A Phuket cake shop has lost a THB5 million damages claim against a customer who gave it a one-star online review, with the court ruling that the comments were made in good faith.

The customer had said the cake was not tasty and was expensive. The court dismissed the shop's case and ordered the claimant to bear court fees of about THB100,000, which were forfeited under the judgment, according to the consumer's lawyer.

Court dismisses THB5 million claim

The ruling was disclosed on 23 July by lawyer Arm Suwanraksa, also known as Phongsathorn Suwanraksa, a Songkhla-based lawyer, political activist and digital creator.

In a social-media post, Arm said he represented the consumer after the dispute involving a well-known cake shop in Phuket emerged in 2025.

Rather than explaining its position or taking on board the customer's feedback, the shop brought a legal action seeking THB5 million in damages, he said.

The court ultimately found that describing the cakes as not tasty and overpriced amounted to an honest opinion. The shop has since closed, according to Arm.

What the case means for customers

For foreign residents and visitors in Thailand, the case is a reminder that online reviews can carry legal consequences, particularly where criticism is directed at a business or individual.

However, the judgment in this case turned on the court's finding that the customer's comments were made in good faith. It should not be read as blanket protection for every negative post or review.

Customers posting reviews are best served by sticking to their own experience, clearly separating opinion from fact, and avoiding unsubstantiated allegations. This applies equally to reviews of restaurants, hotels, clinics, property agents and other businesses commonly used by expatriates and tourists.

Lawyer urges businesses to communicate

Arm said the outcome should also serve as a lesson for business operators. He argued that legal action against consumers should not be the first response to criticism, but a last resort.

“Customer criticism, if it is an opinion made in good faith, should be listened to, used for improvement or answered reasonably,” he said in his post.

He added that, if advising a business, he would encourage clear communication and suitable problem-solving rather than immediately taking a dispute to court.

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26 July 2026

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One-star review… zero-star legal strategy ⭐

no matter how you slice this situation , it's still quite a lot of cake

Apparently the 1 star review was correct, as with 1 review of a non tasty and expensive would not do so much harm, as many would review how tasty and value for the money were. But the customers who bought one did not return anymore and that is the reason why she had to close. Nothing to do with a review, In other branches like hotels not all reviews have 5 stars too, and not 1 hotel went bankrupt because of a few low rankings.

There is a saying the states if you are satisfied tell others if not not tell us..

Critics are good so that thing can be adjusted and improved

How can you have an opinion if you don't have Facts

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When I look at reviews, I just look for how many reviewers give 5 star reviews but only have one or just a handful of reviews, i.e they're the owner or his friends and family leaving fake reviews.

That's a bad review 😄

If you get bad service or food its natural to leave an honest review but in Thailand it can become very costly due to the laws surrounding defamation even when its the truth. Everyone should be allowed to leave an honest review without fear of being sued, it should be a wake up call to the owners they need to improve, unfortunately here some use it as a way to make more money and shut people up from telling the truth about them. I have left reviews that are only a couple of stars with no come back, I can only guess that the owners knew I was being honest, with this one it looks like the owner cant handle the truth.

Strike down all defamation laws, including 112.

I never pass comments on any shops such as this shop in Thailand. If the food is not up to standard I refuse to go there anymore. This is the first thing I learnt about living in a non tourist area in Thailand. They rarely sell poor quality food because they want you as a permanent customer. In the tourist areas good luck as the food vendors know that if you're a tourist they will probably never see you again.

9 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

When I look at reviews, I just look for how many reviewers give 5 star reviews but only have one or just a handful of reviews, i.e they're the owner or his friends and family leaving fake reviews.

That's a bad review 😄

Agree with looking at reviews. I mainly post reviews of local, mom & pop, restaurants mostly on Google. And I only post positive reviews IF the wife and I enjoy eating there. If we have a not so positive experience, we won't go back but I have never left a bad review. Nothing to gain personally from a bad review except stroking one's ego.

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Strike down all defamation laws, including 112.

Yessssssssss. Time to grow a backbone Thailand.

So all those who say under Thai law you can't defame someone even if the claim is true, are wrong.

In practice, it's more like it's a grey area which may or may not go against you, depending on various factors.

Maybe the bad publicity was the reason the shop ended up closing,

Same with that hotel on Khao Chang a few years back, I think the publicity surrounding that case did more damage to the hotel that to that American guy, they had to change the name of the hotel.

If you're in the service business, provide quality service. If you don't, the consequences are yours alone.