Should jet skis be totally banned in Pattaya/Jomtien?

[TechnikaIII]

Banned, obviously. Cant really see what possible argument there could be in their favour.

Anyone who wants to do noisy and dangerous activities should simply go where there are no other people.

"Anyone who wants to do noisy and dangerous activities should simply go where there are no other people"

I don't think the "out of sight - out of mind" approach is much better.

Speedsters, both on water and wheels, are responsible for untold damage in numerous natural wilderness areas all over the word. They need to be reined in everywhere.

[ZigZagMan]

These thugs with the support of police and city officials have been robbing, assaulting, kidnapping, terrorizing, defrauding and intimidating our visitors for years.

They even attack witnesses that try to film the exploits. Anybody walking by with a camera during an attack could be injured or even killed.

Some people want to keep them?

[maximillian]

I vote for "ban them" for the reasons you gave... and... because I am a leftist... or a rightist ?

There are good bans and useless bans, no left or right bans.

[ggt]

Jet skis are not the problem...it is the corrupt owners who insist in scamming naive tourists...

License, plus collusion and liability insurance should be a requirement to run a jet ski operation...

Too many complaints...and license will be pulled...

[ZigZagMan]

Jet skis are not the problem...it is the corrupt owners who insist in scamming naive tourists...

License, plus collusion and liability insurance should be a requirement to run a jet ski operation...

Too many complaints...and license will be pulled...

Pulled by who?

[Rimmer]

Off topic posts about baht buses removed, please do not attempt to hijack the topic which is about Jet Skis

[spidermike007]

Confiscate every last jet ski in the country, with no compensation to the owners. Revoke all licenses immediately, if there were any to begin with. Re-open the beaches to the public, and kick these creeps out for good. Auction off the jet skis, for export only. Use that money to benefit kids who are in need. Build some libraries. Or do something positive that benefits the masses. Nobody needs the jet skis. They are a boil on the face of Thailand. They foul the waters, they create noise pollution, they are a safety hazard, and they create a hazard for the tourists simple minded enough to rent them, without knowing they are stepping into a very expensive repair scam. The jet skis benefit nobody except the fabulously rich families who run them. They are not needed anymore. They can get jobs working for a circus, or cleaning bathroom toilets.

[alfalfa19]

Well, in any such situations, I like to weigh the pros and cons.

Pros:

1. It supports a thriving industry of scumbags and their henchmen who would otherwise have to find honest work.

2, It provides daily entertainment for sadistic voyeurs who enjoy seeing others humiliated or ripped off.

3. For those who ride the jet skis without becoming victimized, it provides a few minutes of fun.

Cons:

1. The thousands of gullible tourists who have had their vacations ruined by being humiliated/bullied/robbed/intimidated/assaulted.

2. Noise pollution

3. Fuel and fume pollution

4. Danger to the riders who know not what they are doing

5. Danger to people trying to swim who are in danger of getting run over by those who know not what they are doing

6. An enormous black eye to Thailand due to exposure via internet and television of this criminal enterprise

7. Reduced revenue from legitimate tourism due to #6

I'm sure that I could think of many more, but I am too tired right now. However, I have reached my conclusion.

[ZigZagMan]

An article from 2012 from Pattaya Daily News says the Jomtien Jet Skis 'association' police themselves, divided up the beach & have insurance.

Well, is there insurance or no insurance? Why the conflicting information in the press?

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/pattaya-news/jomtien-jet-ski-vendors-agree-to-police-themselves/

Mr. Pattana Boonsawat, the chairman of the Jomtien Beach Speedboat Association. Also presiding over the meeting was Mr. Thongchai Artsong, a member of Pattaya city Parliament.

At the meeting, rules were discussed and announced regarding the primary regulations and direction of action of jet ski rental entrepreneurs, which the association members have agreed to. These include the following:

Under the new agreement, Jomtien will be divided into 5 zones, which each zone having its designated vendors assigned to that area. Each zone would appoint a chief to administrate in each zone. Also, all vendors will be required to register their boats and crews within their zone for easier monitoring and control.

The association also has set standard pricing for various watercraft rentals that will be applied uniformly to all vendors. This pricing would include the costs of accident insurance in the ticket prices, and thus shift the duty of paying for insurance to the customers.

[Seelow]

What I find almost amusing, but also rather sad about some of these posts is the levels of naivety displayed.

The likes of manarak, lingkae, thai bob etc all against banning as they don't like any form of rules and regulations in their lives,and propose "Enforcement", "Regulation" and "Controls"

How can you enforce and regulate when the enforcers and regulators are deeply involved in corruption themselves?

