Knife Used In Pattaya Jetski Scam - Irish Tourist’s Life Threatened

[tropo]

I own quite a large boat, what u say i start a gang we all hire every jet ski on the island and tow them all away? Tow them to cambodia sell them for 3000 a piece.

You would serve tourism better by towing the owners out, and you don't have to go all the way to Cambodia to get rid of your cargo.

The jetski owners are making so much from these scans they can probably buy a new jetski with their pocket change.

[Lancelot]

Sorry Thailand, you are all washed up. Straighten it out now, or the tourist numbers will be getting a lot worse!

I disagree.

I am not defending the scammers but the Thais seem to be "Teflon" coated; bad publicity simply does not stick or significantly impact tourisim. If closing down an international airport and armed mobs burning down hi so shopping malls did not halt tourisim, then flashing a few knives certainly won't do it. Its just a big game and woe to those who forget the rules.

PS-Don't rent jet skis

[parallaxtech]

Last year in Koh Samui the hotels would attach a message to the check in sheet that warned guests not to rent jetskis. Because of that and media coverage I saw the jetski business drop at least 80% (I am on the beach every day and have seen too many scams.). I'm not sure if they still do it or if the mafia threatened them to stop. The hotels were sick of customers getting scammed and then telling the hotel manager that they should have been warned. Since they weren't they blamed the hotel and said they would never return. If any of you have friends who are hotel owners or managers, you might want to suggest this to them. All the managers know each other and if they all acted collectively perhaps this would slow this business down.

[Hooliganzone]

I own quite a large boat, what u say i start a gang we all hire every jet ski on the island and tow them all away? Tow them to cambodia sell them for 3000 a piece.

You would serve tourism better by towing the owners out, and you don't have to go all the way to Cambodia to get rid of your cargo.

The jetski owners are making so much from these scans they can probably buy a new jetski with their pocket change.

if you are going to hire a jet ski best take a long bladed knife with you seeing as the police ( mafia puppets) are not interested, then you can at least have a sword fight with them hahaha they have all kinds of festivals here but what they could do with starting an Anti crime and corruption Festival instead of the shitty International music festival what a joke that is INTERNATIONAL not one, all Thai or Asian CRAP

[homeseeker]

Some excellent posts above, so well done to you all. As others have mentioned, people who live in Thailand and especially Pattaya for any length of time learn by experience to avoid these scams.

And lets be fully honest.The reality of Pattaya is that it is a scammers paradise and must be the world's biggest whore house. The beaches are filthy, the shopping outlets selling mainly junk, restaurants are better elsewhere and unless one gets pleasure from gawking along walking street or beach road there is nothing to do except partake in the sex industry.And that is the only real reason to live in or come to Pattaya.

It puzzles me why families with kids or couples even bother coming to Pattaya.

Any ideas why?!

[sharecropper]

Some excellent posts above, so well done to you all. As others have mentioned, people who live in Thailand and especially Pattaya for any length of time learn by experience to avoid these scams.

And lets be fully honest.The reality of Pattaya is that it is a scammers paradise and must be the world's biggest whore house. The beaches are filthy, the shopping outlets selling mainly junk, restaurants are better elsewhere and unless one gets pleasure from gawking along walking street or beach road there is nothing to do except partake in the sex industry.And that is the only real reason to live in or come to Pattaya.

It puzzles me why families with kids or couples even bother coming to Pattaya.

Any ideas why?!

Yeah. To rent jet skis.

[SPIKECM]

The toughest guy from Glasgow would be a fool to mess with any Thai guy. Thai guys are not into scraps. After a fight with a Thai, one of you won't walk away with just a sore face in the morning. Even if you turned the situation round and stabbed the Thai guy with his own weapon, you would go to jail. He wouldn't if he stabbed you. This is a mafia controlled business and the mafia is the police in Thailand. Don't expect the police to be much on your side help you in this situation. There is no real "justice" in Thailand.

This is all just the usual culture clash thing with young guys on holiday who previously went to Majorca for a fortnight. This place doesn't work like Majorca. As soon as the cool is broken in Thailand it breaks big time. No Thai guy is going to stand around looking at another Thai guy getting beaten up by a foreigner. And when then police come, they'll be hearing the story in the Thai language, not in English.

Don't use these stupid things and in any confrontation with Thais find the quietest possible way to walk away and then learn your lesson. All you can do is calmly ask the tourist police to come. Instead, he obviously wanted to have a show with his palls. Bad idea.

One day these little scumbag idiots are going to pick on the wrong tourist(s) and end up on the receiving end of the blades that they so eagerly wield.

The Irish are known for their ability to demonstrate violence when provoked (just ask the English) and they can be very tough nuts to crack so these Thai morons were lucky on this occasion. We should invite a few groups of lads from Edinburgh and Glascow over and see how the Thai mini mafia fair against them!

