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

[saintofsilence]

I wonder if these people actually believe what they say. "... no longer any reason to worry about being extorted by jet-ski operators."

TheWalkingMan

The tourist police are part of the problem

anyway it will nice to hear there response

[saintofsilence]

http://eng.pattayatouristpolice.com/modules.php?name=Touristvision

[TCW]

http://eng.pattayato...e=Touristvision

This is the Tourist Police's "Mission" on their website:

1. Increase the physical fitness of the providing assistance, convenience, and safety both of life and properties, including protect tourists ‘ benefits.

2. Develop the criterion of safety, assistance, and convenience for Tourists.

Made the confidence of safety for Tourist who come to travel want to come back again.

So I hope this means they will help out here, but I can't be sure....

[saintofsilence]

With all the online publicity with papers youtube etc and complaints that have been sent to different departments in Thailand nothing has changed these mafia guys are doing exactly the same thing everyday the same police are coming , people are still being extorted for thousands.

I hate say this but it is so much out of control someone may be killed on the beach by one of these thugs for simply standing up for themselves.

A lot of Indians , Russian and Iranians are getting scammed and some asians, There are a lot of people that are not aware of these scams.

Any one who has time please put the word out because the police are doing nothing about this.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001909826119&v=wall

Office of Prevention and Suppression of Corruption in Government.

99/31 Moo 4, Software Park Chaengwattana Klong Pak Kret, Nonthaburi 11120 salt.

Tel. 02-502-8285-6.

e-mail: [email protected].

http://www.pacc.go.t...php?mod=contact

[email protected]

http://www.tourismth...org/contact-us/

e-mail: [email protected] tourist police bangkok head office

Edited December 8, 2010 by saintofsilence

[saintofsilence]

from 2009

post 119

Tourist Police chief Adis Ngamjitsuksri has conceded the extortion of

tourists was a problem which the police alone could not stamp out.

He said the extortion gangs, including those in tourist provinces,

worked under highly influential people.

Edited December 8, 2010 by saintofsilence

[saintofsilence]

Old Post but worth linking to this thread

Confrontation Between Royal Marines And Jet Ski Owner

[saintofsilence]

more info

[saintofsilence]

This from Pipo 23/11/10

Hi,we were in Thailand for the first time and left yesterday.We rented a jetski opposite royal garden with a guy if I recall correctly.We had a minor accident together.One jetski had minor scratches and the other had the rubber strip damaged.Initial claim was 80.000 Baht which we talked down to 40.000.

A friend of ours who lives here came to our help when the jetski guy already had made up and signed the papers in which he agreed to a 40.000 baht damage claim,but we hadn't paid yet.He contacted the president of the pattaya jetski organisation who he knows personally,and asked if he could mediate but he said he couldn't get involved.He talked to the guy over the phone and advised us to go to the police station if we thought we didn't get a fair deal.Untill that time no police had been involved yet.

So up we went to soi 9.

As soon as we got out of the car with the rental guy an FPV in plain clothes jumped in and advised us not to enter the police station as it would cause more problems.This is the guy waiting for us outside http://i1230.photobu...ce/d5c7f8c6.jpg.

Anyway we went inside and were immediately contacted by another FPV in uniform who has a desk in the soi 9 office at the left side when you enter.He listened to our story and then called another FPV,also in uniform,who would help us out.

From that point it went completely the wrong direction.He first explained us what the consequences could be and warned us that the Thai guy was a very violent person and we should be aware that all this was a scam with many police officers involved.

He asked about the issue to the Thai guy who got upset almost immediately and left the office to go wait outside.The FPV went talking to him outside and returned with the message that the claim was now again 80.000 Baht and he would not accept a deal because he lost face because of our friends involvement and blah blah.<BR sab="1586">Again we were explained that if there was made an official claim,our passports would get taken a copy of and we would not be able to leave the country that night.

( This I actually don't understand clearly.He said the passport would not get confiscated but only taken a copy and this would then faxed to the airport immigration to prevent us from leaving the country.Do you have any knowledge as if this is the case or only scaring tactics).