The idea that if you ban jet skis then the girly bars will be next is deeply flawed. If you are the type of sad individual that gets his rocks off with illiterate peasants at these bars then all well and good, you are harming no one Jet skis on the other hand can and have seriously damage d the image of Thailand abroad. There simply is no logical reason to keep them.

[ZigZagMan]

This is about jet skis. Not about banning lady bars! God forbid!

Yes I am quite awware of that and gave my reasons, I vote no. What would be next? Police it and regulate it properly without any corruption.

Police and regulations are the problem.

You are asking the impossible so what would you do next?

[belg]

too many influential people gain from these scams

some men in brown, some in the admin offices of the city

and the low level low lifes themselves, of course

honest living ? fair prices ? competition ? try to look them up in thai dictionary

[maxjay]

YES! Nuff said...

[muffy]

No , just ban the scammers .Common sense ?

[ggt]

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Jet skis are not the problem...it is the corrupt owners who insist in scamming naive tourists...

License, plus collusion and liability insurance should be a requirement to run a jet ski operation...

Too many complaints...and license will be pulled...

Pulled by who? alt=cheesy.gif> alt=cheesy.gif> alt=cheesy.gif>

By the same people who took over running the country...555

[Thaiready]

Jet ski's are not the problem.....the dishonest vendors are the problem.

[Benmart]

As it states in the news that these are illegal crafts in Thailand obviously they should be banned.

Anyone who wants to watch the antics of their operators doesn't have to go to You Tube, just sit on the steps of Mikes Shopping centre in the afternoon for a while and see for yourself.

Glad you mentioned the vendors across from Mikes. The antics of these creatures is indeed interesting.

There are aggressive, discourteous and hardly the type people that display a positive image for Pattaya and Thailand. They laugh and make fun of the saps they have swindled, and seem very secure encroaching a on public beach, while operating a private business.

I refer to them as land-sharks, circling their prey who are unaware of the danger. I hope I am present when the Thai military swoops down and kicks them out to sea so the real sharks can have lunch.

[Benmart]

Jet ski's are not the problem.....the dishonest vendors are the problem.

Operating a private business on a public beach seems to put them all in the dishonest barrel.

If you are a jet ski vendor, and are aware that something is illegal, and you justify it because everyone else is paying to illegally operate, then it puts everyone on the same level.

[luis888]

I agree whole heartedly, pattaya is a vibrant holiday destination how can you ban something like jets kids? If you do than my friend you're going to have to ban many other things that make patts and other Thailand destinations what they are.

certainly not.

banning stuff is classic lazy left-wing approach to problems.

Safety issues => enforcement of rules

Accidents => enforcement of compulsory insurance for vendors

Pollution/Noise => pfff... compared to what's going on on the streets and elsewhere, 555

"Mafia" control => enforcement

Corruption issues => enforcement

Customers getting violently assaulted (or threatened) to pay extortionate holiday ruining "repair" fees when presented with so called "damage" => enforcement

the word "enforcement" comes up often, which shows that this is a government and police problem.

Banning an activity that at least in theory can be practised legally is the wrong answer in 99% of cases and is killing off individual liberties one by one. Exactly the reason why I moved away from Europe.

[ThaiBob]

What I find almost amusing, but also rather sad about some of these posts is the levels of naivety displayed.

The likes of manarak, lingkae, thai bob etc all against banning as they don't like any form of rules and regulations in their lives,and propose "Enforcement", "Regulation" and "Controls"

How can you enforce and regulate when the enforcers and regulators are deeply involved in corruption themselves?

The idea that if you ban jet skis then the girly bars will be next is deeply flawed. If you are the type of sad individual that gets his rocks off with illiterate peasants at these bars then all well and good, you are harming no one Jet skis on the other hand can and have seriously damage d the image of Thailand abroad. There simply is no logical reason to keep them.

We are not naive but I don't believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I have had visiting friends use jet skis here in Jomtien without issues so it is possible to provide a service to the tourists in this seaside resort. As I said before if they want to ban jet skis here they will, if they choose to place severe restrictions on the bars they will, if want to restrict ED visas or or ban overstayers, they will. We are dealing with a military government, accountable to only themselves.

[razer]

YES

[impulse]

Confiscate every last jet ski in the country, with no compensation to the owners. Revoke all licenses immediately, if there were any to begin with. Re-open the beaches to the public, and kick these creeps out for good. Auction off the jet skis, for export only.

I'm with you except one thing. Give the jet skis to the lifeguards and rescue people- for official use only. Their net value is pretty much zero if they're to be exported. May as well make good use of them.

