PHUKET: Extortionists in Patong demanded $US80,000 (2.6 million baht) to replace a jet-ski after a crash at the popular beach at the weekend, said a Russian tourist who lives and works in London.
Maxim Kurnikov, 33, told Phuketwan that law officers in the Phuket west coast holiday destination took the side of the jet-ski operators and behaved badly.
Negotiations dragged on for about six hours. Eventually he and a friend paid 76,000 baht.
Mr Kurnikov and British citizen Amr Ali, 36, admitted being responsible for crashing jet-skis at Patong on Saturday.
''I crashed into my friend's jet-ski to try to avoid a collision with another jet-ski being ridden by a couple of people, I think they were Japanese or Koreans,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
''The only safety instruction we got was to not get too close to each other. I remembered too late that the steering was not properly aligned, so I had to tilt it to go straight.''
The crash came 10 minutes after the friends hired a pair of jet-skis at the southern end of Patong beach, below the Amari Resort.
''We had so much fun the first time on the Tuesday, I said to my friend 'Let's hire jet-skis again,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
The operators said after the crash that they wanted the pair to go to the repair shop. However, while Mr Ali went with the jet-ski operators, Mr Kurnikov went back to the resort where staff advised him to go to the Tourist Police.
''We were told at first on the beach that we needed to buy a replacement jet-ski for $80,000,'' Mr Kurnikov said. ''I acknowledge it was our fault and we were happy to pay for the damage, but we didn't want to get ripped off.''
One of the jet-skis was scratched a little so the argument concerned the damaged jet-ski that Mr Ali hired.
''We could see that the engine was fine and still working, so all that was needed was a new hull. Staff at the resort told me to call the Tourist Police, which I did.
''My friend went to the repair shop, where they all knew each other. The repairman said 'On my, Oh my, oh my . . . you'll have to buy a new one.' Yet they soon had the engine working again.
''The owner was in tears on the beach. I can't remember how many children he said that he had to feed.
''He was in tears again at the repair shop. He was in tears at the first police station. He was in tears at the second police station. They took pictures. I took pictures.
''He was not happy that I was asking questions.
''When we went to the small police box, the [tourist] policeman gave me a long speech about his powers and said I shouldn't call anyone else. He was not happy that I was asking questions so he changed his tone to show who was boss. He started yelling.
''First of all they said we would have to pay 32,000 baht for the barely scratched scooter.
''The other one they wanted 150,000 baht in compensation. Then they went to 116,000 baht - I don't know how because they were speaking all in Thai - then they came up with 80,000 baht.
''The crash happened about 1.40pm and we were finally done around 7pm.''
Expat police volunteers became involved in the debate with the Tourist Police and suggested that the mediation process be continued at the Kathu Police Station, where the price being asked bounced back up.
The asking price went up to 150,000 baht, plus a fee for time out of the water.
''The final figure was 76,000 baht,'' Kurnikov said. ''That's including everything.''
He said that the scratched jet-ski - for which the pair paid a time-out-of-the-water-for repairs fee - was back in the water at Patong beach on Sunday.
''I always wanted to go to Thailand,'' Mr Kurnikov said, ''but I was studying in the US and spent every Christmas since about 2005 in Miami.
''The incident won't change my opinion about Thailand. It just confirms what my friends told me, that if anything happened, they try to scam you for money. The insurance that they have on the jet-ski doesn't cover that much damage.
''When the Tourist Policeman was playing good cop bad cop himself, first of all he was intimidating and screaming. He scares you first then is gentle and soothing.
''If I hadn't had good advice from the resort staff, it could have been a different outcome. I didn't expect the police to be involved directly in the money situation. In other countries, they don't usually negotiate financial issues.''
Mr Kurnikov reckoned the jet-ski had been cracked and poorly repaired many times in the past.
''It was our fault the jet-skis crashed and we were happy to pay. But the negotiations need to be held in a civilised manner,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
The Tourist Policeman who dealt with the issue is believed to have been transferred from his role as a regular policeman after complaints about the way other jet-ski disputes had been mediated.
Region 8 police volunteer Wal Brown said it would have cost about an extra 30,000 baht above the 50,000 baht insurance to fix the damaged jet-ski.
''The Kathu Police Station is where these issues should be mediated,'' he said.
An Australian man who spoke to Phuketwan last week said his jet-ski sank in the water off Patong because of poor maintenance. He knew of at least one other holidaymaker who'd had the same problem.
Honorary consuls on Phuket have said many times that the island's 286 jet-ski operators make enough money to be able to afford full and comprehensive insurance - including time-out-of-the-water - that would make disputes unnecessary.
Mr Kurnikov and Mr Ali fly out today.
