PHUKET: Scams involving jet-ski operators continue ''nearly every day'' on Phuket's Patong beach, according to one expat observer - and this week it was the turn of a Chinese tourist to face extortion.
Travelling with a large group from Shanghai, the Chinese tourist ended up paying 17,000 baht to cover an out-of-the-water fee that is often used to rip off tourists whenever jet-skis are damaged at Patong.
Patong beach is rapidly becoming Phuket's jet-ski rip-off central.
The Chinese man, nicknamed ''Dong Dong,'' admitted damaging the jet-ski. When he reached the beach after damaging the machine, jet-ski operators demanded that he pay 40,000 baht - above their insurance claim.
Far from solving the continuing extortions, says an expat who sees jet-ski crashes ''nearly every day,'' partial insurance merely leads to jet-ski operators also scamming the insurance company, the observer says.
The rip-off on Christmas Eve took place close to the centre of Patong beach.
It was an unusual day at Patong because, according to the President of the Jet-Ski Association of Patong, Nucha Petchvimol, the family of a new Phuket vice governor was also riding jet-skis and trying out a parasailer that same day.
A television crew from a foreign country who happened to be at the beach filming - many international tv crews are on the holiday island covering the 10th anniversary of the tsunami - is also believed to have captured the loud beach altercation when the jet-ski operators demanded their extra 40,000 baht.
There was ''yelling and screaming on the beach,'' according to a witness.
Some of the extortions begin and end on the beach, with terrified holidaymakers paying thousands of baht above the 50,000 baht insurance cover because they are made to fear for their lives by the jet-ski operators.
The expat expert observer, who prefers to remain anonymous out of concerns for his own safety, says: ''There are good jet-ski operators and bad ones. The bad ones ruin it for everybody. I have no doubt rip-offs occur constantly.''
The expat observer says the 50,000 baht partial insurance is inadequate, and that jet-ski operators should pay twice their measly annual fee to double the maximum payout amount to 100,000 baht.
''As long as insurance does not cover the full cost of damage, extortions will continue and tourists will be placed in danger,'' the observer said.
The tourists are also scammed a minimum 15,000 baht to 17,000 baht every time there's a dispute. This is the ''out of the water'' fee charged by the jet-ski operators for repairs.
The scam works like this: the operator tells his victim that he or she must pay for the time the jet-ski will be out of the water, and that this could be up to five days. So a fee is negotiated at 3000 baht a day to allow for five days, plus 1000 baht or 2000 baht for ''paperwork.''
Every jet-ski operator who becomes involved in a dispute over damages knows that the minimum profit he will make from the confrontation, even if the claim for extra compensation about the insurance maximum is unsuccessful, will be 15,000 to 17,000 baht.
''The jet-skis involved in the crashes are often seen back in the water the following day,'' the expat observer said. ''The operator pockets 15,000 or 17,000 baht in pure profit.''
There has never yet been a mediation where the tourist says: ''OK, I'll come back and pay you 3000 baht every day, as long as I can see the jet-ski is not back in the water.''
Footage taken by the television crew is likely to further damage Phuket's tourist image.
Patong is already being portrayed as a beach that is no longer safe for swimmers. New zoning regulations give jet-skis control of two 300-metre stretches in the best part of the beach.
''The jet-skis make the beach smelly, polluted and unsafe,'' the expat observer said.
''Swimmers don't know the zones are strictly for jet-skis and wander into the area where they're in danger. Jet-skis and speedboats have also already been seen in the swimmer-only zones.''
The Jet-Ski Association's Khun Nucha says many of the problems are caused ''because not all tourists are good tourists.
''But we did have some good tourists on Christmas Eve. Vice Governor Panlop Singhaseni called and asked if I could organise an outing jet-sking and parasailing for members of his family, so we did that.''
Phuket's honorary consuls and ambassadors in Bangkok have been suggesting for years that the jet-skis and parasails should be banned completely to prevent tourists being scammed.
Jet-ski rip-offs and the extortionate fares charged by Phuket's taxis and tuk-tuks are the two problems that cause most tourists to complain.
