Thai hotel threatens customer with ฿3m lawsuit over bad review

[madmitch]

2 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Surely if the hotel or at least the manager had any common sense, instead of threatening a defamation lawsuit with all its potential bad press. he or she would have contacted the customer who posted the review and ascertained exactly what the problems were?

Then the hotel could have offered a free weekend to the customer and then the hotel would be seen in a good light at practically no cost.

Instead if this gets published internationally the hotel is screwed!

Paragraph 1, yes. Paragraph 2, no way!

[itsari]

Many reviews are written with malicious intent .

Many businesses have to work with customers that are far from being right . 

Malicious intent could be taken through the courts in most countries .

 

[malibukid]

loss of face is a big deal in Asia.  this is why it will never grow up

[crazykopite]

It is time this stupid law was placed in the garbage can what is the point of having reviews only to be threatened with court action because you failed to give 10 out of ten and I’m not just talking about hotels it could be a restaurant review this law is nothing short of farcical 

[apetryxx]

What is the name of this this damn hotel. We’re going to Khao Yai in a couple of weeks and I want to make sure we’re not staying there. Help!

[FinChin67]

Owners reminds me for some reason of Amy’s bakery on Gordon Ramseys Kitchen Nightmares. 

[anfh]

Why bother to have a review page if you are going to sue people who put a review ? 
the idea is that you benefit from a review, good or bad, you adjust your business to suit. 
you will never plaese 100% of customers anyway , so learn from bad reviews and do better. 

[ChipButty]

3 hours ago, rbkk said:

The last time it was Agoda and the hotel in Koh Chang ( Farang manager!). The news was internationally reported at the time. The name and location of the hotel was soon uncovered. Just waiting for the same to happen here so we all know where to avoid. Any more clues anyone?

 

It was TripAdvisor 

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Change this stupid law it obviously is out of place in the modern world

Yes indeed, but with respect, Thailand is run by a pro-military medieval "establishment" still living in the Dark Ages!!

[Cake Monster]

Whilst I agree that the threat of being sued is Infantile to say the least, what is wrong with actually talking to the Hotel Management prior to your departure and pointing out that some things need attention.

Point out exactly what needs attention, and any good Management should listen to your constructive criticism, and actual thank you in order to improve their service to the customer.

Too many people hide behind a smart phone screen these days instead of actually manning up face to face.

Talking is good.

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, thaitom said:

what's the name of the hotel ? I now want to write something......

I wish I could help but when I searched hotels in Khao Yai, Booking.com listed 398!!

[phetphet]

I wonder how exposed to a lawsuit one would be if it was written along the lines of: "Due to the libel laws in Thailand, I really cannot give an honest report of my experience staying in this hotel."

[farangroby]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A Thai customer has been threatened with a costly lawsuit by a hotel in Khao Yai, in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, after she complained about the hotel on a travel agency website and gave it a low rating following her stay there last year.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g580110-d594766-Reviews-Sea_View_Resort_Spa_Koh_Chang-Ko_Chang_Trat_Province.html

 

[teutonian]

Sansiri does the same.  Dare to complain…. Get sued. Not just for civil court damages but even with a private criminal complaint.  A little known fact a out the inane Thai criminal law is that any individual can directly petition the court to accept a criminal complaint for things like defamation.  No police or prosecutor will review the charges.  Takes years to get through it, cost a lot of money and it is strictly done to intimidate customers. 
 

For that reason, even a win is a loss. 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

I thought the hotels only kept the good reviews and threw out the bad ones, somebody goofed.

The hotels cant remove any reviews same as the guest, Only the OTA can remove

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, teutonian said:

Sansiri does the same.  Dare to complain…. Get sued. 
 

 

Are you sure about that? Sansiri is a development company 

[youngster30uk]

Gotta love this, read the last part, the truth is not a defense for private matters

 

Under Section 326 of the Thai Criminal Code, defamation is defined as whoever imputes anything about another person to a third person in a manner likely to impair the person’s reputation or place the person in contempt or hatred by others. When defamation is committed by publication or other media made visible by any means, the offender is liable for imprisonment for up to two years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht. If the person who is accused of defamation is able to prove that the statement is true, the person shall not be punished. But the truth is not a defense for private matters that is not a benefit to the public (Section 330).

