Picture special:
by Andrew Drummond, Bangkok
Pictures: Andy Chant/Gavin Hill/Vera Productions
(pops rewrite)
Royal Marines fresh from a tour of duty fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan have been involved in armed stand-off with the mafia thugs on the Thai holiday island of Phuket.
The marine ‘section’, on exercise in South East Asia on ‘Operation Taurus’, faced down a mafia gun-man as they fought the same cause of hundreds of tourists who have been swindled at the top British holiday destination.
I gotta get me a gun
The only reason blood was not spilled was because a Marine Police Sergeant stepped in to avoid a major international incident as the marines faced off with armed and tattooed Mafiosi who had been beating up tourists and ripping them off for thousands of pounds.
Trouble began after HMS Bulwark made a port call in Phuket two months ago with the Marines who had just completed a tour of duty in Helmand Province.
Within hours Shore Patrol policeman Matt Turner from Sheffield was reporting. “It’s mayhem. Our lads, and hundreds of westerners are being fleeced and we believe it’s all by organised gangs. Jet skis, taxis, everything.
He added: “We have to help. We will do it whether its Marines or tourists being ripped off. We do not differentiate.”
The boisterous Marines were officially warned by their officers not to hire jet skis on the beaches of the holiday island as this was the most expensive rip-off of all. Thailand has been hard hit by a tourist recession.
But confident they could handle the situation, many ignored the ruling.
Marine Jack Tebbott
Not long afterwards Marine 21-yr-old Jack Tebbott from Leicester found himself staring down the barrel of a gun after being taken to a builders and boating yard in the back of beyond, after allegedly damaging a jet-ski he had hired. The mafia were demanding 60,000 Thai baht £1,400 in damages and loss of earnings.
Several tourists have already been beaten up for refusing to surrender to the mafia demands.
Surrounded by the stripped to the waist thugs and held at the point of a rifle Tebbot had managed to get an sms message to his mates who arrived at the yard near Patong Beach on Phuket in ‘section force’.
Bloodshed was only avoided when Marine Police Sergeant and Detatchment Commander Tim Wright arrived on the scene and told Tebbot: “Ok lad we told you not to hire jet skis. We know it’s a con but I’m afraid you’re now going to have to pay some money to get out of this.”
No nonsense Marine Sgt Tim Wright
Then after examining the jetski the no nonsense Sergeant, who had already had to deal with other cases, turned on the mafia chief called JJ and said: “You’re a crook! You’re corrupt. The damage is old. The fibre glass has already turned brown. How come all your jet-skis have a problem?”
Then he turned to Marine Tebbot and said: “Ok boy. You go now!”
JJ then ordered his thugs to block Tebbot’s exit but JJ perhaps sensing he had a fight on his hands continued negotiating. The price eventually dropped by almost a half to 35,000 baht to (£627) but not before some other heated exchanges.
“I’m just a f…cking businessmen. F..ck. You. How are we to feed our families,” said JJ pointing to his fellow thugs lounging around and waiting for their next sucker.
: ‘F..k you. You are not my father. You are not my pa.
Sgt:“Don’t shout at me. You’re crook. You’re a worm. You’re doing this day after day.
Marine policeman Mat Turner
JJ:F.. ck you!
Sgt: F.ck you!’.
The standoff ended when Marine Tebbot agreed to foot the bill. “Ok,” said Sergeant Wright,” you better toddle of to the ATM then.
The Marines conceded afterwards that it was £627 too much but worth it to avoid an international incident.
Said Sergeant Wright: “They are trained to be cool. But had it come to the crunch we could have easily fought them and got all our lads out of there. But there would have been some claret spilt on both sides.”
Face off Royal Marine Police Sergeant Wright and JJ
The stand-off did however have a happy ending. After complaints from the British and other Embassies in Phuket the island’s police chief has ordered a crackdown on the thugs, on the orders of Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, admitting that some policemen had also been pocketing cash with the local mafia.
Police Commander Pigad Thantiphong , who admitted that the Royal Navy had also made a complaint through the Embassy said: “Anyone who threatens tourists from now on will be prosecuted. Any policeman who assists the mafia will be punished, and independent experts will be brought in to adjudicate in any case.”
But how do we feed our families?
