Those jet-skis again - Australian media cites L.O.S. Thailand as Land of Scams

[webfact]

Those jet-skis again - Australian media cites L.O.S. Thailand as Land of Scams

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

BANGKOK: -- Australian media has pointed its finger at Thailand less as the Land of Smiles and more as the Land of Scams. And public enemy number are jetski-operators.

 

The claims come after Thai officials said it was a good idea to promote jet-skis as a sport.

 

News.com Australia said Tuesday that Thailand was one of six countries listed by the Aussie Foreign and Trade Ministry as having a problem with fraud and scams Manager Online reported.

 

The six are among the ten most visited places by Australian tourists abroad.

 

Topping the list of problems in the kingdom was the familiar jet-ski scam where unsuspecting tourists are hassled for imaginary damage to jet-skis after rental.

 

Also high up the list are credit card and ATM fraud and the purchase of overpriced gems and other fake goods.

 

The Australian ministry was quoted as saying that they receive many complaints about jet-ski operators in Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Pangan.

 

The news outlet said that this kind of con was very dangerous as victims would come face to face with gangs. Many people had been threatened with physical violence.

 

The ministry recommends that people renting take a picture of the jet-ski beforehand to help with any possible trouble.

 

The other countries in the top ten visited nations where Australians were being conned the most were Indonesia, China, Singapore, Fiji and India, news.com said, saying that in all these countries unscrupulous people preyed on tourists' lack of local knowledge.

 

Last week Thailand's own ministry for tourism and sports suggested that the upcoming Jet-ski World Cup in Pattaya was a great way to highlight the attractions of the resort.

 

Source: Manager Online

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-08

[Sphere]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

Australian media has pointed its finger at Thailand less as the Land of Smiles and more as the Land of Scams.

 

Well I never......that's not what the brochures said....I'd want my money back. 

[clockman]

The truth always hurts.

[Jai Dee]

9 minutes ago, fruitman said:

How did they get scammed in Singapore??

Apparently Australian tourists in Singapore have been known to "fall victim to “outrage of modesty” scams".

 

Here is a link to the full News.com.au article.

[jaywalker]

14 minutes ago, Sphere said:

 

Well I never......that's not what the brochures said....I'd want my money back. 

I knew in mid-2000 that the company was going to station me in BKK.

 

They took their sweet time about it, but in March 2001, told me to book my flight.

 

I'd been reading everything I could find about Thailand in books/brochures & such, as the internet was still being born.

 

I got to Pattaya & managed to rent a jet-ski..No biggie back then. (500 baht for 20 minutes or something like that).

 

What got me, was all the garbage.

 

I saw these two 13-14 year old boys out there chest deep & one of them decided he'd use a clear plastic bag for a diving mask...it was right next to him...Why not?

 

Yes, the idiot put a plastic bag on his head & went under the waves, came up for a breath & it didn't work too well.

 

Now that's what you call, "ROFL" except I was scared to roll around on that beach.

Edited March 8, 2017 by jaywalker

[smedly]

unfortunately the authorities here are in denial - I actually think they don't believe these scams take place and it's all the imagination of tourists, this is likely backed up by local police are in fact heavily involved.

[fruitman]

9 minutes ago, jaywalker said:

I knew in mid-2000 that the company was going to station me in BKK.

 

They took their sweet time about it, but in March 2001, told me to book my flight.

 

I'd been reading everything I could find about Thailand in books/brochures & such, as the internet was still being born.

 

I got to Pattaya & managed to rent a jet-ski..No biggie back then. (500 baht for 20 minutes or something like that).

 

What got me, was all the garbage.

 

I saw these two 13-14 year old boys out there chest deep & one of them decided he'd use a clear plastic bag for a diving mask...it was right next to him...Why not?

 

Yes, the idiot put a plastic bag on his head & went under the waves, came up for a breath & it didn't work too well.

 

Now that's what you call, "ROFL" except I was scared to roll around on that beach.

So the garbage scammed you?? strange story mate.

[jaywalker]

Just now, smedly said:

unfortunately the authorities here are in denial - I actually think they don't believe these scams take place and it's all the imagination of tourists, this is likely backed up by local police are in fact heavily involved.

 

You reckon? 

[jaywalker]

Just now, fruitman said:

So the garbage scammed you?? strange story mate.

No. The garbage provided all the entertainment.

 

 

[Jeremy50]

The land of scams, and also the land of gullible foreigners who fall for scams. Jet ski operators and their execrable machines should all be swept off the filthy stretch of sand people laughingly call a beach. But at least the amount of money being scammed is small compared to the big money scams: Marriage scams, buy a house scams, wife makes a deal with the  builder scams, bank scams, ATM scams , and investment and property scams. I wouldn't dream of renting a jet ski, but at least it wouldn't cost me my life's savings.