Maxim Kurnikov, 33, told Phuketwan that law officers in the Phuket west coast holiday destination took the side of the jet-ski operators and behaved badly.
Negotiations dragged on for about six hours. Eventually he and a friend paid 76,000 baht.
Mr Kurnikov and British citizen Amr Ali, 36, admitted being responsible for crashing jet-skis at Patong on Saturday.
''I crashed into my friend's jet-ski to try to avoid a collision with another jet-ski being ridden by a couple of people, I think they were Japanese or Koreans,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
''The only safety instruction we got was to not get too close to each other. I remembered too late that the steering was not properly aligned, so I had to tilt it to go straight.''
The crash came 10 minutes after the friends hired a pair of jet-skis at the southern end of Patong beach, below the Amari Resort.
''We had so much fun the first time on the Tuesday, I said to my friend 'Let's hire jet-skis again,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
The operators said after the crash that they wanted the pair to go to the repair shop. However, while Mr Ali went with the jet-ski operators, Mr Kurnikov went back to the resort where staff advised him to go to the Tourist Police.
''We were told at first on the beach that we needed to buy a replacement jet-ski for $80,000,'' Mr Kurnikov said. ''I acknowledge it was our fault and we were happy to pay for the damage, but we didn't want to get ripped off.''
One of the jet-skis was scratched a little so the argument concerned the damaged jet-ski that Mr Ali hired.
''We could see that the engine was fine and still working, so all that was needed was a new hull. Staff at the resort told me to call the Tourist Police, which I did.
''My friend went to the repair shop, where they all knew each other. The repairman said 'On my, Oh my, oh my . . . you'll have to buy a new one.' Yet they soon had the engine working again.
''The owner was in tears on the beach. I can't remember how many children he said that he had to feed.
''He was in tears again at the repair shop. He was in tears at the first police station. He was in tears at the second police station. They took pictures. I took pictures.
''He was not happy that I was asking questions.
''When we went to the small police box, the [tourist] policeman gave me a long speech about his powers and said I shouldn't call anyone else. He was not happy that I was asking questions so he changed his tone to show who was boss. He started yelling.
''First of all they said we would have to pay 32,000 baht for the barely scratched scooter.
''The other one they wanted 150,000 baht in compensation. Then they went to 116,000 baht - I don't know how because they were speaking all in Thai - then they came up with 80,000 baht.
''The crash happened about 1.40pm and we were finally done around 7pm.''
Expat police volunteers became involved in the debate with the Tourist Police and suggested that the mediation process be continued at the Kathu Police Station, where the price being asked bounced back up.
The asking price went up to 150,000 baht, plus a fee for time out of the water.
''The final figure was 76,000 baht,'' Kurnikov said. ''That's including everything.''
He said that the scratched jet-ski - for which the pair paid a time-out-of-the-water-for repairs fee - was back in the water at Patong beach on Sunday.
''I always wanted to go to Thailand,'' Mr Kurnikov said, ''but I was studying in the US and spent every Christmas since about 2005 in Miami.
''The incident won't change my opinion about Thailand. It just confirms what my friends told me, that if anything happened, they try to scam you for money. The insurance that they have on the jet-ski doesn't cover that much damage.
''When the Tourist Policeman was playing good cop bad cop himself, first of all he was intimidating and screaming. He scares you first then is gentle and soothing.
''If I hadn't had good advice from the resort staff, it could have been a different outcome. I didn't expect the police to be involved directly in the money situation. In other countries, they don't usually negotiate financial issues.''
Mr Kurnikov reckoned the jet-ski had been cracked and poorly repaired many times in the past.
''It was our fault the jet-skis crashed and we were happy to pay. But the negotiations need to be held in a civilised manner,'' Mr Kurnikov said.
The Tourist Policeman who dealt with the issue is believed to have been transferred from his role as a regular policeman after complaints about the way other jet-ski disputes had been mediated.
Region 8 police volunteer Wal Brown said it would have cost about an extra 30,000 baht above the 50,000 baht insurance to fix the damaged jet-ski.
''The Kathu Police Station is where these issues should be mediated,'' he said.
An Australian man who spoke to Phuketwan last week said his jet-ski sank in the water off Patong because of poor maintenance. He knew of at least one other holidaymaker who'd had the same problem.
Honorary consuls on Phuket have said many times that the island's 286 jet-ski operators make enough money to be able to afford full and comprehensive insurance - including time-out-of-the-water - that would make disputes unnecessary.
Mr Kurnikov and Mr Ali fly out today.
they have to go. enough is enough. they are doing more damage to Phuket tourism than the tsunami.
Posted by john on November 10, 2014 12:32