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British Man Arrested in Bangkok Over Defamation Claims by Phuket Restaurant


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Posted
8 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

false,,Ive written many bad reviews here, based on FACTS..not made up stuff to defame.....its not defamation if its TRUE..

 

read the article,,,he made up sh*t as revenge..hence the charges....just like FOX news got sued for lying......aka Fake news

 

I'd be careful extrapolating your personal experiences into a general statement.  Maybe you just haven't posted a bad review of the wrong business.


It's a lot like the guys who claim that scooters are perfectly safe, until they end up losing a leg...  Or the guys who have never been cheated by a Thai woman, until they lose a condo...


I'm recalling the guy from a few months back who was asked for 300,000 baht for filing a bad review on AirBNB.

 

YMMV

 

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Posted

I am glad that there was no internet to tempt me when I was a stupid 21-year-old.

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Posted

Typical Western and American style...if I can't get it..nobody does...

Shameless Cheap Scum....How low is low ? with this type people around...🫣

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Posted
24 minutes ago, BE88 said:

 

No only Thailand.

It's not only Thailand you can be sued for defamation in other countries including Australia if you post comments that are found to be baseless. 

Criminal defamation is over the top but that's the law here. 

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Posted
19 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

Please elaborate


I don't think I can elaborate any more. Which part are you having trouble with?

Posted
1 hour ago, webfact said:

image.jpeg

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.

 

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-- 2024-05-10

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Sorry, but this is confusing. Actually, there is no precise description of this case. 

If Alexander only reported facts it's not defamation.

But....Thailand and it's laws. Confusing sometimes 🙏

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Posted
38 minutes ago, Steven Pattaya said:

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.

Read the report, stupid... he and his friends posted FALSE reviews, which IS a crime world wide

Posted
11 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

false,,Ive written many bad reviews here, based on FACTS..not made up stuff to defame.....its not defamation if its TRUE..

 

read the article,,,he made up sh*t as revenge..hence the charges....just like FOX news got sued for lying......aka Fake news

Maybe you have just  been lucky?

I agree with you normally if the facts are true it should not be defamation.

Why bring FOX news into it?

 

"Under Thai law truth is not a defence in defamation cases. Even if what the defendant has said is demonstrably true, even if the plaintiff admits it is true, the defendant can still be found guilty, unless they can show there is a public interest in publishing."

From a BBC article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66643591

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Posted
19 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

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!

 

No idea these stories are always vague but to be honest if it wasn't in writing that he had the right to use the access that seemingly belongs to the restaurant then they can revoke it at any time. As mentioned I don't believe it should be criminal but false reviews also harm businesses and there should be deterrence for this but in the form of civil not criminal action if provable.

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Posted

Alexander should deny the allegations against him, as it is not him he identifies as a Wheelbarrow (Woke Society 😂)

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Posted

He imputed false information 

Spit my tea out !!!

I am pretty sure he thought the input was 

Fecking bang on ! 

Next you will arrested 

For wearing loud shirts

Fuzzy hair 

With intent of using a public crossing ! 

Posted
55 minutes ago, Steven Pattaya said:

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.

Free choice come here or stay away...

Posted

Not nice of the restaurant to deny him road access, but (although I don't agree at all with 'defamation-laws'),  what 'Alexander' did in return had nothing to do with the conflict at hand, so it is understandable that the restaurant uses the laws of the land against him..

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Posted
19 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

It's not only Thailand you can be sued for defamation in other countries including Australia if you post comments that are found to be baseless. 

Criminal defamation is over the top but that's the law here. 

 

I think it's right, if you defame someone because you don't like them or for other base reasons and you make them lose customers in their business it's right that will be punished for defamation.

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Posted

unbelievable... place this Thailand... never criticize anything or anyone...     that is why it will never get better....    

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Posted
57 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

 

Or the restaurant could have shown goodwill and friendly public relations by allowing someone access, instead of being needlessly obstructive to someone doing no harm at all. Anyone being an ars**** deserves all they get.

Posted
52 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

and also got his mates to join in, such that their Google rating dropped from 4.9 to 3.1.

 

Alleged.

 

And for all we know the alleged 4.9 rating was from 2 years ago.

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Posted

It was better in the days when you had to write a letter to call someone a <deleted>.

By the time you were ready to post it you had usually cooled down.

Posted
1 hour ago, 1happykamper said:

Death penalty. 555

 

That'll teach him to share his opinion 

 

 

Sharing false information is the alleged crime. He should have taken the restaurant to court about the entrance denied, not trying to destroy a business with false claims.

Posted

Another case like that...

 

Did the Thai lawmakers ever talk about changing this crazy law?

If the guy published incorrect information, then I understand that the restaurant would want compensation - in a private lawsuit.

This shouldn't be a criminal case.

 

And obviously if people publish the truth, then that shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

Did any politician or political party in Thailand ever suggest changing this? 

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