A British man has been arrested in Thailand for allegedly bombarding a restaurant with one-star reviews after he was banned from walking through it as a short-cut on his way home.
The 21-year-old, identified only as Alexander, allegedly sought revenge after he was told he could not walk through an Italian restaurant on the island of Phuket because he was not a paying customer.
According to Thai media, the Briton was so frustrated with the restaurant’s owner that he enlisted his friend’s help and posted a spate of “false and distorted statements to maliciously damage” the establishment. Soon, it’s Google rating nosedived – from 4.9 to just 3.1.
The alleged incident dates back to 2022, when Alexander was living in Phuket. The restaurant filed a complaint claiming his actions had damaged it’s finances and reputation, and an arrest warrant was issued last August following a police investigation.
Arrested in Bangkok
But Alexander was not apprehended by the Central Investigation Bureau until last week, having fled to Bangkok. He has now been taken back to Phuket for prosecution, and denies any wrongdoing.
“The suspect was handed over to the inquiry officer of Sakhu Police Station for further legal action,” said Jomparit Kaewreung, a police major from the crime suppression division. “During the interrogation, he has denied the charges.”
Thailand has extremely strict anti-defamation laws, with any complaints deemed to impair a person or institution’s reputation considered a criminal offence. In court, it is also the duty of the defendant to prove that their statements were true – rather than the duty of the prosecution to prove them false.
Alexander is not the first foreigner to fall foul of the law after posting a negative review. An American tourist was also arrested in Phuket in 2020, after accusing a hotel of “modern-day slavery” on TripAdvisor.
Although he was eventually released following an apology, those convicted can face two years behind bars or a fine of up to 200,000 baht (£4,300), according to the law firm Siam Legal.