Travelling with a large group from Shanghai, the Chinese tourist ended up paying 17,000 baht to cover an out-of-the-water fee that is often used to rip off tourists whenever jet-skis are damaged at Patong.
Patong beach is rapidly becoming Phuket's jet-ski rip-off central.
The Chinese man, nicknamed ''Dong Dong,'' admitted damaging the jet-ski. When he reached the beach after damaging the machine, jet-ski operators demanded that he pay 40,000 baht - above their insurance claim.
Far from solving the continuing extortions, says an expat who sees jet-ski crashes ''nearly every day,'' partial insurance merely leads to jet-ski operators also scamming the insurance company, the observer says.
The rip-off on Christmas Eve took place close to the centre of Patong beach.
It was an unusual day at Patong because, according to the President of the Jet-Ski Association of Patong, Nucha Petchvimol, the family of a new Phuket vice governor was also riding jet-skis and trying out a parasailer that same day.
A television crew from a foreign country who happened to be at the beach filming - many international tv crews are on the holiday island covering the 10th anniversary of the tsunami - is also believed to have captured the loud beach altercation when the jet-ski operators demanded their extra 40,000 baht.
There was ''yelling and screaming on the beach,'' according to a witness.
Some of the extortions begin and end on the beach, with terrified holidaymakers paying thousands of baht above the 50,000 baht insurance cover because they are made to fear for their lives by the jet-ski operators.
The expat expert observer, who prefers to remain anonymous out of concerns for his own safety, says: ''There are good jet-ski operators and bad ones. The bad ones ruin it for everybody. I have no doubt rip-offs occur constantly.''
The expat observer says the 50,000 baht partial insurance is inadequate, and that jet-ski operators should pay twice their measly annual fee to double the maximum payout amount to 100,000 baht.
''As long as insurance does not cover the full cost of damage, extortions will continue and tourists will be placed in danger,'' the observer said.
The tourists are also scammed a minimum 15,000 baht to 17,000 baht every time there's a dispute. This is the ''out of the water'' fee charged by the jet-ski operators for repairs.
The scam works like this: the operator tells his victim that he or she must pay for the time the jet-ski will be out of the water, and that this could be up to five days. So a fee is negotiated at 3000 baht a day to allow for five days, plus 1000 baht or 2000 baht for ''paperwork.''
Every jet-ski operator who becomes involved in a dispute over damages knows that the minimum profit he will make from the confrontation, even if the claim for extra compensation about the insurance maximum is unsuccessful, will be 15,000 to 17,000 baht.
''The jet-skis involved in the crashes are often seen back in the water the following day,'' the expat observer said. ''The operator pockets 15,000 or 17,000 baht in pure profit.''
There has never yet been a mediation where the tourist says: ''OK, I'll come back and pay you 3000 baht every day, as long as I can see the jet-ski is not back in the water.''
Footage taken by the television crew is likely to further damage Phuket's tourist image.
Patong is already being portrayed as a beach that is no longer safe for swimmers. New zoning regulations give jet-skis control of two 300-metre stretches in the best part of the beach.
''The jet-skis make the beach smelly, polluted and unsafe,'' the expat observer said.
''Swimmers don't know the zones are strictly for jet-skis and wander into the area where they're in danger. Jet-skis and speedboats have also already been seen in the swimmer-only zones.''
The Jet-Ski Association's Khun Nucha says many of the problems are caused ''because not all tourists are good tourists.
''But we did have some good tourists on Christmas Eve. Vice Governor Panlop Singhaseni called and asked if I could organise an outing jet-sking and parasailing for members of his family, so we did that.''
Phuket's honorary consuls and ambassadors in Bangkok have been suggesting for years that the jet-skis and parasails should be banned completely to prevent tourists being scammed.
Jet-ski rip-offs and the extortionate fares charged by Phuket's taxis and tuk-tuks are the two problems that cause most tourists to complain.
And the authorities continue to allow this disgraceful behavior
Posted by Amazing Thailand on December 26, 2014 08:38