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BANGKOK: Travel website Tripadvisor has listed a warning for a Thai resort, after it brought legal action against an American expat for a negative review, which briefly landed him in prison.
In July, Wesley Barnes wrote about his encounter with “unfriendly staff” and accused the Sea View hotel and spa on Koh Chang island of “modern slavery” following a dispute over a corkage fee.
The complex then sued Barnes and spent two days in police custody after being arrested and charged under Thailand’s strict defamation laws.
Barnes and the complex reached an agreement after a mediation session last month.
Tripadvisor message added to Sea View on Wednesday (Nov 11) warns potential guests of what happened to Barnes.
READ: Thai hotel to drop charges against guests facing jail for bad reviews
Screenshot of the resort listing on Tripadvisor.
“The hotel may have been exercising its legal rights under local laws, however, it is our role to inform you so that you can take this into account when investigating your travel plans,” the warning reads.
Tripadvisor said it had taken the “extraordinary action” of posting a warning on the hotel listing so other travelers would be aware of the incident.
“Tripadvisor believes in the right of every traveler to write about their travel experiences first hand, good or bad,” said a spokeswoman.
“Tripadvisor strongly opposes any action where a business, such as the Sea View Hotel and Spa on Koh Chang, uses local law to send someone to jail for expressing their opinion.”
In a statement, the hotel said it was “deeply disappointed” with Tripadvisor’s move, saying it would “create further confusion and restart a closed case.”
AFP has asked Barnes for comment.
Thailand’s harsh criminal defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful players use them as a weapon to stifle free speech.
The maximum sentence is two years in prison, along with a fine of 200,000 baht (6,300 US dollars).
Human Rights Watch Asia Deputy Director Phil Robertson said Thailand’s defamation laws were a “time-tested tool” for suppressing critical opinions and some companies were willing to “sue in the blink of an eye.”
“It is very very easy to present these cases without almost any evidence,” he told AFP.