[chuenyongman]

Pull the jet ski out of the sea and take photographs of the jet ski front, rear,sides and if possible underneath. Note time,date and place,

[spidermike007]

Pull the jet ski out of the sea and take photographs of the jet ski front, rear,sides and if possible underneath. Note time,date and place,

That might be a start, but it would only work if you had real enforcement, and you had authorities who really cared about resolving this problem, and maintaining a fair environment, free of corruption of local officials. That might be a lot of ask for. One has to assume there are some locals (deleted) who have gotten very rich from the jet ski industry.

Note: post edited by moderator

[tomyumchai]

sorry but this is a thread asking foreigners to dictate their views to thais right?

so this will be followed up by

banning noisy dogs

banning loud music at night

banning flower sellers

banning beach sellers

banning anything that doesnt fit in with your ideas.

[PAWNEESE]

They seem to know Pattaya Jet Ski thugs have been filmed for the internet. So they bully / threaten any one lingering too long near them with a camera. 4 thugs asked to see what I had photographed recently. I had known some Indian guys were getting threatened / scammed but I was waiting for the sunset in the other direction. I had taken 2 wide angle pix of the bay in their direction though earlier. I was 200 yards away along the road and they or anything incriminating was not in view. I deleted them at their insistence .. I just want a quiet life. If it was a 20,000 baht camera instead of a 120,000 one I might have risked it or me being smashed up, but I doubt it. In most countries you call the Police but here they are in on it. A guy on TV recently posted he had the same experience but stood up to them. He is braver than me I prefer not taking on mafia type gangs. Yes ban them .. but I think it does not matter what we think. Thailand has to want to sort it. Thais dont seem bothered.

[gbswales]

I wont vote because I dont live in Thailand but would say that banning things generally does no good. As others have said controls are the way to go. The problem is that Thailand has to change the whole process of enforcement to make it honest and transparent. Until official corruption is eradicated then neither banning nor controlling will make a scrap of difference.

I can imagine that jet skis are fun for people who need an adrenaline rush but they should be organised to operate in designated areas and users should be given proper tuition, including safety rules, before being allowed to use them. They should be properly insured and maintained (as should all the motorbikes and cars out on hire). The downside of this is that these things make hiring less affordable for ordinary tourists. As with cars, riding a jet ski while under the influence of drink or drugs should be a serious criminal offence.

I live in the UK and think that here we carry "safety" to ridiculous extremes but from my visits to Thailand things appear to be at the opposite end of the spectrum - sensible balance is the key!

[PAWNEESE]

Tomyumchai ...Mafia scamming and extortion is being discussed. Threats of serious violence if the victims dont pay for "damage" . I really dont see how Soi dogs, loud music, flower sellers, beach vendors come into it. When has any one been surrounded by 6 thugs some with iron bars who were flower or ice cream mafia ?????

[luis888]

Banned, obviously. Cant really see what possible argument there could be in their favour.

Anyone who wants to do noisy and dangerous activities should simply go where there are no other people.

"Anyone who wants to do noisy and dangerous activities should simply go where there are no other people"

I don't think the "out of sight - out of mind" approach is much better.

Speedsters, both on water and wheels, are responsible for untold damage in numerous natural wilderness areas all over the word. They need to be reined in everywhere.

I reckon you should move to Alaska, there shouldn't be many speedsters there, there shouldn't be much of anything......... just like you like it, Patts is faaaar too busy for you

[Likener1]

Although I've made my position clear about having a total ban as being the ultimate solution as a compromise, a thought ...................

Hand deliver to all beach jet ski operators a letter such as the one below and place laminated copies every 50 metres along the beaches.

"The ongoing issues with jet ski operators, owners and others in they employ must stopped. Threatening acts of violence, perpetrating acts of violence, intimidating, overcharging, extorting money for false damages towards people who use Jet skis presents a very poor image of Thailand.

Therefore from 0900 hours on xx/xx/xxxx all Jet Skis are banned !

Any are found either in the water, on the beach or even near, if left uncovered, would be confiscated and scrapped without compensation for the duration of the ban. This ban will last for 6 months.

Whilst we are aware it is not all Jet Ski operators and owners that perform these despicable acts and many are just honest ordinary citizens making a fair living those who are not have caused this total ban.

They are the ones to blame for denying you your livelihood, they are the ones who have taken food off your table, they are the ones, they and only they, have made this ban necessary.

We will review this total ban in 6 months time from the date of this letter..

By Order

Maybe "natural justice" will prevail and the ban would work as a "cleansing" of the rogue elements by the decent ones.

(deleted sentence) deleted by moderator as being derogatory

Edited August 16, 2014 by petercool