Amazingly the Marines standoff was captured on film by producer/director Gavin Hill which can be seen tonight(Monday) 10 pm in ‘Big Trouble in Thailand’ made by comedian Rory Bremner’s Vera Productions for Bravo Channel and filmed with the Thai Tourist Police.
It was like this - you want to teach ME the art of public debating
And despite the incident many marines still thought Phuket was the best place they had taken shore leave in.
Great stuff Gavin & the Two Andrews!
Regarding the comment “Any policeman who assists the mafia will be punished”
What about any policeman who is part (or is) of the mafia?
I feel so sad for this beautiful country and all the good people of Thailand that this never stops! Thailand is already loosing out big time to new destinations!
If Taliban killers like the Royal Marines are not prepared to stand their ground and beat the shit out of these Thai crooks, who will. They should have got some guns from ship and threatened these ugly thugs with their own medicine. Paying up was a very bad policy considering the hardware they have. Unless of course it was all faked for the benefit camera crew! And Andrew drummond also. Nevertheless I shall watch to programme to see if it is a silly reconstruction.
Paul Booth: Hmm. Not the brightest star in the sky. There are rules about foreign military bringing hardware into Thailand.
I would imagine most people have the ‘ken to know why the marines could not go on the offensive, let alone with weapons.
The camera crew were called to the scene by JJ incidentally. Another star in the ascendant.
I do not think the producer will be on the edge of his seat awaiting your adjudication on this though.
I would have loved to see the bad guys get some payback, but this is real life and not a James Bond movie. The marines did the right thing.
These scammers and their puppet masters in higher places may think they are clever. But the bad karma is building and every baht they extract from foreigners must be paid back many times by Thailand’s loss of reputation and future tourist income.
So what did JoanJett expect to get from this? Poll position in the Pattaya Premier League of Playboy Swinging Dicks presumably!? Did he say his por was a senior goon in the Pattaya or Phuket Police? That is presumably how he knew Gavin was in town. Sounds a bit like JJ tried to set it up to look the big man around town. He looks a right little big man with his big medallion and his stick-on tattoos. That said, perhaps he hadn’t reckoned with a bulldog military police SM. Or perhaps he had!? It does sort of seem to me that JJ is probably right now strutting around town like he owns it. Thai hoodlums don’t exactly play English cricket. That sort of trash never see any disgrace in beating the pulp out of one defenseless person mob-handed, or facing down unarmed victims.
Did the military police SM also give Gavin a piece of his mind by any chance? It occurs to me he may not have been exactly pleased there was already a film crew on the scene. Especially if he had also found out that JJ had called out the crew.
Just neutral questions, however. Military police tend to be a pretty hardheaded bunch. And the likes of marines and paras are rightly renowned for their sense of solidarity.
I was so drawn in by the fascinating confrontational details of this case that I failed to notice that you had moved on from Pattaya Howard Miller to Mr ‘Phuket I’m a Businessman’.
Brian: Actually Gavin was filming with the military police and the tourist police, so they knew him before this incident.
He convinced JJ to tell his side of the story so JJ invited him to the yard. All the Marines signed off on the film otherwise it could not have been shown.
JJ did say his father in law was senior police in Patong. It is not in the programme’s final edit for legal reasons.
And Andrew Drummond is not the brightest foreign correspondent one will encounter in East Asia. The benefits of the US and UK military visiting Phuket far outweigh looking after small time gangsters like JJ. Our boys should have given him a good kicking and let the UK embassy deal with any difficult moments. I am prepared to bet that the belligerent and volatile Financial Times correspondent Bill Barnes would agree. So would thriller writer and Nana Plaza expert Stephen Leather. As we know Stephen is very good on police vigilantes. So you are outnumbered Andrew. Just accept it and move on.
Hi, my name is Jimmy and I am now working and living in UK, I am from Thailand originally!
I felt ashamed about this situation, well, not even foreigners are cheated this way, some times even for us Thais some times! The only problem is that foreigners saved money to come you would probably be able to afford it, no, thats not the case! Thats why you are targetted from these arse! They knew these foreigners are young and wild, especially when the booze got into the bodies!
