Swiss tourist fined in Phuket for encroaching a National Park protected zone

[webfact]

Swiss tourist fined in Phuket for encroaching a National Park protected zone

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

The two tourists had driven the jet-ski from Naka Island to Hong Island at some point encroaching on a protected zone. Photo: Ao Phang Nga National Park

 

PHUKET: A Swiss tourist was fined yesterday (Dec 6) for encroaching on a National Park protected zone after he drove a jet-ski from Naka Island to Ao Phang Nga National Park.

 

An official from Ao Phang Nga National Park, who declined to be named, said, “We saw that the tourist was driving a jet-ski in a protected area close to Hong Island off Phang Nga National Park at 4:20pm yesterday so we had to call him and ask him to stop.

 

“There were two men on the jet-ski, both from Switzerland, but the driver was Sandre Diener, 45. He drove the jet-ski from Naka Island to Hong Island, which is about 10 kilometres,” the official said.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/swiss-tourist-fined-in-phuket-for-encroaching-a-national-park-protected-zone-65006.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-12-07

[Thaiwrath]

It really is good to see these serious criminals getting punished, yet elsewhere, with carnage, murder, corruption, life goes on.  

[Scott]

Off-topic post reported and removed.

[dfdgfdfdgs]

If you go to Koh Lanta national park, the national park staff there will come out to the tour boats to collect the ticket money.  Guess how they get there?  Jetskis.

[Emster23]

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

[AhFarangJa]

Where have all the Tourists gone ????????.........A Lament I hear so often now...........No wonder is it.........My question to the authorities........are these areas posted as National Parks......I doubt it very much.......Marker Buoys with signage is not rocket science........A better approach would have been to have a word to let the tourists know, then maybe, just maybe, they would go away with a better feeling for the country.

[sammieuk1]

Its a very bad time for the Swiss 1 battered 2 rolled 2 fined neutrality not working here.

[Deli]

Very serious crime... in the meantime illegal parasailing and jet ski scam on Phuket's beaches continuous as usual.

[wvavin]

Ummm.....wandered of course...

[terminatorchiangmai]

at least it wasn't a 100.000 baht fine.

 

[KKr]

Sounds like the Phuket Times should hire someone that can write in English, and knows the difference between encroach and trespass. 

[maximillian]

Hope the Swiss guy deducted the 1.000 Baht from the rental fee of the jetski.

Thais in action... headpalm...

[wavemanwww]

1 hour ago, Emster23 said:

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

Understand where your coming from! But lets get real here! It's Thailand.  If the Thai officials or Jet Ski renters had to hand out a guide to every tourist as to what they can and cannot do, with their insane rules, they would have to hand them a book the size of War and Peace... plus that would interfere with their tax called " How to legally rip of Tourists".

[dotpoom]

19 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

It really is good to see these serious criminals getting punished, yet elsewhere, with carnage, murder, corruption, life goes on.  

Carnage, murder and corruption happens in most countries....yet they still have laws against dropping litter ...... and enforce them.

  Why is it that when "knocking" Thailand, some people do it in a manner that suggests the sort of things they are commenting on don't happen in their own country, or elsewhere in the world...but just in Thailand?

[mentalcolonization]

Jackpot. Two tourist on 1 jet ski. wishing they could be more

[csabo]

40 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Carnage, murder and corruption happens in most countries....yet they still have laws against dropping litter ...... and enforce them.

  

I was thinking the same thing.  Small laws don't matter??  When NYPD started enforcing turnstile jumpers in the subways their warrant and gun possession arrests went through the roof.  People always ask cops "Don't you have something better to do?"  I think an appropriate response would be "Yes actually, I would rather be at home with my family but at this moment I am being paid and have been ordered to enforce the speeding cars to reduce accidents and injuries on the roadways."

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Emster23 said:

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

LOL. Why would they give up a potential source of income?

That would be like governments making speed limiters mandatory on cars and giving up all those speeding fines.

[MyFriend You]

2 hours ago, Emster23 said:

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

Well, ignorance of the laws don't make you 'not guilty' in your home country, why would it be any different here.   Lots of reasons some of these Islands are put off limits, turtle breeding grounds, pollution, The Royal Thai Navy "owns", (controls),  most of the Islands in Thailand.  but I agree with the fine the company angle that rents the jet ski's, that will go over like a lead balloon though unless th company has a signed agreement by the renter staying away from so and so Island.  Just saying, two sides to everything.

Edited December 8, 2017 by TunnelRat69

[ICECOOL]

I agree rent business should be responsible for pointing out no go areas but these two travelled 10 km across open on a jet ski and another 10 km back. Hard to blame the business for not forseeing this. No indication of they advised him their intention. 

