Jet skiing is fun. What isn’t so much fun though, is having all of your holiday savings scammed off of you by a group of cheating Pattaya scumbags, backed up by a corrupt police force...
The Jet ski scam in Thailand, and particularly in Pattaya, has been operating for a while now. With evidence to suggest that (at time of writing) it is becoming particularly more frequent. With more, and more tourists, and travelers in search of fun being targeted by groups of jet ski operators along Pattaya beach, and separated from their holiday cash in large chunks.
Essentially, the scam is, that the jet ski operators will use a paste, or filler of some kind, to cover pre-existing damage to their jet skis. You, before being rented the jet ski will be asked to give the jet ski a once over to prove that the jet ski is in good condition, and then, upon return, the covering will be sneakily removed, and a group of ‘angry’ Thais (Burmese, etc.) will confront you, in attempt to extract money from you, for the ‘damage’ that ‘you’ caused to their jet ski. And with jet skis not being the cheapest of machines, the amount that they will try to cheat you out of, will usually be considerable. And being surrounded by a group of angry Thais demanding cash, can be a very intimidating situation for the casual tourist/traveler. One that will likely, scare you into handing over the cash without putting up too much fight.
But still, at least you’ll have the police on your side, should you choose to report the incident. :)
Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. Because as with most scams in Thailand, it is generally believed that the notoriously corrupt Thai police force takes its cut from the scam. And historically, with regard to the jet ski scam in Pattaya, those who have sought the aid of the police for assistance, have often found that doing so, can make matters worse.
What can I do?
If you’re looking to go jet skiing in Pattaya, Thailand, and want to run zero risk of being robbed of all your cash over faked jet ski damage, all you can do is attempt to seek out an operator that offers insurance, should you be able to find one. Or seek out more organised jet skiing activities (such as a quality hotel might offer), over those offered along the beach by touts. Other than this, ultimately, if risking jet skiing along Pattaya beach, you buy the ticket, you take the ride And it could well end up being a very costly one...
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