2 Indian Medical Students Caught-Up In Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

[Just1Voice]

The Clock is Ticking.

While Thailand continues with all the rampant rip offs and scams, just to their west is the country of Myanmar. A country who had the sense to realize they don't have the infrastructure to handle the influx of tourists, which was nearly double from the year before, so they didn't worry about "face' and hired a Dutch company to come in, plan and develop hotels, restaurants, etc. They hired a company from India to come in and build two "super highways" to facilitate the flow of traffic. Can't see LOS doing that, since they are the "superior race" and don't need help from anyone. They even turned down offers from the U.S. Navy to help during the last major flood. How many lives did that cost?

One third of Myanmar's total land mass sits on the Adaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. THOUSANDS of kilometers of undeveloped beach front property. If they do it right, and learn from Thailand's mistakes, in 5 years or so places such as Pattaya and Phuket will pretty much be like ghost towns in regards to visitors. Personally, I'd love to see it happen.

[wwex]

surely the owner of the business is 100% responsable? surely the business is registared? can his name be posted? the police and the gansters are getting a cut but he is in control. obviously he cant be stopped but does he have the power to stop his name being published?

[epicstuff]

Would it be possible to get back at these cnts by driving off with the jet skis and loading them onto a boat waiting round the corner.... It would be a just scam to get back at them , I've often day dreamed about that . I wonder how fast the police would act on behalf of these guys , probably quicker than might be expected unfortunatley. but it would be a good buzz if anyone else want to get together for a mass jet ski hiest!!!

[Jingthing]

Would it be possible to get back at these cnts by driving off with the jet skis and loading them onto a boat waiting round the corner.... It would be a just scam to get back at them , I've often day dreamed about that . I wonder how fast the police would act on behalf of these guys , probably quicker than might be expected unfortunatley. but it would be a good buzz if anyone else want to get together for a mass jet ski hiest!!!

There would be blood. But nice fantasy!

[Sydebolle]

...... and then they wonder, why the occupancy in June is a one-digit percentage. Pathetic indeed!

[unanimosity]

Maybe there's a market for a private militia, you know African style, for those who really need to rent jetskis here. Like a group of armed thugs bigger and badder than the ski boys that you hire for the duration of your water sports experience. Sure it would be pricey, but surely a fraction of the cost of getting scammed. Just a thought.

Where are Zorro and Robin Hood when you need them?

[unanimosity]

Would it be possible to get back at these cnts by driving off with the jet skis and loading them onto a boat waiting round the corner.... It would be a just scam to get back at them , I've often day dreamed about that . I wonder how fast the police would act on behalf of these guys , probably quicker than might be expected unfortunatley. but it would be a good buzz if anyone else want to get together for a mass jet ski hiest!!!

So you plan to give them fake passports or what?

[transam]

Maybe there's a market for a private militia, you know African style, for those who really need to rent jetskis here. Like a group of armed thugs bigger and badder than the ski boys that you hire for the duration of your water sports experience. Sure it would be pricey, but surely a fraction of the cost of getting scammed. Just a thought.

Where are Zorro and Robin Hood when you need them?

More like.....................................

Is needed...........................

[Anthony an Panida]

Surprised that this famous scam still works. They showed a documentary on this back in the UK. Some US servicemen were caught in this and they had pay some cash the gangsters in front of the cameras. The gangs then attacked the reporters filming them. The way I see it is that the law is on the side of the people with the most money and clout here. The stronger always use the local laws to take advantage of the weaker, whichever country you are in. Just look at how the Federal government treats US expats, for instance. Here there is more freedom, but also less checks and balances.

[Joe Mamma]

DAMNIT, get those greedy SOB's and send em for a lockdown! My 15 million volt gizmo just might get tested on one of them varmint's.

[phantomfiddler]

It is the inherant right of any thai to rip off any Farang with complete impunity. All of the officials already know this, and would never dream of altering the status quo. Sadly the tourist has no rights whatsoever in this country, and all we can do is watch these crooks dig their own grave. Soon there will be no tourists here, just a huge collection of crooks wondering what happened.

[gerrythepoet]

This November I foolishly touted Thailand as being the perfect honeymoon destination to a couple of Indian Doctors I am going to email this topic. Just did not realise that Thailand would be become so inappropriate with all the headaches, scams and corrupt practices. 7 years here and it certainly has changed for the worse. Sad if more is to come. Those medical students will certainly be social networking what happened to them and discourage others to come to Thailand.

[wotaplonker]

it makes you wonder how much the Jet ski scam is making for all interested parties on

Pattaya beach, so they dont have to run a legit service ??

[rinteln]

As I mentioned in another post on the same topic this whole situation is a case of "wont" as opposed to "cant"

The opinion of whether city hall and the police get a cut on these scams is obviously not a debate anymore, we all know that they do. The issue here and the embarrassment is how they continue to try and make people believe its a "cant stop" problem when actually its a "wont stop". The fact its gone on for years within a small area only leaves 1 of 2 options/conclusions. Either they are trying to stop the scams but cant and thus must be the most incompetent police force in the world. Or they are all in on the cut. Now I think the Pattaya police force are probably one of the worse that I have ever seen but surely cant be that bad at stopping crimes.