The FPV went talking to the guy outside several times on his own,and warned our friend to leave because he had upset the Thai and with his presence he would not come to a deal.At the end we pointed to the documents written by him previously and in which he agreed to the claim reduced to 40.000 Baht but the FPV told us that they had no value.After talking for more then an hour the guy seemed to settle for 59.000 Baht.At that time a Thai police volunteer who was in the office entering claims on his laptop all the time started shouting at us what a scum we actually were by not paying for damage we caused to thai people and demanding our passports and that we should go to jail and so much more.To avoid further escalation of the case we went outside the office and decided to pay the 59.000 Baht.

So in fact after contacting the police the claim was raised from an initial agreement of 40.000 Baht to 59.000 Baht.

The FPV who was "helping" us all that time offered several times to drive us to the bank to withdraw the money.He also answered our question as to why the claim went up again after coming to the police station as that since the police was involved now that they needed their share of the scam.So at the end ONLY police volunteers,foreign and Thai,were involved here however there were several Thai officers present but they didn't want to get involved.Later I also found out that the FPV in plain clothes was mediating in another scam case with some Iranian guys involved,which was going on for 5 hours already,and where the Iranians refused to pay an 8000 Baht claim.I saw later that an official claim was opened with the Thai police volunteer.At the same time there was also a claim negotiated between some Indian guys from which I don't know the outcome.

After all this I really have my doubts that the FPV's are not involved in this scam.The one involved with us said that many Thai police were involved but that he could not do anything about other then advising us to make it all public in our home country's as much as possible,but I ask myself the question if he was genuine or not in his words.Since we are back in our homecountry we decided to make this public.

Please don't let this thread die,it may be valuable information to people who do a google for Pattaya before they visit this Land of Scams.

This post has been edited by pipo1000: 2010-11-23 18:31

Edited December 8, 2010 by saintofsilence

[salty]

What a great title for this committee and their "rapid" response team. While the Mayor and they "sort out" the problem I worry in case they might not be fair to the jet ski scammers.

Marine Tourism Supervision Committee...

Mayor 'sorts out' Pattaya's Jet Ski scams

Permalink

It should be so simple. Minor scratches are fair wear and tear. Major damage should be covered by an insurance element to the hire fee. It is unacceptable for any further monies to be extorted from tourists under any circumstance

Based on article from pattayapeople.com

After many complaints about Jet Ski operators in Pattaya and Jomtien overcharging tourists when accidents occur to their boats, Pattaya Mayor Ittipol Khunplome held a meeting at City Hall to 'sort out' the problems, in order to be fair to both operators and customers.

Attending was Deputy Mayor Ronnakit Aegesing, councilors, and representatives from the Pattaya and Banglamung police and TAT. Many complaints came in via 1337 Call Center and the Tourist Information Center that after tourists had rented Jet Skis, minor scratches or dents were called to their attention and demand for compensation was claimed from them, with some operators asking up to 50,000 baht for damages

[sharecropper]

Tourist police won't do anything, Soi 9 are the gang-masters, the wimpy mayor is too pathetic to act, TAT won't reply, the government have too many other scams to worry about.

Taking down knife-wielding, life-threatening thugs jeopardizing the very tourist fabric of the city? It may even be an act of sedition, certainly one of economic terrorism, and on that basis is this something for the brave gun-toting team at SWAT to handle?

Can anyone post their number, or a number for their foreigner consultant? Then we can all feel safer in our deck chairs.

[slapout]

The response that "influential" people/persons are behind these scams and that is the reason no solution has or will be found/taken is indicative of the vast number of Thai's mindset. We saw that the military could and did relieve the inapt police a few months back when a group of lawbreakers disrupted business, etc in Bangkok. If the officials who should be concerned and providing a solution cannot/will not bring this to an end, replace them and the police who are also responsible.

One article mentioned that several of the jet ski owners refused to purchase insurance as required several months ago, impound the play toys until they do.

Influential people are normally associated with those who have contributed to society in some positive way and have the experience to help further via the contacts they have made. How far down in the cesspool of life do the so called "influential" sink, if turning these scams is one of their ambitions in life?

Thailand seems to be taking lessons from countries such as Nigeria and Somalia when it comes to utilizing various scams to raise capital to stimulate the local economy. The pirate gig seems to be slow in coming but they have the water part covered. They deserve each other and the eventual results.

