I had a conversation with JJ last Friday night.

He said that the police get a 20% cut of whatever money he gets (his uncle is a police captain). He also did not deny that it was a scam saying only "we shook hands" therefore he was right to receive the money, (I bit my tongue at that point!)

What a disgrace and petulant attitude on the part of the bkk post reporting team. Some People on udon map have questioned my dislike to the thai way of life and how the thais deal with problems in there country. The report in the bkk post says it all now. Even though Gavin Hill has sighned statements from all concerned in his filming on Big Trouble and with there full co-operation, the tai governor on Phuket (who has pledged and accepted that the jet ski scam HAS been highlighted) is now fudging and saying the program was edited by third partys to tarnish thailands reputation, the police chief has also made similer comments. What will it take before they admit and exept that we are robbed and threatened by thugs in there premier resorts. There's face saving and facing up to the bare true facts. Something the thai goverment either dare not face up to or ignore , or simply shift the blame to another country. To protect there currupt country. Because like it or not this problem is now outside thailand something they have no power over. Is it just plain ignorence on there part or do the thai tourist ministers think that we will believe there lie's and save facing explanation. I for one find it disgusting and disgracefull that the bkk post can print this kind of gutter journalism. Sqeaky bum syndrome on phuket ??????

To barstool:

1 You say JJ is half Dutch and Persona Non Grata In Holland.
Q: what did he do and how do you know this for sure?can you proof this?
2 : This is just a minority in Phuket however very true.Not everywhere though.In Samui i have been lots of times on a jetski never had any problems what so ever.
3. there are many scams in [thailand.] around the world.
4.It sad to inform first to see if you can be ripped of instead of relaxing and not having to think about that when on holiday.
5. You said JJ is intelligent ?he is not ,he is talking too much and even his uncle and other persons, too say it mildly are not very pleased with his behaviour.
6.For those who feel too much [enough is enough I agree] ripped off in Thailand why don't you go home to what ever country you came from.You do not have too live here when you do not want to.That's a quote from Pim Fortuyn in Holland.Well I agree.Not because I am Dutch, I am international.So are most of you elderly expats if I am not mistaken.

Having said that, ofcourse it is not nice to pay just because your skin has another color but I rather pay 10 bath more then being ripped off by your own goverment, you know pay taxes for a bridge when nobody is ever going to use it ,a new underground subway that's already exceeding by millions of euros over the original budget ....too expensive for adding a extra cycling path Mr President?

And so on.

You may not have heare'd this but last Thusday on cheweng beach on Samui 2 swiss tourists a male and his female partner hire'd a jet ski when they returned to the beach they were met by the jet ski opperator who said they had damaged the jet ski and the cost was £300 dont know what that is in gilders they protested and as a result were threatened pysically and the female was threatened with Rape. so concerned they went to the swis consul on samui and the next day had to be escorted to the airport by a swiss official, this shows you the extent of the threat there exists in thailand but like the governor on phuket and head of the police it is fabricated to make thailand look bad, this is the kind of goverment that runs thailand. I for 1 will not be returning to a country that will lie to there people and blame anyone else, and will not exept the problems that is infesting thailand as a whole.

vlad wrote:You may not have heare'd this but last Thusday on cheweng beach on Samui 2 swiss tourists a male and his female partner hire'd a jet ski when they returned to the beach they were met by the jet ski opperator who said they had damaged the jet ski and the cost was £300 dont know what that is in gilders they protested and as a result were threatened pysically and the female was threatened with Rape. so concerned they went to the swis consul on samui and the next day had to be escorted to the airport by a swiss official, this shows you the extent of the threat there exists in thailand but like the governor on phuket and head of the police it is fabricated to make thailand look bad, this is the kind of goverment that runs thailand. I for 1 will not be returning to a country that will lie to there people and blame anyone else, and will not exept the problems that is infesting thailand as a whole.

It really depends on what one wants from Thailand!Knowing about the scams,the way things work here,one can learn how to live and have a great life here!
I find things to complain about,things that I would like to see changed because they do effect my lifestyle,but on a whole ,this has been the best phase of my life,more relaxing and overall enjoyable than living in my home country,although I don't have any complaints about my life there either.

For me,it is all about understanding my environment and learning how to live the way I want within it without losing myself trying to be like them!All the inconveniences are just that,inconveniences,and there are ways to deal with them,short of having to leave the country!

Of course venting,is therapuetic and, many times ,informative!So I practice it and encourage it from others

You don't need to worry Thai officials were on T.V this evening they got this figured out, they are going after the guy who made the documentary for not getting a permit. That should do the trick. They are advertising on every english channel around boy they sure know Thialand very different then the one I know.