Conclusion................they are all in on it, always will be, always can be (new tourists, flesh meat) . We should really stop approaching these scams as if a presumption of wrong doing has been made already. They dont count it as a wrong and dont care whether any future reputation is effected, its all about here and now. City Hall, the police and everyone associated want these scams to carry on. Its a big money business with an almost full proof process with an infinite amount of victims available. These scams are so old that its probably even a part of some policeman's expected salary every month. It doesn't matter who is involved or how high up they are, if they can be paid off then they can be paid off.

Jetski scams will only stop when officials stop being corrupt, this is likely to be a long time. I would never normally have such a defeated attitude but really does anyone seriously think this will stop soon. City Hall and the police must be laughing at us always discussing this in our very Western moral way while they are counting there 1000 baht notes.

Edited June 6, 2013 by rinteln

[Johnniey]

Just tell them to bigger off and don't pay. They should have insurance against damage.

Get the Embassies involved.

Or better still avoid cess pit cities in Thailand where all the desperate go.

[sonar6ca]

Pattaya, tourists, jet ski, say no more.

[wotaplonker]

...... and then they wonder, why the occupancy in June is a one-digit percentage. Pathetic indeed!

wow one digit, despite cheap bargain packages, the writing is on the wall

[transam]

Just tell them to bigger off and don't pay. They should have insurance against damage.

Get the Embassies involved.

Or better still avoid cess pit cities in Thailand where all the desperate go.

The problem is they are confronted with ''heavies''. In farangland you might scream but here it is a bit different cos those who should protect KNOW the money earner from a foreigner.

[SSSlongtime]

police should get there money back take the jet skies away from these gangsters ,about time this was stopped ,why do the police never get hard ,,,,money maybe or not maybe

[EQ San]

I see nowhere that these Indians got there money back... And I don't see the usual picture showing them pointing the criminals.. (?)

[Jingthing]

They won't get their money back. I feel sorry for them. They are victims.

[mrfill]

and the police were shocked.. course they were.. Same mentality as a Thai deputy Prime Minister who was being interviewed on TV vehemently insisting that there is no prostitution nor prostitutes in Thailand, he actually said, ''there can't be, it's illegal''... But this jet ski stuff is really bad, not just Pattaya but , Phuket and to a smaller extent Samui.. That and the tuk tuk bullies, mental case taxi drivers and even more mental unlicensed ones, the skanks selling trips on the road side and taking people to a totally different destination, constant harassment every 20 feet by Indian tailors - does somebody in Mumbai airport stand by the check in asking ''are you off to Thailand, here. take this tailoring diploma'' .. It makes you wonder why any tourists come to Thailand when they can go cheaper to Vietnam or Cambodia and etc.... Something should be done, it won't be but it should be..

Fortunately none of the above applies to Chiang Mai.

We have no Jet Ski's and the Tailors are far more than 20 feet apart. In fact the tailors are not all Indian.

As for tuck tucks some may give you an unreasonable price but you can haggle for a lower price if no agreement the next one along will probably agree to your price.

Its a bit of a walk to the beach though....

[Kayahammer]

Just ban jet skis. Noisy, polluting and annoying.

[sirchai]

Maybe there's a market for a private militia, you know African style, for those who really need to rent jetskis here. Like a group of armed thugs bigger and badder than the ski boys that you hire for the duration of your water sports experience. Sure it would be pricey, but surely a fraction of the cost of getting scammed. Just a thought.

Well, Pattaya has a SWAT-team!

Please don't tell me that the guy in his HUMMER came back!-

[mikemac]

"When he waved, we waved back!".....I do that when the police ask me to stop, just keep driving down the road like a giggling halfwit, they don't like to talk to farangs at the best of times, especially if it is the village idiot.

I do like the idea of the private militia, but instead of using armed thugs I would employ a gang of drunken Iranians. Very scary indeed !

[theajarn]

How fun would it be for us farangs to organise a 'gathering' of about a hundred of us there, all on stand-by and when something like this happens we surround them?

Just for the hell of it. Might even teach them a lesson!

Edited June 6, 2013 by theajarn

[KonKorat]

i remember on my first visit to Pattaya these scumbags tried to talk me into hiring jet skis from them,i was laughing inside,because i had seen this scam on youtube before going to Thailand for my very first visit,i just kept on walking.

[Emdog]

 

150 baht for 30 minutes of jetski ? At this rate it's really obvious there is going to be some repair fees to pay at the end of the ride

More like 800-1200 for 30 mins

 

[Emdog]

there is law here, but it is law of the jungle. Tropic theme and all. Early poster said 90 short times was it for 45k? Other guy saying 800+: you are paying too much and distorting the market. This and baht buses driving up cost of living.

[BlackJack]

this is nothing compared to the other scams in Pattaya