Edited December 1, 2010 by SPIKECM

[brucestatham]

I have just been threatened by a motorbike repair shop owner in bang sare on the way to sattahip,lots of pointing and the word boxing aimed at me,nice man,land of smiles my

ar5e........

[Huey]

Scum of the earth.

But hey, it sounds like a good opportunity to open a Expat run jet ski rental business

[007]

It is becoming quite clear that things are now completely out of control. When a scammer become a knife wielding thug with total impunity from the long arm of the law, it is time to reconsider our future here in Thailand.

Is there nothing to be done to reign in these daylight robbers, and to bring some sort of semblence of law and order to this country?

Just how long do they believe that they can continue with such antics before tourism becomes a forgotten word?!

A bit off topic, but I was the other day seriously threatened and also got a kick from a big Thai guy in Bangkok. Did I provoke it, no! Police called to the scene did nothing, but waved it off!! So, what to do when you're threatened in Thailand? Ever tried to call the police line: 191 - you won't get through to them for hours, as it's always busy. Have you tried the former tourist police hotline: 1699 - it's a ticket hotline now! Come to Thailand and engage in recreational activities at your own peril! If you want to do jet-skiing and para-sailing - better do it in quality destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, etc., cause in Thailand you can always expect to get scammed doing these activities. This jet-ski scam has been going on forever; what have police and authorities done about it? Other scams have been going on, too - do the authorities know about them, do they care, are they involved?? Thailand is only good for one thing, the bar scene; don't expect quality and service in any other areas!!

Edited December 1, 2010 by 007

[mca]

Where I live, I have drunk men, coming to my front gate, begging for money, for so called food. We all know its for Whiskey. It's a disgrace and shameful.

I take offence at you disparaging Pattaya expats in this way.

Thai men, not X pats.

Yeah sorry my attempt at a lame joke.

[Chunky1]

These farang tourists destroy the innocent vendor's property and then they have the audacity to attempt to flee or deny wrong doing? This is the type of thing that causes farang to lose face in Thailand.

[SPIKECM]

I wouldn't write off the entire country and people because of a few Pattaya scammers. With the way some of the Eurotrash behave themselves there, I sometimes wonder why every Thai in Pattaya doesn't write all farangs off as scumbags. Thailand excels at service. The service in hotels and restaurants must be the best in the world. And no where on earth do they do have a bar scene like in Pattaya, where girls entertain their customers better than anywhere in the world. Outside the bar scene, the vast majority of normal Thais are an absolute joy to be around. I live in Chiang Mai and although this place isn't crime free, it certainly appears to be like that. There's maybe some stuff wrong with Thailand, but there's a lot right with it too.

It is becoming quite clear that things are now completely out of control. When a scammer become a knife wielding thug with total impunity from the long arm of the law, it is time to reconsider our future here in Thailand.

Is there nothing to be done to reign in these daylight robbers, and to bring some sort of semblence of law and order to this country?

Just how long do they believe that they can continue with such antics before tourism becomes a forgotten word?!

A bit off topic, but I was the other day seriously threatened and also got a kick from a big Thai guy in Bangkok. Did I provoke it, no! Police called to the scene did nothing, but waved it off!! So, what to do when you're threatened in Thailand? Ever tried to call the police line: 191 - you won't get through to them for hours, as it's always busy. Have you tried the former tourist police hotline: 1699 - it's a ticket hotline now! Come to Thailand and engage in recreational activities at your own peril! If you want to do jet-skiing and para-sailing - better do it in quality destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, etc., cause in Thailand you can always expect to get scammed doing these activities. This jet-ski scam has been going on forever; what have police and authorities done about it? Other scams have been going on, too - do the authorities know about them, do they care, are they involved?? Thailand is only good for one thing, the bar scene; don't expect quality and service in any other areas!!

Edited December 1, 2010 by SPIKECM

[Tropicalevo]

Violence and extortion at Pattaya.

Who'd have thought it?

[SPIKECM]

The main families who go to Pattaya are from the Russian federation. Thailand is the main long haul destination for them and Pattaya is the cheapest tourist destination in Thailand. They don't seem to see Pattaya in the same light as "normal farangs " do.

I was talking once in a Pattaya hotel to a Bulgarian woman who obviously had class and she seemed to think that Pattaya was a beautiful place to come and holiday. She was there with her elderly mother. I couldn't really understand that, but maybe compared to living under the tyranny of communism for years, anything would seem like paradise.

Some excellent posts above, so well done to you all. As others have mentioned, people who live in Thailand and especially Pattaya for any length of time learn by experience to avoid these scams.

