Deputy Pm Demands Urgent Action On Pattaya Jet Ski Scams And Bar Opening Hours

[bristolgeoff]

the bars do close at 2am but they stay open with little lights and no music.plus a few others round the corner.but they don,t cause offence as it is in the tourist bar zone.the police get they tea money and are happy with the way it is.but maybe someone is not and having a share of the tea money

[Bluespunk]

No No NO, say it ain't so, please tell me it can't be......................Chalerm has actually said something that makes sense!! It's logical, it's possible, it's sensible. It can't be the same guy, it's a doppleganger, it can't be him, it just can't be. Call the reality inspectors, because this ain't the PT DP i know.

[LennyW]

They want the bars on walking street, beach road etc. closed early so that the hoards of people looking to party all night are forced to head to third road - to all the police owned establishments that stay open till dawn!!

[renaissanc]

Monday: First day of crackdown. Police officers talk to jet ski operators to tell them to lay low for a while until the dust settles.

Tuesday: Crackdown is over. Payments to police continue as usual.

[toenail]

Jet Ski Scam... This has been going on for ???? 3 years or more. The scam has been exposed on Thai TV news, also articles in newspapers around the world, Trip Advisor on Pattaya mentions it, and there is even a video clip on it on YouTube; yet, the mayor has only done "lip service" on this sad situation. The corrupt police are connected with the scam, and it has been mentioined that the mayor cannot interfere with the mafia gang. So, it takes the BKK police to take action. Pathetic

[Debothai]

But quite a few bars are open 24 hours with girls operating on shifts...How can they stop a bar from being open at say 8 am. That isn't an innapropriate time...Some folks even like to go there and have some morning coffee and maybe a barfine or two....

[chrisinth]

Pattaya red light district is about only thing keeping the city going in low seasons.

Just the other day PM was bragging about tourist numbers going up.

Closing bars early surely will not help to bring back tourists in the low seasons.

After 10 years, I still do not understand the fascination with bars closing at certain time 2 or 2:30 am especially in tourist zones.

Agree phi, and again it is not just Pattaya. Yet another half-thoughtout idea by the do-gooders living in their ivory towers having no idea what is happening at street level. Through their glasses, they see all tourists visiting temples and national parks during the day and getting early nights sleep to start all over again the next day.

They don't see the masses who come here to party, spend money and enjoy themselves, only to be told that the bars have to shut at stupid o'clock. Restrictions like this will come back and bite them on the butt, put the drinking dens underground or the tourists will seek other destinations.

And before the anti-red light brigade start, whether you like it or not, the sex traveller is a very necessary number to the tourist authority.

Just sayin'

[Suradit69]

How can a gang of rouge cops & jet ski punks replace that sort of daily income?

That money goes somewhere and gets spent. They need it.

I've seen a few who appeared to be wearing eye-liner, but rouge? Never.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Suradit69

[Debothai]

Venues like tamnan chon on 3d road close at 4 am -- -don't ask my how i know this...

Edited June 20, 2012 by Debothai

[chrisinth]

As for the jet skis, that is a national problem that needs, and has needed to be addressed for a long time now. A new registering system should be introduced for these companies & individuals renting the skis, controlled by a neutral authority which includes a properly run complaint system run by the same neutral body, using the police only as first point of contact.

Three strikes and the b@st@rds are out!

[steve69]

Early closing of bars all the bars in pattaya have just paid 14,000 baht for the right to watch Euro 2012 and now the police say they must close at half time do they get half thier money back.

[Suradit69]

And before the anti-red light brigade start, whether you like it or not, the sex traveller is a very necessary number to the tourist authority.

Just sayin'

It's becoming progressively less so.

A family of four staying in a 4 or 5 star hotel and doing the touristy things spends more and generates less need for policing than a sex tourist staying in a Baht 250 a night room who drinks himself into a stupor every night and ends up cadging drinks from everyone in some run down bar.

The significance of the sex tourist may appear greater if one only views Thailand from Patpong or Walking Street.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Suradit69

[saengsureeya]

Actually!!!..........there was a nightclub called Spicy in CM that was rumoured to be police owned. It was a real rough and tumble place, the last haunt for the bar girls trying to get a lift for the night, and open till 6.00am. Fights were common and the place was often packed out. It was closed down by the Military Police, they came in right over the shoulders of the local police and put an end to it.