[saintofsilence]

There would be hundreds of these daily scams going unreported because these mafia scare the shit out of people and threaten their lives many times I have heard them the mafia guys screaming in the customers face 20 mtrs away

They are well organised and they call in people to assist that sometimes look official and the tourists think they are getting the best advice and pay the money.

This word needs to get out to everyone coming to Thailand don't rent the jet skis you may have your holiday ruined.

[smedly]

perhaps the best message to all concerned is simply not to hire jetski's, I'd be surprised if most people coming here on holiday where not aware of the scam

on another note, I had a laugh yesterday at bali pier when walking to my bike from the ferry, two jetski guys towing a ski from another one when it began to sink in the harbour, I watched as they dived in the water and tried to keep the thing afloat in vain, I just thought to myself there is justice in world, another group of thai guys standing beside me where having a laugh at their antics lol

[SamritT]

Other than the black beer, I din't know that Irish play Jetski as well.

[saintofsilence]

perhaps the best message to all concerned is simply not to hire jetski's, I'd be surprised if most people coming here on holiday where not aware of the scam

on another note, I had a laugh yesterday at bali pier when walking to my bike from the ferry, two jetski guys towing a ski from another one when it began to sink in the harbour, I watched as they dived in the water and tried to keep the thing afloat in vain, I just thought to myself there is justice in world, another group of thai guys standing beside me where having a laugh at their antics lol

if these scammers can extort up to 1 million baht a week off pattaya beach some tourists must not be aware , Indians would be the highest users i don't know if they do any home work before coming.

Edited December 9, 2010 by saintofsilence

[slapout]

One group in Thailand from the few reports I hear who are another possible avenue; "consumer protection group", I think they have a fully staffed office in the Municipality complex of the major cities. Chiang Mai has one. I doubt that tourist have ever heard of this office but they are here to protect the consumer of goods and services from this type of scam. It may be worth the effort to approach them with some info etc. I do know that they get involved in rental car, used car sales and building contractor ripoffs and the police seem dissappear from the scene when this group gets involved.

[saintofsilence]

From a Blog Titled Personal Thailand

According to Pattaya One News one tourist or more was threatened with a long bladed knife (probably a machete the use for opening coconuts at the beach.) This happened when he did not want to pay the money for the "damaged" Jet Ski. I do not know how many stories we and other blogs and forum need to write before people understand that you should never rent a Jet Ski in Thailand. The local police in all cities are somehow involved in the scam.

You never have to pay to them ever this is a civil court matter and they need to take you to civil court but cannot hold you in Thailand. Your best option is to go to the local police station file a complaint that they threaten you. Call your local Embassy and newspaper and tell them about the story. Ask the police to make sure they take ID cards from all people involved and then ask the police t escort you safely to your hotel were you pack and get the hell out of Pattaya or Phuket.

The more people you tell this story to the better, if you have a recording device record everybody and everyone and end the video to us or someone else. We can translate what they said and put it online.

Here is another reason why you never should rent a Jet Ski in Thailand.

http://www.personalthailand.com/entries/18-Video-of-Jet-Ski-Scam-in-Pattaya

Edited December 9, 2010 by saintofsilence

[saintofsilence]

Scams & Extortion Continue On Pattaya Beach

With all the recent publicity this scam has received in the past few weeks including complaints to several authorities ,the youtube clip showing police involvement ,postings on internet including Knife used in jet ski scam , the exact same thing is still occuring daily.

Included in these daily scams are at least two Russians and an Indian man with Turban.

Is their other foreign involvement ?

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss: Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thailawfo...a-thailand.html

Here is a quote from another thread on this forum in 2009

“Tourist Police chief Adis Ngamjitsuksri has conceded the extortion of which the police alone could not stamp out.

He said the extortion gangs, including those in tourist provinces,

worked under highly influential people.

My question is who are those influential people ?

One forum poster received who complained to TAT received a complaint back advising him that they did not have the authority to do anything and to contact the Tourist Police Pattaya.

They have been contacted every day and it looks like they are part of the problem.

Some newspapers reported that the Foreign Tourist Police have been told not to get involved.

It seems that many tourists from other countries come here totally unaware of this problem on Pattaya beach .

