A quarantine hotel in the eastern province of Chon Buri is threatening legal action after a Thai returnee lambasted the facility on social media. It is the second Thai hotel to appear hyper-sensitive to criticism. In October 2020, a hotel on Koh Chang an American guest if he did not apologise for his negative review of the property.
Dunyawit Phadungsaeng, who recently returned from San Francisco, opted to spend his quarantine time at the Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel and then posted a catalogue of photos and videos to document his ‘challenging’ experiences.
“It was probably the most terrible 14 days of my life. Don’t call it quarantine as it’s better called imprisonment. People said that (state quarantine) is okay and habitable. I didn’t expect it to be a fancy 5-star hotel, but have you ever been disappointed even when you had no expectations?”
Among Dunyawit’s complaints were poor WiFi, a TV that didn’t work, fungus in his bed, and a persistent smell that lingered even after he’d changed rooms 3 times. He also wrote about the cockroaches and mosquitoes in his room, adding that the hotel made him pay for insect spray to kill them. The post also mentions water leaking from the ceiling, but the real tipping point was the food, which he claims was not just bad, but unsanitary. He says that at one point, he found half a cockroach in a pasta dish.
His rant has now gone viral, forcing the hotel to issue a statement. However, the response, when it came, was not an apology, but a threat of legal action. While not naming Dunyawit specifically, the hotel says it has filed defamation suits against people it accuses of spreading lies about the property.
“Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel wants to notify any related agencies to stop any kind of actions that will defame (the hotel) and violate the law. Or else, we will have to take maximum legal action.”
Despite the threat, Dunyawit is not backing down.
“If you think I lied, please come and show people what’s going on. Don’t come to apologise later, because I won’t accept it from people who don’t sincerely mean it.”
Coconuts reports that phone calls to the hotel have gone unanswered and it’s understood to have suspended operations. Meanwhile, opinion is divided among former guests, some of whom agree with Dunyawit’s criticism, others who say they had a good experience. However, most are in agreement that the hotel has failed the crisis management test, with one Facebook user slamming the property for tarnishing the entire industry.
“You are an embarrassment to the hospitality industry, dragging the reputation of hoteliers all around the world down with you. If you don’t understand crisis management, you’d better close your business.”
Photos were posted on Topp Dunyawit Phadungsaeng’s Facebook page.
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The Thai PM has hit back at opposition politicians who have criticised the national vaccine rollout, warning them that any delays with delivery will be their fault. Responding to Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an MP from the Move Forward Party who questioned delivery timescales, Prayut Chan-o-cha warned critics not to politicise the matter.
“I am concerned that comments on the vaccines will cause problems. I don’t want it to be politicised. You have to be careful. If we cannot get what has been agreed upon because of this, you must accept responsibility.”
According to a Bangkok Post report, Wiroj says the delays in getting adequate vaccine doses into the country will have a significant impact on economic recovery.
“According to an estimate from the government, if the vaccine rollout is too slow by one month, the economic losses will amount to about 250 billion baht a month. Therefore, each day the government delays its rollout, the country will lose 8.3 billion baht, or 347 million baht per hour. The vaccination is not only about preventing the outbreak – its importance also lies in ensuring a faster economic recovery and easing the plight of Thais nationwide.”
The PM says the government is fully aware of the financial hardship being endured by people and is busy trying to solve those problems.
“I have to listen to doctors and make sure vaccines arrive as soon as possible. I don’t want any delay. However, I insist Thailand has done a better job of controlling Covid-19 than several other countries, and we’re still trying to do even better.”
He adds that once Thailand is producing its own Covid-19 vaccine, things will improve. Thailand’s vaccine is due to begin first stage human trials next month, with the use of 210 volunteers. The second phase will begin in April and will involve 250 volunteers, followed by phase 3 before the end of the year.
Wiroj’s criticism was not only reserved for the delay in vaccine delivery, he has also questioned the government’s procurement decisions, asking why vaccines weren’t purchased from the Chinese firm, Sinopharm, which used the same technology as the government’s chosen supplier, Sinovac. It’s understood the Sinopharm jab was approved for general use in December, demonstrating an efficacy of over 79% in phase 3 trials. Meanwhile, there is still no phase 3 trial data for the Sinovac jab.
The MP also slammed the decision not to join the vaccine procurement programme organised by the World Health Organistation. Wiroj says many richer countries, such as Canada, Norway, and Australia, have joined the Covax programme, along with many EU countries.
The government has responded to accusations that Thailand is the only South-East Asian nation to not join Covax, by pointing out that the Kingdom is not eligible for free or low-cost vaccine doses. As a “middle-income” country, Thailand would have to pay full price, without knowing which vaccines might be delivered or when. Spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri says Thailand opted out of joining Covax in order to sign its own deals with chosen manufacturers as by law, the government can’t spend money on vaccines where there is no proof of efficacy.
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