Pattaya faces Indian boycott over failure to end jet ski scams

[Eric Loh]

Silly me to think that the junta have clean up the jet ski scams together with other low hanging fruits campaigns like beach chairs and eateries charging high prices. Hope the PM will not be distracted again to do other more important and dire matters like the economy.

[shaurene]

It will never stop, few time each year the Mayor or Deputy Mayor calls a meeting and same results all the time

Call a meeting with the operators, no new faces come because the main operators are already there. And the police are well embedded in the jet ski business.

The army needs to do it. A lot of the council earn a lot of money from the jet ski business, it has to be that way because for years nothing ever happens to protect the tourist.

[bdenner]

The solution is as simple as deploying red flags during dangerous surf conditions. Display multi lingual signs warning tourists about the scams and what to do if scammed. If they fail to heed them = Som Nom Nah!

[Brian Robson]

The solution is simple. If you get scammed. Pay the money and let the dust settle. We all look the same remember!! A week later with a pair of sun gasses and a bit of a disguise rent out the jet ski and bomb it down to the quiet part of the beach where you earlier stashed your canister of petrol. Burn the bitch to the ground, off with your bar wig and moushache and flee on your already parked motor bike near by. that would just about equal things up a bit.

I was discussing this exact plan yesterday while watching some Indians getting scammed.

[rainman333]

I'm actually interested in seeing how the response from Pattaya is, is face greater than tourist money? hmmmm

[NextStationBangkok]

Yay finally some positives come out of the whole jet ski saga...perhaps too many Indian guys wanted to share a jet ski, water, coke, meal, women etc etc

The same one you will have it all alone next day! Someone else next week! It is life cycle in Pattaya you roll up and down!

[razer]

Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...

Time to transfer Pattaya cops up country

Time to get Army supervision of Pattaya police

[bongoz]

Anybody willing to rent a jet ski in Thailand should be scammed. This is not new.

And besides, jet skis are annoying and loud.

And there is your solution...

BAN ALL JET SKIS

[geisha]

After all the bad publicity in every country concerning jet ski scams, must the public go on renting jet skis, why ??? If these countries really do want to do something about it, how about warning every tourist that gets on a plane direction Thailand ?

[bongoz]

We are all indians right now

Nope I'm a cowboy...

[AlphMichaels]

Those still being scammed should have done their homework first. That's in no way condoning the continued practice. But there's SO MUCH information out there on the scams now.

And I hate to say it but I've seen it in Pattaya, Phuket, and elsewhere...., often the tourists who rent them have little-to-no experience. They load up 2-at-a-time and hand off rides among their group to get the most out of their rental time. They are reckless and many do damage the machines.

The scams are well known. There are also time when amateurs damage them.

[Alwyn]

The Indians know about the scams but still rent the jet skis? Jeez.. how dumb can you get? Just don't hire them and enjoy the rest Pattaya has to offer (whatever that is)

[MyFriend You]

I do not know if all jet-ski rental business are scams, I assume that some must be genuine people just trying to earn a living.

The problem with mandatory insurance is that no insurance company will provide insurance to these beach operators, so the answer is to either ban all jet skis or work out some solution that does not require the impossible insurance.

If you ban all jet-skis then that's not really fair on the honest vendors. Its never fair when the criminal minority mess things up for everyone.

Perhaps a system of licensed operators with instant removal and destruction of any jet-skis offered for rent by an unlicenced opearator would be ideal, but that opens the door for even more corruption.

I agree - then the Govt should force them all to become a 'Jet Ski Coop' - where you deal with a single point to rent a jet ski - pay that one place purchase insurance, and all damages settled between you, the Coop, and the Tourist Police (Why?? Because the Mayor wants them involved) No Muss, No Fuss - prices clearly displayed - video of transactions and jet ski inspection before going out. Any Jet Ski owner that doesn't want to join the Coop is canned and jet ski confiscated if he try's to rent it in Pattaya, Jomtien or Na Klua. Simple right??

[gandalf12]

I think Pattaya has already been taken off the list of places to visit. Came back to Bangkok from Pattaya today and it was like a ghost town. Shops empty and very few people in the streets. Stop the jet ski's or put a high degree of regulation and monitoring on them.