Governments from all countries need to do more about this than just putting a warning on a web site is not enough.

The touts offer them Jet Ski Rides for 500 baht the poor tourist thinks he can afford that until the scam kicks in and he is being abused , assaulted theatened with knives and accussed of damage he did not do and is out of pocket to 80 thousand baht.

There are also times when tourists do damage the jet ski’s but again the problem is how much they will have to pay for little damage there have been reports up to 250000 baht.

The jet ski mafia control the whole beach but the hot spots are from soi 9 to the last one close to walking st.

The Solution to this problem is Ban The Jet Skis Immediatley and make Pattaya beach a safer place , some one will end up being killed at the hands of these mafia guys.

The mafia men and women running these jet skis on Pattaya beach should never be allowed to rent them again.

It is not unusual for 15 or more people in one day to be scammed on pattaya beach.

Edited December 15, 2010 by metisdead
Headline font size reduced.

[uncletom]

Scams & Extortion Continue On Pattaya Beach

With all the recent publicity this scam has received in the past few weeks including complaints to several authorities ,the youtube clip showing police involvement ,postings on internet including Knife used in jet ski scam , the exact same thing is still occuring daily.

Included in these daily scams are at least two Russians and an Indian man with Turban.

Is their other foreign involvement ?

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss: Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thailawfo...a-thailand.html

Here is a quote from another thread on this forum in 2009

Tourist Police chief Adis Ngamjitsuksri has conceded the extortion of which the police alone could not stamp out.

He said the extortion gangs, including those in tourist provinces,

worked under highly influential people.

My question is who are those influential people ?

One forum poster received who complained to TAT received a complaint back advising him that they did not have the authority to do anything and to contact the Tourist Police Pattaya.

They have been contacted every day and it looks like they are part of the problem.

Some newspapers reported that the Foreign Tourist Police have been told not to get involved.

It seems that many tourists from other countries come here totally unaware of this problem on Pattaya beach .

Governments from all countries need to do more about this than just putting a warning on a web site is not enough.

The touts offer them Jet Ski Rides for 500 baht the poor tourist thinks he can afford that until the scam kicks in and he is being abused , assaulted theatened with knives and accussed of damage he did not do and is out of pocket to 80 thousand baht.

There are also times when tourists do damage the jet skis but again the problem is how much they will have to pay for little damage there have been reports up to 250000 baht.

The jet ski mafia control the whole beach but the hot spots are from soi 9 to the last one close to walking st.

The Solution to this problem is Ban The Jet Skis Immediatley and make Pattaya beach a safer place , some one will end up being killed at the hands of these mafia guys.

The mafia men and women running these jet skis on Pattaya beach should never be allowed to rent them again.

It is not unusual for 15 or more people in one day to be scammed on pattaya beach.

It will be very hard indeed to stamp out this problem, no, let us say impossible and will never happen.

My friend was subjected to the jet ski scam over 15 years ago in Pattaya-Jomtein. If I remember correctly he threw a bone of 500 baht at the yelling Thais. Looking at the Thai faces on the beach, was a here it goes again. He probably got away because his true face looks crazier than almost anyone I know, but he still threw them the bone.I also believe that Thailand was perhaps a little more rough back at that time,so he got a little lucky by not being attacked.

So it wont stop and the Influential get paid on a daily regular basis. Terrific salary and benefits for them.

uncletom

Edited December 15, 2010 by metisdead
Headline font size reduced.

[saintofsilence]

Very interesting to read the comments under this youtube clip Edited December 12, 2010 by saintofsilence

[uncletom]

Very interesting to read the comments under this youtube clip

Good You Tube Video. Tells it all.

By the way, your post numbers equal 1234 with the last one.... I like that. Simple things for simple minds.

uncletom

[TheWalkingMan]

I really wish they would get rid of these bums.

TheWalkingMan

Edited December 13, 2010 by TheWalkingMan

[supaprik]

these guys are surely scum bags indeed

[saintofsilence]

Scams & Extortion Continue On Pattaya Beach

With all the recent publicity this scam has received in the past few weeks including complaints to several authorities ,the youtube clip showing police involvement ,postings on internet including Knife used in jet ski scam , the exact same thing is still occuring daily.

