On Sep 10, 7:04*pm, none wrote:
WINAI ''JJ'' Naiman, 28, has been arrested and charged following an
altercation about damage to a jet-ski in Patong that was telecast to
an audience on the other side of the world.

The altercation, with British marines who were taking leave on Phuket,
was filmed and became part of the premier episode of a television
series that screened in Britain on Monday.

Having become instantly identifiable as ''JJ'' the jet-ski man, Mr
Naiman now faces counts of demanding money with threats and possession
of a weapon.

A special screening of the television show, 'Big Trouble in Tourist
Thailand,' took place at Kathu Police Station today with Mr Naiman and
local media and police as the audience.

The first in the eight-part series went to air on British television
on Monday night, bringing concerns about jet-ski scams on Phuket to a
climax.

Thais who have seen the show are shocked at the image of tourism in
Thailand that it portrays, with the jet-ski incident and Phang Ngan
drug-taking the most alarming in a series of incidents.

Phuket's Governor, Wichai Praisa-nob, has been urged by the Deputy
Prime Minister and senior diplomats from Australia and Britain to
crack down on the scams.

Concern at the highest level comes as a similar crackdown takes place
at Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok, where gangs of
illegal taxi drivers and extortionist tourist guides are being
arrested.

Thailand now appears keen to clean up its tourism image, but the
valuable industry will probably pay a high price for years of neglect
and corruption.

The 'Big Trouble' series is likely to be sold for screening in other
countries and will appear on television around the world for years to
come.

Police at Kathu station said Mr Naiman had a history of involvement in
similar incidents, in which operators claim large sums for pre-
existing damage to jet-skis.

The governor, who went to the police station in Patong before
attending a summit on the jet-ski issue, rejected an appeal from Mr
Naiman's family for bail.

He said that although the weapon involved was a BB gun, intimidation
of the kind shown on television was unacceptable.

''Jet-skis are allowed to operate as a sport in Patong, not as a
business,'' he said. ''Unless this kind of activity stops, we will ban
them all.''

Phuket's neighboring Andaman coast tourism provinces of Phang Nga and
Krabi already have bans in place on jet-skis.

Jet-Ski JJ Arrested: 'I Will Ban Them' Warning - Phuket Wan

Phuket Jet-Ski Summit as 'Scam' Scandal Screens

THE Governor of Phuket, Wichai Praisa-nob, has called a meeting this
afternoon in Patong of all parties to try to resolve Phuket's jet-ski
problems.

At the meeting, expected to last for two hours or more, will be the
island's chief of police, representatives from the Marine Police, the
Royal Thai Navy, jet-ski owners and the local tessaban Patong
authority.

It is understood that ''JJ,'' a jet-ski operator seen confronting
British Marines in a newly-made television series depicting the
activities of Thailand's tourist police, was called in for questioning
by police yesterday.

The tv series, 'Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand,' graphically depicts
an incident in which ''JJ'' demands 44,000 baht for alleged damage to
a jet-ski.

He is filmed with a gun in his hand while heatedly negotiating a price
for the damage with British marines from HMS Bulwark.

The British warship docked at Phuket earlier this year, allowing leave
for military personnel returning from duty in Afghanistan.

'Big Trouble' first screened in Britain on Monday night, becoming the
latest incident to damage Phuket's reputation as a safe, non-violent
destination for tourists.

It is expected the 'Big Trouble' series will be sold around the world,
continuing to damage Phuket's reputation for years to come.

Thais who have downloaded the show have also been astonished at the
damaging way Thailand is depicted. The incident involving ''JJ'' and
jet-ski ''damage'' on Phuket is seen as another blow to the island's
troubled reputation.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban recently echoed calls from
Australian and British diplomats for Phuket and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi
Airport to end the rip-offs and the damaging scams.

One major source of complaint is the jet-ski scam, where tourists are
accused of damaging jet-skis, although the damage is pre-existing.

Local police have been accused of being in cahoots with the jet-ski
operators, taking commission on the scams.

Governor Wichai and the island's Police Chief, Police Major General
Pekad Tantipong, have taken charge of all future complaints involving
jet-skis.

A previous governor organised the phasing-out of all jet-skis on the
island over seven years. Instead of reducing, numbers have increased.

Jet-skis are banned in Phuket's neighboring tourist provinces of Phang
Nga and Krabi.

Arresting Mr JJ will not stop this, the scams on Phuket don't stop at
Jetskis either. Tuk Tuk drivers hold toursits and locals alike to
ransom, motorcycle renters run similar scams on unsuspecting tourists
and all of it under the watchful gaze of those that should protect our
public and visitors alike or is it the watchful paid gaze. Everything
on Phuket is exhorbitantly priced because of local businesses rorting
the tourists and locals alike, its about time that Phuket picked up
its image which is quickly sinking to a lower level than even Pattaya
managed to achieve by the early 90's and still maintains despite its
pretense of improvements. Phuket is pricing itself out of the market
because of the greed of many on the island, it isn't just because of
the Swine Flu that all the North Asia market has decided to go to Bali
this summer and avoid Thailand, more and more of these kind of scams
and corrupt actions need to be stopped so that visitors can enjoy our
beautiful resort locations without threats from gangsters.
A friendly meeting at Kathu Police station is "SURE" to stop all these
scams.... Thailand's people should be up in arms at this threat to one
of its most profitable export earners and biggest employer outside of
agriculture, tourism, one that is responsible for a significant
increase in lifestyle, infrastructure and education in Thailand, but
one that is used as a springboard to illegal activities throughout the
region. Ill informed tourists don't even realise that it is illegal
for them to even operate a Jet Ski, and pity poor England if that is
the level of "Marines" that are protecting their shores.... what a
sorry group of nancy boys they looked like.....