The original Spicey is still closed down, a new one opened round the corner but it's far more strictly operated.

Maybe that's what's required in Pattaya, Military police involvement. If they put their mind to it they could solve this problem in a few short days.

The Navy controls Pattaya from Sattahip. The Army would have to get permission from the Navy and I doubt that would happen. I really liked the old Spicey BTW. And another couple of places that will remain nameless.

I liked it too, it was wild west stuff. On the other point though the naval police could do the same job, as PaulJones pointed out, when it gets to the point where the US ambassador is spitting blood the Thais will listen......may I say

AT LAST!!!

But then again, being Thailand, who knows what's going to happen.

What it that with the US Ambassador? Is she more than the Belgian Ambassador, Dutch Ambassador, UK Ambassador..........oh my, if the US Ambassador has it on her agenda..........believe me, every ambassador has it on their agenda.

[bangkokheat]

Just more words from a Thai politician hoping tomorrow everybody has forgotten what he said today.

The only way to deal with this is action, not words, when will the people of Thailand actually elect a politician with balls who will grab the bull by the horns rather than stand on a soap box in the next field shouting obscenity's at the bull?

Do not think the chief of police will be loosing any sleep over what was said...

Im gonna go out on a limb saying this, but PERHAPS there are some decent politicians that actually do care about the country who by the power of the wealthy have their testicles removed

(disclaimer) I just woke up

[jshorts]

Rouge cops are a big problem in Pattaya.

Indeed.

I never could abide policemen wearing make-up.

Snip from Monty Python.

A guy enters a police station just as the head honcho is leaving. He smiles at the top cop and says "Good morning, Super."

The top cop replies with a lisp "Good morning, Wonderful."

How can one lisp if there is no "s"?

[MLSviews]

There are a lot of Russians in Pattaya and 'Jetski' sounds very Russian to me so are external forces (not rouge cops) at work here?

[Rimmer]

Political rant and quoted replies removed

[sarias]

Forgive my ignorance - lived in Thailand 2 years and never been to Pattaya (am I missing anything?) - What exactly is the jet ski scam?

[TheWalkingMan]

Forgive my ignorance - lived in Thailand 2 years and never been to Pattaya (am I missing anything?) - What exactly is the jet ski scam?

You rent a jet ski for an agreed price and upon returning it the staff claims damages. The amount of money requested can be from 20k to over 100k. If payment is not received there is a strong possibility that you will be assaulted AND then required to pay the inflated fee. Everything is against you and no one will come to your aide. A local mediator will show up and suggest you pay, the copper roaming in the area will suggest you pay. Go to the police station and they will suggest you pay. You can negotiate the price down, but the amount you pay will be over and above the value of the claimed damage.

Usually the damage claimed is from poor repairs (water soluble paint on fiberglass, rubber trimming stuck on with low grade glue etc) or intentional damage from the staff. No one is saying that damage does not occur and I believe that everyone will agree that if you damage it, you should pay a realistic price to get it repaired.

Go to youtube and search "Jet Ski Scam Thailand" or "Jet Ski Scam Pattaya."

[pauljones]

As for the jet skis, that is a national problem that needs, and has needed to be addressed for a long time now. A new registering system should be introduced for these companies & individuals renting the skis, controlled by a neutral authority which includes a properly run complaint system run by the same neutral body, using the police only as first point of contact.

Three strikes and the b@st@rds are out!

More like 300 strikes and a temporary walkout.

[bikerider21]

Has no one thought of the tourists? Friends of mine have stopped coming to Thailand in favour of Cambodia and Vietnam. They got tired of being kicked out at only 2 in the morning and having to drink alcohol from tea cups.

The whole reason for Pattaya's existence is tourism (sex). I haven't been down for a while though so it may have changed.

[jambodave]

Has no one thought of the tourists? Friends of mine have stopped coming to Thailand in favour of Cambodia and Vietnam. They got tired of being kicked out at only 2 in the morning and having to drink alcohol from tea cups.

The whole reason for Pattaya's existence is tourism (sex). I haven't been down for a while though so it may have changed.

Nope still a shithole

[brianb1944]

[

They do, but then there is a coup. Every time.

I suppose the previous 18 PMs ejected by the Army were just like Thaksin.

This desperate group of army and high level backers are facing extinction.

