.

 

It is disheartening to see journalists who should know better seizing upon this sad tale and massaging it in true yellow journalism style.  It may wrongfully hurt an honest and earnest hotelier, but by golly, I´ll bet it helps the newspapers sell!  A shame about the collateral damage, though.

 

 

Are you sure?

 

I only ask as the name of the hotel is Sea View and NOT Sea Lodge

 

I too have stayed several times but never again they have shown a dark side that I find repugnant...

[Speedhump]

I think that anyone who has followed this matter knows the complaint against the hotel was not only ABUSIVE but also defamatory. TripAdvisor is not doing its job by mentioning this this case without mentioning that it is highly unusual and was brought about by an overly aggressive commenter. 

[Speedhump]

3 minutes ago, mark131v said:

Are you sure?

 

I only ask as the name of the hotel is Sea View and NOT Sea Lodge

 

I too have stayed several times but never again they have shown a dark side that I find repugnant...

Perhaps you weren't a guest with an aggressive and confrontational attitude? 

[Speedhump]

17 minutes ago, bimmerbob said:

complete 'a***hole' thinking, so typical of them not to understand basic supply/demand.

And you believe this comment was true? 

[alyx]

3 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

 

  No, a jail is a prison , he didnt get sent to jail .

Police cells are not jails and he didnt get sent to jail for this offence , he didnt even get charged for this offence, let alone get jailed for it .

   He was made to wait at a police station until the issue was resolved 

1) Have you ever been in a cell in Thailand or elsewhere?

2) How do you know how this person was made waiting ?

3) Jail in Thai: "COOK" for both the police station and the prison

as I said it is semantic: one is deprived of one's freedom 

That is all

 

[T Lee]

Thanks for the correction, Mark. 

 

Yes, I was referring to the Sea View Resort and Spa, pardon my fudging the name.

 

Darn!  Wish I were in touch with the chap who precipitated this brouhaha - he might be able to coach me on placing one´s mistakes on someone else!

[Speedhump]

30 minutes ago, northengr said:

No matter what a jerk this guy might have been, and I mean bringing outside stuff to a restaurant is pretty ignorant, no matter, Trip Advisor is right to warn us of the Hotel's fragile ego and the awful Thai laws they can and did use in this squabble. Right on TripAdvisor. 

 

He wrote a HIGHLY defamatory review of the hotel. What part of that don't you understand? I think using him as a salutory lesson for lying online loudmouths is absolutely fine. 

[alyx]

19 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

He wrote a HIGHLY defamatory review of the hotel. What part of that don't you understand? I think using him as a salutory lesson for lying online loudmouths is absolutely fine. 

you should read all the posts....this not the point

[mark131v]

1 minute ago, Speedhump said:

Perhaps you weren't a guest with an aggressive and confrontational attitude? 

 True, but, and there's always a but...

 

I have followed this from the first report because I know the hotel and have stayed a few times and even took my family with me when they visited I always regarded it very highly, not anymore..

 

I have seen all the online reviews that Barnes posted and he may very well be a bit of a plonker but they are benign and who is to say if he is wrong with what he saw or felt, it was a negative review and certainly not deserving of jail time

 

There is no racist/xenophobic point all he does is point out one of the managers nationality and infer that the staff seem miserable and maybe badly treated, wouldn't be the first time I have seen staff mistreated in Thailand or other places for that matter

 

Some is inflammatory but that is beside the point there were four online reviews one of which TA had taken down, this only became news when the hotel themselves released it during their damage limitation statement. If the hotel had done the right thing this would have had zero impact, but they didn't

 

Trip Advisor say in their report that it was they who paid Barnes's legal costs and got the hotel to sit down and negotiate, to me it seems like the Hotel were happy to go all in and if the foreign press hadn't got hold of it I believe they would have

 

Any business that gets a former guest jailed for this do not deserve to be in business, the harm they have done to themselves but also tourism in general is shocking, there is undoubtedly going to be a massive financial impact from this owners stupidity

 

The only positives I see is that it has shined a light into the murky world of Thailand's control laws that are blatantly a tool to protect the rich and powerful and the more people in the world hear about this abuse of power the better 

 

The saga has also shown the Thai national weakness that is 'face' and shown they are absolutely some of the most petty and vindictive people when they perceive they have been wronged or slighted, a good warning that they are willing to trash their entire business so long as they don't lose face, medieval thought process really ...

[alyx]

27 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

I think that anyone who has followed this matter knows the complaint against the hotel was not only ABUSIVE but also defamatory. TripAdvisor is not doing its job by mentioning this this case without mentioning that it is highly unusual and was brought about by an overly aggressive commenter. 

it is definitely the duty of TripAdvisor. Do you think that such a big company has based its decision on hearsay: they have been more than well informed about the case, I guess