News Forum - Khao Yai hotel threatens 3 million baht lawsuit over negative review

[Thaiger]

It wouldn’t be the first time, but a Thai hotel is threatening to sue a customer over a negative review they left after their stay. The hotel, located in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima around the popular tourist destination of Khao Yai National Park, is threatening a 3 million baht lawsuit over a review where the past guest rated the hotel at 6 out of 10. The hotel has not been publicly named, but the woman who stayed at the property last month left what she believed was an anonymous review on a travel agency website on December 19 […]

The story Khao Yai hotel threatens 3 million baht lawsuit over negative review as seen on Thaiger News.

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[riclag]

Welcome to Thailand! When you ask for extra  towels prior to your evening dinner get away. I like to wash off the possible lingering Covid virus on my skin ,don’t bother . Just bring your own and don’t complain! Or else!

[Dmitrii]

Just brilliant! So, I need to hide behind VPN if I would like to post a non-flattering review, do I? Okay, it is good to know in advance...

[Paco]

Freedom of speech and opinion, insane, please mention the hotel so they get a few more...  either way good luck these people probably not even have 3 million, hotel just want money because it is empty and really over priced and of course a bunch of jerks

[HolyCowCm]

Absurd. One of the most absolute stupid laws here ever. 

[PapayaBokBok]

She should sue the website for releasing her private information and thus receiving threats from doing so..

Or she should just say she didnt write it...or catch me if you can--or if its true then its not slander....etc...

[Freeduhdumb]

"Writing a negative hotel review can be a dangerous pursuit in Thailand, as was made famous in a case from September 2020. After visiting the Sea View Resort on Trat province island in the Gulf of Thailand, American Wesley Barnes wrote an unflattering account of his stay prompting the owner to file an official complaint about the ‘unfair’ review. The complaint led to criminal charges being filed and Barnes serving time in a Thai jail and being forced to redact the hotel review."

I think we would all agree that if you make a malicious, illegitimate, provable defaming online comment that you should be held account. But does this warrant being thrown in Jail? Was what Wesley Barnes wrote found to have been defamatory? I don't know, I didn't follow that case, but...

I would argue what we are now seeing in this new case, is the Karmic effect of that Wesley Barnes decision. I don't like how you rate me, on a system, I, they (the hotel) agreed to participate in, thus I am going to use prior legal precedent for me too. If you cannot write a review without being sued, then the message is clear... don't participate, making that whole system useless at the very least, or completely disingenuous when you do read a review. 

 

[ThaiEyes]

23 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Absurd. One of the most absolute stupid laws here ever. 

Yes, in the top 3 for sure!

[ThaiEyes]

This is just what travelers need. A bunch of bogus “good” reviews so they have to find out how things really are after they travel halfway around the world for vacation. This just adds to the original uncertainties for travelers to Thailand in the first place with all the weekly, sometimes daily changes in immigration and travel in Thailand.

For tourism to flourish, they’ll have to get a handle on immigration, protectionist and “save face” policies to let the tourists breathe a bit. Thailand has lost much of its charm, albeit some of that negative, but they can turn it around if they would just get started. They’ve been stuck in the mud for too long. Time to claw their way out. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by ThaiEyes

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, Freeduhdumb said:

"Writing a negative hotel review can be a dangerous pursuit in Thailand, as was made famous in a case from September 2020. After visiting the Sea View Resort on Trat province island in the Gulf of Thailand, American Wesley Barnes wrote an unflattering account of his stay prompting the owner to file an official complaint about the ‘unfair’ review. The complaint led to criminal charges being filed and Barnes serving time in a Thai jail and being forced to redact the hotel review."

I think we would all agree that if you make a malicious, illegitimate, provable defaming online comment that you should be held account. But does this warrant being thrown in Jail? Was what Wesley Barnes wrote found to have been defamatory? I don't know, I didn't follow that case, but...

