Can someone tell me where I can watch the jet ski scam going down?

[Degobuy]

I don't understand the responses thus far. Does anyone know the best spot to watch the jet ski scammers? Or is it not a daily event?

Across from Mikes Shopping mall

[CarlTyson]

The 'ugly lady', supervisor of the jet ski scammers has disappeared since the heat has turned up. She sat on the promenade, just across from Soi 11. Probably the wife or sister of the jet skis owner.

Now there is a huge, fat Thai guy running the show.

[steven100]

keep away from jet skis if you value your life .......

[Cheap Backpacker]

Holy shit, just left and am at mikes on my phone it is still going down. I just saw it go down and the fat guy chase someone away, I was with the guy talking on the beach. Story and pics to come

Im still shaking scary stuff. I think they may have pointed at me so i left.

[ttthailand]

Myself and a friend sat in front of Mikes on the beach a while back and watched 3 different people get scammed in a row. I mean it all happened in an hour. It really got nasty each time and those jetski guys were total scum. These people don't deserve to walk the streets. They are just rotten to the core.

[rocoa01]

Sad because I can remember coming renting jet skis in the early 90's and having a blast. Now I would never rent a "scam ski". Hopefully things will improve one day, what a shame.

[Cheap Backpacker]

It goes down just north of mikes at the beach. This is where the fat guy and women sit.

I told the dumb young asian didnt you know. He said he heard about it. They wanted 5000 baht.

[steven100]

I'd love to get half a dozen well built brits or aussies hiding back up the beach and have a bait go and hire a jet ski and just when the scam starts have the big boys come on down !!! ....

These scum are nothing but dirt .... why don't the police do anything when people complain ... because the police get a cut of the takings ...

I know some embassies have raised this in the past but nothing has been done as you can see ..

send it over to your embassies again .. fax & email the media again ... shame the local Mayor & the government ... send them a letter explaining that this just continues and it's a disgrace ...

the only way this will get stopped is by pressure from the media ....

There ... i've had my morning rant .... ah ..that feels better

[Rimmer]

A flame has been removed

[harrymcgarry]

go down the beach and hire a jet ski, speed about the bay and come back, am sure you will find what your looking for then.

[Cheap Backpacker]

Here are the two Asians that got scammed. The Asian on the the left side of the picture spoke German and English quite well. Not sure where he was form but probably China. They told me they wanted 5000 Baht.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Cheap Backpacker

[Cheap Backpacker]

The big German guy to the left only spoke German and happened to be sitting close by and came over to help.

The other older German was sitting up on the platform drinking and walked over to the scene when he saw the two Asians pulling up in the jet skis being led by one of the crooks on his jet ski. This German guy got chased away and the big fat guy was yelling on the sidewalk. I was with him on the beach and they didn't yell at me even though I was telling the Asian he was getting scammed and with the German guys.

The older German said he sees it happen everyday. I think he may go over to many of the incidents.

I give credit for the German guys for helping and not being scared. They probably don't read the forum so know how intricate it is. Even though I doubt these crooks would do anything as that would draw more attention then it is worth.

[Rimmer]

A libelous post has been removed.

Putting up pictures of people on the forum and calling them crooks will put you in a world of hurt in Thailand as well as getting you suspended from the forum.

6) You will not post comments that could be reasonably construed as defamation or libel.

Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand.

[Cheap Backpacker]

Took me a few days to spot the scam, probably because of the bad cold weather here and actually had give up. But I had nothing to do so decided to head to the platform for a couple of hours.

I was sitting on the platform in front of Mikes and saw a jet ski with the two Asians above being escorted by a thai on another jet ski. As soon as I saw this I decided to walk over as I had a suspicion that this was a scam because the Asians looked easily scamable.

As I got up the older German sitting next to me drinking also did, he must have known the scam was going to happen. Watching from above in front of the Nautica hotel, the Thai pulls in the Asians jet ski and now he is pointing out damage on the front.

I took some pictures above and decided to head down to the action. The older German guy was already down there just standing there. One of the Asians walked up the beach with a thai and I spoke with the other Asian wearing glasses.

I told him it was a scam, he said he knows and he told me they wanted 5000 baht. He didn't seem that concerned about the whole thing. I looked at the damage and it was nothing, maybe a black mark on the spot. There was also a muscular German who only spoke German who was saying it was ridiculous that they wanted 5000 baht.

While down there the big fat thai boss came over and started yelling at the older German guy. I got the idea that the older German goes down there often when it happens as later on I asked him and he told me every day they are doing the scam and sounded mad. The fat thai followed him to the boardwalk and was really yelling at him there. I walked away also but nobody was looking at me.

I decided to leave and came back 20 minutes later as I wasn't sure if they were watching me. While on the boardwalk I noticed the fat thai in the picture called his fat thai boss over as soon as I got there and they both looked over at me at the same time after talking. I decided to leave after that as they were for sure discussing me.

All in all was well worth it to see the scam in action. Unbelievable that this goes on as it is a danger to everyone on that beach. How something so widely know goes on is beyond me. Why a bunch of vigilantes don't get together and beat these guys up is beyond me.

[Rimmer]

A post discussing moderation has been removed.

[darrendsd]

OP by being spotted you are risking your safety, stay away

Sorry to say this but if you are going down there everyday you seem quite dumb, you obviously do not realize that these scammers will hurt you if they think you are causing trouble or taking to much of a interest in their activities.

