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

[beautifulthailand99]

10 hours ago, ikke said:

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

 

submarines ... the gift that keeps on giving ....

[beautifulthailand99]

8 hours ago, Emster23 said:

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

A passive population , sucession smoothly handled , real democracy suspended seemingly for ever with the rich as rich as Croesus they no longer need to look down and worry about niggling details anymore - they have more golden eggs than we can ever dream of.

[beautifulthailand99]

6 hours ago, Crustyhk said:

Aren't we Stupid Farangs. 

 

On organising and booking our dream holiday in Thailand, where to go and what to see and do, how to get there and how to get around of course it's our job to be informed on what scams are common. We should also check building codes to be sure our hotel is built safely, food preparation regulations, transportation standards and regulations including marine regs for the transportation of passengers and..........

 

oh hell ...... Isn't this supposed to be a holiday?

 

Whilst on our last two month stay overwintering in Thailand we spent a week in Pattaya - in that time saw two old farangs get hit by vehicles on Pattayta Saisorng - one elderly gentleman walked awaty after been run over by a motorbike taxi opposite Central Festival - he was very shocked but walked away probably seriously bruised but very lucky. The second was far worse was another OAP with his farang OAP wife crossing the soi from the second road that leads to Centara Grand. He was crushed under the wheels of a delivery van turning right down that soi. His wife was holding his head up weeping uncontrollably as they waited for the ambulance. They were well dressed , smart people - it was the day after Valentine's day at 8am in the morning (quieter roads make for faster more reckless driving IMO) and like us were enjoying a early morning stroll before it got too hot to do anything but chill. Their romantic dream holiday in Thailand had just turned into a life changing nightmare. But for Thailand just yet another day of mindless , pointless - carnage on the roads.

 

Mai bpen bloody rai - no problem - all you can do is take extreme care yourself and warn others.

Edited March 8, 2017 by beautifulthailand99

[anon4546543]

I saw the above mentioned scam on Beach Road in Pattaya years ago. After a few clients were charged with minor chips to the front of the ski repeatedly, I started my own protest, warning tourists of all nations not to use a particular jet ski operator. It lasted about an hour. I was threatened by the operator initially, but I told him to try to kill me in front of all these tourists. Another hour passed before the local police arrived, I was asked to produce passport, had all details of my travel dates, hotel accomodation taken. Then informed that I was banned from the beach.

 The reverse happened in Koh Samui, where I was treated professionally and actually used the ski in an out of the way area. It depends I guess. All that is gone now. I live inland but still water raft in the wet season. PS. I am 64    

[beautifulthailand99]

2 minutes ago, spiderorchid said:

I saw the above mentioned scam on Beach Road in Pattaya years ago. After a few clients were charged with minor chips to the front of the ski repeatedly, I started my own protest, warning tourists of all nations not to use a particular jet ski operator. It lasted about an hour. I was threatened by the operator initially, but I told him to try to kill me in front of all these tourists. Another hour passed before the local police arrived, I was asked to produce passport, had all details of my travel dates, hotel accomodation taken. Then informed that I was banned from the beach.

 The reverse happened in Koh Samui, where I was treated professionally and actually used the ski in an out of the way area. It depends I guess. All that is gone now. I live inland but still water raft in the wet season. PS. I am 64    

You are a braver chap than me - but well done for standing up to the scum.

[anon4546543]

3 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

You are a braver chap than me - but well done for standing up to the scum.

In my time I have done all sorts of medium risk thrills (parachuting, bungi jumping, scuba diving and so on) ( I did a few high risk things in the army) As a visa based on marriage man, in Thailand I always try to stand up for my rights concerning the overcharging of farang. My wife is more than my equal, she abuses officials who try to overcharge. I maintain a sense of humour, put on my phoney grandpa limp, talk about all the money I pay to my family, show them my Thai yellow book and so on. Not brave. Blokes that attack machine gun posts are brave. Cheers 

[SiSePuede419]

For the 85% of Australians who live within 50km of an ocean...

 

To want to go all the way to Thailand to rent jet-skis...

 

Does seem rather daft. ?

Edited March 8, 2017 by SiSePuede419

[anon4546543]

1 minute ago, SiSePuede419 said:

For the 85% of Australians who live within 50km of an ocean...

 

To want to go all the way to Thailand to rent jet-skis...

 

Does seem rather daft. ?

True, but jet skis are mostly restricted in Aus. And Aussies still like to have fun when they go overseas. And 85 km in Aus is a long way to haul an expensive jet ski or pay $20 in Thailand for 20 minutes. (which is more than enough to tourists, the novelty has worn off by then.) 

[SiSePuede419]

23 minutes ago, spiderorchid said:

True, but jet skis are mostly restricted in Aus. And Aussies still like to have fun when they go overseas. And 85 km in Aus is a long way to haul an expensive jet ski or pay $20 in Thailand for 20 minutes. (which is more than enough to tourists, the novelty has worn off by then.) 

Jet-skis have no brakes.  Would you get in a car or on a motorcycle or even a bicycle with no brakes?

 

Australia is doing the responsible thing then by protecting the foolish from themselves. ?

[localczar]

couldn't agree more with the aussie assessment, hit the nail on the head indeed.

[FarangEskimo]

its a old scam this video is 3 year old

 

[hawker9000]

15 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.

Oh, they know about the scams.  What they're just beginning to get their heads around is the idea that news & knowledge of them - and everything else - gets spread so effectively, so widely and so rapidly via the internet.  Hence the "great firewall", simcard registration, and recent years intrusion efforts.  They really think they can sort of keep all the things they wouldn't want publicized - and it's not really a short list - under wraps.  Or at least round up and "disincentivize" the openly disgruntled.  They also still think they can impress the world and undo the damage with short-lived crackdowns, grand pronouncements, official denials, and phony statistics.  Lastly, they don't even have a clue when it comes to how all these things actually backfire and just make the hole deeper (& the public image darker).   It's like they're trapped in 1969.

 

 

[louse1953]

A Murdock rag telling us what we already know.Not one person was quoted  as this happening to them.The usual cut and paste job done by one of Murdock's hacks.I'm not denying these things don't happen as i was skim scammed 7 years ago in Sin City,by a Frenchman of mid east background..We chips in all cards now that should be harder.As far as gems are concerned, they were offered to me in 1976,again on the beach in SC.Common sense told me 20 year olds don't sell the real thing on the beach.Showed us all the tricks and my mates bought in.Valued back in Oz,they were diamonds but very low quality.You deserve what you get if you fall for the jet ski scam.

My rule is anybody approaches me,it's a scam,whether home or abroad.If i'm bored i can time waste with the best of them.Once got the number from a time share girl and time was shared very productively.She told me all the ins and outs.I told her you can't get money out of a broke backpacker,so went along for the experience and free coffee and food.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Because of Thais living in Singapore....

Rubbish,you got proof of that?

[louse1953]

18 hours ago, onemorechang said:

Tourists scammed in Thailand.

I don't believe it,  outrageous.

 

This  is just one more example  of fake news.

Coming from Uncle Rupert,it probably is.

[louse1953]

16 hours ago, Emster23 said:

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

And yet still they come.I see no evidence of bite marks as the gullible public line up like lemmings waiting to hand these people money.

[Ulysses G.]

I used to rent jet skis all the time in Patong Beach with no problems. However, that was back in the late 80s/early 90s. I would not try it now.

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, Toshiba66 said:

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. 

Why would they stop something that is working well for them.When touristS stop coming is when they will wake up,but the buffalo would have well and truly bolted.Until then nothing will change,nothing has changed in 20 years.

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, Bartman1369 said:

And how does a first time visitor become informed? Is their a sign before immigration that leave all of your rights for fair treatment here? Even when your right, your wrong or some back handed paid official will tell you your wrong.

Doh,see that thing your typing on,well that's connected to some new fangdangled thing called WWW.Then you have to go see Dr Google,and apparently he is like god,knows everything.He will tell you these secrets that not many people know about.

[daveAustin]

19 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.

The place is run by a bunch of grown up kids remember. They know full well it happens, but it is 'image' that keeps them in denial. I expect the junta to now censor all Aussie media as a result. 

