A Swiss couple were reported to have fled Koh Samui yesterday after telling local Embassy officials that they that the couple had been threatened with a beating and rape if they failed to pay 65,000 baht (2000 Swiss francs).
A source close to the Swiss Embassy said the couple were escorted to the airport by a consular representative and safely boarded a 3pm flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok after the threats by an operator on Chaweng Beach. “The woman was visibly shaking in the departure area.”
Officially the Swiss Embassy Consular department said they could not comment on individal cases and would neither confirm or deny the report. The couple could not be contacted to verify the report.
According to one Consular source, from data gathered together by foreign consular representatives between December and April this year there were in the region of 150 cases of tourists having to pay for damaged jet skis on Koh Samui, approximately one a day.
The controversial documentary series ’Big Trouble in Thailand’ is expected to highlight a jet ski problem in Chaweng in a later programme in the series.
One zero is missing in the Swiss Franc amount, 65,000 THB is two thousand CHF.
Frequent Traveller : Corrected thanks
You are welcome. It seems the Thais are busy ruining their tourist industry, with thuggery and scams and predatory police behaviour spreading. The more tourists they scare away, the more aggressively they squeeze those who still arrive.
Things have been going downhill for a while, but I think the watershed was the PAD airport occupation in October/November and the resulting tourist dry-up.
Thailand must stop the slide quickly, before it becomes another Philippines, the sort of place people are afraid to visit.
Or maybe the Thais don’t care anymore, having convinced themselves that they are better off without foreigners? I don’t see them do much soul-searching about the reasons for their country’s deteriorating image. Instead they get angry with the messengers.
There is definitely an increase in tourism here in Bali, so perhaps people are looking for alternative destinations.
Mike I visited Bali this year as an alternative destination the only off put is the additional travel required to get there (based out of the UK)
I did not know the Philippines was the sort of place that people are scared of visiting? just my opinion.
Jet ski’s simply don’t go on them……..
They are expecting record tourist numbers in Phuket this year. That is very encouraging news!
Knowing the authorities and Thai media, they will not report the sharp fall in tourism for the 2008/2009 season, but if there is a slight recovery from this lower base in the 2009/2010 season they will print headlines like TOURIST ARRIVALS UP 30%
This situation is prevalent throughout the archapeligao & includes Quad-bikes/ATV’s & other modes of hired vehicles. The only solution would be to encourage tourists not to hire anything with less than 4 wheels & a roof.
Better still, reduce one’s carbon footprint & walk. JJ will love that!
there is a moronic minority in every town in the world and chaweng is no exception,leave the jetskis alone,leave the taxis alone be careful on the roads and you can have a great time here the majority of people on samui are fantastic
Jet skis are not the only culprits as I have found out during a couple of visits to Phuket and Samui. The baht buses (foreigners do pay more, in some cases alot more), the car and motorcyle rentals (check every dents there is and record it on the agreement form before accepting the the vehicle). I had to pay 800 baht just for a defective signal light (the bulb was not working, in the very beginning)and had to argue about a dent on a vehicle which I ended up paying 5,000 Baht for it which was not causes by me. No more holidaying in Thailand, at least for a long while.
Nevertheless it’s HIGHTIME that something is done agianst the scammers, specially against unfair treatment through these Jet-Ski Operators and other Rental Operations!
Often, if not on a regular base people are cheated and overcharged for minor damage - f.E. a new motorbike mirror is ~ 180 Baht, 2000 are asked!
I’ve just come back from Samui and had an amazing time. Although I had done some reading before hand which stopped me from renting a jet ski. Tonnes of jet skis in the water and the characters look really dodgy but on the whole Samui was brilliant. Rented a Suzuki 4X4 from our hotels events co-ordinator. Told her I dont want to be scammed when I returned the car. She almost took that as an insult. She did mention though she used to rent cars from the hire companys in Samui and a few cases her clients where told to pay 5000Baht for damage they never created. So she rents out her own Suzuki now. One of the best days I have had in Samui. Just keep your wits about you, its an amazing place.