Phuket court dismisses B5 million lawsuit over one-star cake shop review

A Phuket court has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by a cake shop against a customer who posted a one-star review, ending a case in which the business sought B5 million in damages.

Lawyer Arm Suwannaraksa, who represented the customer, announced the outcome on Facebook on July 23, 2026, posting a photograph with the client and the caption “the consumer wins”.

The dispute began after the customer visited the shop in 2025 and wrote that the cake was not tasty and was too expensive. The review prompted an online dispute, according to The Thaiger.

The shop subsequently sued the customer for defamation and demanded B5 million in compensation. The court dismissed the case and ordered that approximately B100,000 in court fees paid by the shop be forfeited.

The shop has since closed, according to the report. In a brief post, the business confirmed that the court of first instance had dismissed its defamation case.

Suwannaraksa said the case should encourage businesses to treat lawsuits as a last resort. He argued that customer criticism should be assessed and answered constructively, adding that communication and problem-solving would generally be more effective than going to court.

The customer thanked the court for considering the facts and evidence fairly and indicated plans to pursue their own legal rights “to the fullest”, suggesting that further legal action could follow. The customer also wrote that the shop had ultimately received none of the millions of baht it had sought.

The case comes amid wider disputes in Thailand involving businesses and negative online reviews. Thai defamation law provides for both civil and criminal penalties, and legal experts have described some cases brought against critics as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP suits.

In this case, the court sided with the customer and the review remains online, The Thaiger reported.