Pattaya faces Indian boycott over failure to end jet ski scams

[AG1]

the beautifull thing is: it all happens right in front of the police box / officers

The Police is busy checking Driving Licence in front Soi 9 Police Box. It is more convenient for the Cops to chase Farangs for small Offences instead to take on with Criminals like the Jet Ski Scams. The Slogen on some Police Boxes " we serve and protect" is really funny, and it doesn't say who will be protected

[carter1882]

I went to India and was never ever scammed. Wanna buy some gems?

[fred Kubasa]

Ah shucks no ! We sure favor our Indian brothers and sisters.

[Basil B]

I am sure the Jet Ski operators will soon get a memo from city hall not to scam the Indians.

Time to get some brown shoe polish and a turban.

[shawndoc]

This is a great idea! Instead of going to Pattaya, they can come to Phuket. The Phuket Jet Ski scammers have been missing out on their share of the Indian money tree.

[pedro01]

The police are being payed by the scammers.

Doesn't take a genius to figure why it doesn't stop.

[Jonmarleesco]

'The city has spent years holding committee meetings, proposing regulations and promising to regulate ...' Well, TiT!

[Jonmarleesco]

JetSki scams are a part of the real Thainess just like being taking for a ride with crazy minvan driver from the airport or the nice policeman that want to extort you for some tea-money or the LB that knock you down on the Beach when you take an evening walk ...

Its all part of the Thai Experience ... Now its my turn to say it : If you dont like it stay away ....

Seriously?

[ronrat]

The safety limits they impose are silly.Make it 100 metres and if you go inside come back in and forfeit your time..Any idiot near a swimming area arrested. No accidents, no damage.

[pomchop]

Oh how nice it would be to sit on the beach and not have all the NOISE of jet ski idiots roaring around every two seconds. Not to mention the safety issues of being able to swim or wade a bit without having some ya ba fueled idiot running you over.

Once upon a time a beach was a relatively quiet place to sit and relax and read a book and listen to the sounds of the oceans.

I suspect it is a very very small percentage of beach goers who actually use the jet skis and destroy any semblance of peace and quiet that most tourists would prefer.

Ban the damn things once and for all.

There are piles of evidence and videos clearly showing that the local police, as well as politicians, are up to their ears in the scams...does the good general fear taking on a bunch of corrupt cops and jet ski mafia?

[konying]

This would have an unbelievable spiraling affect.

Should Indians boycott Pattaya, who would ladyboys be robbing, no doubt they would start to boycott too.

Then of course, well seasoned, used and overweight female customer relations officers working the beach, they would be missing out on 200 baht they could earn

Most bars would be in free fall not having 5 Indian customers sharing 1 beer.

Of course it does not take away from the problem of Jet Ski itself, but can only hope Indians will NOT be boycotting.

Edited August 14, 2015 by konying

[timendres]

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.

If traditional insurance is an issue, which I could easily believe, then self-insuring might be the answer. By tacking on an insurance fee to each rental, and pooling that money into an insurance fund two things happen. First, the scammers will not be scamming the user, as there is coverage for damage. Second, the common interests of the group will ferret out the scammers, because now they are hurting themselves.

I have watched a couple of videos of people being scammed, and these operators are downright scary. I could see someone deciding to never return to Thailand after such an experience.

[jacko45k]

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.

Don't the guys take some security like your passport or at least a copy?

Can't remember as my jet-ski renting days are behind me, but when I did in the 80s I never had a problem and had a lot of fun.

It is a shame that fair rentals cannot be achieved.

It should be an embarrassment that the local police cannot stop this and may even facilitate it.

Ban them from Bali Hai to the Dusit, and any which are found are confiscated and destroyed, no leniency. They can hardly evade police as they hook them in a line and tow them home at 10kph.

[hawker9000]

These letters & complaints notwithstanding, I really doubt there's any "boycott" by Indians looming. I doubt the vast majority of them have any inkling of the jet ski scam racket when they arrive.

[harrycallahan]

If they can pull off a boycott of the whole town can't they boycott jetskis only?

[mary wang]

If pattaya government doesn't give a shit of the complaints of tourists,less and less tourists will come to visit the city which was once the top choice of foreign visitors.

[hawker9000]

If they can pull off a boycott of the whole town can't they boycott jetskis only?

And what town would that be? Anchorage? Vladivostok? Timbuktu? It's certainly not Pattaya.

[Beng]

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

Interesting point, but at least this is a start.

More countries should join this boycott. If the international community would advise citizens,that the land of smiles has turned into land of scammers, it would create one big 'loose face situation'.

