Influencer Threatens 1-Star Review After Restaurant Refuses Free Meal
A social media influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers attempted to extort free meals from a Nonthaburi restaurant by threatening a damaging one-star review. The cafe owner refused the demand for 13 complimentary dishes and publicized the chat logs showing the influencer's escalating threats, including a claim the business would be forced to close.
TikTok user Saro Vibe, owner of Prakae Cafe in Bang Yai, Nonthaburi, exposed an influencer with 300,000 Facebook followers and 120,000 TikTok followers who messaged the restaurant offering a free review in exchange for sponsored food and drinks. The influencer requested seven complimentary menu items plus six additional dishes for personal consumption. When the cafe declined, stating it had no policy of providing free meals for reviews, the influencer replied that they normally charge 25,000 baht for a review without sponsorship. After the restaurant reiterated its refusal, the influencer threatened to produce a negative review video giving the shop one star, saying "if you pay yourself and it's not delicious, I'll make a review clip giving your shop 1 star... just a little food cost makes you get lots of customers from our page." The cafe thanked them but firmly declined and suggested they contact other interested shops. The influencer responded with a final threat: "See you later, your shop will definitely close."
