Justice Ministry, Chonburi Governor Join Fray Over Pattaya Jet Skis

[Rimmer]

Justice Ministry, Chonburi governor join fray over Pattaya jet skis

PATTAYA: -- Widespread scams by Pattaya jet ski operators have drawn the attention of both Chonburi’s governor and the Ministry of Justice, who are demanding city officials, police and local businesspeople work together to resolve a situation that has become a national embarrassment.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome called in jet ski vendors to meet with city and police officials April 12, warning them that the Pattaya City Council wants to ban all jet skis on Pattaya Beach and that foreign media are now watching their every move.

The Justice Ministry, he added, became involved after seeing Internet videos of law enforcement officers helping vendors who falsely claim their customers damaged jet skis, then demand tens of thousand of baht in compensation, sometimes physically assaulting those who refuse to pay.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya Mail 2011-04-22

[FarangBuddha]

What's that old line about any publicity being good publicity...apparently not in this case. A pat on the back goes out to all those who posted online and helped to publicize these scams. Unfortunately, in Thailand, often the only way to bring about enough pressure for change is when a problem gets so bad that it makes the international media and the high-up officials in Bangkok finally become aware of it.

[TheBrit]

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

[Fishface]

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

My friend tried to film my a ski transaction,-- he had to go to hospital and have his camera surgically removed from his anus cavity.

[pitrevie]

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

Agreed I would also add motorcycle hire, anyone who hires a motorcycle in Pattaya off the beach front requires their head examining.

[anterian]

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

My friend tried to film my a ski transaction,-- he had to go to hospital and have his camera surgically removed from his anus cavity.

He should have used a camera with a decent zoom facility

Most modern cameras you can film the action yet stay well clear an unobserved.

[IAMSOBAD]

They JUST heard of this problem?

If you believe that ...Look out your window... Santa Clause is coming!

Border War ...Yala War...Mafia Scams...Street Riots...ALL make this AMAZING THAILAND.

Attention Tourists...Go to Libya its safer!

[TimeBandit2]

I'm sure the jet-ski people will take the warning seriously and be completely honest from now on...not.

[EODghost]

Typical short sighted Thais. These scams have been going on for ages. Word of mouth and the power of the internet is spreading and people are simply not coming back to Thailand or not going in the first place now.

Tourist numbers are declining at a rapid rate, not much money coming in, bars closing, Police losing their tea money and kickbacks. Now they are starting to see why and it's too late people.

You've been scamming tourists for too long and people are not coming here. Should have shut these monkeys down ages ago and you might have more tourists spending money in honest establishments.

But then there's no such thing as honesty here, is there? So Som nam naa, I guess.

Too bad so sad, too little too late.

Edited April 23, 2011 by EODghost

[saintofsilence]

Here in Phuket, scams are rife. The only way to stop any of these scams going on, is for people to start to film them and upload them on the web and SHAME Thailand into doing something that will stop ripping off tourists and actually start to reduce the scams in Thailand as a whole.

Well done to any and all people who capture these despicable acts and shows the world.

My friend tried to film my a ski transaction,-- he had to go to hospital and have his camera surgically removed from his anus cavity.

There is a report on <SNIP> (another forum) where last week two guys were stopped from renting a jet ski because they were taking photos of it , the scammers made threats and took the life vests off them and sent the tourists on there way.

It is not safe to take photos around these mafia guys.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Rimmer
Name of forum removed

[Mobi]

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.

It is a civil matter as long as the jet ski operator seeks to to claim compensation for damage to his property by engaging a lawyer and suing the perpetrator through the courts.

It is a criminal matter when the jet ski operator seeks to to extort compensation by threats of / or actual violence to the person(s) of the perceived perpetrator(s). This occurs in a vast majority of cases.

If a tourist is being extorted with the threat of violence on a Pattaya beach and the tourist police have been instructed not to become involved, then where does he go for help? The mayor's office?

In any event you can go to any police station in Thailand and you will see domestic and civil disputes being mediated by local cops. It is part of their job.

Typical obfuscation and BS by Thai officials.

[ZZZ]

To drive a jet ski in Thailand you need to have a helmsman certificate, same as you need a drivers license driving a motorbike.

The police are checking the motorbike drivers but I have never seen any checks on the jet ski drivers.

