Underage Phuket jet-ski rentals under fire

[webfact]

Underage Phuket jet-ski rentals under fire
Phuket Gazette


A 16-year-old was the most recent person injured on a jet-ski in Phuket. Photo: Winai Sarot

PHUKET: -- Concerns about operators allowing minors to rent out jet-skis in Phuket were raised at the monthly consulate meeting with the Governor on Wednesday.

Seven Smulders, the Dutch honorary consul for Phuket, told meeting members that he was worried about the potentially dangerous situations created by allowing minors to operate jet-skis.

Mr Smulders' concerns come fast on the heels of the January 4 jet-ski accident that saw a 16-year-old Finnish tourist injure his leg on Kata Beach.

The week prior, news broke of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s 12-year-old son Pax also injuring his leg while jet-skiing in Phuket.

Local jet-ski rental operators, who have remained under public fire for years due to numerous scams, brutish behavior and general safety concerns, were quick to clarify that the accident involving Pax did not involve their jet-skis. However, in late December two Chinese tourists were rushed to hospital after they crashed their jet-skis into each other off Patong Beach

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Underage-Phuket-jetski-rentals-fire/62825?desktopversion


-- Phuket Gazette 2016-01-08

[madmitch]

And another nail in the coffin for............

Oops, sorry, completely wrong. it's the untouchable jet-skis we're talking about!

[FourAces]

And no doubt they will be wanting 90 000 baht off the kid for damage done to the jet ski.

Hopefully he doesn't suffer any major or long term injuries

[LivinginKata]

Blah Blah Blah - money talks and BS walks

[Ulic]

I got my drivers license when I was 16. It cost 2 dollars to write the learners permit and 10 dollars

to take a 20 minute road test. Many of my friends did both (and passed) on there 16th birthday.

My parents put there foot down and made me take lessons first so they got the safe driver discount.

40 years accident free now. Of course I know drivers licences are much more costly and graduated

now. But the powered boat license in Canada allows someone between 12-16 to operate a boat

up to 40 hp. But jet skis I think you have to be 16. So this young man would have been fine in Canada,

as log as he had taken the course and passed the test.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

up to 40 hp. But jet skis I think you have to be 16. So this young man would have been fine in Canada,

as log as he had taken the course and passed the test.

But he did not take any test. Just paid and jumped on the jet-ski ...

Yet again the marine laws are ignored here in Thailand for the sake of quick money ..

[Nobb]

Another promise by the junta government was to make the jet ski operators obey all laws but in Thailand the laws change every day!