BANGKOK – Restaurant reviews are no more benign as a Britisher was nabbed in Thailand for the same reason.
The Britisher allegedly bombarded a restaurant with one-star reviews after he was banned from walking through it as a shortcut on his way home; however, a few clicks led to his arrest.
The 21-year-old Alexander pulled off revenge after he was told he could not walk through an Italian restaurant on the island of Phuket; the reason for the denial was that the youngster was not a paying customer.
Media reports imply that the refusal angered the British national who sought his friend’s help and posted a series of “false and distorted statements to maliciously damage” the restaurant.
The severity of the revenge could be assessed from the fact that the Google rating of the restaurant plunged from 4.9 to merely 3.1.
The purported incident occurred in 2022 while Alexander resided in Phuket. A complaint was lodged by the restaurant, alleging that his actions had inflicted financial and reputational harm. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued last August following a police inquiry.
The Britisher was not arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau until last week but now he has been taken back to Phuket for prosecution; the youngster denies any wrongdoing.
“The suspect was handed over to the inquiry officer of Sakhu Police Station for further legal action,” Jomparit Kaewreung, a police major from the crime suppression division was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
Although restaurant reviews are not considered to be taken with such seriousness, Thailand is altogether a different country with extremely strict anti-defamation laws.
The legal system of the country is such that before the court, it is also the duty of the defendant to prove that their statements were true.
This is not the first time Thailand has taken strict action against a tourist. Earlier in 2020, an American tourist was arrested in Phuket after accusing a hotel of “modern-day slavery” on TripAdvisor.
As far as the punishment is concerned, those convicted can also face two years behind bars and a fine.