Included in these daily scams are at least two Russians and an Indian man with Turban.

Is their other foreign involvement ?

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss: Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thailawfo...a-thailand.html

Here is a quote from another thread on this forum in 2009

Tourist Police chief Adis Ngamjitsuksri has conceded the extortion of which the police alone could not stamp out.

He said the extortion gangs, including those in tourist provinces,

worked under highly influential people.

My question is who are those influential people ?

One forum poster received who complained to TAT received a complaint back advising him that they did not have the authority to do anything and to contact the Tourist Police Pattaya.

They have been contacted every day and it looks like they are part of the problem.

Some newspapers reported that the Foreign Tourist Police have been told not to get involved.

It seems that many tourists from other countries come here totally unaware of this problem on Pattaya beach .

Governments from all countries need to do more about this than just putting a warning on a web site is not enough.

The touts offer them Jet Ski Rides for 500 baht the poor tourist thinks he can afford that until the scam kicks in and he is being abused , assaulted theatened with knives and accussed of damage he did not do and is out of pocket to 80 thousand baht.

There are also times when tourists do damage the jet skis but again the problem is how much they will have to pay for little damage there have been reports up to 250000 baht.

The jet ski mafia control the whole beach but the hot spots are from soi 9 to the last one close to walking st.

The Solution to this problem is Ban The Jet Skis Immediatley and make Pattaya beach a safer place , some one will end up being killed at the hands of these mafia guys.

The mafia men and women running these jet skis on Pattaya beach should never be allowed to rent them again.

It is not unusual for 15 or more people in one day to be scammed on pattaya beach.

It will be very hard indeed to stamp out this problem, no, let us say impossible and will never happen.

My friend was subjected to the jet ski scam over 15 years ago in Pattaya-Jomtein. If I remember correctly he threw a bone of 500 baht at the yelling Thais. Looking at the Thai faces on the beach, was a here it goes again. He probably got away because his true face looks crazier than almost anyone I know, but he still threw them the bone.I also believe that Thailand was perhaps a little more rough back at that time,so he got a little lucky by not being attacked.

So it wont stop and the Influential get paid on a daily regular basis. Terrific salary and benefits for them.

uncletom

If this has been going on 15 years , I doubt if a jet ski owner has ever been charged with scamming or extortion and they have just grown stronger and better at scamming because they are protected.

Edited December 15, 2010 by metisdead
Headline font size reduced.

[saintofsilence]

from Andrew Drummond's site about mafia and jet ski's

What however ‘Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand’ did not broadcast however was a fuller interview with ‘JJ’ in which he talked about his mafia bosses, who do not have accounts at the Lloyds Register of Shipping.

After demonstrating what he himself did to tourists who did not cough up, by slapping his right fist into his open left palm, JJ went on to say that his ‘big bosses’ would come down if there were real problems and if you thought his gun just went ‘pop! pop!’ then they had serious armament.

They owned the jet-skis and they called the shots. The police were in on it and took the commission.

Actually I have always thought these facts were pretty obvious from day one. Even a tourist police chief appeared to confirm this to the Bangkok Post at the time the film crews were being hounded.

“Tourist Police chief Adis Ngamjitsuksri has conceded the extortion of tourists was a problem which the police alone could not stamp out. (Bangkok Post September 18 2009)

He said the extortion gangs, including those in tourist provinces, worked under highly influential people”.

Years ago on Phuket I hired a fast boat at US$1,400 a day. At the end of the day I asked them to drop me off on the beach by the Laguna resort which we were passing, rather than have to go half way round the island to the marina.

“No way” said the Captain. ‘We cannot drop people there. We will have trouble with the mafia”.

So I got home two hours later then I could have.

