Pattaya Jetskis

[saintofsilence]

In Pattaya people today a report of a Russian being hit by a jet ski at jomtien.

[guzzi850m2]

In Pattaya Mail there is a report that this have now reached the Chonburi Governors desk and Justice Ministry as well and they don't like it, so maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all.

[saintofsilence]

In Pattaya Mail there is a report that this have now reached the Chonburi Governors desk and Justice Ministry as well and they don't like it, so maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all.

"Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh added that police are not the ones who should be mediating such disputes because, the way the law is written, the problem is a civil, not a criminal, matter"

You may be very correct it certainly is getting attention changes may occur good story in Pattaya mail I have asked the mods to run it seperate.

Edited April 22, 2011 by saintofsilence

[janverbeem]

"Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh added that police are not the ones who should be mediating such disputes because, the way the law is written, the problem is a civil, not a criminal, matter"

.

Which translates as : This is a case between the Jetski mafia and the tourists,don't ask or blame us.

[saintofsilence]

"Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh added that police are not the ones who should be mediating such disputes because, the way the law is written, the problem is a civil, not a criminal, matter"

.

Which translates as : This is a case between the Jetski mafia and the tourists,don't ask or blame us.

At the moment this is just looking like they have been warned again so nothing has changed .

[Rimmer]

Russian Hit By Jet Ski Jomtien Driver Runs Away

Posted in Pattaya News Clippings HERE

[Rimmer]

Justice Ministry, Chonburi governor join fray over Pattaya jet skis

Posted in Pattaya News Clippings HERE

[pauljones]

Foreigners (not Thais) pressuring the Thai Government about the beach mafia.

What are these disrespectful, immoral, unethical beach punks going to do if they are shut down?

They will retaliate against farangs and a wave of violent crime will occur I predict.

Time to ban the skis and severely punish those involved in defrauding and assaulting visitors.

[saintofsilence]

Here is a link to where a tourist was forced to pay 180000 baht for damages

[davidA]

Over the last 3 day's,i've had occasion to drive along beach road Pattaya,i have to say that i've seen no jet ski's being used, i hope that these greedy Bas@@##! have realised that maybe they've screwed up their own livelihood!!!!?????

[champken]

Over the last 3 day's,i've had occasion to drive along beach road Pattaya,i have to say that i've seen no jet ski's being used, i hope that these greedy Bas@@##! have realised that maybe they've screwed up their own livelihood!!!!?????

I really don't think the scum is that bothered about renting out jet skis at 1000b a go after all that is chicken feed compared to the millions (yes millions) of baht that they have scammed of tourists over time.

I would not only like to see them banned from the beach but also every one of those scum bags arrested and jailed for extortion and violence and that includes any bent cop that it can be proved to be involved

[Mobi]

I’m not sure when this jet ski scamming started but certainly a few years back, most of the jet ski operators were at least half way honest and were mainly looking to make a living on their investment - running a genuine Jet Ski hire business, with no thoughts of grossly ripping off farangs.

In fact during the low season I used to feel sorry for some of them when I saw them all parked up as there were few, if any customers and their investment is quite high by any standards.

Then, the stories about the scamming in Phuket started to surface, culminating in the infamous 'man with the gun' incident which was broadcast on foreign TV and You-Tube a few years back. After that, things got gradually worse in Phuket, as presumably the scammers realised that no one was going to take any serious steps to stop them. Eventually this criminal practice spread to Pattaya. I can only assume that the Pattaya Jet Ski owners didn’t start the scamming by their own initiative but have been encouraged to do so by criminal elements who must have joined them and now share in the highly inflated, scammed proceeds.

Once the genie is out of the bottle there is no way it is going to be put back in again. Before the big scamming started, the operators were making a thousand or so baht per day. Now they can make tens of thousands from a single, good ‘hit’. Even if they wanted to go back to the old days, their criminal partners would not let them, especially as many are drug addicts and will do anything to feed their habits.

