Hotel and apartment block at centre of Brit hunger strike row with Marriott
Hotel and apartment block at centre of Brit hunger strike row with Marriott
This is the apartment block and hotel at the centre of a row with a British former public school teacher who is on hunger strike.
The Grand Regent in Bangkok, Thailand, was where John Shepherd, 62 lived when a hotel was built next door in 2008.
Marriott later acquired The St.
Regis Bangkok hotel when it merged with Starwood, who had previously taken control of the hotel from Minor Hotels.
John, who now lives in East London, alleged that the building had flouted local planning laws by bribing officials.
He claims that when he raised the complaints with local media he was later arrested on suspicion of defamation.
He left Thailand but feared returning due to further arrest warrants surrounding his complaints.
John claims he is now on day 44 of a hunger strike protesting against Marriott's handling of the case and the alleged initiation of a police investigation against him for raising concerns about the building.
Speaking yesterday (July 13), he said: ''This is about a totally illegal building which, despite any local corruption involved, should have been acted on by Starwood and then Marriott in line with the info we provided.
''When I uncovered some of this in local newspapers, I was retaliated against by Starwood and then Marriott.
Marriott failed to conduct due diligence on our info during its merger with Starwood.
''My hunger strike concerns the wistleblower retaliation.'' John said the building is ''not in accordance with fire certification rules'' and the infrastructure is ''inadequate''.
He added: ''The sewage and drainage often floods the street.
''The building was twisted round so that the sloping exit from the car park and the delivery and rubbish collection entrance on Mahadlek 2 should have been round the other side.
''The entrance is illegal according to Thai law and should have been from Rajadamri RD.
''The minimum metreage for the road in relation to the size of building is not in accordance with Thai law.
''According to regulatory law Starwood and Marriott should have conducted due diligence and audits on all this according to our info.
''They didnt and now hide behind local corruption.
This is highly serious and illegal.
There have been accidents, and near deaths including my own as a result of all this.'' A Marriott spokesman told the Times newspaper they had not started a police investigation into John.
They said: ''We have given Mr Shepherd numerous opportunities to substantiate his claims against us — which he hasn't been able to do.
The spokesman said that Minor Hotels, not the Mariott, were responsible for the construction on the St Regis Hotel - and that all complaints should be addressed by them.
