Vientiane hotel faces backlash for degrading game

A Chinese-owned hotel in Vientiane, Laos, faces a furious backlash after a controversial game involving young women sparked outrage.

In a bid to win wine and beer, Chinese men partook in a demeaning ring-toss game at the capital’s hotel, prompting swift condemnation from locals and authorities alike.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the hotel took swift action after a viral video captured the unsettling game, igniting a storm of criticism.

RFA reported a distressing scene where a group of Chinese men threw hoops at young Lao women, aiming to ring their bodies for alcoholic prizes.

Posted on February 15 by Joseph Akaravong, the video stirred a heated debate, questioning the treatment of women in such degrading games. Akaravong’s post amassed over 4,000 comments and 3,300 shares, with outraged netizens condemning the activity as utterly inappropriate and demeaning.

“We only see this activity at festivals where vendors use ducks as prizes, not to use humans to hold prizes.”

The game, viewed as exploiting the dignity of Lao women and girls, sparked further resentment towards the increasing Chinese presence in Laos, as many locals expressed frustration over the influx of Chinese businesses and activities, both legal and illegal, reported Thai PBS World.

Responding to the uproar, a hotel manager confirmed to RFA that the game would be banned, asserting it was meant as a Lunar New Year celebration activity.

In related news, an American expat living in Thailand faced a nightmare scenario when his negative TripAdvisor review landed him in hot water with the law. The American’s brush with the law began after he described the hotel’s staff as unfriendly and likened their behaviour to modern-day slavery.

In other news, a man exploited New York’s housing laws to live rent-free in the renowned New Yorker Hotel for five years, even collecting rent from other tenants, before being charged with fraud for his boundless greed. Claiming to be the owner, he was eventually arrested and accused of filing false property records.