News Forum - Illegal jet skis return to Phuket’s Surin Beach

[Thaiger]

For the umpteenth time, the local provincial marine office has started clamping down on illegal jet skis and parasail boats in the sea off Phuket’s Surin Beach. Along Millionaire’s Row on west coast, Phuket’s Surin Beach is surrounded by boutiques, high-end resorts and residences. It’s popular year-round, and an excellent spot for sunbathing on fine …

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[socal]

Licenses and bs just drives the cost up. I like jet skiis. Most of the alleged scams aren't scams at all. Dumb farangs crash the jetskiis and then whine when they have to cover some of the repair costs

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, socal said:

Licenses and bs just drives the cost up. I like jet skiis. Most of the alleged scams aren't scams at all. Dumb farangs crash the jetskiis and then whine when they have to cover some of the repair costs

Probably so in Thailand. But you can’t operate a free for all where people are swimming and relaxing in the water. Plenty of places where jet skis are allowed. 

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, socal said:

Licenses and bs just drives the cost up. I like jet skiis. Most of the alleged scams aren't scams at all. Dumb farangs crash the jetskiis and then whine when they have to cover some of the repair costs

Even if they aren't all-out scams(and yes there are many scams)

They are shady in that they look for the smallest damage

 

Jet-skis are going to get knicked 

 

I wouldn't rent a jet ski in Thailand 

Where as I happily have done so in Costa Rica

With the guide encouraged us to jump waves and barely looked at the jet skis when we came back 

[socal]

16 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Even if they aren't all-out scams(and yes there are many scams)

They are shady in that they look for the smallest damage

Jet-skis are going to get knicked 

I wouldn't rent a jet ski in Thailand 

Where as I happily have done so in Costa Rica

With the guide encouraged us to jump waves and barely looked at the jet skis when we came back 

I've rented them a bunch of times with no issues. The guys were friendly, let me run overtime ect. I even overheated one and they didn't care. 

Small damage means there was a contact with an object. What are they supposed to do ? Let every other tourist ding up their jet skiis all day ? 

Same thing with street bikes. Rent what you can handle. Take personal responsibility 

 

[Marc26]

31 minutes ago, socal said:

I've rented them a bunch of times with no issues. The guys were friendly, let me run overtime ect. I even overheated one and they didn't care. 

Small damage means there was a contact with an object. What are they supposed to do ? Let every other tourist ding up their jet skiis all day ? 

Same thing with street bikes. Rent what you can handle. Take personal responsibility 

When they can see you in their eyesight the whole time and know there was no collusions and you pull in and they are going over inch of the jetski it's shady and they are looking for reasons to charge you, plain and simple.....

 

Like I said, I have rented jetskis in other countries that let you do more than circle around a beach without any of the shady crap in Thailand............so I will pass

[Vigo]

23 hours ago, socal said:

Licenses and bs just drives the cost up. I like jet skiis. Most of the alleged scams aren't scams at all. Dumb farangs crash the jetskiis and then whine when they have to cover some of the repair costs

The last time I was in Patong, there were early 100 jetskis in the bay and 10+ parasail boats. All of these vessels are unlicensed and uninsured (so much for the insurance scheme launched years ago). There is no supervision and the owners won't let swimmers use the beach. They act as if the beach is their personal property. The thing is, the Thai law says it is illegal for any commercial operation on the beach and that it is illegal to have jet skis and para sails. When these vessels refuel they often spill the fuel in the water or on the beach. There is no safety certification of the vessels.

I have seen the scams in action and they are not nice. They target the most vulnerable and then extort all with the  co-operation of local police. Only in Thailand are  illegal activities protected, aided and abetted by the authorities  who are supposed to remove them.

Many people are injured and the injuries go unreported. The jetskis  are significant sources of pollution and have  damaged the local ecology. These are not poor people trying to get by. On the contrary, it is a cartel that controls the jet skis and the money goes to Mr. Big. The jet ski touts are no better than any other low life petty criminal.

[Redneck12345]

Get rid of them and the theifs  that rent them.  It's a bad business for Thailand.  

[Faraday]

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