Jet ski scammers operating on Samui

UK seeks action against jetski thugs

By Chatsuriya A foreign couple negotiating with a jetski worker in
Chaweng

The British Embassy in Bangkok has asked the Royal Thai Police to look
into abuses allegedly being perpetrated by jet-ski operators on Koh
Samui. The embassy’s action was in response to complaints from British
tourists of alleged assaults, harassments and abuses from jet-ski
workers on Chaweng Beach.
In a letter, the embassy cited a particular case of a tourist from
England who visited the island last month. According to the embassy,
the tourist was attacked in the presence of other tourists by jet-ski
after he refused to pay the “exorbitant” amount being demanded for a
scratch on the jet-ski he had rented.
The operators allegedly asked for several thousand pounds sterling for
the scratch, which was said to have happened at sea. The embassy said
this was just one of a number of complaints they had received about
abusive jet-ski operators on Samui.
Acting on the embassy’s request, Pol. Col. Saharat Saksinlapachai,
superintendent of the Bophut police station on the island, ordered his
deputy, Pol. Lt. Col. Boonma Kaewlaoet, to hold an urgent dialogue
with jet-ski operators from Chaweng, Lamai and Maret beaches to
address issues raised by the UK Embassy.
In that meeting, held July 27, the jet-ski owners were told they had
no right to seize the passport of tourists they hold responsible for
any damage to their jet-skis. Operators also agreed that damage-claim
disputes should be settled between operators and tourists in the
presence of the police to ensure fairness and equity.


On Christmas Day in 2007, three jet-ski workers assaulted two foreign
tourists for refusing to pay for the supposed damage to the jet-ski
they had rented. The attack, done in broad daylight, was caught on
camera by other tourists and sequence photos of the incident were
posted in the Internet and published by local newspapers, including
Samui Express.
Two of the three attackers were later arrested and fined Bt1,000 each
for the attack.


UK seeks action against jetski thugs