And lets be fully honest.The reality of Pattaya is that it is a scammers paradise and must be the world's biggest whore house. The beaches are filthy, the shopping outlets selling mainly junk, restaurants are better elsewhere and unless one gets pleasure from gawking along walking street or beach road there is nothing to do except partake in the sex industry.And that is the only real reason to live in or come to Pattaya.

It puzzles me why families with kids or couples even bother coming to Pattaya.

Any ideas why?!

Yeah. To rent jet skis.

[midas]

It is becoming quite clear that things are now completely out of control. When a scammer become a knife wielding thug with total impunity from the long arm of the law, it is time to reconsider our future here in Thailand.

Is there nothing to be done to reign in these daylight robbers, and to bring some sort of semblence of law and order to this country?

Just how long do they believe that they can continue with such antics before tourism becomes a forgotten word?!

A bit off topic, but I was the other day seriously threatened and also got a kick from a big Thai guy in Bangkok. Did I provoke it, no! Police called to the scene did nothing, but waved it off!! So, what to do when you're threatened in Thailand? Ever tried to call the police line: 191 - you won't get through to them for hours, as it's always busy. Have you tried the former tourist police hotline: 1699 - it's a ticket hotline now! Come to Thailand and engage in recreational activities at your own peril! If you want to do jet-skiing and para-sailing - better do it in quality destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, etc., cause in Thailand you can always expect to get scammed doing these activities. This jet-ski scam has been going on forever; what have police and authorities done about it? Other scams have been going on, too - do the authorities know about them, do they care, are they involved?? Thailand is only good for one thing, the bar scene; don't expect quality and service in any other areas!!

well not unless you are paying dearly for it...

In the 5 star hotels its sickening how they are overstaffed to hell

and they lick your boots .......because you are paying for it all.

Same in any expensive shop or other venue but where the revenue is

not so large yes there are times you are almost ignored

[saraburioz]

Some excellent posts above, so well done to you all. As others have mentioned, people who live in Thailand and especially Pattaya for any length of time learn by experience to avoid these scams.

And lets be fully honest.The reality of Pattaya is that it is a scammers paradise and must be the world's biggest whore house. The beaches are filthy, the shopping outlets selling mainly junk, restaurants are better elsewhere and unless one gets pleasure from gawking along walking street or beach road there is nothing to do except partake in the sex industry.And that is the only real reason to live in or come to Pattaya.

It puzzles me why families with kids or couples even bother coming to Pattaya.

Any ideas why?!

Mate, that's a good post.

The truth of the matter is that these so-called 'tourists' are sick in some way. They are sex-addicts in denial possibly. It's kinda like heroin users complaining about it being dangerous buying their supply.

A giant whorehouse - yes. Do those Pattaya sexpats really think that anyone cares if someone rips them off?

[puuchai299]

Some excellent posts above, so well done to you all. As others have mentioned, people who live in Thailand and especially Pattaya for any length of time learn by experience to avoid these scams.

And lets be fully honest.The reality of Pattaya is that it is a scammers paradise and must be the world's biggest whore house. The beaches are filthy, the shopping outlets selling mainly junk, restaurants are better elsewhere and unless one gets pleasure from gawking along walking street or beach road there is nothing to do except partake in the sex industry.And that is the only real reason to live in or come to Pattaya.

It puzzles me why families with kids or couples even bother coming to Pattaya.

Any ideas why?!

Mate, that's a good post.

The truth of the matter is that these so-called 'tourists' are sick in some way. They are sex-addicts in denial possibly. It's kinda like heroin users complaining about it being dangerous buying their supply.

A giant whorehouse - yes. Do those Pattaya sexpats really think that anyone cares if someone rips them off?

You don't have to be a sexpat to be involved in a Jetski scam do you???

[zorro1]

"Do those Pattaya sexpats really think that anyone cares if someone rips them off?"

Good reply. I can see the BIB and the jet ski mafia looking at these guys thinking

" you come here to F### our young daughters and boys for a few $$, well welcome to reality, white boys"

make no mistake you/we are at the mercy of what is a fairly lawless society.

A bit off topic but..

Was just having a conversation with a Maltese mate who owns a few condos in Pattaya, he spent 2 nights in a filthy cell with 20 other Thais. His crime? Being drunk on xmas day and giving his lady neighbor a hug that included a bum squeeze. 5 police arrested him and he found her crying at the station. The fine was 150,000bht but his lawyer got it down to 70,000bht

He said he would have paid 500,000 he was so pertified.

Dont hire anything in Thailand unless it has a pulse

Edited December 1, 2010 by zorro1

[dcutman]

This high season is pretty low, increased competition for money, police owned jet skis, corrupt police everywhere, why is anyone surprised this shit is happening? These Irish guys will go home and tell their friends, who will tell their friends, etc etc , next high season even lower, blah blah.

This is not Disney Land people, pay attention.Give then what they want, the police are in on it, and live to play another day.

