BANGKOK: A Thai hotel that served as a quarantine centre has filed charges against a Thai national who posted a negative review of its quarantine facilities.
The Ambassador City Jomtien hotel in Chon Buri province has also decided to stop being a state quarantine (SQ) centre and is now temporarily closed.
According to The Bangkok Post, the hotel's managing director Chavanate Thangsumphant said legal action was needed as the hotel had to protect its rights and image.
The hotel also hopes to negotiate with the concerned guest for a mutually beneficial end to the dispute.
She said the police have already contacted the guest and encouraged him to delete the post as it offended the hotel and that the police recommended both parties to seek a compromise.
"To prevent the post from spreading like wildfire on social media, a team of lawyers suggested the hotel take legal action to protect its reputation," said Chavanate.
"We would like the guest to talk directly with our executives. Everyone here is open to criticism."
Ambassador City Jomtien is the first hotel in Chon Buri to serve as a SQ facility since April last year, and had welcomed 5,000 guests.
Chavanate said if guests faced any problems during their stay, the hotel offered options such as a new room or even a new quarantine hotel in the area to meet their demand.
Following the Facebook post, the hotel's management team questioned hotel staff on the details of what happened to its SQ service.
The hotel had also informed the authorities that it would quit as a SQ facility and that this decision was made before the incident.
It is closed since the last group of guests checked out on Feb 12 and will remain temporarily closed until further notice.
The Bangkok Post said that on Tuesday, the hotel published a letter on its Facebook page saying it had already filed charges with the police for defamation of the hotel.