The only way I would recommend is that you will have to look after yourself, before renting things (because you wanted to get it as fast as you can and you didnt really look into things carefully) after you came back, you could not say anything whether it is really happened or not for the case of Jet-Ski! It happens some times to Thais as well. Am glad that this show has taken place, it would be really helpful if you could put this into Thai government, but again, the corruption is so high in my country, not sure how things will be progressed!
Dont get wrong ideas about Thais, we are kind people but all the tourist places, things happened, not just Thailand, Indonesia or wherever!
I dont know what to say, just thought to myself these arse are supposed to be wiped out of the country!
Sorry!
Jimmy
These men openly threatened serving military personnel whilst on R&R in Thailand. The important thing is that I got them out of there with no one being hurt, other than pride and in the wallet. I don’t remember swearing but apologise if I did! The other important thing to remember is DON@T HIRE JET SKI’S IN THAILAND!!!
The other thing is, I was the Detachment Commander, not Detective Commander!
I think most people are aware that you took the absolutely right and only action you could have realistically taken. (never mind what people say on internet forums!) I had never heard of the rank Detective Commander I blame it on these TV types. Will correct it now. (For people reading this the first time this was an error in my original post which is now corrected)
But they can do anything on TV nowadays. My guess is Marines can probably swear in a few languages now.
Anyway exposure of this racket through this incident has been of tremendous service to tourists in Thailand so lets hope the crackdown is actually a ‘real one’.
Thank you very much for contacting me and give my regards to the lads.
Swearing, well you are in my version (uncut) I had to cover my ears.
It is great to get some input here from those involved. Nice work Tim!
Thanks also Jimmy. Although I don’t think you should be apologising for the sins of others.
Yep Jetskis are a waste of time anyway. Buy your own if you really hanker after it.
I used to work with someone who was also a self-appointed Nana Plaza expert. Like the place itself, he got boring really quickly. When you have read one of those Bangkok crime and bargirl type books you have read them all.
I don’t know about Barnesy. As an FT man, I suppose he must be good. That said, I hadn’t really noticed belligerent & volatile farangs faring very well in Thailand. Most farang success stories here tend to revolve around knowing when it is a strategic moment to retreat and regroup. So I would bet the likes of Tim against your approach anyday.
Paul Booth: I’ve never heard my pal Bill Barnes referred to as belligerent and volatile before. He’s a little puppy dog. And I am not sure that Stephen Leather would like to be described as a Nana Plaza expert. Though I guess he is no virgin down there. He’s an expert on police vigilantes? I want to know more!.
Anyway they have voted you out. Nana does do your head in doesn’t it?
May your star remain in the ascendant….or Nana Plaza!
People should also never use their passports as a deposit for renting jet skis or motorbikes. I have seen many people have this kind of trouble on forums.
Very nice website Andrew and a lot of fun to read. However, I must point out what the excellent Stephen Leather posted this on his very own blog on July 11: “Dark Justice is almost done. The theme is police vigilantes and the more I research it the more I think that vigilantism done properly is perhaps not a bad thing. I was thinking of starting a vigilante website and putting up the details of men like Chester…. release dates, home addresses etc. Maybe people might start behaving a little better if they thought that there would be repercussions when they behaved like animals…”. I think we can be certain Stephen would have liked to have seen JJ and his ugly gang given a sound thrashing by the off-duty marines.
I have been watching the navy documentary on channel 5 as my nephew has recently joined. I am thoroughly enjoying it.I also watched the documentary last night of which I watched this incident with the marines. I think that the marines dealt with the matter in the right manner as the young marines had already been warned about the jet ski scams. Even I know what is going on with these scams and I have never been to Thailand. My husband and I have been thinking of visiting for a holiday and I have been researching what area to visit. I must admit I feel put off now. Anyway keep up the good work marines and the military police. I would go if I thought you would be there at the same time. Keep safe.
The same thing happened to my 20 year old son and same amount of money was involved but this time the Thai police took the cash so the Thai government have a bit more to deal with I would say.
This is the second but last year he will visit Phuket as it has changed so much and word is spreading fast so the government should think on that.
Also others had same scams with motor bikes but bigger sums of money.
When the young marine was asked if he had agreed to 35k baht, and he nodded yes, well he was bullied and intimidated into it, he didn’t *agree* to it.
Just before then, it looked like jj was going to accept 10k baht which he should have been seized upon.
Was the confrontation staged in some way? Why would jj agree to having his scam filmed?
