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The resort is rated 4.5 stars out of five. It is located on a beautiful island off the coast of Thailand. Oh, and you could be arrested for posting a negative review.
Tripadvisor took the unusual step of posting a warning on its website about a Thai hotel, Sea View Resort & Spa Koh Chang, after it said a US guest was facing criminal charges and spent time in jail for his one-star review he posted on the travel booking site.
“The hotel may have exercised its legal rights under local law, however, it is our role to inform you so that you can take this into account when researching your travel plans,” the website warning.
The resort had accused the Tripadvisor user of posting slanderous reviews.
(Koh Chang sea view)
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A Tripadvisor spokesperson told Fox News this was the first time a traveler went to jail for sharing their opinion that the company was aware of.
“Tripadvisor believes in the right of every traveler to write about their travel experiences firsthand – good or bad,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Travelers love to share great news about their travel and dining experiences on our platform.
“Most of the negative reviews posted are valuable customer service and learning experiences for companies that choose to engage those reviews constructively,” they continued. “However, Tripadvisor strongly opposes any action where a company, like the Sea View Hotel & Spa in Koh Chang, uses local law to send someone to jail for expressing their opinion. This extraordinary action is why We have taken steps to send an alert to fellow travelers, in the form of a notification on the hotel’s home page on Tripadvisor. “
AFP previously identified the traveler as Wesley Barnes, an American who worked in Thailand. Immigration police arrested Barnes in September and briefly brought him back to the island of Koh Chang, after the resort owner filed a complaint about a review Barnes posted in July.
“Unfriendly staff, no one ever smiles,” Barnes wrote in the review, which is always posted on Tripadvisor. “They act like they don’t want anyone there. The restaurant manager was the worst. He is from the Czech Republic. He is extremely rude and rude to customers.
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The station’s response is also still posted on the website under review. He alleged that Barnes and his group brought their own alcohol into the resort restaurant against his rules, then “used abusive language” and caused “disruption” while refusing to pay the $ 16 corkage fee.
“We think it is very unfair that you chose to try to portray our beautiful resort and our very friendly staff very negatively, so we would like to shed some light on what drove you to go this far », Wrote the complex in response.
The resort previously told Fox News it was suing Barnes for leaving “multiple and defamatory reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.”
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Thailand has tough anti-defamation laws that have been criticized by human rights groups, Fox News reported. He was sentenced to as much as two years in prison and fined approximately $ 6,315.
Earlier this month, the station agreed to drop the charges against Barnes in exchange for a public apology, Reuters reported.
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