IMHO there is no way that any kind of lobbying or action by hotels or flooding internet sites with warnings and getting travel agents to issue warnings etc etc is going to stop tourists from getting scammed. For every tourist who is forewarned , there will always be many first time tourists in Pattaya who won’t have clue about Jet Ski scamming, and even they did read something about it somewhere, many will forget, especially when they are enjoying themselves on the beach and they decide it’s time to have bit of fun on jet ski. Not everyone reads the internet sites, estate agent’s hand-outs etc. They think they know it all, or just don’t care and will be seduced by the sweet talking Thais with a friendly smile on their face.

Many farangs in Thailand believe that continual adverse publicity will eventually lead to a decline in tourist numbers. There is absolutely no evidence that this is so. Yes, some will stay away or will not return, but new, first-time tourists keep coming and will continue to do so in spite of all bad publicity and warnings. They are attracted by the climate, the beaches, the smiling Thais, the beautiful women, the food, and, in spite of all the recent complaints about prices rises, Thailand still remains a relatively cheap place to take a holiday for most Europeans. This is even more so for those who stay in 3-5 star hotels where the room rates are highly competitive when compared to comparable resorts and the service is generally excellent.

The ‘mugs’ will keep coming and the Thai criminals, assisted by the BIB will keep scamming until there is a total ban on jet skis, and the whole area is cleaned out.

Then this whole business can be put into the hands of the authorities. They can set the Jet Ski rates, licence the Jet Ski owners, after inspecting the machines and ensuring that adequate insurance has been taken out, and the owners hold proper papers etc. There could be official Jet Ski booths set up along the beach and tourists could go to a booth, pay for jet ski hire, be issued with an official receipt and then take the next Ski in line, in a similar manner to the way they allocate taxis at Bangkok airport.

Each ski would have a licence number and the tourist would be issued with a paper in English setting out the official rates, his rights, and where to go in the event of problems or an accident. On the back of the paper would be a sketch of the Jet Ski where the tourists could note any scratches or damage, to be co-signed by the owner, before he takes it into the water. In no circumstances would money change hands between the tourist and the lessor. It would all be handled by the official in the booth. If any Jet Ski owner was inebriated or high on drugs, then his licence should be revoked.

One way or another, this scheme would have to be funded from Jet Ski income so it may be necessary to set a higher official rate than is currently the practice, or there could be a small surcharge on top of the Ski fee to pay for the scheme’s administration. I doubt whether many tourists would object to paying a bit more, as long as they weren’t the victim of scams. They would understand that the whole business was being properly organised and administered for their own safety and convenience.

I personally hate Jet Skis and wish they had never been invented as they are a danger for both riders and bathers alike, and the noise pollution is appalling. But I recognise that they are probably here to stay, so that being the case, it would be a relatively easy matter to set up a scheme along the lines of the one I have suggested above. The Thais are actually quite good at organising and running this kind of thing, and skilled labour is still cheap enough to be able to man the booths without it costing an arm and a leg.

I know, I'm pixxing in the proverbial wind, so forgive an old man his crazy wanderings on a slow news Sunday evening...

[saintofsilence]

I’m not sure when this jet ski scamming started but certainly a few years back, most of the jet ski operators were at least half way honest and were mainly looking to make a living on their investment - running a genuine Jet Ski hire business, with no thoughts of grossly ripping off farangs.

In fact during the low season I used to feel sorry for some of them when I saw them all parked up as there were few, if any customers and their investment is quite high by any standards.

Then, the stories about the scamming in Phuket started to surface, culminating in the infamous 'man with the gun' incident which was broadcast on foreign TV and You-Tube a few years back. After that, things got gradually worse in Phuket, as presumably the scammers realised that no one was going to take any serious steps to stop them. Eventually this criminal practice spread to Pattaya. I can only assume that the Pattaya Jet Ski owners didn’t start the scamming by their own initiative but have been encouraged to do so by criminal elements who must have joined them and now share in the highly inflated, scammed proceeds.

Once the genie is out of the bottle there is no way it is going to be put back in again. Before the big scamming started, the operators were making a thousand or so baht per day. Now they can make tens of thousands from a single, good ‘hit’. Even if they wanted to go back to the old days, their criminal partners would not let them, especially as many are drug addicts and will do anything to feed their habits.

