Pattaya: Restaurant owner goes to police to report customer's post - she's forced to "grovel" with flowers

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

A customer of a restaurant in Pattaya was forced to grovel with the presentation of flowers in a huge bouquet after she angered the owner of the restaurant.

 

Wiphada, 53, went on TikTok to moan after getting home and realising she'd been given vegetarian fried rice instead of "khao phat talay" - seafood fried rice. She thought she'd ordered the more expensive dish for her kid.

 

The owner of Mum Aroi (delicious corner) went to the Bang Lamung police and filed a report immediately about damage to her business. 

 

At the weekend a contrite Wiphada - whose face was vaselined out in the Sanook round-up of events - presented the expensive looking bouquet to Wanphen Tophanich. 

 

Wiphada said it had all been a misunderstanding and she was sorry for any damage she might have done to the reputation of the restaurant.

 

Sanook said it had all ended happily as the wais were made. This in defamation crazy Thailand where customers who complain can find themselves in trouble with the police.

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Even if they are in the right, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Wiphada groveled: "I didn't mean to cause them damage, I was in a mood and didn't check the bill. I'll try to think more in the future (before posting) so it doesn't happen again. I'm so sorry.

 

"We are regular customers and we'll definitely be going back to this restaurant," she continued effusively," "The owner is so lovely with a wonderful temperament".

 

Wanphen said that her staff are well trained in taking orders and that she accepted the customer apology and would remove the police complaint. 

 

She was pictured smiling by the Pattaya beachfront, her reputation intact.  

 

ASEAN NOW cautions against publicly shaming businesses in Thailand - even if you think you're in the right the law will most likely side with the business.

 

Not you. 

 

A case of the customer always being in the wrong, the opposite of a English saying about the customer always being right!

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-09-05

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[roo860]

Brilliant!????????????????

[bigupandchill]

can we take it from the report that the complainer was factually incorrect in her review? if her report had been accurate would the result have been the same?

[MadMuhammad]

So instead of the whinge being low key and just fading away now a very large audience is aware, it’s as if the restaurant thinks they actually had a win here. I’m not sure if it’s a well thought through marketing campaign……

[MadMuhammad]

3 minutes ago, bigupandchill said:

can we take it from the report that the complainer was factually incorrect in her review? if her report had been accurate would the result have been the same?

Maybe so, but it could have it been handled in a better fashion? 

[jayboy]

The owner is so "lovely" that she reports customers to the police for trivial reasons? Does the owner understand that her reputation is not in fact "intact" and that many will now avoid her establishment? Almost certainly she has not heard of the Barbra Streisand effect - i.e where taking legal action has the opposite effect of what was intended.

 

And why is that dish of Khao phat the size of a hippo?

[thaibeachlovers]

Why do people not use anonymous forums to complain? I'd never complain on line if I thought they could identify me.

[seajae]

again we see the loss of face for screwing up someones order being turned into a pathetic spectacle, the owner should be the one appologizing for getting it wrong, hope they lose all their business and have to close for this BS action, time for some of these idiots to learn to accept fault for what they do

 

[grain]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why do people not use anonymous forums to complain? I'd never complain on line if I thought they could identify me.

That's what I always think. I never use my real name on any forums or FB or blogs. 

[JayClay]

3 minutes ago, seajae said:

again we see the loss of face for screwing up someones order being turned into a pathetic spectacle, the owner should be the one appologizing for getting it wrong, hope they lose all their business and have to close for this BS action, time for some of these idiots to learn to accept fault for what they do

 

While I agree with you, the customer seemingly went straight to TikTok rather than giving the owner a chance to rectify the issue first. 

 

A story of silliness on all sides, if you ask me.

[MJCM]

14 minutes ago, grain said:

That's what I always think. I never use my real name on any forums or FB or blogs. 

Do you also use a VPN all the time, because NOT connecting through a VPN will expose your REAL IP Address which is logged via your Internet provider and then the police can easily find you even you using a Fake Name on Forums or FB or Blogs!

