Keep your mouth shut

[anddy]

4 hours ago, 10tazione said:

I find it somewhat strange to bring my own drinks to a restaurant. Is this more common in Thailand?

yes it is not uncommon here, at least in Thai-style places. At a resort like the one in question I'm not so sure how common it might be, but apparently they were also ok with it in principle (with the corkage, which is totally fair obviously). At Thai places, you can bring your own bottle, and don't even have to finish it, they will keep it for you for next time. I'll have to ask my friend who dies it all the time what the corkage deal is or is not; it's even conceivable they don't charge corkage coz you'll be buying the mixers (this is for whiskey, not wine). But again, bottom line is: yes it is common. 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, anddy said:

 you'll be buying the mixers (this is for whiskey, not wine).

one can drink wine with mixers, for example with more wine

[PeterRS]

18 hours ago, 10tazione said:

I find it somewhat strange to bring my own drinks to a restaurant. Is this more common in Thailand?

In western style restaurants it happens occasionally. But I have only ever noticed wine being brought in. I have never heard of anyone going to a good restaurant taking in a bottle of gin or any other spirit. 

I have several times taken a bottle of wine that would be better than l could obtain at the restaurant. Corkage fee seems to be 500 baht no matter if it is bottle of Chateau Plonk or Chateau Mouton Rothschild (not that I can afford the latter!). Or if a wine I enjoy is 1000 baht cheaper in a wine store than the restaurant price, the 500 baht is a steal.

I once took a special half bottle to The Peninsula Boxing Day buffet dinner. Again I was told 500 baht corkage. When I politely pointed out it was only a half bottle, it was reduced to 300 baht!

[fedssocr]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:56 AM, firecat69 said:

Of course then Airbnb came along and you can definitely count on the reviews there for the same reason as Booking.

Still 2 people will see things differently or possibly have an unusual experience which could color their review. It takes very little time to read reviews of say the last 90 days and you enhance your chance of picking a Hotel that will give you value for money. 

Sadly I've found that that Airbnb reviews aren't always accurate either. Last year I stayed at a place in Busan, South Korea based partly on the stellar reviews. When I arrived I found it to be nowhere near as nice as everyone said. The host had some documents in the apartment basically begging for 5 star reviews which it appeared other guests were happy to do. I left a more realistic review.

I was in Toronto a couple of years ago and stayed at an apartment with a spectacular view of CN Tower. But otherwise was very poorly maintained even though the building was almost brand new. I probably should have paid more attention to the mixed reviews in that case. For a weekend it was OK though.

Unfortunately a lot of places now really frown on Airbnb (including the building I live in which prohibits such short term rentals). So I've soured a bit on the concept even though I have stayed in some very nice places that were really cheap.

[Gaybutton]

On 10/10/2020 at 2:38 PM, 10tazione said:

I find it somewhat strange to bring my own drinks to a restaurant. Is this more common in Thailand?

I've seen people who bring their own wine if they know the restaurant doesn't have what they want.  That is not particularly common, but some people do that.  Other than wine, I've never seen anyone bring anything else.

[Patanawet]

On 10/10/2020 at 2:38 PM, 10tazione said:

I find it somewhat strange to bring my own drinks to a restaurant. Is this more common in Thailand?

Yes quite common. They will have a corkage charge.

But they frown somewhat on bringing your own food

[Gaybutton]

16 hours ago, Patanawet said:

But they frown somewhat on bringing your own food

Actually not all the time.  I have been to restaurants where only farang food is served, but the farang came with a Thai.  The Thai brought his own Thai food and the restaurants gave him a plate and utensils with no objections.  I've never seen that to fail, although it doesn't happen often.  After all, even in the best of farang restaurants the Thai staff usually goes out and gets their own food rather than eat whatever the restaurant is willing to give them, so they certainly understand.

[Patanawet]

Sensible.

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

Hotel gets new Tripadvisor label

The resort hotel in Thailand got its public apology. The unhappy American guest who spent two nights in jail for criticising the hotel online got his criminal charges dropped. But it was Tripadvisor, the giant online travel review platform, that got the last word.

Wesley Barnes, the American traveller who was arrested after being charged with criminal defamation for posting critical reviews of the Sea View resort on the island of Koh Chang, quietly left Thailand this week.

With Mr Barnes safely out of the country, Tripadvisor took punitive action Wednesday against the resort, posting a one-of-a-kind notice on the Sea View’s page warning travellers that the hotel was behind the jailing of a guest for his harsh reviews.

“This hotel or individuals associated with this hotel filed criminal charges against a Tripadvisor user in relation to the traveler writing and posting online reviews,” the warning reads. “The reviewer spent time in jail as a result.”

The dispute between the resort and its guest began over a $15 corkage fee, but turned into a clash between American principles of free speech and Thailand’s far-reaching laws that limit expression and are used to stifle criticism of businesses, the government and the monarchy.

Tripadvisor’s business model is based on the idea that everyone has “the right to write,” said Bradford Young, vice-president and associate general counsel. “This is the first case we are aware of where a Tripadvisor member spent time in jail as a result of a review they posted to our website.”

[firecat69]

Trip Advisor has some balls when they allow anyone to post reviews whether or not they have ever actually spent time at the Business. 

[hank75]

35 minutes ago, firecat69 said:

Trip Advisor has some balls when they allow anyone to post reviews whether or not they have ever actually spent time at the Business. 

Or are employed by the business 

[reader]

By all accounts that we're privy to, the guest in this case reacted unreasonably when charged the corkage fee. But the hotel staff and management failed to diffuse the situation. Once it entered the legal system, it should have been obvious to the management of the bad press it was on the verge of bringing down upon itself. This seemingly minor incident made news worldwide.

I believe that Trip Adviser had an obligation to its users to inform them of the outcome that led to the jailing of the individual.

If any of us were considering this hotel, or any hotel anywhere else, would we not want know how the dispute like this was handled.

It's one thing to go to be charged in a civil action for libel. It's another thing altogether to be put in jail for something you said about a hotel, unreasonable or otherwise.