PBTA chief calls for jet ski ban

PATTAYA:--The head of Pattaya’s leading business association said he wants to see jet skis outlawed in the city, but will agree to give honest vendors one last chance to reign in those engaging in fraud and extortion.

Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, president of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, said Aug. 14 that Pattaya’s consistent failure to reign in scam artists and thugs renting out jet skis on area beaches has severely damaged the city’s tourism industry, bringing hard times to even the honest vendors trying to make a living.

It’s just like the old proverb “a rotten fish poisons every fish in the pond,” he said, saying he simply would like to see Pattaya get out of the jet ski business. “It just isn’t worth it.”

Sinchai admitted, however, that putting hundreds of vendors out of work after they made investments in their expensive watercraft would not be fair to those not engaging in the popular scam in which tourists are told they damaged their rented jet ski and must pay tens of thousands of baht in compensation, sometimes under threat of physical assault.

But honest vendors can no longer sit idly by and let the scams continue, Sinchai said. If honest vendors don’t want city hall to ban jet skis, they need to both self-police their ranks and turn in to authorities those engaged in criminal activity, he said.

For now, Pattaya must again repair the damage done by scam artists, Sinchai said. The first step is to write a letter to the government of India, which recently wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express its concerns about repeated ripoffs of Indian tourists.

Sinchai said earlier the issue with India was so serious that Pattaya runs the risk of being boycotted by one of its largest tourist markets.

Once the letter has been sent, the city must again bring in every jet ski vendor operating in Pattaya and broker an agreement to cooperatively end the extortion and intimidation. If the agreement is broken, then city hall should simply ban them all, Sinchai said.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/pbta-chief-calls-for-jet-ski-ban-50381#sthash.GHULUO1w.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-08-21

Get rid of them (removed)

I don't like to see government make things hard on any business owners trying to make an honest living. But these operators have clearly been very dishonest and have given the whole tourism industry a black eye time after time. The only solution is a 100% ban. I like jet skies I think they ate a good attraction for the beach. But mafia operators have turned it for everyone....

"they need to both self-police their ranks and turn in to authorities those engaged in criminal activity, he said"

Oh my Oh my,,, this will never end

Honest vendors (there actually are such things?) are NOT going to go up against the mafia and the cops. It's as simple as that. Best case scenario? Ban them. Period.

He is full of shit like ski operators are going to reign in the corrupt ones. Ban them all immediately and rid of Sinchai now.

He is part of the problem.

One solution, get rid of them all, bad for all of tourism in pattaya

last time i rented 1 was 2001. i didnt get scammed even though i ranted the shit out of it and turned it over doing 1 stunt. then i heard about the scams and havnt touched 1 since. you would think that in 14 years the rest of the world would have learned of those scams by now??

...anyway, me and my 4 buddies are off now for a 100bt massage with 2 sexy thai girls (with very big feet) we just found on the beach road....and they got a free room as well! ....wish me luck

He is talking through his arse, otherwise he would have gotten rid of them before this.

Get rid of the noisy environmental destructive things so the beach can be a beach again and not a luna fun park.

These vehicles move fast. They are a danger to other water users including swimmers. They need to be removed for everyone's peace of mind. They won't be removed, that's for sure.

I am just sitting in Central Pattaya now in font of royal plaza watching one go down with 3 Indians, the time. Is now 3.19 pm and they have been negotiating for 45 min . They have now brought a Thai woman into the scam so there 3 jet ski boys a lady and some other dude holding rental agreement by the looks of it.

"they need to both self-police their ranks and turn in to authorities those engaged in criminal activity, he said"

Oh my Oh my,,, this will never end

It wouldn't be a problem if the police actually policed this problem. They could put a stop to it immediately if they wanted to. While I applaud the head of the local business community coming out against this scam, I fear that the police want it to keep going because there is no doubt they are getting a cut of the extortion racket.

100% agree to ban Jet Skis because of the crooks that operate then and the fact that they are Noisy and Dangerous.

Many things could and should be done to improve Thailand's tourism reputation.

A jet ski would be an excellent start, long overdue.

