THAILAND
The Sword of Defamation
An American man could face prison in Thailand after posting negative online reviews of a hotel resort in the country, the Guardian reported Tuesday.
Wesley Barnes has been accused of launching “a slanderous campaign” against the Sea View Resort in Koh Chang. He faces two years in prison under the country’s draconian defamation laws.
Barnes, who lives in Thailand, was arrested this month and later released on bail. He will return to court on Oct. 6.
Barnes uploaded the negative reviews online following a bad experience with the management and staff of the hotel. One of the reviews accused the resort of “modern-day slavery.” He said, however, that the “slavery” review didn’t go through.
The resort said in a statement they tried contacting Barnes to resolve the dispute but later took legal action because multiple reviews were posted across different platforms.
Under Thai law, defamation is a criminal offense with a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine topping $6,000. Rights groups have warned that the law has been used to silence activists and journalists.
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