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American faces two years' jail — for negative Tripadvisor review on Thai resort

An American is facing two years' jail for posting unflattering comments about the Sea View Resort at Koh Chang island, Thailand. — AFP pic
An American is facing two years' jail for posting unflattering comments about the Sea View Resort at Koh Chang island, Thailand. — AFP pic

PETALING JAYA, Sept 29 — American Wesley Barnes landed himself in the soup over his review of the Sea View Resort at Koh Chang island where he wrote in July that he encountered “unfriendly staff” who “act like they don't want anyone here.”

Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police told AFP that Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the Tripadvisor website.

Taemsara said Barnes was accused of causing “damage to the reputation of the hotel,” and of quarrelling with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol brought to the hotel.

Barnes, who works in Thailand, was later arrested by immigration police and returned to Koh Chang where he was briefly detained and then freed on bail.

Thailand's notorious anti-defamation laws have long drawn scrutiny from human rights and press freedom groups, who say powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle freedom of expression.

Screenshot of Wesley Barnes' comment on the Tripadvisor website.
Screenshot of Wesley Barnes' comment on the Tripadvisor website.

The maximum sentence Barnes faces is two years in prison, along with a 200,000 baht (RM26,000) fine.

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