IMHO there is no way that any kind of lobbying or action by hotels or flooding internet sites with warnings and getting travel agents to issue warnings etc etc is going to stop tourists from getting scammed. For every tourist who is forewarned , there will always be many first time tourists in Pattaya who won’t have clue about Jet Ski scamming, and even they did read something about it somewhere, many will forget, especially when they are enjoying themselves on the beach and they decide it’s time to have bit of fun on jet ski. Not everyone reads the internet sites, estate agent’s hand-outs etc. They think they know it all, or just don’t care and will be seduced by the sweet talking Thais with a friendly smile on their face.

Many farangs in Thailand believe that continual adverse publicity will eventually lead to a decline in tourist numbers. There is absolutely no evidence that this is so. Yes, some will stay away or will not return, but new, first-time tourists keep coming and will continue to do so in spite of all bad publicity and warnings. They are attracted by the climate, the beaches, the smiling Thais, the beautiful women, the food, and, in spite of all the recent complaints about prices rises, Thailand still remains a relatively cheap place to take a holiday for most Europeans. This is even more so for those who stay in 3-5 star hotels where the room rates are highly competitive when compared to comparable resorts and the service is generally excellent.

The ‘mugs’ will keep coming and the Thai criminals, assisted by the BIB will keep scamming until there is a total ban on jet skis, and the whole area is cleaned out.

Then this whole business can be put into the hands of the authorities. They can set the Jet Ski rates, licence the Jet Ski owners, after inspecting the machines and ensuring that adequate insurance has been taken out, and the owners hold proper papers etc. There could be official Jet Ski booths set up along the beach and tourists could go to a booth, pay for jet ski hire, be issued with an official receipt and then take the next Ski in line, in a similar manner to the way they allocate taxis at Bangkok airport.

Each ski would have a licence number and the tourist would be issued with a paper in English setting out the official rates, his rights, and where to go in the event of problems or an accident. On the back of the paper would be a sketch of the Jet Ski where the tourists could note any scratches or damage, to be co-signed by the owner, before he takes it into the water. In no circumstances would money change hands between the tourist and the lessor. It would all be handled by the official in the booth. If any Jet Ski owner was inebriated or high on drugs, then his licence should be revoked.

One way or another, this scheme would have to be funded from Jet Ski income so it may be necessary to set a higher official rate than is currently the practice, or there could be a small surcharge on top of the Ski fee to pay for the scheme’s administration. I doubt whether many tourists would object to paying a bit more, as long as they weren’t the victim of scams. They would understand that the whole business was being properly organised and administered for their own safety and convenience.

I personally hate Jet Skis and wish they had never been invented as they are a danger for both riders and bathers alike, and the noise pollution is appalling. But I recognise that they are probably here to stay, so that being the case, it would be a relatively easy matter to set up a scheme along the lines of the one I have suggested above. The Thais are actually quite good at organising and running this kind of thing, and skilled labour is still cheap enough to be able to man the booths without it costing an arm and a leg.

I know, I'm pixxing in the proverbial wind, so forgive an old man his crazy wanderings on a slow news Sunday evening...

Great post they also need to go in one direction to avoid collisions , but I agree what you are saying about a cue and send them out 100 meters between each other , once the ticket has been purchased the jet ski owner should take responsibility for all damage by insurance claims or a funding pool.

Edited April 24, 2011 by saintofsilence

[saintofsilence]

City Hall getting tough Back in 2007

[saintofsilence]

21 /11 / 2009

Pattaya City Sets Up New Committee Dealing with Jet Ski Problems

Many complaints have been reported to Pattaya City about customers being treated unfairly by owners who would overcharge them if they caused small damage to the jet skis. Some were even accused of damage that already existed.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said, “We have received complaints from the Pattaya City call center 1337 from foreigners who were over charged for small damage they made to rental jet skis as well as from foreigners who were charged for damages they did not do. Some foreigners were charged nearly 20,000 Baht. Foreigners on numerous occasions have been confronted by a large group of jet ski owners who would threaten them if they did not pay. Blogs written by the victims have been circulating the internet which is giving Pattaya a bad reputation.”

