An American national working in Thailand was sued by a hotel after he left them a ‘harsh’ review on several digital platforms.
According to Mail and Guardian, Wesley Barnes was in disagreement with the Sea View Resort about paying a corkage fee, saying that the manager was ‘aggressive’ towards him.
Thailand is notorious for its strict anti-defamation laws.
In his review on TripAdvisor, among other platforms, he also accused the establishment of taking part in ‘modern day slavery’. The resort said the criticism by the former guest was harsh, untrue and damaging to the hotel’s reputation.
Barnes was subsequently arrested and held in jail for two nights, before being freed on bail after being sued for defamation by the hotel.
‘The owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the TripAdvisor website,’ police said.
According to Siam Legal, under Section 326 of the Thai Criminal Code, defamation is defined as whoever imputes anything about another person to a third person in a manner likely to impair the person’s reputation or place the person in contempt or hatred by others.
When defamation is committed by publication or other media made visible by any means, the offender is liable for imprisonment for up to two years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht (R106,000). If the person who is accused of defamation is able to prove that the statement is true, the person shall not be punished.
Barnes has an upcoming court appearance in October.
Image credit: Unsplash
