How To Deal With The Jet Ski Scam, Advice From A Lawyer.

[maipenrai2010]

With regard to the seemingly common Phuket jet ski scam (the operator claiming damage and demanding payment), my suggestion to any foreigner caught up in such a scam would be as follows. 1. Suggest to the owner that the police are called. If a foreigner is threatened at the scene, I think a good way to get away would be to say he needs to go to his hotel to get money (probably he would be accompanied by the operator), speak to the concierge, and then call the police from there. 2. When the police arrive, explain to them that this is a civil dispute i.e. one party claims damage, the other denies it and thus it should proceed to a Thai court for a decision. 3. Request the police to assist in passing details of the foreigner and possible defendant to the owner, and similarly ask the police to identify the owner and pass his details to the tourist, and then after this is done, request the police / hotel staff ask the owner to leave the hotel premises. If the local Thai police are unhelpful, I wonder if the tourist police would help? 4. Once the above is done, I think the owner would be very unlikely proceed with a court case, but even if he did, the worst a Thai court could order is that the foreigner pay for the alleged damage. In the meantime, if the tourist feels at risk of physical harm, he should leave and go to another hotel or part of Thailand.

[LennyW]

????

[Soutpeel]

Or....the easy answer dont rent jet ski's

[sharecropper]

As another lawyer, my favourite bit was - In the meantime, if the tourist feels at risk of physical harm, he should leave and go to another hotel or part of Thailand.

"Darling, we are only on a cheapo package tour, but I refused to negotiate a settlement and to pay Somchai 2,000 Baht for damaging his jetski, so quick, under armed police protection and under cover of darkness, we are vacating our paid for hotel, and going up north to a small Isaan village where we will be safe from being murdered by these beach villains.

Quickly, get the kids things together and watch out for sniper fire..."

Not.

[Spoonman]

4. Both parties go in front of a judge and said judge agrees there is a case and sets a hearing date 3 years into the future, neither party is allowed to leave Thailand until the case is heard.

[Nio]

Soutpeel has the right answer

Just avoid them all together

It's like seeing a bee's nest and sticking your hand inside

You know there might be bee's inside but despite what you were told and common sense, you still stick your hand inside

Why risk getting stung in the first place?

These highly documented scams are best to avoid

If you cannot find enough to do in Thailand without renting a jetski, you need some serious help

[ricklev]

The lawyer" doesn't know that the police and tourist police are all part of the scam? The "lawyer" doesn't know that they won't speak English well enough to understand you anyway? What wisdom does the "lawyer" think that his education gives him beyond the right to call himself a "lawyer"?

[NanLaew]

BYOJS

[nam-thip]

The planet Thailand doesn’t work like that i'm afraid.

The soundest advice anyone can give you is “DO NOT RENT A JET-SKI IN THAILAND”

Hiring or driving a jet ski is classified as a dangerous sport and unless you notify the insurer of your intentions and have it written into your holiday insurance, you’re not covered in the event of an accident.

And finally………………….Anyone operating a Jet Ski is also supposed to hold a ‘Second Class Helmsmen of Power Driven Sea-going Vessels’ certificate. If you have not got one (which we can assume most foreigners do not!) there is seldom a problem.

However!!!!!!! If you have an accident not having a certificate it becomes more serious. Operating a Jet Ski without such a certificate means if you have an accident you could pay a fine of 10,000 Baht plus!

If you’re worried about this, just go on a Jet Ski as a passenger.

If you travel on a Jet Ski even as a passenger you must wear a life jacket that has a whistle.

[prefabs]

There are few expats who are not wise to this scam, and any one of us who uses a jet ski is fully aware of the pitfalls.

Now we just need to get every tourist who comes to Thailand to read maipenrai 2010's post. Never mind that most of them don't read English, bit I am sure they will feel more safe for the warning.

Might I ask one question? What ever made you write such a pointless article?

[NALAK]

be a long holiday waiting for the court case to come up b4 you can leave the county, persumably the police will also have to take away the the jet as its evidence. messy as many have said, dont rent jet ski

[CHdiver]

If there is damage to a Jet Ski the person renting the Jet Ski may end up at the Police Station (if he is not paying). If he refuses Police may keep his Passport till the case is settled (Money paid). The way the OP was explaining may work in his home country, but not in Thailand and not if you are a Tourist.

Dont rent a Jet Ski is the best advice, if you still have to do it, then take some pictures of the Jet Ski.

[NALAK]

If there is damage to a Jet Ski the person renting the Jet Ski may end up at the Police Station (if he is not paying). If he refuses Police may keep his Passport till the case is settled (Money paid). The way the OP was explaining may work in his home country, but not in Thailand and not if you are a Tourist.

Dont rent a Jet Ski is the best advice, if you still have to do it, then take some pictures of the Jet Ski.

also check below water line as in lift it up, thats where the so called damage is usually found. once you signed the contract to say in jet ski ok you really dont have a prayer.. i think if going to get money from atm or hotel is the answer the jet ski guy will call the police for you.

