Thai netizens were left divided after one woman alleged that she was denied a stay at an Airbnb in Japan simply because she was Thai.
According to a screenshot she shared on Facebook, the host said this was because they had multiple bad experiences with other Thai travellers in the past.
She shared her experience on 18 Aug and received over 115 comments.
In the caption, the woman shared that the accommodation is located in Asakusa near the Sumida River. The screenshot was a reply from the host in the Airbnb app.
The message states that the property owner declined to rent to the Thai woman because previous Thai travellers had damaged the property, clogged the bathtub with tissue, brought their own appliances into the home, and left it dirty. In particular, they did not separate the trash and left the kitchen a mess.
Source: Facebook
“This is why Japan is so strict with screening visitors,” the woman added.
The post quickly prompted debate, with many netizens offering mixed opinions.
Several commenters pointed out that barring people based on nationality is against Airbnb’s terms of service.
“If you sent this chat to Airbnb support, you could potentially get them delisted entirely,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter, who claimed to be an Airbnb host, said rejecting a guest based on nationality was against Airbnb policy. However, they also acknowledged that the host may have had multiple negative experiences with Thai visitors, which led them to feel despair.
Translation: As an Airbnb host in Thailand, this breaks policy. You cannot decline a guest based on their nationality. There are subtler ways to decline a guest, so you can report it to Airbnb support. Sometimes I host foreigners that I do not want as well because they often leave the home in a mess. In this case, some Thais probably caused issues which left the host in despair.
Source: Facebook
Several commenters also expressed sympathy for the host, with one even saying that there were quite a few inconsiderate Thais.
“If they continue to bring their relaxed attitude to Japan without studying the local norms, then Thais will have a hard time finding Airbnbs,” they wrote.
Translation: Many Thais are like this. They don’t study the local customs of the places they visit, and if they continue to bring their relaxed attitude to Japan without studying local norms, then Thais will have a hard time finding an Airbnb.
Source: Facebook
Also read: Homestay owner in M’sia shocked to find 20 guests checked in to flat with maximum capacity of 7
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Featured image adapted from SeanPavonePhoto on Canva. Image is for illustration purposes only.