Jet Ski scam in Thailand

The Jet Ski problem in Thailand is nothing new to the Thai tourist industry or the visiting tourist. Once they started to rent out jet skis to tourist on the Thai beaches the Jet Ski scam was there as well. Thailand should do themselves a favor and take away them from the beaches because they ruin for others visitors.

Who owns the Jet Skis?

Most of the time the beach boys you see are just pawns in some bigger operation and they get commission when they rent out a Jet Ski or scam a tourist. A powerful person, Thai police or connected person is the real owner of the Jet Skis and he or she makes sure they never have any problems with the local Thai police.

The same people probably also operate the high speed boats that leaves from the beach and they are not insured and the captain of the ship seldom have a sea license.

Target the victim

A visiting tourist or a group of tourists rent a Jet on the beach in Thailand. There is no contract, no ID check, no age check and the people renting out have neither license nor a company.

The Thai scammers never target Thai people or foreigners that live in Thailand at least not locally. First time visitors to Thailand are ideal scam victims. The operators know that the scam will only work if the victims are scared and have nobody to call for help. The scammers also know that the law is on the victim’s side, at least on paper. They need to act quickly and make sure they keep the pressure the victim for money before they can slip away.

Many tourists are aware of the fact that the Thai scam operators are trying to scam them so they check the Jet Ski before renting it. But the operators will always find new damages on the Jet Ski and for them it really does not matter, it is a scam and nobody could ever prove that the tourist damages the Jet Ski anyway.

Jet Ski Damages

When the tourist comes back after 30 min the scammer already has a plan in his head. Maybe he saw something that the tourist did like driving to close to someone or turned over and he will use that incident to claim damage to Jet Ski. It does not matter if it got damaged or not in that incident it is a scam remember and what the victim did is not important.

The short arm of the law in Thailand

The Police or the tourist police do not do much to help the tourists they mostly ask the tourist to pay some of the fines to the Jet Ski scammer. But they should also inform you that the Jet Ski scammer has no right to keep your passport (never give a passport to anyone in Thailand), they have no right to hold you, and they have no right to harass you. The Jet Ski Scam is actually not even a Thai police matter it is a matter for the civil court in Thailand. But remember the some of the Thai police are involved in the scam they are pushed from the top not to help you. You do not have to stay in Thailand waiting for a civil courts matter and they know that, that’s why they won’t let you go away before you pay.

What can the victim of a Jet Ski scam do?

If the Jet Ski scammers won’t budge and want your money then go to the local police station as a first step, they cannot harass you in there. If the Jet Ski scammers won’t let you go call the police and say you are being kidnapped and also call your embassy, most local tourist destinations in Thailand have a local consular for the Embassy on 24/7 stands by. If they threaten with physical violence you stay calm but try to get Police there as soon as you can. If they attack you, try to run or try to fend yourself and scream for help from other tourists. Don’t think you will get help from other Thai people they are more likely to start help beating you if it comes to a fight. Do not follow them to their house or to an unknown place like they did in the movie “Big trouble in Thailand” that’s very stupid.

A Japanese tourist in Phuket had the secretary of the local govern of Phuket to come down to the police station after he got scammed. He did not want to give in to the scammers but still had to pay 3000 THB from the original 50 000 THB. If you managed to run away from the scammers don’t go back to that beach for the rest of your holiday.

What is the Thai government doing about the Jet Ski scam?

The local government has done nothing for a very long time and it’s only when the “Big trouble in Thailand” movie was screened that something started to happen.

In Phuket the Thai Jet Ski operators will soon be required to have a license and insurance but in Pattaya nothing has happened.

After the first episode of the movie “Big Trouble in Thailand” was shown on TV the Thai government acted as normal and charge the Thai movie company for damaging Thailand’s reputation (a criminal offence in Thailand) and filming with no license (all films need to be screen before released if they are filmed in Thailand). The local Thai police in Phuket also went out and said the Jet Ski scam was staged and the movie was a fraud intended to damage Thailand reputation.

If you want to enjoy Thailand beaches and enjoy your holiday then just don’t rent a Jet Ski, you are a disturbing the wild life and other tourists and you risk ending up ruing your holiday. Just don’t rent a Jet Ski in Thailand you will regret it.

All this information has already been pulished in Thaivisa forum, Bangkok Post, The Nation and other media we just made it clear for the reader whats going on. We never intend to write anything bad about Thailand as a country.