Phuket Jet-ski scammers shut down
Eakkapop Thongtub


Mr Zhang (left) sits beside former president of the Phuket Jet-ski Association, Anuson Saley.

Phuket: -- Phuket Governor Nisit Jamsongwong has ordered a jet-ski rental company in Bangtao to be shut down after employees demanded a Chinese tourist pay exorbitant repair fees totalling 200,000 baht following a collision between two of the craft when the tourist rented them out with family members.

The victim, Zhang Cheng, rented four jet-skis on Saturday (February 7) from the Yotharak Company in front of the Dusit Thani Hotel, paying B9,600 for all four of them. However, two of the jet-skis collided within five minutes of being rented out.

The jet-ski oprators immediately demanded that Zhang Cheng pay B200,000 to cover the cost of the damage to the jet-skis, and threatened to not allow him to leave the country until he paid up.

Panicked, Mr Zhang immediately went to withdraw the cash from an ATM. After several withdrawals, and some negotiations, Mr Zhang was able to negotiate the compensation demand down to B99,000.

Then, after realizing that the jet-skis were insured and that he had shelled out much more than the actual repair costs, Mr Zhang filed a complaint at Damrongtham Centre on Monday (February 9), where he was accompanied by former president of the Phuket Jet-ski Association, Anuson Saley.

Mr Anusorn advised Mr Zhang that as the cost of the repairs would be covered by the insurance, any compensation paid to the jet ski operator should be only for loss of income while the jet skis are repaired; a charge that is usually no more than B3,000 per day, and for no more than three days, meaning Mr Zhang should only have been charged a total of B15,000 at the most.

Mr Anusorn said the jet-ski operator's demands for B200,000 were absurd and were against the Jetski Association act.

Armed with rental documents and ATM withdrawal statements, as well as photographs of the damaged jet-skis and a police report, Mr Zhang was able to persuade Damrongtham officials that he had cause for compaint and wanted the jet-ski rental company to repay the money he had already handed over.

Acting as an intermediary, Damrongtham official Sompong Panthong, met with the jet-ski company owner, Mr Yotharak, and managed to hammer out an agreememnt in which the jet-ski company would return B45,000 to Zhang.

Mr Yotharak said he had charged Mr Zhang because the insurance policy on the jet-skis had expired when the collision occured.

The rip-off victims accepted the offer and were relieved to get at least some of their money back just before leaving the country that afternoon.

However, when Governor Nisit heard about the debacle, he ordered the Marine Office to revoke the jetski operator's licence.

The Phuket News has since learnt from Chief of Phuket Marine Office, Phuripat Teerakulpisut that the Yotharak Company has had its licence revoked for one month and was fined B10,000. The refund money has also been returned to a respresenataive of Mr Zhang who was still staying on Phuket.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-jet-ski-scammers-shut-down-50958.php


-- Phuket News 2015-02-10

He let his insurance lapse so it's the tourists fault?.

Amazing Thailand.

Excellent stuff - just goes to show what can be done if the will to do it is there.

Ordering them to be shut down and actually shutting them down are 2 totally different things altogether.

Shut down shouts the headline - but only for one month - sigh sigh

We are just cash cows,always remember that! But the day will come?

He will just give his jet-skis for rent to another one of his mates that also rents them out.

The punishment is a joke.

Fined for letting insurance lapse and not attempted fraud. TIT.

Excellent stuff - just goes to show what can be done if the will to do it is there.

Yes, excellent stuff......unheard before under the previous governments.

But with this government, things have changed and the law is taken seriously.

Even for 1 month, Living in Kata, shows the good intentions of the government......next time the scammers will be put in jail.

.....next time the scammers will be put in jail.

In your dreams........

I'll applaud when they actually stop the scams and impose some serious penalties for once, like jail time for extortion and some serious cash penalties. Those same jet skis will be rented out tomoro by one of his "friends", still with no insurance no doubt.

Doesn't get any better one month what a joke!

Close all jet skis they aren't really safe in the hands of crooked operators or idiot untrained tourists either.

Excellent stuff - just goes to show what can be done if the will to do it is there.

Yes, excellent stuff......unheard before under the previous governments.

But with this government, things have changed and the law is taken seriously.

Even for 1 month, Living in Kata, shows the good intentions of the government......next time the scammers will be put in jail.

Oh please, what can I say about you. Do you really believe in fairy's, the easter bunny and Santa clause. Let's not forget "Uncle Too" who came down to bring joy to all the boy, girls and nitwits and wiped out corruption.

Passst when you have finnished licking Uncle Too's behind, let him know they are putting the deck chairs back on the beach.

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

Finally a few good things happen in this country.

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

No, he is just an optimist, which is a nice contrast here on TVF to the usual negativity

Sends out the right message, now how's about the newspaper follow up and see if he's back on the beach next week, still renting.

Well a start at least..

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

No, he is just an optimist, which is a nice contrast here on TVF to the usual negativity

It's not negativity. It's called experience through observation.

Anybody that has been scammed in Thailand should be given a free T-shirt from TAT.

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

No, he is just an optimist, which is a nice contrast here on TVF to the usual negativity

It's not negativity. It's called experience through observation.

Yes, pessimists call it either that or realism

Phuket turns every rational person into a pessimist. All except you and Alan Morrison.

What's it like to feel constantly let down?

Frankly, optimism is over-rated. There is no inherent virtue in it. You are either proved right, or you feel disappointed.

Pessimists are either proved right, or, are pleasantly surprised.

Pessimists also plan for the worst. Optimists are constantly wrong-footed.

There was a good article on the BBC which showed that naturally pessimistic people actually live longer than optimists (it must be the constant disappointments).

a charge that is usually no more than B3,000 per day, and for no more than three days, meaning Mr Zhang should only have been charged a total of B15,000 at the most.

2 jet-skis, for 3 days @ 3,000 per day = ?

Er... 15,000

Very good, Somchai, go to the top of the class.

He will just give his jet-skis for rent to another one of his mates that also rents them out.

The punishment is a joke.

Fined for letting insurance lapse and not attempted fraud. TIT.

The Jet Skis should be impounded for the period. And not returned until they show certificate of them being fully insured.

Excellent stuff - just goes to show what can be done if the will to do it is there.

Yes, excellent stuff......unheard before under the previous governments.

But with this government, things have changed and the law is taken seriously.

Even for 1 month, Living in Kata, shows the good intentions of the government......next time the scammers will be put in jail.

I don't believe it, Costas has said something which i agree with for once, except for the "snidie" remarks about previous governments, but that is probably a Greek thing, so we will just have to ignore it like the Greeks do with their debts !

sounds good

but will the shutdown be enforced?

You can adjust imagine the jet ski mob on the beach jumping up and high fiving each other when they saw the jet skis crash. YES!!!

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

No, he is just an optimist, which is a nice contrast here on TVF to the usual negativity

It's not negativity. It's called experience through observation.

Its not anything unless the observation has a temporal factor and an outcome. What are you trying to say..........

Window dressing only because it hit the media. I saw some Russian girls get scammed in Kata a couple of days ago and I doubt they'll get their money back.

I think either Costas has lost his mind or his avatar has been taken over by little green men.

No, he is just an optimist, which is a nice contrast here on TVF to the usual negativity

It's not negativity. It's called experience through observation.

Its not anything unless the observation has a temporal factor and an outcome. What are you trying to say..........

That the future will look just like the past. Isn't that meaning obvious?

Re. Mr Zhang (left) sits beside former president of the Phuket Jet-ski Association, Anuson Saley.

Nice to see that Khun Anuson helped in this case. Appears that some operators want to clean up the business as well.