I will stick with Issan

Thank You

TW was trying to explain to me also that the police will not allow them to film anymore in Thailand.I suppose the Thai police think more seriously about work permits for farangs than JJ's uncle,in the police force,benefiting from jet ski damage payments.

vlad wrote: ...... I for 1 will not be returning to a country that will lie to there people and blame anyone else....

Vlad, Have you found a country to live yet, because based on your statement it must be very hard finding someplace to live as most countries have politician that lie to their people and blame other countries or people for their problems

Blimey blame the marines for not listening to their military propaganda????That means no pussy too right?Scam is a scam ,and it should be ended.One way would be to have damage insurance by the operators with the gov't underwriting it!

what ever happened to free enterprise I guess that fell by the wayside years a go since it interferes
with police corruption & tax money for permits just remember this a tax is a fine for doing some thing right
a fine is a tax for doing some thing wrong they got you both ways you work you sweat you bleed for the
parasites

Im reasonably happy living in the uk stantheman. I dont need insurence if i have to get hospital treatment. Can watch what i want when i want on TV. We have a program on tv at the moment called The secret millionaire this is a millionaire who comes to your town and gives his cash away to good cause's caused a bit of a ruck in my town because only the run down area's were filmed and yes it did show my town in a bad light. But and here is the big but we did not blame it on anyone else and it made our council take notice and do something to improve the town. What was the thai way blame the outsiders for showing thailand in a bad way, dont admit we have a scam problem, let the media spread propaganda about falangs and above all else shift the blame so we can carry on. Thats the difference stantheman a democratic country as aposed to a 3rd world country with a Mai pen Rai attitude. If your not familier with this term stan ask in the room what mai pen rai is.

How about this the thai jet ski opperators held a meeting this morning in patong to discuss the problem and come up with an idea to stop the scams guess who also was in attendace at the meeting ????

Company faces prosecution for Phuket jet-ski show

PHUKET CITY: The Thai television company responsible for producing the Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand series, which featured footage of an alleged jet-ski scam on Phuket, is to be prosecuted, the Bangkok Post reported today.

The managers of Black Sheep Productions, which produced the show, could face 12 months in jail and fines of up to a million baht, the report said.

full story on link
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=7791

they may want to reconsider that move, considering if just one major film maker decided not to make a movie in thailand, for fear of offending someone, that would be a few million dollars lost. TIT

it serves them right laphanphon if all tv and media boycot thailand now but then the thais will only seek another scapegoat. They don't realise the damage they will cause if they keep up this pretence it will not be long before news comes out from the west of the thai media and propaganda machine that seems to be on full anti thai mode now.

They do have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot. i wonder if there is much bad press in the USA, as thailand being their favorite/only 'smiling' face in asia. amazing how HIllary visits phuket, tourist starved, of course there is nothing negative to say about 2nd favorite allies, even though ISA laws are 'marshalled' in during her stay. then all of the sudden, hey, how about some tourism for you, little stop by the navy to help the locals. isn't that special.

any yanks out there see any negative news over there, as i'm sure it only gets a small mention, if at on on murdoch entertainment/faux news here or there.

vlad given your animosity towards Thailand, for good or bad reasons, and your promise not to return here - the question has been asked before.

Why are you bothering to check out what is happening in the LOS, and more particularly, why are you still posting on Udon Map - which seems to be a long way from your area of interest in the south?

Are you a masochist? Or are you simply following izzie's voyeuristic tendencies?

well said vlad. some people here have blinkers on. i live here and its better for me than uk. but that does not mean to say everythings ok.

laphanphon wrote:any yanks out there see any negative news over there, as i'm sure it only gets a small mention, if at on on murdoch entertainment/faux news here or there.

Not much is mentioned about Thailand, positive or negative on the news. My son is a fox new fanatic and always has it on and only time Thailand is mentioned is when a disaster hits, the yellow or red shirts riot or the military does another coup. For us the Jet Ski video is just another made for T.V. 1 minute flash in the pan.

thanks, pretty much what i expected......

vlad wrote: But and here is the big but we did not blame it on anyone else and it made our council take notice and do something to improve the town. What was the thai way blame the outsiders for showing thailand in a bad way, dont admit we have a scam problem, let the media spread propaganda about falangs and above all else shift the blame so we can carry on.

"He who can smile when things go wrong, has found someone he can blame it on."

From that world renown English philosopher, Benny Hill

Darn you never know what an Aussie is thinking