I am just sitting in Central Pattaya now in font of royal plaza watching one go down with 3 Indians, the time. Is now 3.19 pm and they have been negotiating for 45 min . They have now brought a Thai woman into the scam so there 3 jet ski boys a lady and some other dude holding rental agreement by the looks of it.

Did they go to the ATM ? tell them to lodge a complaint at their embassy ......

Just look at the brown uniform worn by a lot of the jet ski owners.........they will never vanish

So, where is the only honest vendor ?

Keep the jet Ski, its part of the holiday for some tourists.

Regulate it. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it can be done, city hall has the power to do this.

BTW , I don't like them, but im not a tourist.

All the people who are moaning about them are Expats.

Thailand does not want Expats, cant you all see that.

Thailand wants the 2 week tourist who goes home with empty pockets and a big smile.

Long live the jet Ski.

So Mr. Sinchai want to give them "one last chance" ... How many of those have they got ... ?

This guy is in it just as Police is Deep in it - It will never stop until people just stay away ...

"they need to both self-police their ranks and turn in to authorities those engaged in criminal activity, he said"

Oh my Oh my,,, this will never end

It wouldn't be a problem if the police actually policed this problem. They could put a stop to it immediately if they wanted to. While I applaud the head of the local business community coming out against this scam, I fear that the police want it to keep going because there is no doubt they are getting a cut of the extortion racket.

Of course police get a cut, as I understand many of the owners also happen to be those who supposed to police this, "our best friends" the BIB. And would seem logical that those most into the scams are ones with protection via those "investors".

Why should they be asking the honest vendor to police the dishonest ones?

Isnt that the job of the police?

Why don't they just pass a law that every jet ski has to be out of the water before renting it out?

That way the tourists can check for themselves that there is no damage.

Tourists are to blame too....everyone knows of the scams, (unless

You were beamed down from another planet.). If you don't use

Your smart phone camera to document every inch of the jet ski for

Damage, than you will be scammed...Don't cry later!!!

last time i rented 1 was 2001. i didnt get scammed even though i ranted the shit out of it and turned it over doing 1 stunt. then i heard about the scams and havnt touched 1 since. you would think that in 14 years the rest of the world would have learned of those scams by now??

...anyway, me and my 4 buddies are off now for a 100bt massage with 2 sexy thai girls (with very big feet) we just found on the beach road....and they got a free room as well! ....wish me luck

Are they wearing steel toe-capped stilettos?

Best thing I've heard in a long time. Get rid of them ! They are noisy, dangerous for swimmers and pollute the sea.

The merry-go-round keeps spinning. Nothing changes - always talk talk but never to walk the walk.

PBTA chief calls for jet ski ban

Yes!

Not that I will be holding my breath waiting for it to happen.

last time i rented 1 was 2001. i didnt get scammed even though i ranted the shit out of it and turned it over doing 1 stunt. then i heard about the scams and havnt touched 1 since. you would think that in 14 years the rest of the world would have learned of those scams by now??

...anyway, me and my 4 buddies are off now for a 100bt massage with 2 sexy thai girls (with very big feet) we just found on the beach road....and they got a free room as well! ....wish me luck

If you get really lucky the prossies, sorry girls will give you free drinks, a relaxing sleep, to be followed by a wake-up call by the local police asking you what's missing from your pockets.

"All the people who are moaning about them are Expats.

Thailand does not want Expats, cant you all see that.

Thailand wants the 2 week tourist who goes home with empty pockets and a big smile."

If Pattaya would not have the thousands of expats living in and around the city would not give constantly jobs to other thousands of people and not only in high season.....

So this country need foreigners as many of them pay for the kids from thai couples the husband run away and dont pay any stetang, the foreigners are the ones who stand behind the huge construction site as thais cant manage this, thais can nearly manage nothing and thats the problem of this country!

So welcome the foreigners..........you need them and their money!

I've rented Jet Skis loads of times here.

One guy in Phuket once pointed to some 'damage' but I just smiles, shook my head and walked off.

The 'self policing' thing is a farce. What about 'police' policing?