US man faces jail over negative TripAdvisor review of Thailand hotel

An American man is facing two years in prison after complaining about “unfriendly staff” in a negative online review about a hotel in Thailand.

A US man is facing two years behind bars after penning negative online reviews about a Thailand hotel – including accusing the business of “modern-day slavery,” according to reports.

Wesley Barnes, who works in Thailand, was arrested for allegedly causing damage to the reputation of the Sea View Resort on the island of Koh Chang, UK’s Telegraph reported.

Mr Barnes allegedly wrote reviews on multiple sites in which he claimed that he dealt with “unfriendly staff” who “act like they don’t want anyone here” during a recent visit to the popular resort destination.

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The Sea View Resort on Koh Chang, Thailand. Picture: Sea View Koh Chang

One of the reviews that angered the resort. Picture: TripAdvisor traveller

At least one TripAdvisor review that accused the hotel of “modern-day slavery” has been removed for violating the site’s guidelines, the report said.

“The Sea View Resort owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the TripAdvisor website,” Koh Chang Police Colonel Thanapon Taemsara told AFP.

The hotel said it took legal action against the former guest to prevent more reviews from being posted.

“We chose to file a complaint to serve as a deterrent, as we understood he may continue to write negative reviews week after week for the foreseeable future,” the hotel said.

In addition to the unflattering reviews, Mr Barnes was also accused of fighting with staff over not paying a corkage fee for alcohol, the report said.

The Sea View Resort has an ‘excellent’ rating of 4.5 stars out of five on TripAdvisor. Picture: TripAdvisor traveller

Mr Barnes was taken into custody and returned to Koh Chang, where he was briefly detained before he was released on bail, the outlet reported.

If found guilty, Mr Barnes could face up to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht, or around $9000, the report said.

He didn’t respond to a request for comment, AFP reported.

Thailand is notorious for its anti-defamation laws, which have long been criticised by human rights groups.

In December 2019, a Thai journalist was sentenced to two years in prison for criticising a chicken farm on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission