Top cop orders end to Phuket jet-ski scams

Top cop orders end to Phuket jet-ski scams

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pigad Thantipong lays down the law in an effort to end jet-ski scams.

PHUKET CITY: Phuket police are under strict orders to crackdown on jet-ski operators who scam tourists and to actively assist those who become victims of the scammers at Phuket's popular beaches.

The orders came from Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pigad Thantipong after he made a frank admission during a press conference that some police officers were knowingly allowing jet-ski operators to get away with massively overcharging tourists for repairs to the vehicles.

This was going to have to stop, he said.

Maj Gen Pigad said he had received a constant stream of complaints about the infamous Phuket jet-ski scam.

“When tourists damage the jet-skis, some operators are asking them for 50-60,000 baht for the repairs,” he said.

“The real cost is often just a couple of thousand baht, but the operators threaten the tourists if they don’t pay up.”

Maj Gen Pigad said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban had told both himself and Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop that they had to end the practice.

There were around 200 jet-skis on the island, with 167 of them licensed, he said.

Maj Gen Pigad said he had set three new policies to end the problem.

First, police would prosecute any jet-ski operators who threatened tourists.

Second, police officers would not ignore or collude in the scam.

Third, six unbiased “trusted” people in the community would be appointed to adjudicate in arguments between jet-ski operators and tourists.

These independent adjudicators would determine the real cost of any repairs to jet-skis when arguments broke out.

“Their decisions will have to be accepted by both the tourists and the jet-ski operators. If they don’t accept, they can go to court,” Maj Gen Pigad said.

Maj Gen Pigad said he would be meeting with Governor Wichai to discuss the new measures again this week.

Phuket Gazette

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Originally Posted by dirtydog

Second, police officers would not ignore or collude in the scam.

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:rofl::rofl::rofl:

what took him so long? all a bit late now.

Someone did not make the payment in time, and he being TOP COP ain't about to put up with that shit,, either you pay on time or you are outta business.:)

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Third, six unbiased “trusted” people in the community would be appointed to adjudicate in arguments between jet-ski operators and tourists.

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hmmm, 6 of erm huh, gonna be hard to find, or are they refering to farangs and will they be able to get work permits?

I'll give it a week https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

i`ve heard so much about people being scammed with the hire of jet ski`s,in phuket,that it`s always put me off hiring one. Soon as they sort it all out,I`ll be to old to bother....

Suthep should be trying to answer the question: why does nobody believe this is a serious attempt to protect tourists in Phuket?

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Third, six unbiased “trusted” people in the community would be appointed to adjudicate in arguments between jet-ski operators and tourists.

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How much is that going to cost?

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Originally Posted by ItsRobsLife

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Third, six unbiased “trusted” people in the community would be appointed to adjudicate in arguments between jet-ski operators and tourists.

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How much is that going to cost?

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50-60,000 baht per jet ski

These dipshit attention seekers deserve to be scammed, however if they weren't such easy dumb marks then the rest of us could perhaps get our beaches back. As it is, I reluctantly pay a premium to avoid any beach that features jetski rentals.

People are still going to Phuket? I thought they were all off to Bali this year.

Here's part of an article written a couple of days ago by Andrew Drummond, it's about that new series coming out in the UK about Thailand, "Big Trouble in Thailand."

Britain’s only saving grace, outwith the volunteers, in the first part of this eight programme series, comes from the Royal Marines who arrive at Phuket on HMS Bulwark. https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gifHMS Bulwark

As the sailors disembark for shore leave they are advised not to hire jet-skis on Patong Beach. But at this stage they are advised only. US military are banned from hiring them.

We cut to a scene where a young Marine is banged up in some sort of builders-yard-come-boat-warehouse in the back of beyond. He faces a gun. It’s either pay up or face the consequences. The Thai jet-ski operator is demanding 44,000 baht (£798) for damage to his boat. Its a scam and a nasty one.

The Thai boss ‘JJ’ makes it known on camera that he will resort to violence and has done in the past.

Around the scene are heavily tattooed Thais stripped to the waist.

More Marines arrive. Then along comes the ship’s Military Police Sergeant Major.

JJ insists on his cash, raising his voice as his 1% of integrity slips to Norway’s initial average scores in the European Song Contest, but that’s a little difficult to maintain anyway in his tacky lair.

‘I’m a f..cking businessman!’

‘Don’t you shout at me! You’re corrupt. You’re a f…cking crook. This damage is old damage. It’s turned brown already!’ shouts the Sergeant Major at JJ, ‘How come this happens every single f….g day here!”

The Royal Marines must miss the water quickly. Lots of them have been hiring jet-skis apparently.

I wanted to shout a few more expletives at the little worm on the screen myself.
‘
‘Go now!’ The Sergeant orders the poor unfortunate captive Marine to leave the scene. JJ then orders his neanderthal buddies to close in.

There’s a stand off. The Marines are ready to fight their side. It’s clear there are links between the local mafia and local police. But at the end of the day the Marines know they cannot start an incident.

Eventually the Navy agree to pay a lesser amount, but only because the young Royal Marine had been bullied into agreeing to it verbally earlier. Series producer Gavin Hill was of course in the middle of this stand-off which would have cost a fortune to reconstruct with actors, and this was the real menacing truth.

The Royal Marines had just come from Helmand Province. I admired their patience. ( But I guess or rather I know they let some steam off in Soi Bangla where the military police were trying to save ‘Our boys’ from drewling ladyboys).

The Sergeant Major’s contempt was palpable, just as if he had just gobbled down a a couple of those ‘Brussels Sprouts’ which the ship’s HMS Bulwark’s Captain has apparently put down as ‘an enemy of the state’ and banned from his quarters.

I almost started singing ‘Rule Brittania’. A pyrrhic victory for the Thai thug accompanied by a trashing, sadly, for Thai tourism.

Coincidentally this week the Governor of Phuket has stepped into the local jet-ski rip-offs row.
Punters are paying up to £50 for half an hour on these machines, then ripped off for up to £1000 for alleged damage, which includes loss of alleged earnings while the jet-ski is being repaired.

The first programme in the series ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’, Vera Productions for the Bravo Channel, goes to air on Monday. Better than a lot, and I mean a lot, on the mainstream channels, it’s as good an introduction to the non glossy side of tourism in Thailand that you’ll ever get,…. but the beaches and the ‘craic’ still look great. I would want to go and have a look.

Its a voyeurs paradise if nothing else.

Foreign Tourist Police Volunteers Exposed at Andrew Drummond

A friend of mine visiting the other week ( he was not a first time visitor to the LOS)wanted to hire one for his 20 year old son .
My friend - an ex professional photographer and now a damage inspector for insurance companies- took pics and a video of every blemish and scratch on the ski - The owner then refused to rent it to him !

:mid:

I wonder why ?

:smileylaughing:

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Soon as they sort it all out,I`ll be to old to bother....

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:rofl:

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Originally Posted by dirtydog

The first programme in the series ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’, Vera Productions for the Bravo Channel, goes to air on Monday. Better than a lot, and I mean a lot, on the mainstream channels, it’s as good an introduction to the non glossy side of tourism in Thailand that you’ll ever get,…. but the beaches and the ‘craic’ still look great. I would want to go and have a look.

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cheers matie. i'll hopefully find it on some torrents sites. from what you have just said, it sounds a good watch.

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Originally Posted by Happyman

A friend of mine visiting the other week [he was not a first time visitor to the LOS] wanted to hire one for his 20 year old son .
My friend - an ex professional photographer and now a damage inspector for insurance companies- took pics and a video of every blemish and scratch on the ski - The owner then refused to rent it to him !
I wonder why ?

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lol, classic!!!

so who felt more of an idiot. the jet ski owner who knew the game was up, or him when everyone else refuses to rent him a boat. its excatly the sort of thing i would do just to keep myself from being scammed

A much more simple, workable and fair system would be to borrow a trick from the major western car rental companies and require a collision damage waiver and upfront charge be included in all rentals. The pressures of business would keep this charge low since everyone would pay it in advance and there would be no incentive for the operators to "find" damage. But of course, they don't want to be fair and they know a tourist cannot wait around long enough for a board to render a decision.

The top cop is just pissed off that the word is out about the scams. He is really saying 'ok boys, calm it for a bit, just until whitey forgets and the hysterior dies down, then we can start up and collect as much as ever - my boys will be around collecting at the end of the month'. Cynical? Maybe, but I bet I am not too far off the truth.

That programme sounds interesting.

funny how they are starting to worry about those scams now, after a disastrous season

all will be forgotten and back to normal as soon as business is picking up

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Originally Posted by Butterfly

all will be forgotten and back to normal as soon as business is picking up

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2011 is a long way off. There's gonna be a whole lot of empty space on the beach between now and then.

YouTube - Big trouble in tourist Thailand ( The Trailer )

^ can't wait to see that one :)

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Originally Posted by Bexar County Stud

I reluctantly pay a premium to avoid any beach that features jetski rentals.

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I always found it great entertainment sitting on the back porch on Kalim Beach. Always a treat to watch some dumb ass come flying toward the beach only to discover the water was only six inches deep. Some spectacular crash scenes as the bottom of the jet ski was ripped off on the rocks.

Having a couple of waving, bikini clad, hard body damsels on the porch was sure to bait the dumb asses into making a full speed "showing off" run toward the beach.:)