I would argue what we are now seeing in this new case, is the Karmic effect of that Wesley Barnes decision. I don't like how you rate me, on a system, I, they (the hotel) agreed to participate in, thus I am going to use prior legal precedent for me too. If you cannot write a review without being sued, then the message is clear... don't participate, making that whole system useless at the very least, or completely disingenuous when you do read a review. 

Isn't it just the opposite, what happens sometimes in western hotels?  People asking for upgrades, or they would write bad reviews.  So this is just the other side of that game, methinks.

Still, the hotel shouldn't be able to get away with it!

[Freeduhdumb]

49 minutes ago, ThaiEyes said:

This is just what travelers need. A bunch of bogus “good” reviews so they have to find out how things really are after they travel halfway around the world for vacation. This just adds to the original uncertainties for travelers to Thailand in the first place with all the weekly, sometimes daily changes in immigration and travel in Thailand.

For tourism to flourish, they’ll have to get a handle on immigration, protectionist and “save face” policies to let the tourists breathe a bit. Thailand has lost much of its charm, albeit some of that negative, but they can turn it around if they would just get started. They’ve been stuck in the mud for too long. Time to claw their way out. 

At this point I have come to question it this way... 

Ignorant benevolence? 

or 

Malicious Malevolence? 

At this point, I have a hard time believing it is the former. 

[Guest1]

59 minutes ago, ThaiEyes said:

This is just what travelers need. A bunch of bogus “good” reviews so they have to find out how things really are after they travel halfway around the world for vacation. This just adds to the original uncertainties for travelers to Thailand in the first place with all the weekly, sometimes daily changes in immigration and travel in Thailand.

For tourism to flourish, they’ll have to get a handle on immigration, protectionist and “save face” policies to let the tourists breathe a bit. Thailand has lost much of its charm, albeit some of that negative, but they can turn it around if they would just get started. They’ve been stuck in the mud for too long. Time to claw their way out. 

To be honest, Thailand has this 'stuff', immigration, protectionist, “save face” policies,  far longer, then the package tourists! The problem, some of it, may lay in the lesser quality of the tourists. Look at the video from the Samui Viewpoint, p.ex.! Usually, you can say one thing:  As soon, as parents arriving with  baby strollers in a holiday destination, mass tourism, the destination is downgraded from exquisite to a regular 'for everybody'.  So are the manners! Ask people, WHO was here, in the 80/90, aside that it wasn't (just starting) mass tourism!

'They' are looking for quality tourists but luring everybody in!

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by Guest1

[Freeduhdumb]

8 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Isn't it just the opposite, what happens sometimes in western hotels?  People asking for upgrades, or they would write bad reviews.  So this is just the other side of that game, methinks.

Still, the hotel shouldn't be able to get away with it!

I agree. Valid point. There's always two sides to a coin as we say. And you correctly point out the other side... At this point, if the court does take up this lawsuit (agrees to litigate in court), IMO it illustrates a "legal" system attempting to dictate morality as opposed to managing agreed upon societal legalities... Reminds me of living in a Muslim country. 

[nobusinessofurs]

Hotel dosen't have a leg to stand on. Me personally I would change my review to 1☆ and note the vile threats said hotel used.

[stuartg]

I rented an Airbnb in Bangkok last month. It was one of many  in Sukhumvit run by a company set up to do just that. I rang to complain that it was not the one shown in photos, the room was so small you had to go outside to change your mind. There were almost no utensils in the kitchen, one pan, one glass and an old cup. The bathroom was very worn and tired. I was also told the the building site next door was part of progress, and they  apologised and said that they would give me a present to compensate for the inconvenience. The next morning there were two 7 baht small bottles of water tied to the door. Then came the phone call. "An review less than 5 stars would be a disaster for me", said the woman I had been speaking to. I told her I would give her a fair review, which I did.

