US man facing jail in Thailand over hotel review.
An American man has been sued by a hotel in Thailand over a negative TripAdvisor review, and could face up to two years in prison if found guilty.
Wesley Barnes allegedly wrote several bad reviews on The Sea View Resort in Koh Chang, accusing the resort of “modern day slavery”.
According to reports, My Barnes quarrelled with hotel staff after he refused to pay a corkage fee for alcohol he brought to the hotel.
His Tripadvisor review, which was posted in July, said the hotel had “unfriendly staff” who “act like they don’t want anyone here”.
The Sea View Resort said legal action was taken because Barnes had posted multiple reviews on different sites over the past few weeks, with the intention of defaming the resort.
“The owner filed a complaint that the defendant had posted unfair reviews on his hotel on the TripAdvisor website,” police told the AFP news agency.
Mr Barnes, who lives in Thailand, was arrested by local police and released on bail pending further enquiries.
If convicted of defamation, Barnes can serve a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
Human rights campaigners have long criticized Thailand’s notorious anti-defamation laws, saying powerful players use it as a weapon to stifle free expression.
Mr Barnes claims that as a result of the publicity surrounding his arrest, he has since lost his job.
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