“For this reason we decided to organize a committee who will take care all of the jet skis in Pattaya. This committee will consist of owners of the jet ski business plus jet ski mechanics and associated parties who have knowledge about damage pricing. We will also force owners to register all of their skis,” he added.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Sutum Chaositong said, “If there is a disagreement between a jet ski owner and the renter, a tourist police volunteer will be the person who will help discuss the issue to hopefully bring both parties to an agreeable conclusion. If they are still unable to agree the police will get involved. All of the jet skis will be registered and both parties will have to sign an agreement contract before renting.”

“The contract will explain that when there is an accident the renter will have to pay for the damage, or, if the renter gets injured from the jet ski, the owner will not be responsible,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Sutum added.

http://pattaya-times.com/a3509-pattaya-city-sets-up-new-committee-dealing-with-jet-ski-problems

[striderman]

my trip this time is almost over and i have seen a lot less scams going on this visit.

this may be a combination of things, less tourists so less rentals, songkran diverting falangs to playing with water rather than on it, poor weather esp with afternoon storms and pressure from city hall.

i have not seen the russian guy about on the beach since the first few days and the sikh guy i have only seen riding his motorcy. if this is due to city hall or just bad timing on my part and missing them i'm not sure.

I still think it's almost impossible to stop short of a total ban but it is much reduced since january when it was rampant.

But that will be little consolation to the 2 young brits i spoke to who got hit for 20,000 bht

[saintofsilence]

Meeting 02/4/2010

Meeting discusses ways to combat Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

On Friday Morning at Pattaya City Hall, Khun Ronagit, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya chaired a meeting to discuss the continuing problems with Jet Ski Scams involving operators on Pattaya and Jomtien Beaches. The meeting was told that Tourists are complaining on a daily basis to city officials about the Jet Ski Operators who are asking for large amounts of money for so-called damage to the Jet Ski’s. Sometimes the damage is genuine, however most of the time it is old damage which was not picked-up by the Tourist prior to them renting the Jet Ski’s. In Phuket the operators are now covered by Insurance where the Tourist has to pay a small excess if damage is caused. Here in Pattaya there is no talk of insurance but of a registration scheme which, according to delegates, will deter the operators from scamming tourists otherwise they will lose their right to operate on the beaches. No details on when the registration scheme will begin or how it will work were agreed upon at the meeting which will be followed by further meetings in the future.

http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/17340/meeting-discusses-ways-to-combat-pattaya-jet-ski-scams/

[saintofsilence]

Thursday, 17 March 2011

Mayor declares war on scamming Pattaya jet ski vendors

After months of non-stop complaints about purported rip-offs, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome personally warned Pattaya Beach jet ski vendors their “cards have been marked” and finally moved to write new laws to regulate their operation.

Making a surprise, plainclothes visit to Pattaya Beach last week, Itthiphol intercepted a number of the jet ski operators allegedly scamming tourists out of hundreds of thousands of baht weekly for non-existent damage to the water craft and served notice he’d had enough.

“I know your game and your cards have been marked,” Itthiphol, writing on his online Facebook page, said he told the jet ski vendors.

http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/mayor-declares-war-on-scamming-pattaya-jet-ski-vendors-2140

[toenail]

I honestly feel that the mayor of Pattaya is trying his best to "up grade" the city, and also make it more "family oriented". He should be embarassed with the articles about this scam that have hit Youtube, internet forums, newspapers, and even embassy warnings. Now the governor of Chonburri has gotten involved. I think it shows how the mayor's hands are tied with this mafia connected scam.

[CHdiver]

When 3 young Girls did show their Boobs during Songkran at Silom, they got sued in no time and fined because its damaging the reputation of Thailand (and of course its not alowed to show Boobs in public).

Now if you rip off Tourists and do much worse there is no direct action. Nobody is doing a good Job here to solve the Problem, however it looks like many are doing a good Job here to keep this going and going and .......

Edited April 25, 2011 by CHdiver

[pauljones]

There was a complaint about porn being sold on the streets of Pattaya and the police chief gave the word, it had to go. And it did.

The police have total control and if they wanted the jet ski scam to stop, it would be stopped.

[janverbeem]

^ But why would one kill the golden goose.

[saintofsilence]

Scams still going on this week near mikes and royal garden only way to stop them is a total ban .