 

[Molly Malone]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

so no hotel in Thailand can ever have a bad review  ?

only good one's are allowed or we'll sue you ....     Lol   

 

 

Makes perfect sense if you have a bizarrely inflated egotistical opinion of yourself, see it many times every day on the roads, they creep out of side lanes in front of oncoming traffic with a gangster like mentality of "you will stop for me, because I am a rich Thai". Thai price/farrang price, same thing, get

over yourselves and behave like normal people!

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

This has all gotten worse since the army butted in and thought they could run a country. ????????

Nothing to do with the government. Many 'regrettable' things are, but not banning negative hotel reviews. That has been written into Thai law for a long time. Of course, one of the many previous army governments might have introduced it, but not this one.

[steevjee]

3 hours ago, rbkk said:

The last time it was Agoda and the hotel in Koh Chang ( Farang manager!). The news was internationally reported at the time. The name and location of the hotel was soon uncovered. Just waiting for the same to happen here so we all know where to avoid. Any more clues anyone?

 

If and when it is revealed I'll be certain to never grace its doorstep

[swm59nj]

So I guess you have to give every establishment a positive review according to the law? Even If a person didn’t have a good experience? 

[teutonian]

15 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Are you sure about that? Sansiri is a development company 

Absolutely sure.  Do you want to see the stacks of court papers?   They are a developer and also operate rental for holidays and have hotels.  
 

the Thai legal system gives plaintiffs all the  tools to make life extremely uncomfortable for anyone who dares to complain.  Most have the decency to work things out. Sansiri isn’t one of them (in our cases). 

[ourmanflint]

This is quite apt for me and the mrs, we checked into a hotel booked through agoda yesterday in chiang mai, but checked out after an hour as hotel was nothing like the one promised in photos, in fact it was a dump, no food at all, no restaurant only ay to get food was by grab and this was rated as 4* on Agoda

I was furious as we paid for 4 nights, but they had a no refund policy, so only thing left is to leave a stinking review. 
 

Will wait until I’m out of the country though! ????????????

[Surasak]

Writing a review, good or bad on a booking site in my personal experience, is not the right thing to do. I have made a few complaints and given compliments in my time and prefer to make them in person at the highest possible level at the time. Compliments are usually met with gratitude. Complaints well, they are received varyingly from profuse apologies to down right objection.

The main thing either way is to be positive and polite.

I have had some refunds, and upgrades by taking the person to one side out of earshot and put over the case with truthful facts, and pointing out you are not wanting to cause a scene.

If one has to write, again put over the facts and in both cases make no threats. Always put the ball in their court and you will mostly come out on top. Threats should be a very last resort.

Just my five pence worth.

[chilli42]

So these folks accused the hotel/hotel staff of theft of a gold chain.  Then turns out that it’s one of their own friends who lifted the chain.  Maybe they should have been a bit slower with their blame.

[Pdavies99]

Knowing how Thailand can be bullies etc, they should have published as "Anonymous"

[Pdavies99]

12 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Writing a review, good or bad on a booking site in my personal experience, is not the right thing to do. I have made a few complaints and given compliments in my time and prefer to make them in person at the highest possible level at the time. Compliments are usually met with gratitude. Complaints well, they are received varyingly from profuse apologies to down right objection.

The main thing either way is to be positive and polite.

I have had some refunds, and upgrades by taking the person to one side out of earshot and put over the case with truthful facts, and pointing out you are not wanting to cause a scene.

If one has to write, again put over the facts and in both cases make no threats. Always put the ball in their court and you will mostly come out on top. Threats should be a very last resort.

Just my five pence worth.

The purpose of reviews is to enable potential new clients to assess if a hotel is a dump or not, sending a private complaint whilst acceptable, helps no one and unfortunately the hotel often ignore a private complaint.

[ThaiFelix]

Your comments, and emoticons, are being noted and law suits will follow if found to be negative lol!

[moe666]

Do not jump on the hotel until you know the facts. A friend in Chiang Mai ran a guest house her and one of the customers complained that there was no parking, this fact was included on the add for guest house. The kicker happen to be the complainer had no car to park.

 So until you know the full story best to  hold your powder.

[HashBrownHarry]

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Precisely, I have stopped making reviews, on anything, since the Seaview resort incident in Koh Chang last year. Sometimes it breaks my heart because there are some really good people out there. 

 

T.I.T the bad guys want to benefit at the expense of the good ones

I just make verbal reviews to the manager, politely at first and if no positive response i'll normally leave a turd in the cupboard when i leave.