A hotel in Bangkok has become the unintended target of an online backlash, with a wave of fake one-star reviews flooding its listings after Italian tourists staying there were filmed behaving rudely on the BTS Skytrain.
The controversy began after a video circulated showing a group of Italian students loudly disturbing other passengers on the Skytrain. When a Thai passenger asked them to quieten down, one of the students reportedly responded with a sexually suggestive gesture, while another made a mocking remark about bringing money into the country. The group left the carriage making an obscene gesture, sparking widespread criticism of their conduct.
In the days that followed, a group of internet users tracked down the hotel where the students had been staying and began mass-posting one-star reviews, despite the property having no connection to the incident.
Social media commentator Pook Sukonta Berthebaud, known online for summarising trending news stories, was among the first to highlight the fallout. Pook said the hotel had done nothing wrong and that most of its staff were Thai employees who were upset by the situation but too afraid to speak out publicly, fearing further backlash.
The popular page Drama-addict later shared the post, cautioning internet users that the review campaign carried real legal risk. The page noted that posting one-star reviews without having actually stayed at the property could count as fake reviews, and pointed to past cases in Thailand where business owners successfully pursued both civil and criminal action against people who organised similar review-bombing campaigns.
The episode has prompted wider reflection online, with many pointing out that the hotel’s Thai staff have been caught in the middle of a controversy they had no part in. Commentators also flagged the reputational and financial damage such campaigns can cause to legitimate businesses, and warned that reacting in anger on social media can carry legal consequences.
The story Netizens review-bomb hotel over Italian tourists as seen on Thaiger News.
