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Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

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Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#121

Post by pier25 »

CyberDildonics wrote: post #75
pier25 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy said in one of the reviews the resort used slaves... that's a pretty defamatory claim.

The article says he said "modern day slavery", but the point here is not that there wasn't any defamation. It is that police came to his work and put him in jail based off of a complaint by the hotel. Does that seem reasonable to you?

The review said the owners treat the staff like slaves [1] and that was just one of many bad reviews. It's not exactly simply writing a bad review.

Regardless, I do agree it's excessive, but each country has its fair share of strange laws and regulations. For example, as a European everything related to firearms in the US is just as incomprehensible to me.

[1] https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1309817382559391745

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#123

Post by unnameduser1 »

indy wrote: post #35
gruez wrote: post #29

The part near the end of the article is confusing. >While this reaction by the hotel does sound excessive I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that this guest behaved like a total idiot while at the property and then turned around with very unflattering descriptions and manufactured truths aka lies about this resort. He then refused to discuss the matter with the hotel and instead of stopping even accelerated his o…

>What's he trying to say? That even if you're right, you shouldn't write a bad review because the justice system is corrupt and you're going to end up in jail anyways? Yes, even if you're right, you shouldn't write a bad review because the justice system is corrupt.

Wrong. There may be corruption in every country but you can have a just and fair trial in Thailand.

The article is mixing issues unrelated to the case here

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#124

Post by howlgarnish »

dehrmann wrote: post #70
gabereiser wrote: post #2

Pro Tip: leave your reviews after the stay. Another pro tip: know the local laws. American’s are THE WORST overseas because we think ‘Merica way of life is world wide. No, it isn’t, and you’d to well to humble yourself, learn the local laws, conduct yourself as if you were at Nana’s house. Wheaton’s law: “Don’t be a dick”. But Thailand’s defamation laws, online laws, and more kinda turn me off from visiting. Granted…

> know the local laws I've been to Singapore. There's the ones everyone knows about like the drug laws, not spitting, littering, or chewing gum. The one people don't mention is that cars also have the right of way over pedestrians, so be extra careful when crossing the street.

Pedestrians have right of way at pedestrian crossings. Cars have right of way elsewhere.

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/RTA1961-R24?DocDate=20190131#pr4-

This is pretty standard, and Singapore is way safer for pedestrians than virtually any Asian country outside Japan.

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#125

Post by lazyasciiart »

wombatmobile wrote: post #90
gruez wrote: post #29

The part near the end of the article is confusing. >While this reaction by the hotel does sound excessive I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that this guest behaved like a total idiot while at the property and then turned around with very unflattering descriptions and manufactured truths aka lies about this resort. He then refused to discuss the matter with the hotel and instead of stopping even accelerated his o…

It's an odd choice to reference an historical murder on Koh Tao in this defamation matter arising from a social media review of a hotel on Koh Chang. Like trying to parse defamation law in Hawaii to solve a homicide on Staten Island, because they are both American Islands.

Do they have different laws between the islands? If not, then a more apt analogy might be referencing defamation law on Maui for a homicide case on Oahu.

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#126

Post by howlgarnish »

csa wrote: post #45
pengaru wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, my comment was meant to further demonstrate how different nations have different laws foreigners must respect when within their borders. I've read multiple articles over the years about foreigners being caned in Singapore over relatively minor actions, hence my not being surprised if they did such a thing. Here's one such example: https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/26/us/us-student-tells-of-pa... Singapore strikes…

> I've read multiple articles over the years about foreigners being caned in Singapore over relatively minor actions, hence my not being surprised if they did such a thing. The Michael Fay story was reported with a heavy bias in the US — the media conveniently left our significant parts of the story. I have friends who were expats in Singapore at the time, and this is (approximately) their version: - He was caught va…

Otherwise +1, but they actually went comparatively easy on him: he could have been sentenced to 3 years in jail plus 8 strokes of the cane, but he got away with 4 months and 6 strokes, and even that was commuted to 4.

That said, caning in Singapore is no joke, even those 4 will scar for life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#127

Post by lazyasciiart »

kjs3 wrote: post #81
JusticeJuice wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I feel like if leaving a one-star review of Google Maps can put you in jail in Thailand, it is highly irresponsible and unethical of Google to allow leaving reviews in Thailand. What? No. You can defame yourself in literally any public media forum where what you say could affect the other party. That means literally any public website with a comment feature. Singling out just google maps with a solution like that ma…

Short of threats of physical violence, you can't be put in jail for a comment in the US. That you think an opinion, no matter how dickish, warrants incarceration is ethically bankrupt.

That's not true at all. Aside from the obvious possibility of posting a comment that incriminates yourself, there are many situations where people have access to information that would be illegal to share on facebook - here's an example of someone found guilty of contempt of court for doing so https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/mom-jailed-for-facebook-post...

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#128

Post by mdoms »

LatteLazy wrote: post #62
gruez wrote: post #29

The part near the end of the article is confusing. >While this reaction by the hotel does sound excessive I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that this guest behaved like a total idiot while at the property and then turned around with very unflattering descriptions and manufactured truths aka lies about this resort. He then refused to discuss the matter with the hotel and instead of stopping even accelerated his o…

I mean, if he didn't give them the benefit of the doubt he could be extradited and jailed in a mafia run prison right? I for one have nothing bad to say about the Thai mafia.

You think the Japanese government would extradite someone to Thailand for low-level defamation?

Re: Hotel guest in Thailand jailed for defamation after posting bad online reviews

#130

Post by mdoms »

thefounder wrote: post #3
gabereiser wrote: post #2

Pro Tip: leave your reviews after the stay. Another pro tip: know the local laws. American’s are THE WORST overseas because we think ‘Merica way of life is world wide. No, it isn’t, and you’d to well to humble yourself, learn the local laws, conduct yourself as if you were at Nana’s house. Wheaton’s law: “Don’t be a dick”. But Thailand’s defamation laws, online laws, and more kinda turn me off from visiting. Granted…

Well, being dick shouldn't put you in jail.

Says who? You, the American? Your values are not universal.
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