The detachment commander did the right thing
The Royal Marines can hold their heads high. Discretion s the better part of valour and one can not ruffle the feathers of the locals as all hell will be let loose both back on board and at the fo
They have the satisfaction that if they had met these guys in theatre they would have come out on top given the chance. More probable though that the Thais would have run away. One to one combat is hardly a Thai forte.
Paul Booth: I think the concensus hear is that most people would like thugs to get a sound thrashing. Disrcetion the better part of valour n this case.
I saw the program & whilst the RMs came off as naive, I thought JJ was an absolute scumbag.
I hope the Royal Marines & Navy make all jetskis off limits & more people publicise these blood sucking pond life that are ruining Thailand.
Tim: I have just reviewed the raw footage. I have got you down for one ‘F..ck’ too many. I more than you are licensed for I guess. My apologies. One F..ck now removed.
I live in Thailand and actually Know JJ from when he was younger was a good kid but an asshole now and should be jailed
Greedy crook
Thought the marines handled themselves correctly
Jetskis were supposed to be banned a few years ago I was one of the people that fought for this more for safety as I nearly lost two snorkellers by some idiots in a national park
Hopefully this program will reach the proper officials
My understanding is that JJ was helping police with their enquiries at Kathu Police station earlier today. I do not know what the outcome was yet.
Please keep us updated on what happens with that scumbag JJ. I’ve never met anyone more deserving of a serious ass-kicking than this piece of sh_t!
Helping police with their enquiries??? What a delightful Western phrase - but this is Thailand
Business as usual in a few days. the upward cash flow will not be interrupted.
Well, I suppose there is always the possibility he might be moved to an inactive post.
I daresay his cop father will get him off the hook by doing something like sending him to a temple ….. for a couple of days.
Jet-ski, long-tail-boat, speed-boat, tuk-tuk and motorcycle-car rental are the main revenue of local operators who terrorize since too long time tourists, expats, Thai people and civie servants.
We just have to read local newspapers about local mobs surrounding police stations or building administrations to win at all cost by force.
Stubborn thousands local people destroy the Phuket paradise dream for those living in Phuket as well millions of visitors, Thais or foreigners alike.
We may wish our sympathy and support to Phuket Governor “Lucky Luck” to be strong enough to get rid the sooner the better of that local mafias “Thai Style” forever.
I have not watched the programme yet,will watch tonight,when did this get filmed?
I was in Phuket,Patong,in August and saw this same scam on 3 different occasions so if it was filmed before there has been no change.
Pics of jj arrested at police station:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/jet-ski-arrested-ban-warning-11552/
Scripted as well?
My wife has been watching this on Thai TV. This JJ has been charged by the police with threatening behavior to extort money. She said they are also looking into finding some other stronger charges to stick to him…
Now, as I have read news in Thailand..the police in Thailand said the story seems like turn to the set-up scenes between both side. I am Thai and there are not only jet-ski mafia also car rental business etc. Travelers must be careful for all tourist attractions not only in Thailand but everywhere in this planet.
I’ve been living in Phuket for 3 years now and this situation highlights one important thing.
As a foreigner you will always be treated unfairly when in a situation with Thais.
Even if you are in the right and the Thai is in the wrong, you will find that you have very little hope of being treated in an equal manner.
Foreigners here are seen as fair game for extorting money and if the police of gov. officials are involved, they always take the side of their fellow countrymen, regardless of who is right or wrong.
If the police had been invloved in this situation, as has been seen with the US marine pics released today, there still would have been no hope for a fair outcome.
Funnily enough if you go to the poorer provinces of the north you will be treated fairly and equally. It is the southern islands that are wrotten.
Foreigners don’t really exist as people here in Phuket. They are a source of income, nothing more, and sometimes a lot less.
Dear Andrew,
For all this furore one should also bring into perspective the general behavior of a bunch of marines on break. Quite frankly they carry on at times as a law unto themselves, have you ever seen them en mass’ around the bars in Pattaya?Swamping was a favorite passtime when I last saw them, for the uninformed that is a bunch of marines pissing on someone at the same time! all this happens at any chosen bar!They were a rowdy bunch for sure and the locals were more than tolerant!
