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Thai resort sues American for defamation over negative review
- Wesley Barnes, who is accused of causing ‘damage to the reputation of the Sea View Resort’, faces up to two years in prison if found guilty
- According to a TripAdvisor review Barnes posted in July, he encountered ‘unfriendly staff’ who ‘act like they don’t want anyone here’
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An American has been sued by an island resort in Thailand over a negative TripAdvisor review, authorities said on Saturday, and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
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Domestic tourism is still happening in Thailand, where coronavirus numbers are relatively low, with locals and expats heading to near-empty resorts – including Koh Chang island, famed for its sandy beaches and turquoise waters.
But a recent visit to the Sea View Resort on the island landed Wesley Barnes in trouble after he wrote unflattering online reviews about his holiday.
“The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the TripAdvisor website,” Colonel Thanapon Taemsara of Koh Chang police said.
He 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.
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Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested by immigration police and returned to Koh Chang where he was briefly detained and then freed on bail.
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