[ikke]

Maybe TAT can ask the Navy to use the submarines to inspect all Jet ski's, finished the scam ..... 

[onemorechang]

Tourists scammed in Thailand.

I don't believe it,  outrageous.

 

This  is just one more example  of fake news.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The claims come after Thai officials said it was a good idea to promote jet-skis as a sport.

The clue to it not being a good idea is the word ''officials''

[darksidedog]

Obviously a denial will be forthcoming shortly, saying it has been fixed now. Those pesky foreign media, always focusing on problems of the past!!

[IMA_FARANG]

I have lived in Thailand since 2010 and I have never used a jet Ski nor do I intend to use one soon.

It is only a SCAM if you participate in it.

If you don't participate you won't be scammed.

 

[flyingdoc]

Just boycott jet skis in these locations !  There are others without rip-offs !

[Destiny1990]

Thinking all jet skis operators had a mandatory all risk insurance for their jet skies..anyway they should be banned

[williamgeorgeallen]

1 hour ago, ikke said:

Maybe TAT can ask the Navy to use the submarines to inspect all Jet ski's, finished the scam ..... 

gulf of thailand is too shallow to submerge a sub under a jet ski.

 

[fruitman]

15 minutes ago, flyingdoc said:

Just boycott jet skis in these locations !  There are others without rip-offs !

Buy a condo along the riverfront in BKK and you'll hate those pesky noisy machines as well.

[catinthehat]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

The clue to it not being a good idea is the word ''officials''

Maybe it comes from "officials" whose family own jet skis for rent.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

unfortunately the authorities here are in denial - I actually think they don't believe these scams take place and it's all the imagination of tourists, this is likely backed up by local police are in fact heavily involved.

 

I think quite the opposite. I think most of the guys who run the jet ski operations are either connected politically, part of the police, part of the mafia (same thing?) or wealthy. Therefore they are untouchable. Above any and all laws. Including the army. Including Little P. The indifference is staggering. The corruption is astonishing.

 

If anything could be said about Little P., and his fabulously incompetent administration, it is this:  Little P. Moving Thailand backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace. Woe to the people of Thailand. 

[SuwadeeS]

As long Mr. MP Prayut is unable to sweep away all the rip off and scam on tourist, 

#I will not believe him. He even was not able to stop the dual pricing.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

2 hours ago, Jai Dee said:

Apparently Australian tourists in Singapore have been known to "fall victim to “outrage of modesty” scams".

 

Here is a link to the full News.com.au article.

Never heard or read about this before. Cant be common.

[Prbkk]

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

I think quite the opposite. I think most of the guys who run the jet ski operations are either connected politically, part of the police, part of the mafia (same thing?) or wealthy. Therefore they are untouchable. Above any and all laws. Including the army. Including Little P. The indifference is staggering. The corruption is astonishing.

 

If anything could be said about Little P., and his fabulously incompetent administration, it is this:  Little P. Moving Thailand backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace. Woe to the people of Thailand. 

Well, it was always going to be a matter of changing the beneficiaries rather than fixing the system, not quite ,but almost ,rearranging the deck chairs.  At least now it's very clear: Thailand's version of the Five Families are the ones to benefit from public policy rather than the population as a whole. They don't even try to dress it up as anything else.

[Emster23]

Did those further up the food chain think this would never come back and bite them in the backside? Scamming the geese that lay the golden eggs. Some day, no doubt too late, they may (may) realize their are more hospitable hen houses just over the fence

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm.... land of scams.... I can think of other words  starting with S.....but of course politeness prevents me from giving these.....hmmmmm

[Get Real]

And where in the world doesn´t scams exist. It´s up to the individual to be informed and aware.

[phitsanulokjohn]

Jet ski owner to blame for his scamming intentions.

Tourists to blame for their naivety.

Needs both parties for the scam to occur,but I bet the jet ski owner never held a gun at a tourist and said"YOU MUST rent my jet ski"

Live and learn.Bought experience always teaches one more than taught experience.

[thesetat2013]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Obviously a denial will be forthcoming shortly, saying it has been fixed now. Those pesky foreign media, always focusing on problems of the past!!

More than likely a crackdown show like they did for the sex comments made. They may even find some tourist working illegally to take the spotlight away from the thais like they did with the black sex workers on beach road. Then the denials and remarks will be forthcoming... 

[Toshiba66]

The number of Tourists that come to Thailand and would read these forums would be less than 2%. Here we all sit so clever because we know what to do here and what not to do. But the fact remains that not everyone in business is honest. Honest people sometimes think everyone is like them. The problem here is there is no accountability. Stop blaming the stupid tourists and think about how a change in the system would make for a better place where people can holiday without this crap.