 

National Park restrictions and fee's are a common international theme and Krabi islands are advertised as such. Thats why they have tours which are supposed to restrict where visitors go and how they behave.

 

Seems to me these mugs just wanted to avoid using the tour boats and try to avoid the park fees.

[evadgib]

3 hours ago, Emster23 said:

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

 

Sorted! 

 

Edited December 8, 2017 by evadgib

[Sir Swagman]

Well I would be ok with fining them just for using one of those damn contraptions. Fortunately no Thais ever break any laws on them, so the way is clear to focus on the criminal tourist element. I am not sure if it is a Swiss thing or not,  but why do both men in the picture have Japanese genitals for faces?

[Cranky]

I sincerely hope Thailand ends up with many many millions more Zero Dollar tourists, choked airports (two hours to get through Swampy last week) thousands of tour buses and hordes of gaggling chickens following flags on sticks.  As they increase, 'quality' tourists will inevitably decrease, as they decrease the fines imposed on them will increase.  Ludicrous, and in this case invisible, laws imposed on them will increase etc. etc.  It will be a very interesting report when a Chinese tourist with 2 baht to his name gets collared for smoking on the beach.

 

 

[Cranky]

2 hours ago, maximillian said:

Hope the Swiss guy deducted the 1.000 Baht from the rental fee of the jetski.

Thais in action... headpalm...

If he did try that he would surely get a good kicking by half a dozen jetski peddlers as well to really make his holiday one to remember.

[alex8912]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Carnage, murder and corruption happens in most countries....yet they still have laws against dropping litter ...... and enforce them.

  Why is it that when "knocking" Thailand, some people do it in a manner that suggests the sort of things they are commenting on don't happen in their own country, or elsewhere in the world...but just in Thailand?

So in YOUR own country if you rented a jet ski and there was a prohibited area nearby that will fine you if you enter it the jet ski shop would not tell you? Also there would be no markers/buoys with a sign letting you know? 

Stop apologising. You are way off on this one!  Compare apples with apples not with litter. 

[farcanell]

3 hours ago, dotpoom said:

 

  Why is it that when "knocking" Thailand, some people do it in a manner that suggests the sort of things they are commenting on don't happen in their own country, or elsewhere in the world...but just in Thailand?

 

Well.... perhaps it’s all about how’s its managed .... and perceived “fairness”

 

thirty odd years ago, with nothing much to do one summer, I spent it on the water helping my brother run his jet ski business in West Australia.

 

to hire a ski, way back then, the hirer had to sign a waiver, which included acknowledging that they knew the area use limitations, amongst other things

 

this was clearly displayed on a very large map of the area.... which was printed on the side of his van, and on the reverse of the waiver... and it was discussed with hirer, so as not to be a tick and flick item.

 

breachs of this were noted by the local administrative council, and then factored into the holding of a permit to operate in the area

 

IMHO, the correct way to address this would be a warning for the ignorant tourists, and a fine for the ski business operator... as its their duty to inform the user of all rules pertaining to operations

 

Even if it’s OK to impose the fine... the operator should have been levied with a fine as well

 

memory fails somewhat, but I think the accepted ratio is something like 1 to 10.... eg. 1000 for individuals, 10,000 for companies.

 

all countries??? I don’t know, and can only speak from my experience... 

[NextStationBangkok]

 

After VAT refund, 500 Baht to be paid to set free ?

 

 

[Zack61]

6 hours ago, Emster23 said:

“I also told the owner to show tourists a map prior to him renting out jet-skis so this problem does not happen again.... Rental shops should be obligated to warn tourists about situations such as this.” per Thai official.

Are there any warning signs on floats? In English?

 Blame lies squarely on the owner of jet ski, not the tourists who had no idea they were in restricted area. Dear official: if you want to stop this problem in the future, you should fine the owner. Fine the tourists and all you will do is make sure that pair doesn't repeat their unknowing mistake.

Stop it? You gotta be joking. They want to milk the hell out of it. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Was the fine receipt waterproof......

[Media1]

On 07/12/2017 at 2:24 PM, Thaiwrath said:

It really is good to see these serious criminals getting punished, yet elsewhere, with carnage, murder, corruption, life goes on.  

Yes another trick. How would anybody know anyway. Thai scam

[Sydebolle]

While in Burma you cannot go anywhere without passing quality tourists who had it with Thailand, their TOT, their tourism ministers and their silly fines and rules. 

Yeah, they chose to go elsewhere - no wonder. 

Once you finished arresting the Swiss and other Alien creatures you might poke noses again to consider what to do with all the money coming from the Red Bull‘s grandson‘s corner .......