Jet ski scam: Swiss tourist beaten by 4 men

Mafia-like jet ski operators rent out already damaged jet skis then force tourists to pay for repairs or beat them up.

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Local News

Jet ski scam under scrutiny

26/12/2012

SURAT THANI: Tourism operators called on local authorities on Wednesday to strictly regulate jet ski renters at Koh Samui after four employees of a jet ski operator assaulted and injured a Swiss tourist.

Thanongsak Somwong, chairman of the Koh Samui tourism promotion association, said business owners and tourism operators wanted concerned agencies to impose stronger controls on more than 50 jet ski owners who are operating on Koh Samui’s beaches.

Mr Thanongsak said some operators take advantage or threaten physical attacks. He blamed state agencies for failing to crack down on rogue jet ski owners, resulting in a repeat of similar incidents.

On Tuesday, a 27-year-old Swiss tourist, Buja Kajumai, was reportedly beaten by four men who worked for a jet ski owner at Chaweng Beach. The four accused Mr Kajumai of crashing a craft which he rented from them and asked him to pay for damage. The tourist denied he harmed the craft, and refused to pay. The men reportedly attacked and beat him.

The four suspects have been charged with physical assault and  are being kept in police custody.

Police on Wednesday went to the scene to question additional witnesses and record information on more than 30 jet-ski owners and employees operating along the Chaweng beach.

In Pattaya, many tourists and expats regard the jet ski scam run by mafia-like operators on the resort town’s beach as the most critical issue for visitors. A similar situation exists in Phuket.

In the scam, people who rent jet skis are forced to pay inflated sums for repairs when they return the craft. The jet skis already have superficial damage before they are rented out, but the customers tend not to notice as the damage is usually on the underside of the craft, obscured by water.

(Source: Bangkok, Local News, Jet ski scam under scrutiny, 26/12/2012, link) 


Jet Ski Scams Vocabulary

jet ski - "a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat. They have an inboard engine driving a pump jet that has a screw-shaped impeller to create thrust for propulsion and steering", also called a "personal water craft (PWC)" or "water scooter" (See Wikipedia)

scam - an illegal or dishonest plan to cheat people out of their money กลโกง, แผนร้าย (See Wikipedia)
jet ski scam  

rent - to pay money for the use of something for a period of time เช่า
rent jet skis

scrutiny - to look at and check very carefully for problems; careful and thorough examination การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด การใคร่ครวญอย่างละเอียด
under scrutiny - people are looking at it carefully to find problems
jet ski scam under scrutiny

operators - companies or people doing some kind of business
tourism operator - a company that offers tourism services (hotel rooms, plane tickets, etc)
jet ski operator - a person or small company that rents out jets skis to tourists

attack - a violent attempt to hurt and harm someone โจมตี
beat - to hit someone several times เฆี่ยน, ตี
the men reportedly attacked and beat him

assault - attacking someone violently; the crime of physical violence against another person การทำร้ายร่างกาย (See Wikipedia)
physical assault - Same as "assault"

four employees of a jet ski operator assaulted and injured a Swiss tourist

local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
authorities - government officials, the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
local authorities - local government and police

call on ... - asking people to do something ...
Tourism operators called on local authorities to ....

strictly - completely อย่างเข้มงวด (in a very limiting way; very exactly)
regulate - to control an activity officially by using rules ควบคุม

strictly regulate - to completely control
strictly regulate jet ski renters at Koh Samui

promotion
tourism promotion
tourism promotion association
the Koh Samui tourism promotion association

concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
concerned agencies - state agencies that worry about some problem and deal with it

impose - to force someone to accept something (such as a new law) กำหนด,บังคับ นำกฎหมายมาบังคับใช้
impose stronger controls on

business owners and tourism operators wanted concerned agencies to impose stronger controls on more than 50 jet ski owners who are operating on Koh Samui’s beaches.

physical - real things that can be touched and seen (not just an idea or something you said)
physical attacks

threatened - telling someone that if they don't do it, they will be punished
threatened physical attacks

take advantage of - to gain from another person's weakness

some operators took advantages or threatened physical attacks.

state - government รัฐ
state agencies

crackdown - strong official action to punish lawbreakers การปราบปรามขั้นเด็ดขาด การใช้กำลังเข้าปราบปรามของเจ้าหน้าที่

rogue - behaving in an unusual and possibly dangerous way ไม่ซื่อ, อันธพาล, ที่น่าสงสัยว่าจะก่อให้เกิดอันตราย
rogue jet ski owners

incident - an unpleasant event (something that happened that was unpleasant)
a repeat of the similar incident

He blamed state agencies for failing to crack down on rogue jet ski owners, resulting in a repeat of the similar incident.

four me accused Mr Kajumai of crashing a craft which he rented from them and asked him to pay for damage.

denied - said something is not true
denied he harmed the craft

refuse - say that you will not do something
refuse to pay - say that you will not pay for something

the tourist denied he harmed the craft, and refused to pay

charge - to formally accuse a person of a crime (and start legal proceedings against them to determine guilt)
charge with physical assault

suspects - people that the police think might be guilty of a crime ผู้ต้องสงสัย
suspects charged with physical assault

the four suspects have been charged them with physical assault and kept in police custody.

crime scene - the place where a crime happened (police collect evidence from this area to find the person responsible (perpetrator)) 
scene of a crime - Same as "crime scene"
scene - Same as "crime scene"

witnesses - a person who say an event, usually an accident or crime that they describe, an eyewitness

question - when the police ask people questions to solve a crime and find out who did it
question witnesses
question additional witnesses

Police went to the scene to question additional witnesses

record - write down on paper or enter into a computer file บันทึก
record information of more than 30 jet-ski owners and employees operating along the Chaweng beach

critical - very important (because a future situation will be affected by it) สำคัญยิ่ง
issue - an important subject that people are arguing about or discussing ประเด็น
a critical issue
the most critical issue

expats - people who live in another country (outside their own country) for a long period of time
regard - to consider or have an opinion about something or someone เห็นว่า,ถือว่า

In Pattaya, many tourists and expats regard the jet ski scam run by mafia-like operators on the resort town’s beach as the most critical issue for visitors.

similar - the same or nearly the same; related เหมือนกัน, คล้ายกัน, ทำนองเดียวกัน
similar situation
a similar situation exists in Phuket.

inflated - 1. (of a price) higher than it should be ซึ่งเฟ้อ 2. caused to increase in size by filling with air ตุ่ย, ยุ้ย, พอง
sums - amounts of money

inflated sum - an amount of money that is much larger than is needed
pay inflated sums for repairs

In the scam, people who rent jet skis are forced to pay inflated sums for repairs when they return the craft.

superficial - on the outside, on the suface of something, shallow, not important, without meaning ตื้นๆ, อยู่ใกล้ผิวนอก, ม่ลึกซึ้ง, ไม่สำคัญ, ผิวเผิน
superficial damage - just a little damage on the outside (not important)
the jet skis already have superficial damage before they are rented out

underside - the bottom of something ด้านใต้, ด้านล่าง
damage is usually on the underside of the craft

obscured - can't see something clearly (because something blocks it) unclear, blurred, indistinct  สีมัวๆ ไม่ชัด, กร่ำกรุ่น, มัวๆ, เลือน
damage obscured by water 

tend - to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic มักจะ
notice - information or warning หมายเตือ
tend not to notice - people usually do not see it

the customers tend not to notice as the damage is usually on the underside of the craft, obscured by water.