An American faces imprisonment for criticizing a Thai hotel

An American faces up to two years in prison in Thailand, after he published comments criticizing a hotel he stayed in.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" reported that the American, who works in Thailand, whose name is Wesley Barnes, has been prosecuted after publishing many criticisms about a resort called "View Sea" on the island of Koh Chang, on the Internet, especially on the site "Trip Advice".

In his criticism, Barnes accused the resort's management of treating staff as "slaves," asserting that the resort's manager was "aggressive".

For his part, "Sea View" resort said that the guest "launched a cruel and incorrect defamation campaign that harms the reputation of the hotel," noting that the guest "refused to pay fees that were set on him and caused chaos."

Barnes was arrested for two nights, this month, before he was released, with the authorities keeping his passport.

He is expected to appear in court on the sixth of October.

Thailand has strict anti-defamation laws in the country.

The accident comes as Thailand's tourism industry grapples with the devastating impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.