As probably 99.99% of the people renting these jet skis do not have a license to whole business is promoting an illegal activity and should be banned.

[IAMSOBAD]

We are asking monkeys to ignore bananas.

It will not work. These wild monkey thugs are on the beach all day drinking and doing drugs.

I have watched this...documented it on film...sent it to many agencies and websites.

The only remedy is ARRESTS AND REMOVAL of all jet ski mafia.

We are asking serial arsonists to play with matches...but dont make fires. It does not work. They are criminals on drugs using violence to extort money.

All civilized countries would protect their tourist trade not protect their tourist based criminals.

[BlueTerrace]

if the police did their job this would be an easy problem to stop. The goverment just has to decide it prefers protecting the touirists insytead of protecting crimminals.

[powderpuff]

'...Jet ski operators should be given a 30-day amnesty in which to clean up their act. After 30-days, any infraction, scamming, agression, etc., or other behaviour which brings Thailand's diminishing reputation with tourists into disrepute and their business should be closed down and they should be banned for life from operarating a similar business'.

Agree but how can a jetski operator make money if all he gets is the hire fee? Num mun pang. Insert crying here.

[powderpuff]

Coin toss. Which is worse? Girls dancing topless in the middle of a drunken chaotic week of carnage & mayhem or guys beating tourists who object to being robbed? Only Allah knows.

[saintofsilence]

'...Jet ski operators should be given a 30-day amnesty in which to clean up their act. After 30-days, any infraction, scamming, agression, etc., or other behaviour which brings Thailand's diminishing reputation with tourists into disrepute and their business should be closed down and they should be banned for life from operarating a similar business'.

Agree but how can a jetski operator make money if all he gets is the hire fee? Num mun pang. Insert crying here.

That won't work because they will just be good for 30 days and the moment know one is watching they will be back at it again ,The scammers have lookouts which include beach chair vendors.

[Mitker]

Once again: a warning! That's nonsense.

Sounds like: "you criminals, switch to another criminal job for a while, another scam.. and everything will be ok"

Wanna stop them? Jail them. That's it. Extortion is not a joke. Mostly when it becomes so dirty that cops are playing the game.

[apalink_thailand]

Anyone know the email address for the guys that make the Jackass films? Sounds like an ideal opportunity to get them over here to film getting their asses kicked by a group of beach thugs for not paying the money or for insisting on taking the jetski out of the water for inspection first.

[saintofsilence]

The article does not mention how safety has been improved on the beach for jet ski customers , one of the scammers first tactics is to intimidate and threaten and mob the victim in many cases the victim does not go to the police because they are to scared.

This needs urgent attention waiting for the victim to report it is not solving the problem.

Edited April 23, 2011 by saintofsilence

[apalink_thailand]

Once again: a warning! That's nonsense.

Sounds like: "you criminals, switch to another criminal job for a while, another scam.. and everything will be ok"

Wanna stop them? Jail them. That's it. Extortion is not a joke. Mostly when it becomes so dirty that cops are playing the game.

Mate, no offence but the cops INVENTED the "game" !!

[jko]

This article is perhaps a useful indicator. If the scams and corruption continue, as most people fear will be the case, Thailand will continue down this slippery slope. Alas.

Thailand's competitiveness slides

http://www.ttrweekly...1/#comment-9094

BANGKOK, 21 April 2011 – Tourism Council of Thailand called on the government and private sector, Tuesday, to upgrade Thailand's travel and tourism competitiveness following the release of a World Economic Forum report that showed a decline in competitive rankings.

TCT president, Piyaman Tejapaibul, based TCT's call to arms on the latest ranking in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2011 which showed the country dropped from 39th place in 2009 to 41th out 139 countries monitored by the index. The top 10 rankings in 2011 were Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, US, UK, Spain, Canada and Singapore respectively.

In term of Asia Pacific countries, Thailand ranking dropped from eighth place in 2009 to 10th followed Malaysia, Taiwan and China according to World Economic Forum.

WEF did not conduct a travel and tourism competitiveness index ranking in 2010.

There are three levels for establishing competitiveness rankings; regulatory framework, business environment and infrastructure, and cultural and natural resources.