[joebrown]

If pattaya government doesn't give a shit of the complaints of tourists,less and less tourists will come to visit the city which was once the top choice of foreign visitors.

Many posters have questioned why the Military/Government have been able to clean up other areas but not Pattaya.

Pattaya is 'a law unto itself' because of the power held by one family in Chonburi province, and anyone who tries to excercise control from the 'outside' does so at great personal risk. Before the military takeover, this 'family' was represented at Ministerial level in Bangkok. At present the Military is only able to 'scratch the surface' in Pattaya, just to give the appearance of doing something, but far less than they are able to do in places like Phuket.

[spidermike007]

Simple solution either ban the jet ski operations. OR erect massive signs saying no damage caused by the user will be charged regardless of the claim. Have police stationed on the beach with this proclamation. The risk should be solely born by the jet ski owner as a risk of doing business. If the courts and police abided by this then the owners will get pay back.

You are not acknowledging that the police are in on it. They are partners. So, what good does it do, to have half of the scam operation stationed on the beach? How does that protect the consumer?

[spidermike007]

If pattaya government doesn't give a shit of the complaints of tourists,less and less tourists will come to visit the city which was once the top choice of foreign visitors.

Many posters have questioned why the Military/Government have been able to clean up other areas but not Pattaya.

Pattaya is 'a law unto itself' because of the power held by one family in Chonburi province, and anyone who tries to excercise control from the 'outside' does so at great personal risk. Before the military takeover, this 'family' was represented at Ministerial level in Bangkok. At present the Military is only able to 'scratch the surface' in Pattaya, just to give the appearance of doing something, but far less than they are able to do in places like Phuket.

Simple solution. Lock up that entire family, kids and all, and throw away the keys. Or deport them.

[spidermike007]

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.

If traditional insurance is an issue, which I could easily believe, then self-insuring might be the answer. By tacking on an insurance fee to each rental, and pooling that money into an insurance fund two things happen. First, the scammers will not be scamming the user, as there is coverage for damage. Second, the common interests of the group will ferret out the scammers, because now they are hurting themselves.

I have watched a couple of videos of people being scammed, and these operators are downright scary. I could see someone deciding to never return to Thailand after such an experience.

That would only work in the case of legitimate rental operations. The scum operators know their marks before they get on the jet skis. So, self insuring would do nothing to change their MO, and their extortion practices. They should be in prison, not on the beach. And so should the policemen who are their partners. If the general was serious about cleaning things up, this would be the perfect place to start. These cockroaches have been haunting Pattaya and Samui (the protected lands where the army does not dare venture into) for a decade or two.

Edited August 15, 2015 by spidermike007

[kiwikeith]

Pattaya Police and vendors are partners. First hand knowledge.

Transfer the police and the jet ski's to Hatyei.

[Larry001]

Sadly City Hall is another toothless tiger. Everybody knows the police are in on it. So where is the Government who promised to clamp down on corruption. This is a simple exercise as it is out in the open and everybody knows who is involved

[cumgranosalum]

Just read the OP and quite frankly the ttitue of the Pattaya authorities is disgraceful

There should be a resignation.

How on earth can they , when confronted with a legitimate complaint sit there bare-faced and offer advice on how tourists might AVOID the problem!?!?!?!

THE PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE THERE!

Pattaya have admitted there's a problem NOW ACT!!!

it is down to the Pattaya authorities to get rid....not try an apportion the blame upon some gullible or naive tourist.

Edited August 15, 2015 by cumgranosalum

[xen]

Wasn't it only a few years ago the Indian Government made a plea to the Abhasit Government to something to help Indian Tourists who get scammed and /or robbed and /or drugged by the lady boys on Beach Road. The lady boys are still there and so are the Indians .

[balo]

Well i have seen quite a few scams from jet ski operators and police, in Pattaya. In the beginning of July I watched 4 that looked like Indian origin renting jet skis, video's were taken with a mobile phone to show the condition of the jet ski's. The one guy could't even control it so they screamed at him to get off and he was given his money back, as the other 3 went to enjoy themselves. Upon return the one had a hole in it about 15cms long and quite deep another one was damaged on the nose. Waiting for all hell to break loose i watched in anticipation but nothing happened no gang of thai's no police. All was sorted out and everybody went their own way . What is happening .

Insurance ?

[Rimmer]

Some troll and racist posts have been removed

[springheeled jack]

this has been going on for quite some time the root of the problem must be the eradication of corrupt police and then come down sharply on these jet ski vendors as long as these police are involved nothing will happen. this is another blatant example of corruption .

[bristolgeoff]

If they read this story many more will do the same over the jet ski scam