[Hmmm how on earth did the word coup creep into a discussion on Jetski scams? Maybe the Jetski Mafia will stage one?

/quote]

[kerryk]

Has no one thought of the tourists? Friends of mine have stopped coming to Thailand in favour of Cambodia and Vietnam. They got tired of being kicked out at only 2 in the morning and having to drink alcohol from tea cups.

The whole reason for Pattaya's existence is tourism (sex). I haven't been down for a while though so it may have changed.

Nope still a shithole

Has the time you spent in Pattaya been calculated in minutes, hours or days? Or have you never been there? Not only do you have a potty mouth you are a completely 100% in error.

[kerryk]

Has no one thought of the tourists? Friends of mine have stopped coming to Thailand in favour of Cambodia and Vietnam. They got tired of being kicked out at only 2 in the morning and having to drink alcohol from tea cups.

The whole reason for Pattaya's existence is tourism (sex). I haven't been down for a while though so it may have changed.

Actually now Chiang Mai is where all the late night sleeze action is. They just re elected the mayor in Pattaya and construction interests are building 100,000 more hotel and condo rooms this year. I feel your pain man. 2AM who wants to stop drinking then, the night is young. Chiang Mai is the place now.

[EyesWideOpen]

You hit the nail right on the head. In order to distract attention from his own scandal, he starts this diversionary crusade.

The jet skis, the jet skis. Wouldn't have done bupkis if his own hide wasn't on the line.

The Police Force is so out of control that enforcing the law is now a diversionary tactic.

Only in Thailand.

Now that is funny.... I can only imagine that since the jet ski scam is the national embarrassment of Thailand, and yet it continues, that a serious amount of money must be paid to the police to allow it to continue. Or the police are actually running the scam which makes more sense. The government has spent years talking about it and yet done nothing about it. The simple solution is to ban them... Would have the added benefit of cutting down tourist deaths as well, since every year a few tourist seem to get run over..

Cannot even imagine why the criminal based jet ski scam got lumped in with bar closing hours.

<deleted> ????? I am always entertained when this subject comes up. The Thai clubs are rocking away all night, but then some hypocritical politician jumps up and says the farangs must go to sleep early so they can visit temples in the morning.

I did like the approach of Patong bars a few years ago. When some local politician kept trying to cut back hours to enhance his moral stance, all the bars got together and closed down for the entire night. The tourists screamed bloody murder, the government buckled like a house of cards, and the issue was never brought up again. Maybe Pattaya bars need to do the same thing.....

[BlackJack]

As for the jet skis, that is a national problem that needs, and has needed to be addressed for a long time now. A new registering system should be introduced for these companies & individuals renting the skis, controlled by a neutral authority which includes a properly run complaint system run by the same neutral body, using the police only as first point of contact.

Three strikes and the b@st@rds are out!

More like 300 strikes and a temporary walkout.

Jet skies drive around in the dark too

no lights, drunk, worse than the road

weaving in and out of swimmers and banana boats

crazy stuff to watch from a beach chair

Bars - zoned - i dont believe it - bars next to residential - yes i believe

I have a pic of a bar next to the baptist center if anyone wants to see it - now thats zoning!!

[sydneyjed]

How can a gang of rouge cops & jet ski punks replace that sort of daily income?

That money goes somewhere and gets spent. They need it.

Rouge cops are a big problem in Pattaya.

And apparently now a few of the farang undercover volunteer scum also LATELY!!!

[Jimmyd]

They want the bars on walking street, beach road etc. closed early so that the hoards of people looking to party all night are forced to head to third road - to all the police owned establishments that stay open till dawn!!

They close at dawn in your neighborhood? Lucky guy.

[HOOD Robin]

Actually!!!..........there was a nightclub called Spicy in CM that was rumoured to be police owned. It was a real rough and tumble place, the last haunt for the bar girls trying to get a lift for the night, and open till 6.00am. Fights were common and the place was often packed out. It was closed down by the Military Police, they came in right over the shoulders of the local police and put an end to it.

The original Spicey is still closed down, a new one opened round the corner but it's far more strictly operated.

Maybe that's what's required in Pattaya, Military police involvement. If they put their mind to it they could solve this problem in a few short days.

i DO agree with you ! Get the Military Police to clean the pattaya beaches of...... corrupt police !!!!! i think they will need a whole platoon....