A British man has been arrested for allegedly arranging for his friends to flood a restaurant in Thailand with fake one-star reviews after a dispute with the owner.
The British national, identified only as Alexander, 21, reportedly wanted to use the Italian restaurant as a convenient shortcut to his accommodation in Phuket in 2022.
However, the owner forbade him from doing so because he was not a paying customer.
As revenge, Alexander is said to have enlisted the help of his friends to flood the restaurant with negative reviews, lowering its rating from 4.8 to 3.1 out of 5 stars.
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Alexander at his new apartment in Bangkok on May 9, after the owner filed a complaint with Sakhu police station alleging that fake reviews had caused damage to the restaurant’s finances and reputation.
The British national, identified only as 21-year-old Alexander (right), reportedly wanted to use the Italian restaurant as a convenient shortcut to his accommodation in Phuket in 2022.
The arrest warrant was issued for Alexander in August 2023 for “entering false computer data that could cause harm to the general public.”
Police Major Jomparit Kaewreung of the Crime Suppression Division said: “The suspect was handed over to the investigation officer at Sakhu Police Station for further legal action.” During interrogation, he denied the charges.
Alexander was taken back to Sakhu police station in Phuket for processing.
In October 2020, an American tourist was arrested for a negative hotel review he posted on TripAdvisor.
He accused Phuket’s Sea View Resort of “modern slavery.” He was subsequently arrested and charged under Thailand’s strict anti-defamation laws before apologizing and being released.
Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, Thailand has resisted attempts at modernization and continues to enforce archaic laws that prohibit freedom of expression.