So there you have it. If you hire a jet ski in Patong Beach, Phuket, there will be a high chance you are paying the mafia.

http://www.andrew-drummond.com/tag/royal-marines/

Note ; add Pattaya to the list also

Edited December 15, 2010 by saintofsilence

[saintofsilence]

From Richard Barrow 2009

When me and my friends got a jet ski out in Pattaya on our last two days there, our nightmare began. We gave the jet ski’s back in after initially agreeing a price of 700 THB for 30 minutes each. What followed was a bill of 115,000 THB for “damage” we caused to the carbon fibre on the jet ski’s, etc. We said no, and that’s when things turned violent. Soon we were held captive at the beech and they started pulling knives out on us. They threatened to kill us at the beach if we did not pay. Eventually they let me go, it took 3 separate visits to the police station before an American volunteer came down to the beach, approximately 5 hours after the incident with my two friends held captive by around 12-15 angry Thai’s

We went to the police station and were threatened to be killed. Eventually we came to an agreement of 50,000 THB in fear for our lives. These guys continued with the death threats, hands in the pockets, etc. It was a horrible experience and it doesn’t surprise me about these stories. We spent all our remaining money and took extra overdrafts out of the bank to pay these crooks. 10 hours later and finally we escaped Pattaya. They had been waiting outside our hotel after initially paying 33,000 THB with the agreement to pay 17,000 THB the day later. We paid the money three hours later after coming to an agreement with the bank, at 3 a.m. in the police station. We got back to the hotel, fled in a taxi to Bangkok (they had even bribed our receptionist with 1,000 THB to tell him if we left). I’m sure these guys are now very satisfied having pulled this scam off.”

http://www.thai-blogs.com/2009/09/10/big-trouble-in-thailand-jet-ski-scam/?blog=5

[saintofsilence]

From Thongkorn Thai Visa

I stopped the video above after about one minute. I saw this scenario played out two or three times a week in Pattaya, I use to sit on the wall at the bottom of soy 8 on beach road, Always the police was involved , the boat was never examined by the police, also i saw the police return to the crime area ,to collect the evidence in the form of baht. After the Tourist had left the scene of the crime . Welcome to the Land of smiles. In the end i felt intimidated because i was sat on the wall when so many times the scam was played out , i had to find some where else sit because i was getting to many glares from the scamming crew , sorry jet ski men..

[KevinJosephCoyle]

If the powers that be in Pattaya had a pair or even a semblance of a pair they would set all the jet ski operators down and not allow then to operate for 15 days. Maybe then the innocent parties would crack down on the guilty ones and clean up the mess. Aside from that, let them all suffer.

]Great idea pal, but 15 days might not be effective. How about the whole high season this year? That would guarantee the problem would not reoccur. However, these extortionists would just place more of their attention on their other scams

[dogleg]

From Thongkorn Thai Visa

I stopped the video above after about one minute. I saw this scenario played out two or three times a week in Pattaya, I use to sit on the wall at the bottom of soy 8 on beach road, Always the police was involved , the boat was never examined by the police, also i saw the police return to the crime area ,to collect the evidence in the form of baht. After the Tourist had left the scene of the crime . Welcome to the Land of smiles. In the end i felt intimidated because i was sat on the wall when so many times the scam was played out , i had to find some where else sit because i was getting to many glares from the scamming crew , sorry jet ski men..

Hmmm. Not sure I could spend so much time down there without making the effort to tip off the 'marks' before hand. At least once before legging it.

[happyrobert]

I lived in Mexico, an hour outside Puerto Vallarta, for a long time. The police there are certainly corrupt, but they must be either smarter or more compassionate than the cops in Pattaya because they never, never would have allowed locals to pull this crap. The kid with the knife would have been hauled off and never seen again.

I love Thailand, but these not-isolated incidents have given me Grass-Is-Greener syndrome and I've started looking at neighboring countries. In my four years here, things just get worse. I retired here for the peace, quiet and beauty that was once Thailand.

The final straw, though, was not the escalation in violence, or the political instability, it was the open selling of kiddie porn. The cops, and therefore the Government itself, silently condoning this is a clear statement that no one can count on government officials to behave in a professional manner, not even in the defense of their own, tiny children from being sexually assaulted. So why on earth would I expect them to protect a middle-aged foreigner? And since I'm not so egotistical to believe I am unique, there are others who are doing the same.

As for the jet-ski mafia, if the cops can't be counted on, how about a few "tourists" rent them, then after a few minutes of running about close to shore, head out to sea and "hole" the jet skis at the water line, board a fast boat with their accomplices, and disappear.....anyone that has a "go-fast", feel free to PM me.

Edited December 19, 2010 by happyrobert