American to avoid jail for negative TripAdvisor review of Thai hotel

AN AMERICAN EXPAT in Thailand will avoid legal action and possible jail time for posting a negative review of a hotel on TripAdvisor after settling with the resort to sue him, police said.

Wesley Barnes wrote of his encounter with “unfriendly staff” who “act like they don’t want anyone here” after a stay at Sea View on Koh Chang Island, famous for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters, in June. .

In another review that was removed by the site for violating its guidelines, it accused the hotel of “modern slavery.”

The complex then sued Barnes and spent two days in custody after being arrested and charged under Thailand’s strict defamation laws.

The maximum sentence is two years in prison, along with a fine of 200,000 baht (about 5,500 euros).

Barnes and the complex reached an agreement yesterday after a police-supervised mediation session, said Colonel Kitti Maleehuan, superintendent of the Koh Chang Police Station.

Barnes had “agreed to comply with the hotel’s proposals,” Maleehuan said, apologizing to the hotel and its staff.

The American, who works in Thailand, must also apologize to the kingdom’s Tourism Authority and provide an explanation to the US embassy.

If it complies with the terms of the agreement, the hotel said it would withdraw the complaint.

AFP has reached out to Barnes for comment.

Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand, where coronavirus numbers are relatively low: 3,622 cases and only 59 deaths.

Many locals and expats are making the most of the downturn in tourism to enjoy nearly empty resorts.

Thailand’s notorious anti-defamation laws have long been under scrutiny by human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful actors use them as a weapon to suppress freedom of expression.

Earlier this year, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for posting a tweet referring to a dispute over working conditions at a chicken farm owned by the Thammakaset company.

– © AFP 2020