[Phil Conners]

As another lawyer, my favourite bit was - In the meantime, if the tourist feels at risk of physical harm, he should leave and go to another hotel or part of Thailand.

"Darling, we are only on a cheapo package tour, but I refused to negotiate a settlement and to pay Somchai 2,000 Baht for damaging his jetski, so quick, under armed police protection and under cover of darkness, we are vacating our paid for hotel, and going up north to a small Isaan village where we will be safe from being murdered by these beach villains.

Quickly, get the kids things together and watch out for sniper fire..."

Not.

Uhm, 2,000 baht? Where have you been hiding? Usually the damage claimed is 50,000 - 100,000 baht.

[britmaveric]

Just photograph any damage prior and point out to the jetski lad. Stay away from the land and shallow waters. Stay away from other jetski(s) and boats.

If you do all the above you will enjoy your jetski fun without any problems.

If they hassle you ignore them and walk away.

[givenall]

The planet Thailand doesn't work like that i'm afraid.

The soundest advice anyone can give you is "DO NOT RENT A JET-SKI IN THAILAND"

Jet skies are not fun anyways. you go in the middle of nowhere, punish you pack. get sunburned, If you are stupid enough to rent this machine then you deserve to be taken in a scam

[sharecropper]

As another lawyer, my favourite bit was - In the meantime, if the tourist feels at risk of physical harm, he should leave and go to another hotel or part of Thailand.

"Darling, we are only on a cheapo package tour, but I refused to negotiate a settlement and to pay Somchai 2,000 Baht for damaging his jetski, so quick, under armed police protection and under cover of darkness, we are vacating our paid for hotel, and going up north to a small Isaan village where we will be safe from being murdered by these beach villains.

Quickly, get the kids things together and watch out for sniper fire..."

Not.

Uhm, 2,000 baht? Where have you been hiding? Usually the damage claimed is 50,000 - 100,000 baht.

Nor do I think they'll be murdered by sniper rifle fire in their hotel room, but was making a point by way of a joke.

Although I suppose you can't rule anything out here.

[Jonathanpattaya]

The OP has much to learn about Thailand.

The only certain way to avoid a load of hassle is not to hire jetskis in the first place!

[Trickcyclist]

or drive the thing 30 miles up the coast, dump it and move on!!!

The OP has much to learn about Thailand.

The only certain way to avoid a load of hassle is not to hire jetskis in the first place!

[Spoonman]

or drive the thing 30 miles up the coast, dump it and move on!!!

Then walk back to where you rented it to collect your passport

[Phil Conners]

Don't EVER let anyone take possession of your passport. No exceptions.

[gk10002000]

Rented the jet once while at Koh Larn for the day. Simple runs back and forth with my girlfriend on the back. Never out of sight of the beach. No passport was with me. Been to LOS many times. Can't avoid doing everything all the time. If I was that worried about things, then I would stop traveling to it.

However, I do like tho other poster's recommendation of taking pictures before renting it. Standard procedure for me when I rent a car anywhere, even here in the states is walk around and inspection and document any visible damage before I drive off. Never just hop in and drive. Make notes right there on the rental agreement or ticket or whatever. Granted, usually no paper is involved in Thailand, but do the inspection, and have your Thai friend write it down and you do it in English also.

Prices every place else have been too high for me to bother renting the jet again. Prices were not much of a discount compared to renting them in my state of Florida.

[MaiDong]

BYOJS

Agreed. The price that c**t was charging for some old fibre damage on that show you could buy a similar piece of rubbish and ride it beyond destruction, park it up at the end of the day and walk away - no fearing for your life

[Phatcharanan]

Wow. Seriously never had a problem here in Pattaya but then I use the same guy all the time.

Common sense to inspect for damage first.

Never had to leave a passport either.

[britmaveric]

^normally suppose to give your name and address where you stay. I normally provide neither that would be much good to the lad, even if you could read the writing.

The ones that scam people target those that look like marks. If you know the score they will leave you alone.

[miksguevara]

Ive got a better way of dealing with it just dont bother coming to thailand on holiday, you'll avoid all the other scams then aswell

[RogueExpat]

Ive got a better way of dealing with it just dont bother coming to thailand on holiday, you'll avoid all the other scams then aswell

Thats what the big boxes before customs are for; so you can fly to Thailand, dump all your money in the box, turn around & catch the same flight home again without the headache of clearing customs.

[kevkev1888]

The planet Thailand doesn't work like that i'm afraid.

The soundest advice anyone can give you is "DO NOT RENT A JET-SKI IN THAILAND"

Jet skies are not fun anyways. you go in the middle of nowhere, punish you pack. get sunburned, If you are stupid enough to rent this machine then you deserve to be taken in a scam

A truly pathetic comment!

well done

[Asianrider]

Avoid renting the jetski's, stick to the banana boats !

[johnlexo]

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/02...-pattaya-beach/

Any comments by the LAWYER? I am on the beach daily and can observe rip-offs by jet-ski mafia almost weekly, many times with several very violent guys attacking the farang (s). TIT, the real Thailand.

Only one right choice: Stay away from Jet-Skies in Thailand!