Of the three areas where Thailand performed poorly regulatory framework was the worst with a ranking of 77th that dragged its overall ranking down considerably. Its poor performance was related to a poor track record in environmental sustainability, particularly failure to deal with air and dust pollution; unstable safety and security; and inefficiency of tourism information and budget.

TCT says the government and private sector have to jointly tackle these issues and set out objectives to improve the ranking.

It identified five issues:

Collect tourism information and statistics more accurately;

Update domestic tourism assets and infrastructure;

Tighten laws on business in Thailand;

Study ways to build and improve the quality of tourist attractions;

Propose cultural tourist attractions to UNESCO for recognition;

Set doable measures to solve environment problems specifically dust pollution in major cities.

World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Geneva known for its annual meeting in Davos. The meeting brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world, including health and the environment.

Edited April 23, 2011 by jko

[powderpuff]

Hey I've got an idea. Jetski. 1000 baht per hour. Compulsory helmet 10,000 baht per hour. problem solved.

[jcartermad]

This is boring. It is old hat. Tourist are warned on the internet, word or mouth etc. But still they rent these machines and get ripped off. Does the drink cloud their judgement? I think so!

Only way is to get rid of these machines. They smell, are dangerous to swimmers and the guys who rent them have mafia stamped on every part of their body. Just keep away, don't rent them, no business and they leave. If they leave the beach then watch them move in on the bikes for rent. They are bad news and the renters are dumb. Get a life guys, don't rent them. Besides a ride on a girl is better than a jetski don't you think?

[Fishface]

To drive a jet ski in Thailand you need to have a helmsman certificate, same as you need a drivers license driving a motorbike.

The police are checking the motorbike drivers but I have never seen any checks on the jet ski drivers.

As probably 99.99% of the people renting these jet skis do not have a license to whole business is promoting an illegal activity and should be banned.

Im not sure if you need a helmsans certificate to drive a power boat in Thai waters ,--a Thai does.

All foriegn owned boats in Ao chalong, boat Lagoon, Yacht haven and Admiral marina etc do not because they are temporary imported.--- I am one of them. But a Thai registered power boat driven by a foriegner ?

I think you maybe correct.

[rwhoov]

if the police did their job this would be an easy problem to stop. The goverment just has to decide it prefers protecting the touirists insytead of protecting crimminals.

Do you mean extorting tea money from businesses and tourists but let a mob take over an international airport or burn downtown Bangkok? That's ALL I've ever seen them do. Report a crime? Why would one even bother except for a police report for insurance. I have lost any faith in the BIB. There used to be a TV show with video from hidden cameras of cops accepting bribes; that stopped after the 2006 coup.

[Max4243]

I'm sure the jet-ski people will take the warning seriously and be completely honest from now on...not.

Doubt they will change. The best way to solve this problem is for tourist to stop doing business with the jet-ski owners, but then tourists would not learn the lessons. Their thinking is, no, this will not happen to me.

Thailand Tourism Authoirty advertisement says.....Come to Thailand, the land of opportunity. Yes, opportunity for scams. Only way is for people to download all the various scams onto YouTube and let the world see.

[Dukeleto]

Just send out the message to all tourists coming to Thailand "DO NOT HIRE A JETSKI" if nobody does, the problem goes away on its own. It's the only guaranteed method to stop it. Trying to get the industry cleaned up from within Thailand is impossible unless the government bans the hire of all Jetski's.

Hehehehee could you then imagine the "he broke my deck chair or umbrella scams"

[Tokay]

if the police did their job this would be an easy problem to stop. The goverment just has to decide it prefers protecting the touirists insytead of protecting crimminals.

The problem is, the police are the criminals. They get 20% of the scammers take. This has been confirmed on several occasions, both in Pattaya and Phuket.

Soi 9 is cleaning house with this scam, and by the lack of action by city hall, it appears they are as well.

There is simply NO reason for this to be allowed unless everyone was getting greased.

[Tokay]

This is boring. It is old hat. Tourist are warned on the internet, word or mouth etc. But still they rent these machines and get ripped off. Does the drink cloud their judgement? I think so!

The problem is, most tourists are not being warned in the proper languages. Not everyone visits the English speaking forums or websites.

They are targeting Arabs, Persians, Indians and Russians the most. Until info is spread in those languages, it will continue just as it does today.