[louse1953]

14 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Rather runs contrary to what global entities are saying. They are touting LOS as the land of scams while the TAT is touting it as the land of smiles. Having a world jet ski competition at a time when they have a bad reputation outcry seems to fly in the face of popular thinking well which is nothing new for Thailand. The people saying these nasty things better not set foot on Thai soil or its of to the gaol with them and a computer crimes act charge slapped on them. They will be made to pay for their dastardly deed right dick??

Water off Murdocks back,been there ,done that.

[newatthis]

12 hours ago, Kabula said:

Stop picking on Thailand!

 

The world population is victim to scams...

 

What comes to mind is an old quote from an unknown source.

 

"If you want to rob a bank, own one!"

 

If people renting where not so ignorant, they would not have a problem.

That's a bit hard. The warning from the Aussie government was not just about Thailand and it is their duty to warn tourists about problems they could encounter overseas. In fact, it would be a crime not to warn them.

[louse1953]

7 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Jet-skis have no brakes.  Would you get in a car or on a motorcycle or even a bicycle with no brakes?

 

Australia is doing the responsible thing then by protecting the foolish from themselves. ?

That is a big ask for Ozzys,most have to learn the hard way.

[Prbkk]

1 hour ago, louse1953 said:

 

My rule is anybody approaches me,it's a scam,whether home or abroad.

Where you come from? A question often put by taxi drivers, most of them probably harmless ...but a surprising number will answer with "oh, my sister lives in Xxxxx, she has a Thai restaurant" and it will almost invariably lead to suggestions of shortcuts via highways to avoid traffic, shopping stops, massages.

These days I usually say Nyasaland or Belgian Congo or Luxembourg, or other exotic places from my stamp collection, and that cuts them short. 

I like to be polite to drivers but cut off anything that might give an opening to more than the immediate journey.

[Fairynuff]

19 hours ago, SuwadeeS said:

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.

Did he try to stop the dual pricing? Wasn't it THIS government that stopped expats using their DL?

[Bartman1369]

18 hours ago, Get Real said:

Wow! You amaze me!

How do you get informed. Nah, for people not thinking at all, it´s just not easy.
For the people that thinks and plan their trip, there are news to read before go. Just not buy a ticket and think you know everything.

Other sources is this forum, social media and friends that went before.

Hope you get it now.

I never found about this forum until I had been in Thailand many months. Social media needs to come frompeople you have already met here. If you are offered a service how are you supposed to know it is a scam unless you are a mind reader? ??

[lvr181]

15 hours ago, Prbkk said:

 

Not really: it has been well covered in the media. It only got a guernsey this time because the Minister suggested that Pattaya could showcase itself in the forthcoming world JetSki event. She led with her chin, well and truly.

She should give herself an uppercut!  

[champers]

23 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.

A modest Australian? Outrageous!

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, louse1953 said:

  16 hours ago, timewilltell said:

Land of Scams is spot on. It is everywhere.  Today I was asked for a 'contribution' to apply to send my three kids to a government school - contribution was a minimum of 10,000 baht per child in addition to school fees and school bus, uniform, books etc. etc.  I pointed out that since I was moving them from a private school to a government school to save money and since they are pretty perfectly bilingual they would in fact be an asset to the school and if they wanted the contribution it would be cheaper to leave them in the private school they are in.  You might as well talk to monkeys and get more sense.  Where do the contributions go?  Given the education budget in Thailand in the biggest per kid in SE Asia and ranks highly in the world (in spending and near the bottom in most other measures) - how is any of this nonsense justified.  I hate all this scamming, fraud, cheating and screwing of foreigners - the worst since it is the parts of the police, military and local and national politicians who are involved.

You have 3 children and raising children is a long road trust me. They depend on you for so much so keep your calm do not blow a fuse. You do have an obligation to them so stay steady. Children sense things very fast. Your raising children in a foreign country so you have to ease up a bit and go with the flow. A lot of what you say is true but do not let it blow a circuit breaker. Good Luck

[eddysmit]

On 3/8/2017 at 0:12 PM, 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 will most likely find policeman own a 'few' jet-skis along with a 'few' motorbikes and the reason you would never win a dispute.