[RafPinto]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

She was pictured smiling by the Pattaya beachfront, her reputation intact.  

555

 

Seems to be a very happy and real smile on her face.

[rbkk]

Interesting that the name of the business is given. Unlike the name of a certain Thai senator and various banks and various dodgy hotels and....

[Doctor Tom]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

ASEAN NOW cautions against publicly shaming businesses in Thailand - even if you think you're in the right the law will most likely side with the business.

and there you go,  its very good advice,  but its beyond pathetic that such a situation exists here in LOS. Yes it was over the top by the customer, but even more over the top was the reaction of the business owner. That's social media for you.   No wonder they will never advance beyond 'average'  as a tropical tourist destination.  

[Denim]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Wiphada said it had all been a misunderstanding

Thailand, the hub of misunderstandings.

 

Oh well, at least the owner had a bright and shiny sphincter for a while after all that groveling .

 

 

[Gandtee]

2 hours ago, bigupandchill said:

can we take it from the report that the complainer was factually incorrect in her review? if her report had been accurate would the result have been the same?

Very likely.

[Photoguy21]

2 hours ago, bigupandchill said:

can we take it from the report that the complainer was factually incorrect in her review? if her report had been accurate would the result have been the same?

Yes if it said something bad about the restaurant. Doesn't matter if it is true you cannot say anything bad against a Thai company. All the companies are 1st class in what they do.

[spidermike007]

There is so much mindlessness that takes place online these days, with the ability for anyone to say anything. I usually devote several moments of thought to a post, especially when I am criticizing an establishment, with a negative online review. I do this occasionally. But only if there is very good reason for it. And only if it is well deserved. 

 

"We are regular customers and we'll definitely be going back to this restaurant," she continued effusively," "The owner is so lovely with a wonderful temperament".

 

Really? If you feel that way, why post something nasty over such a tiny mistake? Or better yet, why not check the dish? It sounds like it was take out. This was an innocent and tiny mistake. Who is really at fault here? 

 

[RJRS1301]

What a waste of time and effort for all concerned

 

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

Once again, with all the issues going on in Thailand, why is this even news?

axx kissing & saving face always big news here  555

[hotandsticky]

A place to avoid.

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, KIngsofisaan said:

Once again, with all the issues going on in Thailand, why is this even news?

What issues?

[Chelseafan]

I love Thailand but stories like this make it so dysfunctional and backwards sometimes...

 

 

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, Chelseafan said:

I love Thailand but stories like this make it so dysfunctional and backwards sometimes...

 

 

that's what I think about where you seem to be from. that old place is a basket case. 

[MRToMRT]

I cant believe I am even commenting on this madness.

[bkk6060]

The hotel broker sites like Booking.com always send me requests for a hotel review.  I wrote to them explaining the law and to stop as I did not want to go to jail.  Review nothing even saying something in this forum may be reported and get you in trouble.

[Chelseafan]

40 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

that's what I think about where you seem to be from. that old place is a basket case. 

I'm what way? 

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This was an innocent and tiny mistake. Who is really at fault here? 

 

The ludicrous restaurant owner was at fault.She was the one who brought in the police over really nothing at all.

 

And as to the effusive words of praise of her victim, she was obviously trying to bring the whole foolish episode to an end - perhaps reinforced by a double helping of 'prachot'.

[Gottfrid]

Good That they show a picture of the owner anyway. Must make it easy for many to know what restaurant it is. Hopefully some damage anyway.

[grain]

3 hours ago, MJCM said:

Do you also use a VPN all the time, because NOT connecting through a VPN will expose your REAL IP Address which is logged via your Internet provider and then the police can easily find you even you using a Fake Name on Forums or FB or Blogs!

Yep my vpn is on right now, and according to that I'm in Paris, France. So if the BIB want to go on a wild goose chase for someone called grain who lives in Paris, and prosecute him for saying online that the tom yum gung at Mama Noi's restaurant in Khon Kaen is mai aroy, then so be it. ????