Mayor Declares War On Scamming Pattaya Jet Ski Vendors

[Rimmer]

Mayor declares war on scamming Pattaya jet ski vendors

PATTAYA: -- Itthiphol drafts new rules, recruits informants online, tells vendors ‘I know your game’

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.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya Mail 2011-03-17

[Lancelot]

Good luck with that. There is simply too much money to be made and it wouldn't suprise me that most of the jet skis are owned by the cops.

I have no idea how sincere/honest the Mayor is but eliminating the scamming jet ski gangs will be near impossible...

Having said that, its good that the word is getting out on Facebook and other internet sites. If no body rented the skis, then that would clear up the problem.

Yeah, I know....

Just my 2 satang

[AzarovDmitriy]

I can't believe that he found the time to decide the issue. And what about pollution of the beaches?

[smedly]

not to forget the other beach vendors that also complained, 90% of Thais are not in support of these scum, they are a blight and a disgrace, they should be jailed and the falangs involved deported and the police involved sacked, time for undercover official action - warning them and wrist slapping is not enough..........revoke thier licence sieze thier funds and send them home confiscate the jetskis, pattaya does not need this

[Jingthing]

The traffic crossing thingamajigs were a big success!

Hoping to extend that fabulous track record?

[nam-thip]

About eleven years ago i lived in Phuket and the same jet scams we've all seen and heard about down the beaches in Pattaya had been going on for donkeys years.

After numerous tourist complaints over x-number of years the mayor decided he'd clean up the jet ski trade and phase it out completly.

What happened?

'Nothing' and that's what will happen in Pattaya.

[kurnell]

Reckon I could write a book about broken promises of Thai officials/politicians

[craigt3365]

Ya got to give the mayor credit though. He has been replying personally to this issue on his Facebook page. As he has said, it's extremely complicated....especially since the police don't work for him. Best of luck with this, it's a mess for sure.

[Fookhaht]

Ya got to give the mayor credit though. He has been replying personally to this issue on his Facebook page. As he has said, it's extremely complicated....especially since the police don't work for him. Best of luck with this, it's a mess for sure.

What an eye-opener for me: Is that the fundamental flaw with the Thai BIB--they are not accountable to city/provincial authorities? Only take orders from the corrupt hierarchy in their own ranks?

[craigt3365]

Ya got to give the mayor credit though. He has been replying personally to this issue on his Facebook page. As he has said, it's extremely complicated....especially since the police don't work for him. Best of luck with this, it's a mess for sure.

What an eye-opener for me: Is that the fundamental flaw with the Thai BIB--they are not accountable to city/provincial authorities? Only take orders from the corrupt hierarchy in their own ranks?

This is from Wikipedia:

Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department (TNPD), a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior. Charged with performing police functions throughout the entire country, the TNPD was a unitary agency whose power and influence in Thai national life had at times rivaled that of the army.

All components of the police system were administered by the TNPD headquarters in Bangkok, which also provided technical support for law enforcement activities throughout the kingdom (see fig. 20). The major operational units of the force were the Provincial Police, the Border Patrol Police (BPP), the Metropolitan Police, and smaller specialized units supervised by the Central Investigation Bureau.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Police

I'm a Tom Selleck fan, and he has a new show called Blue Bloods. He's the police chief in New York City. One thing he says a lot to the mayor is he serves at the mayor's pleasure. Might be a good model for here also...

[timekeeper]

Ya got to give the mayor credit though. He has been replying personally to this issue on his Facebook page. As he has said, it's extremely complicated....especially since the police don't work for him. Best of luck with this, it's a mess for sure.

What an eye-opener for me: Is that the fundamental flaw with the Thai BIB--they are not accountable to city/provincial authorities? Only take orders from the corrupt hierarchy in their own ranks?

This is from Wikipedia:

Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department (TNPD), a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior. Charged with performing police functions throughout the entire country, the TNPD was a unitary agency whose power and influence in Thai national life had at times rivaled that of the army.

