Online criticism erupts over a customer's review of a trip to "Koh Samet" after a friend's room was invaded by an attacker who attempted to assault her. The hotel recently issued a statement asserting it is not neglecting the matter before deleting the post shortly afterward.
On 3 June 2026 GMT+7, reports emerged that the online community widely criticized a Facebook user's post sharing a warning after visiting "Koh Samet." The user recounted that their group of 12—including children, women, men, and a pregnant woman—stayed at a 4-5 star hotel, yet an intruder was able to enter a private room easily and attempted to assault the poster's friend. Fortunately, the friend's partner intervened in time, ensuring safety while the assailant escaped.
The poster's group also claimed they shouted loudly for staff assistance but help arrived late. Shockingly, the General Manager's response upon addressing the incident was reportedly, "If you want to continue your stay, you may stay in the originally booked room for another night, but we will move the friend involved to a different room and have another guest take that room."
Consequently, the group decided not to continue their stay and returned to Rayong mainland, shaken and disturbed throughout the night. Later comments included a photo of the apprehended suspect and stated that on the incident day, three police officers arrived in succession, though it was unclear which police unit they represented.
Recently, the hotel issued a statement clarifying the situation before deleting the post. The statement expressed deep regret over the incident and emphasized that the hotel is neither indifferent nor concealing information. It acknowledged the sensitivity of the matter affecting the victim's feelings and stated ongoing communication with the victim, denying any negligence regarding the event. The hotel then proceeded with the following clarifications.
1. The perpetrator was an outsider, not a hotel employee nor a resident of Koh Samet. After the incident, the perpetrator was found and arrested within approximately 30 minutes by hotel staff, who presented the suspect to the victims for identification in the presence of three police officers. The suspect was immediately prosecuted.
2. Regarding safety, a Manager on Duty was on standby that day, continuously patrolling 24 hours. According to the customer's post, although the staff did not arrive immediately after being loudly called, this was because the incident location was about 200 meters from the staff quarters. Once the calls became louder, the Manager on Duty and staff came to meet and inquire with the customers. After learning the details, they promptly contacted local police, who arrived at the hotel about 15 minutes later. The hotel does not have security guards but relies on the Manager on Duty to oversee the area. Since the incident, the hotel has increased staff for monitoring and patrols throughout the night from 22:00 to 08:00.
3. Concerning communication from the General Manager (GM), the hotel apologized for any misunderstandings caused. On the incident day, the affected customers were immediately relocated to another hotel that night. The next day, the GM asked the group if they wished to continue their stay; the originally booked rooms from 29-31 May were still reserved exclusively for them, with no other guests assigned. If they wished to stay, the rooms would remain the same because the hotel was fully booked and could not switch or move rooms, except for the victim's room. During discussions, the GM offered to move the victim to a different room—not the one involved in the incident—to minimize distress.
4. Regarding case updates, the GM kept the victims informed via LINE about the ongoing investigation, including CCTV footage, eyewitness testimonies, and staff who encountered the suspect. On 30 May, a staff member provided additional testimony to investigators. The hotel fully cooperated and acted as a witness to support the victims, affirming their commitment to pursue the case to the fullest extent.
The hotel reaffirmed that it has not abandoned or ignored the incident. On safety measures, the hotel announced stricter controls, including rigorous checks of all individuals entering the premises. The management and staff apologized sincerely to the victims, all involved parties, and the Koh Samet community regarding this incident.
Should there be further developments, updates will be provided accordingly.