An Irish friend of mine emailed me last night to say the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs have changed their advice for travellers to Thailand, following outrage from the current story about their nationals being scammed in Pattaya, and other complaints.

So some good has come out of all the moaning on Thai Visa, if people then do something about it.

(TAT didn't get back to me from last week though. )

Recently significant numbers of tourists have been threatened with violence and robbed while trying to rent jet ski equipment in Pattaya and Phuket. Please seek local advice on the reputation of any rental firm before approaching it.

Don't think many Irish have the funds to be planning a vacation to Thailand anytime soon, so such a warning is unlikely to have any affect on tourism here one way or the other.

Don't think many Irish have the funds to be planning a vacation to Thailand anytime soon, so such a warning is unlikely to have any affect on tourism here one way or the other.

On the contary public service workers in Ireland are still some of the highest paid in the world .Thats part of the reason Ireland is in its present problem ,along with the Banks creating a property bubble .

Finally some foreigner government doing something about one of the many scams aroud here, i am wondering if now anyone from the local government will step up to say that foreigners should not interfere with internal Thailand matters as they did during the reports of the clashes by foreigner press,a very well done to the brave Ireland !

yes. I just went to the irish department of foreign affairs website. And in the Travel Advice section, drill down to Thailand and they do have a warning as the OP said:

Recently significant numbers of tourists have been threatened with violence and robbed while trying to rent jet ski equipment in Pattaya and Phuket. Please seek local advice on the reputation of any rental firm before approaching it.

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=8493

I (and I would imagine other Irish people) sent an e.mail to the Irish Consulate in Bangkok who passed it on to the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Both acknowledged and advised that travel warnings would be updated. Gratifying to see this has happened.

Just read that 75% of people in Ireland now have access to the internet so hopefully it may save a few would be naive Irish tourists from this scam.

It would be much better if other Embassies were also to update travel warnings. Last year when the Danish Embasssy advised their citizens not to shop in Bkk dutyfree the manure hit the fan and that particular scam could no longer be ignored at official level.

yes. I just went to the irish department of foreign affairs website. And in the Travel Advice section, drill down to Thailand and they do have a warning as the OP said:

Recently significant numbers of tourists have been threatened with violence and robbed while trying to rent jet ski equipment in Pattaya and Phuket. Please seek local advice on the reputation of any rental firm before approaching it.

http://www.dfa.ie/ho...ex.aspx?id=8493

" trying to rent jet ski equipment "

better to say after renting jet ski equipment

never heard of someone getting "abused" just for trying to rent

unfortunately the complaints and media attention are making no difference on Pattaya beach the extortion and scams are continuing daily

The warnings don't get to everyone more has to be done to protect tourists coming to thailand.

Pattaya beach is completely out of control.

this is a quote 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.

worked under highly influential people.

perhaps with a massive dosage of paracetamol they could get better

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss:

Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thailawforum.com/foreign-mafia-thailand-2.html

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss: Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thaivisa....47#entry4079447

Your link is not working.....

Edit: to be more precise is redirecting me just here

The Darker Side of Tropical Bliss: Foreign Mafia in Thailand

http://www.thaivisa....47#entry4079447

Your link is not working.....

Edit: to be more precise is redirecting me just here

should be ok now http://www.thailawforum.com/foreign-mafia-thailand-2.html