All components of the police system were administered by the TNPD headquarters in Bangkok, which also provided technical support for law enforcement activities throughout the kingdom (see fig. 20). The major operational units of the force were the Provincial Police, the Border Patrol Police (BPP), the Metropolitan Police, and smaller specialized units supervised by the Central Investigation Bureau.

http://en.wikipedia....yal_Thai_Police

I'm a Tom Selleck fan, and he has a new show called Blue Bloods. He's the police chief in New York City. One thing he says a lot to the mayor is he serves at the mayor's pleasure. Might be a good model for here also...

Blue Bloods is a great cop show

i loved Tom in the Jessie Stone movies too

back on track, i admire the mayors gesture but he will be long gone before the scammers are.............

[PattayaParent]

The mayor is 'finally moved to write new laws to regulate their operation"

So this means that what they are doing is perfectly legal under existing laws?

[Basil B]

We have heard these sort of claims before...

Not really [laughable] any more, just the same old [boring] promises to [pacify] the gullible people of Pattaya.

I will not believe he has real intensions until all those crocks are locked up and all their jet skis are towed off by the Royal Thai Navy to use for target practice.

Suspect we will just see the usual token "Sacrificial Lamb" and some well worn out Jet Ski smashed to pieces in public.

[saintofsilence]

"Itthiphol’s intent is to keep police out of the disputes, as both national and tourist police officers have been caught on video and in photos helping jet ski vendors extort as much as 300,000 baht a week, according to several witnesses."

300,000 baht a week could be an underestimate , there would be thousands of tourists that have lost holiday money to these scammers who should be locked up.

Good to see the Mayor put himself on the facebook page discuss the issue, he has put the police in a position where he requires answers from the senior police about video's of the scams.

This could be a turning point for the scammers as I am sure people will not accept that the scam is stopping if people are not held accountable to the damage that has been done to Tourism by these criminals.

Maybe its time that Thailand starts addressing all scams and accepting that The Land of Smiles seems like the Land of Scams if social media can change Thailand for the better then the country would be much better off addressing all scams in a similar way.

[soihok]

The Mayor must certainly be given some credit for acknowledging the scam, looking for a way to place control and to keep the police out of it.

Whether some change comes out of his actions or not in the future, its got to be a positive step in the right direction.

I say , fair play Mr Mayor! Just please keep your promise.

[patrickinpattaya]

Sounds like great news, nothing might come of it but its definately a step in the right direction.

[dananderson]

I for one am glad the mayor has finally stepped up and acknowloged this blight on his city. Not an easy thing to do He desreves our support. .

[pauljones]

In 2009 the Pattaya Mayor set up a committee to look into this.

Now, he is again telling us this same old tale in 2011.

Many reports say the beach mafia is stealing 300,000 a day from tourists.(9 million a month)

Somethings wrong.

[Jingthing]

In 2009 the Pattaya Mayor set up a committee to look into this.

Now, he is again telling us this same old tale in 2011.

Many reports say the beach mafia is stealing 300,000 a day from tourists.(9 million a month)

Somethings wrong.

The political memory in Thailand doesn't exceed six months ...

[pauljones]

The scams are really out of control. The police take a fee and look the other way.

Do a google search :

bangkokscams

thailandundercover

thailand tourist mafia

thailand airport scam

big trouble in thailand

How much can visitors put up with?

[ozzieovaseas]

The mayors words from the article:

"You may have reservations about the police but there are some good ones and I know who they are. I informed them this is causing both the City and me a bad name."

If he knows who the good ones are, you would think he'd also know who the "few" corrupt ones are...And if he does know, then the question that must be asked is why are'nt they being prosecuted or at least demoted and/or relocated to another area?

Maybe the mayor could start his so called 'special investigations' by looking into these guys extra-carricular activities

[Tokay]

Looks like he's doing an outstanding job so far with this problem.

[Basil B]

Looks like he's doing an outstanding job so far with this problem.

Please enlighten me, what has actually been done???

[Ohio]

About eleven years ago i lived in Phuket and the same jet scams we've all seen and heard about down the beaches in Pattaya had been going on for donkeys years.

After numerous tourist complaints over x-number of years the mayor decided he'd clean up the jet ski trade and phase it out completly.

What happened?

'Nothing' and that's what will happen in Pattaya.

The worst part about your post is that you are correct

Nothing will change