I’m not condoning that JJ guy either, It’s a shame he din’t get ’sorted out’ but the sergeant was correct. The ripping of of toursist’s has gone on for years! I know so many stories it’s untrue, The Police are always involved someway or another! Heard about the guy buying thousands of illegal cigarettes to send back as ’sleeves’ to the UK? He paid for them and soon afterward he was busted for doing so,the so called cops heavied him out in the jail by threatening him with many years in the ‘big jail’ so the guy goes out and empties all his cash cards and pays these guys some 5 thousand pounds, but Oh ! he paid too quick, got the money too easy so the cops said there was another ‘big Police to pay’ after another 2 Thousand pounds he was relaesed! The cigareetes were most probably up for sale again the next day! It goes to say ’smoking really is bad for your health!!
Stay away from all jet ski’s and rides, even the water parachutes have accidents! Don’t rent the big bikes,they are another way to scam, and those people who rent them are ‘big Mafia in Thailand. Land of Smiles for some !
Read http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=7791 on how Thai officials disgrace themselves by violating the freedom of speach and by suppressing and prosecuting the press
We had the same troubles like the marines, but our arguments were stronger than JJ’s and the police itself. Though we paid… nothing.
I have watched and read the papers on this subject and the general moans and groans about the thai mafia and agree with most of them, i spend a fair amount of time in Patong over the last 9 years and i soon got to know what to do where to go to keep from getting ripped of but as we all know many people leave there brains in the plane, in most tourist resorts in the world there is always a chance to getting scamed it happens even in your own country log on today’s Daily Mail (Uk) and see what i mean
My advice is keep your eyes and ears open and your hand on your wallet.
Tourist Mafia scammers are at the airport, outside every hotel, shopping center, busy corner and tourist attraction.
Photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/sets/
I wonder if the producer knew he would never have got permission to make this so lied for filming permits etc..
Did he tell the local production crew what the show was really about before they took the job before fleeing the country.
I don’t see why he needed to lie. He applied to make a film with the Thai Tourist Police Volunteer Assistants, which is what he did. The Tourist Police and TTVAs come across very well in the series. The film could not be scripted as they were just filming everything they came across in a three month period. The film was dictated by events, and provides in my view a fairly realistic picture of this side of life in Thailand. The Thai production crew were essential to the making of the film and I believe they are standing by the product as a whole.
definatly seems all set up, this so called boating yard looks like some small shack where they keep the jet skis probably near nanai road or somewhere , usual case of journalists exagerrating.
the guys with their shirts of with tatoos are the guys who work on the beach for the jet ski owners to charge tourists for rides or sun loungers ect.
if the marines are so cowardly what chance do they have in afganistan and like the other guy said before me there would be no international incident , the local police are corrupt and take bribes off many buissness owners or crooks.
also how did this marine sms his mates to come?
it would be impossible for them to even find
Bemmy: Dont exactly know what you refer to as exaggerations.
It was the boatyard. The guys do work on the beach. Local police are corrupt d business owners are corrupt.
As for how the Marines found the place the fact is they did because they were given directions.
Your comment on the Marines is out of order.Had they created a fuss they would no doubt have been court martialled.
Good coverage! I am spending the winter on Phuket, Thailand and can report that the Marines’ Incident really shook ‘em up here. Now they require every jet-ski to have insurance. So far only half of them do…. I’ve seen others with a sticke on them :”NO INSURANCE”. Moral of the story: JUST DO NOT RENT ANYTHING in Thailand unless it’s from a global outfit like Avis ot Hertz, and paid with a creditcard (you can later reverse or dispute the charges). Now the curbside rental mafia want to hold your passport just to rent a moped! Do not be so naive. If cought without your passport you straight to jail!
Otherwise every beach business here is a scam. I got scammed and/or short-changed or by massege women, tuk-tuk drivers, public bus drivers and even cahiers a major malls.
As the tourists stay home, the navives are getting restless and will kill the goos that lays the golden eggs just to survive.
Well as a former Royal Marine myself… I was fucking embarrassed! If anyone threatend me or my mates when I was in, they got filled in. It must be different these days!
I have to agree with Tom, as a serving Royal Marine I was fucking embarassed by the fact the lads just sat there and let someone film them as they got threatened by a little prick like that jj and his fat little Thai mates. They should have banged him out before he even got chance to get his rifle and thinned out.