British Man Arrested in Bangkok Over Defamation Claims by Phuket Restaurant

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Khaosod

 

A 21-years-old British man, known as Alexander, has been arrested in Bangkok for allegedly defaming a restaurant in Phuket. Alexander was taken into custody on May 9 by Crime Suppression Division officers from his residence near Wat Phraya Krai, Charoen Krung Road, following an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court last year.

 

The charges revolve around "importing false information into a computer system to cause public damage". This was after a disagreement with an Italian restaurant owner over access rights to his accommodation in Phuket.

 

Despite benefiting from the restaurant offering a convenient access passage, Alexander was asked to stop using it as the cost of maintaining the route shaped the restaurant's decision to reserve it for their customers only. This led to a conflict between Alexander and the restaurant.

 

Later, the restaurant experienced a sharp decline in its Google customer review rating, dropping from 4.9 to 3.1. The restaurant attributed this fall to an influx of one-star reviews, allegedly posted by Alexander and his associates containing inaccurate and damaging statements about the restaurant. 

 

Upon discovering this, the restaurant owner lodged a complaint at Sakhu Police Station. After gathering evidence, the police issued an arrest warrant for Alexander, but he had meanwhile fled to Bangkok. He was recently detected and detained there, and is reportedly denying the charges against him. He has been transported back to Sakhu Police Station in Phuket for prosecution.

 

-- 2024-05-10

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[1happykamper]

Death penalty. 555

 

That'll teach him to share his opinion 

 

 

[Steven Pattaya]

Arrest people for leaving bad reviews but don't arrest people for attempted murder/using their cars to intentionally run down pedestrians.  Go Thailand police.

[NorthernRyland]

6 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

Death penalty. 555

 

That'll teach him to share his opinion 

You can't post 1 star reviews if you're dead. Check. Mate.

[Dont confuse me]

Sounds like Alexander got a few mates to post a load if one star reviews fair play to him. 

The owner wants to be unreasonable over access to his accommodation (because of maintenance costs?) Translation =he wanted a few baht! 

[dougieboy]

I think, if you visit a restaurant and the food and service is of poor quality then you should have every right to leave honest reviews without fear of prosecution. 
However, if you leave poor reviews about a restaurant simply because you’re upset that they’ve revoked your right to use their right of way then I’m sorry you deserve everything that’s coming your way.

You should’ve just sucked it up

[sikishrory]

"Fled" to Bangkok, or left a review, thought nothing of it and continued his travels in Bangkok.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

9 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

Death penalty. 555

 

That'll teach him to share his opinion 

 

 

Quite, love the sarcasm, but sadly in Thailand, if you express your opinion online, even if its true, it can get you in trouble!

[BE88]

1 minute ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Quite, love the sarcasm, but sadly in Thailand, if you express your opinion online, even if its true, it can get you in trouble!

 

No only Thailand.

[shackleton]

You would think people coming and living in Thailand 

Would learn or know what they can say or do in Thailand 

Bottom line you are a guest behave like one 

And enjoy what Thailand has to offer 

No doubt others will think differently 

[BananaGuy]

If anyone blocks my passage, in a day or two they’ll suffer more than a negative review …

[JoePai]

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

 

No doubt others will think differently 

Correct 

[ryandb]

I'm guessing it wasn't just petty revoking of use there was likely noise or certain types of people joining him that the restaurant didn't want its patrons to see or hear, I don't for one second believe this should be a criminal case but if a provable loss of income from false reviews then a civil case would be fine

[milesinnz]

make sure this makes the western press.. oh s***, there will be a warrant out for my arrest as well.....

[2long]

Before we all jump on this, do we know who's in the right or wrong in the first instance? I'm not talking about reviews or police. I'm on about the disagreement.

 

In any case, Alexander should have only left one review... he's a silly boy!

[transam]

3 minutes ago, shackleton said:

You would think people coming and living in Thailand 

Would learn or know what they can say or do in Thailand 

Bottom line you are a guest behave like one 

And enjoy what Thailand has to offer 

No doubt others will think differently 

Yeh, riiiiiiight........Is there a handbook, a highway code on things that a tourist could be nabbed for in LOS, well, noooooo...

[trevoromgh]

Stupid of him to mis-use a legitimate (almost) review mechanism to seek vengeance for a disagreement he had with the owner over an unrelated matter.  There must be an easier way to resolve a grievance such as this. Anyway he's found out the hard way the error of his ways. 

[cjinchiangrai]

I have never heard of a prosecution based on a single focused Yelp review. Multi-posting bad reviews over something unrelated to the business should be prosecuted. It is deliberate and it is dishonest.

[josephbloggs]

4 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

"Fled" to Bangkok, or left a review, thought nothing of it and continued his travels in Bangkok.

Try reading more than just the headline. Or is it too hard for you to get past the big letters?

