His actions led to a significant drop in the restaurant's rating.
A disgruntled British tourist in Thailand is in trouble for alleged online revenge. Alexander, 21, was arrested for allegedly posting fake negative reviews about a restaurant in Phuket The subway.
The trouble started when, according to reports, Alexander tried to use the restaurant as a shortcut to his home but was denied entry because he was not a customer. Seeking revenge, Alexander is accused of enlisting his friends to flood the restaurant with one-star reviews, causing its rating to drop from a respectable 4.8 to a concerning 3.1 out of 5 stars, the news source said.
The restaurant owner, understandably upset by the sudden influx of negativity and the potential impact on their business, filed a complaint. This led to Alexander's arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation in his new apartment in Bangkok. The arrest warrant, issued last August, charges him with a crime with a surprising name: “entering false computer data likely to cause harm to the general public.”
Alexander maintains his innocence but now faces legal proceedings in Phuket after being transferred to Sakhu Police Station there.
This is not an isolated incident. In 2020, an American tourist in Phuket learned the hard way about Thailand's strict defamation laws. He was arrested for a negative review on TripAdvisor accusing a hotel of “modern slavery.” The tourist was eventually released after an apology, but the case serves as a cautionary tale for online critics visiting Thailand, where even seemingly innocent reviews can have serious consequences.
Defamation is a criminal offense in Thailand, punishable by up to two years in prison.