A Thai man is seeking legal advice after a food shop in a Bangkok hospital’s food court reportedly filed a claim seeking 1 million baht in compensation over his social media video criticising a 260 baht kaprao chicken dish.
The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, posted a video on Facebook showing a plate of chicken stir-fried with holy basil, served with rice, a fried egg and a small cup of spicy fish sauce.
In the clip, he complained about the price, saying the dish was “f*cking expensive”. He mentioned the hospital’s name but did not identify the food shop.
The man later received a court document stating that the shop was seeking 1 million baht in compensation, according to his account. The document reportedly accused him of offences under the Computer Crime Act and the Criminal Code relating to defamation by publication.
He subsequently approached the media to explain the dispute and seek advice from a lawyer. Speaking to Channel 3, the man said he had taken his child to the hospital and stopped at the food court to eat. He ordered the dish because he liked it but said he only noticed the price when paying.
He filmed the meal, commented on its cost and uploaded the video to Facebook with a caption saying the price had nearly taken his breath away.
The man said he did not expect the post to attract significant attention. However, when he checked it again two or three days later, it had received more than 8,000 comments, many discussing the price.
Thai lawyer Monchai Chongkrairattanakul commented on the dispute in a Facebook post, saying people could express opinions and criticise businesses provided they did so honestly.
Monchai said a review would not necessarily violate the Computer Crime Act if it did not involve false information, while cautioning that criticism could still raise questions about defamation. He described the reported 1 million baht compensation claim as a substantial amount.
He advised people reviewing products or services to stick to verifiable facts, choose their wording carefully and avoid distorting information or images.
Neither the hospital nor the food shop had publicly commented on the case at the time of the report. The man had not provided a further update on the court proceedings.
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The story Customer says court document arrived after criticising 260 baht kaprao chicken as seen on Thaiger News.