This is when Phuket really started to go downhill ,imo..
It had been bad for a while, but at this point greed and corruption had already completely taken over.

 

regards,

bob.

 

 

I never got to experience it before it turned into little russia

Ahhh the glory days, great fun back then.

I got offered to rent a jet ski every five minutes when I walked down patong beach.

 

Always said no.

 

One of the stupidest things you can do in Thailand, especially in Phuket, is to rent a jet ski.

 

You are just asking for trouble.

 

regards,

bob.

Back in the mid aughts/naughts, Koh Tao became famous among travelers for the motorcycle scam. Same as the jet ski scam. People claim they moved on to more lucrative & lethal activities in the years since. 

Just now, Dcheech said:

Back in the mid aughts/naughts, Koh Tao became famous among travelers for the motorcycle scam. Same as the jet ski scam. People claim they moved on to more lucrative & lethal activities in the years since. 

They sure did.

 

One family in particular moved on to rape and murder...

 

regards,

bob.

20 minutes ago, Robert_Smith said:

I got offered to rent a jet ski every five minutes when I walked down patong beach.

 

Always said no.

 

One of the stupidest things you can do in Thailand, especially in Phuket, is to rent a jet ski.

 

You are just asking for trouble.

 

regards,

bob.

 

 

Especially if you are either dumb/look dumb.

 

The only time that I have ever booked a Jet ski in that Godforsaken place is when we had a boat trip and used the Thai skipper to arrange the booking.....seemed like the best insurance available.

Left Phuket yesterday. Mai Khao beach. No jet skis or rubbish on beach. Nice beach, restaurants, people. Almost all tourists seemed to be Russian which was a bit odd. Do svidaniya.

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

The only time that I have ever booked a Jet ski in that Godforsaken place is when we had a boat trip and used the Thai skipper to arrange the booking.....seemed like the best insurance available.

 

Assuming he wasn't in on it for a cut.

 

41 minutes ago, Robert_Smith said:

This is when Phuket really started to go downhill ,imo..
It had been bad for a while, but at this point greed and corruption had already completely taken over.

 

regards,

bob.

With all the whining and complaining this version of bob has I think maybe Roberta might be a better nick.

 

 

22 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Almost all tourists seemed to be Russian

Well, they don't call it Phuketsburg for nothing!

 

regards,

bob.

14 minutes ago, marin said:

With all the whining and complaining this version of bob has I think maybe Roberta might be a better nick.

 

 

...I didn't create the drama - the horrible scammy jet ski operator did with his lies and threats!

 

regards,

bob.

All seems like a possible staged video.

 

The way to do this to avoid problems is to have a strong Thai lady with you and take plenty of photos before renting.  And, the guy will ask to keep your passport.  Don't give it to them give them a copy.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Assuming he wasn't in on it for a cut.

 

 

Events proved that he wasn't.

 

Good decision on my part.

The northern end of Patong Beach, July 2000, and not a Russian in sight I should think. I even used to rent the occasional jet ski with never a problem. 

 

 

After a hard day on the beach, I trekked back to Soi Bangla for a few well-earned frosties in The Shipwreck, opposite Soi Crocodile. I haven't been to Phuket for 23 years so I've no idea if these places still exist or not. Well, I'm sure Patong Beach and Soi Bangla do, but not the bars I used to frequent, lol.

 

 

 

Back in 1995 the major problem I had was stopping my 9 year old grandson from using the Para glide. The jet ski's were never a problem.

It probably started with genuine damage to a jetski and the foreigner got rattled and threw excess money at the problem with an impeding exit flight and no passport in-hand...

 

Jetski guys realise they can get a month's income from a staged scenario...and then that scam rolled out.

 

 

 

 

The 1st time I went to Phuket (Karon), about a year before the Russians moved in, it was brilliant.  So many decent Thais, lots of smiles.  Used to go to a small bar run by a Brit, really decent guy who looked after us well.  

 

Went back Karon about 3 years later and the Thais seemed to have forgotten how to smile.  I went back to that bar, only to find that guy as miserable as sin too.  He recognised me and, surprisingly, he cheered up a bit and we got chatting.  I asked the obvious and he told me that he'd been asked about selling up.  At gun and knife point by some 'friendly' Russians.  This was his last week in Thailand.

 

All I could do is make damn sure I helped him get through his remaining stock.  Sad.

23 minutes ago, Watawattana said:

The 1st time I went to Phuket (Karon), about a year before the Russians moved in, it was brilliant. 

I'm trying to remember when they first started coming to Phuket. I remember seeing Russian signs on restaurants in early 2000s. But I'm certain the Scandinavians outnumbered them by far - especially at Karon. The rest of the foreigners were mostly Brits, Germans and some French. No Chinese tourists back then. Let's just hope they haven't found Koh Chang yet...