A Thai tourist says a Tokyo Airbnb host refused her booking request because she was Thai, after allegedly citing repeated problems involving earlier Thai guests.

The woman shared screenshots of the exchange in a Japanese travel group. She said she had attempted to book accommodation in Tokyo's Asakusa district, near the Sumida River.

According to the screenshots, the host apologised but said the property owner had decided not to accept Thai guests. The report has not been independently verified beyond the images shared online.

Host lists alleged problems with previous guests

The host allegedly told the woman that previous Thai guests had damaged the property, flushed toilet paper and caused plumbing issues.

Other complaints listed were that guests brought their own household items, did not sort rubbish correctly and left the accommodation dirty.

While acknowledging that the woman might not behave in the same way, the host said the alleged issues had happened "many times" and asked her to understand why the booking could not be accepted.

The exchange has drawn criticism and debate among Thai travellers. Some commenters criticised the behaviour described by the host, while others argued that it was wrong to judge every Thai guest by the actions of previous visitors.

Debate over Airbnb rules and discrimination

One Thai Airbnb host taking part in the discussion said turning away guests solely because they came from a particular country would breach Airbnb policies and could amount to discrimination.

The host said some operators may have had poor experiences with travellers from certain countries, but should not state this openly by refusing an entire nationality.

Another commenter said they had stayed in Japanese Airbnb properties and complied with local rubbish-sorting requirements and other house rules. They said hosts should assess individual guests through their previous reviews and records, rather than their nationality.

Picture courtesy of Khaosod

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19 August 2026

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6 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The exchange has drawn criticism and debate among Thai travellers. Some commenters criticised the behaviour described by the host, while others argued that it was wrong to judge every Thai guest by the actions of previous visitors.

Haven't several Thai businesses and establishments similarly taken to posting and barring particular foreign nationalities in Thailand? I guess the shoe is on the other foot or the foot is on the other shoe or whatever.

Edited 44 minutes ago44 min by John Drake