No one in Thailand has ever been arrested for leaving a review saying the service was bad, or that the food wasn't good. I have done it myself for Sea View Resort in Koh Chang (yes, the one who prosecuted the other idiot) and the management responded and apologised for the incident and vowed to improve service because it was a fair and balanced review.

 

This moron had a dispute over access to his condo and (allegedly) bombarded the restaurant with one star reviews and also got his mates to join in, such that their Google rating dropped from 4.9 to 3.1. That is obviously going to have a negative effect on their business and is a form of defamation. I don't believe it should be a criminal offence, but it is in this country and some others. Don't defame businesses or people and you'll be fine.

He was stupid, vindictive and petty.

 

[Sydebolle]

Well, if I decipher this fantastic statement, then the accused lived near a restaurant and had to pass it in order to reach home. The restaurant owner in turn stopped him for the benefit of restaurant visitors and the "shape" of whatever? 

Irrespective of all this; this is a joke. If the restaurant owner is right, then just file a claim, take it to court and let them deal with it. Arresting an accused will make crystal clear, that you better shut up even if you're right. Fantastic boost of course also for tourism, the goons at the tourism promotion desk must be more than delighted over this latest "fall out". 

Well done, congrats are in order! 

[harrycallahan]

Banged Up Abroad - Ratings Disaster 

A young backpacking Brit struggles to escape Thailand after being accused of downgrading an Italian restaurant's Google score. Facing the threat of jail, will Alex pay for his release or can he prove Phuket spaghetti doesn't stick to walls. 

[sikishrory]

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

Try reading more than just the headline. Or is it too hard for you to get past the big letters?

No one in Thailand has ever been arrested for leaving a review saying the service was bad, or that the food wasn't good. I have done it myself for Sea View Resort in Koh Chang (yes, the one who prosecuted the other idiot) and the management responded and apologised for the incident and vowed to improve service because it was a fair and balanced review.

 

This moron had a dispute over access to his condo and (allegedly) bombarded the restaurant with one star reviews and also got his mates to join in, such that their Google rating dropped from 4.9 to 3.1. That is obviously going to have a negative effect on their business and is a form of defamation. I don't believe it should be a criminal offence, but it is in this country and some others. Don't defame businesses or people and you'll be fine.

He was stupid, vindictive and petty.

 

Please elaborate

[NemoH]

There is more to this than the usual restaurant review. I read the article that he was actually contracted to promote the restaurant. However, after his contract with the restaurant, his dispute with the restaurant caused him to intentionally use fraudulent means to post bad reviews on the same restaurant and for this action, it gave cause to a criminal defamation charge. 

Edited May 10 by NemoH

[Smokey and the Bandit]

13 minutes ago, ryandb said:

I'm guessing it wasn't just petty revoking of use there was likely noise or certain types of people joining him that the restaurant didn't want its patrons to see or hear, I don't for one second believe this should be a criminal case but if a provable loss of income from false reviews then a civil case would be fine

If there was evidence of noise etc, as you mention, did the owner ask politely for him to stop whatever the issue was?

We don't really have all the information, but In Thailand even if you leave a negative review which is true and you have evidence, you can still get in trouble, which is crazy!

Edited May 10 by Smokey and the Bandit

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

great posting gents

 

now let get to to the FACTS....a rare thing theser days on this site

 

the POST say he seemingly left many FALSE statements about the business....yes that IS defamation...

 

TRUE statements would NOT be...see how that works. as i have left BAD reviews here in LOS based on BAD service aka truth

 

Saying FALSE things about any business can lead to this ,,anywhere....see how this works???

 

but do go on about freedom of speech etc,,,you must be the one making jokes about bombs on planes.....smh

 

whats your grievance today ????

Perhaps Alex also dinned there, and his chums.......🤔

[Frankie baby]

I suppose they have to prove the review is incorrect before they can proceed.

[transam]

Just now, Sticky Rice Balls said:

thank you  ive posted bad reviews based on FACTS .....the kid was making up stuff and bombing the owner with fake reviews..for all the dim witted here....for the slow ones..you cant make up lies and post them about others business...ok???

"Dim witted here", that's a bit much coming from you..............

[Card]

18 minutes ago, dougieboy said:

I think, if you visit a restaurant and the food and service is of poor quality then you should have every right to leave honest reviews without fear of prosecution. 
However, if you leave poor reviews about a restaurant simply because you’re upset that they’ve revoked your right to use their right of way then I’m sorry you deserve everything that’s coming your way.

You should’ve just sucked it up

Except Thai law doesn't discriminate between the two

[Card]

If restaurant owners can't be arrested for lying about the quality of their service and false advertising then customers should have the right to give bad reviews 

[Mike Lister]

2 minutes ago, Frankie baby said:

I suppose they have to prove the review is incorrect before they can proceed.

Nope. Defamation laws in Thailand are such that it doesn't matter if what was said is true or not, only that it was said and it caused damage as a result.