[CarlTyson]

"All members of the Jet Ski Club, and Jet Ski operators and owners, must buy a policy by February 28th, 2013."

"Thaisri Insurance plc has been signed to provide insurance cover for the 452 jet skis operating in Pattaya, Jomtien."

Deputy Mayor Ronnakit said all the jet skis are insured by Thaisri, registered and inspected weekly.

This is the same deputy that has been holding emergency meetings since 2009 to solve the issue

How much does the jet ski scam make?

Lets say 10 scams a day at 30,000Baht each = 300,000Baht a day.

9,000,000Baht a month!

108,000,000Baht a year!

In reality it's probably half that amount so 54,000,000Baht a year.

Does anyone here think the deputy mayor lets the beach punks keep all that?

[CarlTyson]

2011 Pattaya Mayor Declars War On Jet Ski Vendors.

http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/mayor-declares-war-on-scamming-pattaya-jet-ski-vendors-2140

The rules call for establishment of a commission that will determine costs for jet ski damage and service disputes with other boat operators, city registration of all vendors, and the opening of 24-hour “tourist service centers” where disputes can be settled.

Ronakit said if the city finds a damage settlement has been made without the commission’s involvement it will be considered a “serious infringement” that can lead to cancellation of vendor’s license, banishment from the waterfront or jail time

[CarlTyson]

Take a photo / get a brick thrown at your head and forced to delete photos.

[CarlTyson]

Mayor On Facebook:

"Not delegating the Facebook page to assistants, Itthiphol responds personally to comments about jet skis and other matters at Facebook.com/PattayaFuture."

Fact is, the Mayor deletes the jet ski comments and bans those Facebook members.

Isn't there a journalist with some backbone that would interview this Mayor and pin him down?

[Cheap Backpacker]

Take a photo / get a brick thrown at your head and forced to delete photos.

This is just crazy, like I said it is a danger to the public. How this is allowed to go on with so many people knowing.

If I got approached by anyone I would have quickly ran, I was making sure of my surroundings and back all the time while I recorded and took pictures, checking every 5-10 seconds. Still risky, but if anyone approached I would have quickly ran.

I would have recorded more if I didn't have to do it on my $800 cell phone.

What needs to be done is a group of 10-20 guys need to join together and sit out there and just stop the scam. Too many scared people here, these guys won't do much as if they did it would be over for them.

This is how stuff like this goes on when people act scared and don't join together.

It would be such a fun opportunity also if people decided to group together to fight it.

[CarlTyson]

Jet Ski gang attacks. 3 years ago.

[CarlTyson]

Jet Ski gang attacks students from Macau. 2012

http://youtu.be/eNpJ9_5DmO8?list=PL94F8A29B8EC26C02

[CarlTyson]

Jet Ski gang threatens tourists.

http://youtu.be/3qyYRcco5YM?list=PL94F8A29B8EC26C02

[Cheap Backpacker]

I give credit to those guys for walking away and not paying. Probably Russians as Russians aren't wimps for the most part.

Does anyone know if they keep your passport or a deposit when you rent the jet skis?

[CarlTyson]

January 2014. Russian tourists extorted 113,000Baht.

[Beardog]

Take a photo / get a brick thrown at your head and forced to delete photos.

This is just crazy, like I said it is a danger to the public. How this is allowed to go on with so many people knowing.

If I got approached by anyone I would have quickly ran, I was making sure of my surroundings and back all the time while I recorded and took pictures, checking every 5-10 seconds. Still risky, but if anyone approached I would have quickly ran.

I would have recorded more if I didn't have to do it on my $800 cell phone.

What needs to be done is a group of 10-20 guys need to join together and sit out there and just stop the scam. Too many scared people here, these guys won't do much as if they did it would be over for them.

This is how stuff like this goes on when people act scared and don't join together.

It would be such a fun opportunity also if people decided to group together to fight it.

Cheap by now you must have realized that most of the jet skis are owned by the cops. So unless you feel like not only getting your ass kicked but I would not put it past the heat to start trouble & send you out of the country for good. If you are a thrill seeker go down to where they stage the Muy Thai kick boxing matches on walking street. They have freestyle matches that anything goes. That way you can really get into the action instead of being a voyeur. I have been in 5 bouts & is a real good way to get your jolies & you get the respect instead of the perverted mind on the end of a video for nothing. Most of us know better then to go against the grain. It is just not to sane of a thing to be doing. Or let me guess you like the act of being a voyeur ? Or why not leave your I Phone at home & just ask the owners themselves as no one is that foolish to do what you are suggesting. I mean for what. <deleted> does anyone give a shit anyway. We all know that this happens if you live here & I can fairly safely say no one from here uses the Jet skis knowing this.

[kwak250]

Any beach in Thailand that has jet ski rentals available.

Its not every beach now is it. Been renting for years at different beaches without problems .lived in Cha-am and rented so many times i could have bought one but never heard a scam there

Bit like saying all Germans wear socks and sandels but i am sure they dont .

[pacovl46]

Try the beach! :-)

[spidermike007]

Any beach in Thailand that has jet ski rentals available.

Its not every beach now is it. Been renting for years at different beaches without problems .lived in Cha-am and rented so many times i could have bought one but never heard a scam there

Bit like saying all Germans wear socks and sandels but i am sure they dont .

Glad to hear of your success with the industry. Might I suggest you post the names of some recommended jet ski vendors, so we might avoid the JSFJ (jet ski fleece job)? It is very common, and you sound like you have been fortunate to deal with some reputable vendors.