[saintofsilence]

An article from 2003

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Jet-ski crash kills second tourist

PATONG: A young Swedish tourist was killed in a jet-ski crash off Patong yesterday – almost exactly one month after the death of a 13-year-old German prompted officials to decide they must take steps to prevent more fatalities in the wildcat jet-ski rental industry.

But proposed action to rid the island of unregistered jet-skis and strictly control legitimate beachside operators failed to come in time to save the life of the 19-year-old man, named by police as Ismail Erdis.

Officers said Mr Erdis and a friend, Sadde Ahmed Dutt, 24, were riding their rented jet-skis about four kilometers off Patong at about 4:30 pm when they collided, fatally injuring Mr Erdis and slightly injuring Mr Dutt.

Pol Capt Serm Kwannimit, of Kathu Police Station, said the men suddenly realized they were close to a large cruise ship.

“When Mr Erdis saw the cruise ship in front of him, he suddenly turned his jet-ski and crashed into the one his friend was riding,” Capt Serm said. “Both of them fell into the sea.”

People on a nearby boat pulled the men out and organized transport to Patong Hospital where Mr Erdis was pronounced dead. Doctors said his lungs were bruised and punctured.

Mr Erdis’s body is now at Thalang Hospital and the Swedish Embassy is organizing shipment home.

The latest fatality came as an all-too-vivid reminder of the plea “from the bottom of my heart” by the mother of the 13-year-old who died in a crash on October 24. She begged authorities to protect children and juveniles and enforce jet-ski safety regulations.

Police are continuing inquiries to determine whether the jet-skis were registered or illegal.

Lt Thongchai Mabangyang, of Royal Thai Navy Marine Department Office 5, told the Gazette that if the jet skis were not registered, the owners faced a maximum fine of 10,000 baht.

“Many people rent out their jet-skis for tourists,” K. Thongchai said. “When we enforce the regulations, the operators band together and oppose the officers.”

Officials estimate that about 300 jet-skis are being rented out along the west coast at Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala and Bang Tao, but that only about half of them are registered.

Lt Thongchai said that talks between the Marine Department Office and the Phuket Marine Office aimed at better enforcement of current legislation and proposing new limitations restricting jet-ski zones and the ages of users are scheduled to conclude on December 3.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/dailynews/index.asp?Id=3157

Edited May 10, 2011 by saintofsilence

[pauljones]

The jet ski gang bands together and oppose the police?

Did I read that correctly?

[saintofsilence]

The jet ski gang bands together and oppose the police?

Did I read that correctly?

That was my main point of posting the article it made me think of the recent comment online where a scam victim told the mafia they would call the police and the reply from "Pattaya Jet ski mafia was We Own The Police "

Here is another familiar report on another forum in October 2004

Patong beach is not a very nice place if you decide u don't want to pay for your jet ski ride!!!

Last year i saw a white and black guy who could not get pay for their jet ski get chased by at least 20 thai guys along patong beach with steel bars and Knives up to the road because they could not pay for the jet ski ride and decided to to run!!!

I don't know what happened in the end but it just reminds me of how savage these Thai jet ski boys can be if they don't get their money. They are just about like animals in a way.............I know it sounds bad but god if you had seen they were chasing these guys in January 2004 with heap of tourists on the beach and not a care in the world for the bad reputation they would be giving it was <deleted> terrible.

In patong money rules and everything with thais comes second.

If you have no money in Patong you are as attractive as a dead bull.

Its sad in a way cause phuket is so beatiful but money here seems to transcend all decent boundaries

Edited May 11, 2011 by saintofsilence

[Rimmer]

Pattaya business only please.

[IAMSOBAD]

Every single day in PATTAYA tourists are blamed for damaged jet skis and extorted.

No pay...attacked in broad day light by 10-20 punks with weapons.

The police help the Thais and never.the tourist.

[Tokay]

It is pathetic this is allowed to continue. It goes to show who works for who in the city.

[marinediscoking]

I still see the scams happening. I saw one last sunday and the previous sunday as well. Seems it does not happen as much as before but this could be due that it is low season and not many people are renting. Still it is the same scammers and police as before, mostly happening by mike's shopping mall. I mostly post reports on the mayor's facebook page now, although it does not seem to make any difference. They really do seem to be above the law.

Edited June 10, 2011 by marinediscoking