I know a number of resort owners and they all live or die by the reviews and the ratings, but then so do those who make bookings in good faith. Airbnb is a special case, because you often arrived tired and if something is wrong with the room, there is no moving to another as you would be able to do in a hotel. Reviews are the only way a customer can get any idea of what they are in for. Just to avoid offending the owners, some people would give Faulty Towers 5 stars. I probably would as well.

 

 

[Lowseasonlover]

It's on the Thai news channels that should generate some good publicity for the hotel

[KaptainRob]

8 minutes ago, stuartg said:

the room was so small you had to go outside to change your mind.

A quotable quote ! 

Sadly too many accommodation places use their original, years old, photos which do not reflect current condition.

I always leave an honest review and only one (Bangkok) was very -ve.   

[Paulw]

Thailand really needs to adjust its laws to outlaw businesses threatening customers with law suits otherwise poor or over priced establishments will never lift their game. Yes some people leave bad reviews out of spite or genuinely have had a bad experience so as a potential customer reading all the reviews before making bookings they should be able to establish whether the hotel, restaurant or whatever is worth booking or not. In this case because the resort made such a fuss it has in fact shot itself in the foot because now potential customers will really think twice about booking them, if they had written a response detailing why they thought it was a bad review people may give them the benefit of the doubt but not after this kind of publicity.  

[Lowseasonlover]

Something is not quite right here I just read through their reviews on Agoda and BDC and they have a few bad reviews and some not so good ratings so why go after these guest? From what I can see it was no worse than some

[Bifrost]

Thailand -  really good at destroy themselves and allways blame others.     incredible such are legal but it say all .     and those we are stil going there  ? " land of smile " LOS land of scammers  --

[Paco]

Release the name of the hotel, so they can learn not to mess around

[js89]

9 minutes ago, Paco said:

Release the name of the hotel, so they can learn not to mess around

https://www.facebook.com/ozonehotelkhoayai/

There's a photo of the written complaint in the comments section of the third post from the top

[Pete424]

Its very simple, do not stay in hotels in Thailand, when they are desperate for guests they can wonder why.

Also stop doing any reviews on any product/hotel/anything that Thailand produces/creates/sells/anything, 

The premis that if it's true it isn't slander doesn't apply in Thailand, anyone considering coming to Thailand, don't, go somewhere until they figure out that having a stupid law that doesn't allow for an honest hotel review to be posted.

Freedom of speech, only if we say so.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Paulw said:

Thailand really needs to adjust its laws to outlaw businesses threatening customers with law suits otherwise poor or over priced establishments will never lift their game. Yes some people leave bad reviews out of spite or genuinely have had a bad experience so as a potential customer reading all the reviews before making bookings they should be able to establish whether the hotel, restaurant or whatever is worth booking or not. In this case because the resort made such a fuss it has in fact shot itself in the foot because now potential customers will really think twice about booking them, if they had written a response detailing why they thought it was a bad review people may give them the benefit of the doubt but not after this kind of publicity.  

The dismissal of Natural Fruit's court case against Andy Hall by the Supreme Court went a long way towards doing that, as the court ruled ""The Supreme Court stands by the Appeal Court's (verdict) to dismiss the plaintiff's (case) as it is factually concluded that the defendant acted honestly and criticised with fairness," the court said."

Unfortunately the law hasn't been changed to reflect the Supreme Court's ruling, so businesses can still throw their weight around unless someone challenges them in court each time.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2113967/british-activist-cleared-in-pineapple-defamation-case

[Stonker]

25 minutes ago, Pete424 said:

The premis that if it's true it isn't slander doesn't apply in Thailand, anyone considering coming to Thailand, don't, go somewhere until they figure out that having a stupid law that doesn't allow for an honest hotel review to be posted.

To be fair, it does apply in Thailand, as the Supreme Court ruled that it's allowed as long as you "acted honestly and criticised with fairness,", but the problem is that the law hasn't been changed to reflect that so it means going to court each time.