The owner of recently opened ‘Kitty Resort Phu Ruea’ in Loei province has responded to criticisms following a post on Pantip that captured what appeared to be a shoddy (and unauthorized) Hello Kitty-themed resort.

The badly-painted Hello Kitty faces on the landmark, partially furnished guestrooms, and cheap pink tiles were all shown in photos posted by a self-claimed resort guest on Saturday. As Pantip users left comments calling the resort sloppy and unfinished, the owner was forced to defend his Hello Kitty land from the catcalls.

“The photos posted and shared online were taken before the resort opened. I don’t know whether the person who posted them sneaked into the resort and did this because of a political conflict or just that their businesses were affected by mine,” Baowiw Maneejam, resort owner and former Pua Thai politician, said yesterday.

When asked if the resort violates copyrights, Baowiw dismissed the speculation.

“The resort’s name is ‘Kitty Resort Phu Ruea’, and we do not sell products from the brand [Sanrio] at the resort. Besides, Hello Kitty did not register for a resort copyright, and I do not intend to sell the resort, so this should not be considered a violation.” he told Post Today.

Kitty Resort Phu Ruea is still operating despite the criticism. Visitors can pay a small fee of THB20 to enter the resort during the day while the guestrooms cause THB1,500 to THB2,500 per night.

But is it worth the price?





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