[Rimmer]

Off topic posts removed

[MyFriend You]

Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...Yadda ...

Time to transfer Pattaya cops up country

Time to get Army supervision of Pattaya police

Naaah...........they are already south of Bangkok, send them down to the deep south to police the insurection Hat Yai and Songkla need good hard working cops.

[mancub]

Pattaya Police and vendors are partners. First hand knowledge.

"First hand knowledge"

Really, first hand? So what you're saying is that you are either a jetski operator or a police officer. Can't see why you'd want that known.

Why not ? Perhaps he's saying that he was a victim, in which case he may want the world to know. Ever consider that possibility -in your haste to mock ?.

[TimmyT]

Keep the jet skis - maybe the Chineese will also copy the Indians

oh may be British will copy them? that would be the best news!

[mrfaroukh]

Well done Indian and Indian government to tackle the problem even for those who don't care

[Jiggo]

We are all indians right now

Dealing with "Cowboys"

[manhood]

As long as i am visiting Pattaya there are always jet ski scam stories comeing up more or left freqently

And nothing happened at all as the local government MUST be involved, including Police, of the jet ski scamming!

Law enforcement needs to be stationed in anything here in Thailand and much more in this total corrupt Pattaya system!

Why nobody get up to fight against this?????

Thanks the Indians are starting to do something.....all other nations are quite....!

Social media should be much more used to blame all the things going wrong here in Pattaya and ripping off the tourists, and how many tourists faces every day robbery, attacks of health and life!!!!!!!!!

[Maroon Watcher]

GREAT! Vote with your feet...

If everyone boycotted Thailand, every time they got a sly smile (oops a mean Thai smile)

Then Thailand would have to WAKE UP -

It's NOT clever people!

WE just put up with it!!

[kannot]

all it needs is an Indian jet ski surcharge for all Thais visiting India in retalliation

[kannot]

GREAT! Vote with your feet...

If everyone boycotted Thailand, every time they got a sly smile (oops a mean Thai smile)

Then Thailand would have to WAKE UP -

It's NOT clever people!

WE just put up with it!!

wouldnt make a scrap of difference theyd just do it to the Thais

[stoli]

I saw last week where a Minister /or Embassy official connected with India came to Pattaya to discuss the jet ski scam issue personally. I am glad that they are not just making a statement and walking away, but that India is following up only a week later. If the Tourism Minister of Thailand sees that the scam is affecting tourists, maybe they can put pressure on the police dept. I have witnessed this scam in action. Felt like cutting their nuts off at the time, and I was just a witness. Can't imagine being a victim, because I would wind up injured and in jail, but it would be worth it to take out some of them first.

[wabothai]

Where is madame TAT when needed. Too busy with her christal balls and cocktail parties.

[IAMHERE]

I think the police have no power to stop anything except a perhaps ladyboy walking on beach road. More powerful people are pulling the strings all we hear is lip service.

Boycott is a good idea but should be done by all countries including China. Two weeks of total shutdown would get their attention.

But it will never happen as talk to cheap on both sides.

If talk were cheap you would think the Indian authorities would tell their people not to rent jet ski in Thailand.

[magnacarta]

Anybody willing to rent a jet ski in Thailand should be scammed. This is not new.

And besides, jet skis are annoying and loud.

I think you should rephrase your post to read :Anybody willing to holiday in Thailand should be scammed,You are obviously a man of the world who knows all the pitfalls of foreign travel.

[chris55566]

seems obvious to me if has an engine or wheels attached don't rent it. which is exactly what i am going to be doing in Thailand only a few weeks left

[NoshowJones]

I do not know if all jet-ski rental business are scams, I assume that some must be genuine people just trying to earn a living.

The problem with mandatory insurance is that no insurance company will provide insurance to these beach operators, so the answer is to either ban all jet skis or work out some solution that does not require the impossible insurance.

If you ban all jet-skis then that's not really fair on the honest vendors. Its never fair when the criminal minority mess things up for everyone.

Perhaps a system of licensed operators with instant removal and destruction of any jet-skis offered for rent by an unlicenced opearator would be ideal, but that opens the door for even more corruption.

Jet skis rentals, criminal minority?????????????? Don't you mean majority??