That is sad thing say. But true

[neverdie]

Dont hire anything in Thailand unless it has a pulse

More lads come to grief involving things with pulse's in thailand than jetskis

[Tolley]

Some posters here are really missing the big picture.

It is not just Pattaya where these things go on.

Scams are endemic throughout all of Thailand.

The jet ski scam is a disgrace but even if you did manage to close it down that still leaves 1001 other scams available.

Close one down and the scammers will move to another scam.

It is the culture that needs to be changed and sadly that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

[saraburioz]

I can see the BIB and the jet ski mafia looking at these guys thinking

" you come here to F### our young daughters and boys for a few $$, well welcome to reality, white boys"

These tourists, that treat all the women in Pattaya like whores(wait a minute..ah never mind),expect to be treated with respect.

Edited December 1, 2010 by saraburioz

[evanson]

Thats why expats should direct everyone to thai beaches. Koh samet and the like have almost no issues.

Except that Koh Samet's beaches are filthy and the island is even more disgusting, environmentally, than Samui. If that were possible.

Here's an idea. How about the stupid yobs stop hiring these noisy polluting things? They must be aware of these scams all over the web and on international tv?

[dansat]

There is only one answer to this problem DO NOT HIRE JET SKI'S IN THAILAND

Here is a better answer for anyone thinking of coming to Thailand. DO NOT COME TO THAILAND

All these Scams against Farangs here are accepted in Thailand by most Thai's. Why ? Becuase alot Thai's have a deep hatred for Farangs. Now this is not of the surface for most of them but its always there. Ask them why some of them will tell you but most wont. As someone said in a post on this topic. If a Thai guy see's 2 other Thai guys fighting they wont do anything. If a Thai guy see's a Thai and Farang fighting they will join in and help the other Thai know matter what.

Farangs have started to give up on Thailand. This is not a ' Land of smiles ' Its a land of violence and racial hatred.

Anyones life is cheap out here. But a Farangs life really means nothing to Thai Police. Never forget this. There is no help out here.

Edited December 1, 2010 by dansat

[evanson]

"Do those Pattaya sexpats really think that anyone cares if someone rips them off?"

Good reply. I can see the BIB and the jet ski mafia looking at these guys thinking

" you come here to F### our young daughters and boys for a few $$, well welcome to reality, white boys"

make no mistake you/we are at the mercy of what is a fairly lawless society.

A bit off topic but..

Was just having a conversation with a Maltese mate who owns a few condos in Pattaya, he spent 2 nights in a filthy cell with 20 other Thais. His crime? Being drunk on xmas day and giving his lady neighbor a hug that included a bum squeeze. 5 police arrested him and he found her crying at the station. The fine was 150,000bht but his lawyer got it down to 70,000bht

He said he would have paid 500,000 he was so pertified.

Dont hire anything in Thailand unless it has a pulse

'Bum squeeze' = Indecent Assault. Som nom na.

[zorro1]

yeah I know, BUT there were only 2 of them, no witnesses get my drift. He was guilty but could not be proven.

[evanson]

A bit off topic, but I was the other day seriously threatened and also got a kick from a big Thai guy in Bangkok. Did I provoke it, no! Police called to the scene did nothing, but waved it off!! So, what to do when you're threatened in Thailand? Ever tried to call the police line: 191 - you won't get through to them for hours, as it's always busy. Have you tried the former tourist police hotline: 1699 - it's a ticket hotline now! Come to Thailand and engage in recreational activities at your own peril! If you want to do jet-skiing and para-sailing - better do it in quality destinations like Australia, New Zealand, Spain, etc., cause in Thailand you can always expect to get scammed doing these activities. This jet-ski scam has been going on forever; what have police and authorities done about it? Other scams have been going on, too - do the authorities know about them, do they care, are they involved?? Thailand is only good for one thing, the bar scene; don't expect quality and service in any other areas!!

Yeah, like the average Thai would kick you for nothing. C'mon. What did you do to get this guy so pissed?

[zorro1]

my ex trained kickboxing since 4 years old. She kicked me once brushing the side of my face just as a warning. I didn't do nuthin wrong either . In oz I could have charged her. What hope in Thailand ??

[richard_smith237]

Yeah, like the average Thai would kick you for nothing. C'mon. What did you do to get this guy so pissed?

Yep, that one made me curious too.

What I have noticed about my Thai friends is that they tend to go to Family places or those who do go to the more notorious places go in a group.

IMO: the reason why this is so is that Thai's know what its like, its unsafe in areas where a situation can get out of hand, in those area's where a situation can get out of hand the locals are generally more impolite, aggressive and generally rude (read scam artists). In these areas where people don't know you they couldn't give a rats arse about you whether you are Western or Thai, it's simply dog eat dog.