chuckwoww Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 I think I have an idea for a reality show. Contestants come to Thailand and get scammed. JJ could sue Bravo. TAT could have a full and thorough enquiry. Background music by Phuket Police male voice choir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 What happens when the next tourist genuinely damages a Jetski and runs off? The Jet Ski company should be insured against damage caused by the people hiring the jet ski's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Same as companies renting quad bikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 JJ being interviewed before the 'extortion' attempt.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzeui3rC5yo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFJsyJccTWE And an article from Thairath. http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/32298 It says the English sailor did damage the jet ski and it suggests JJ was arrested because he showed the marines his BB gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 This reminds me of the other scam stories you read about Thailand. For example: - Guy gets beat to a bloody pulp by a gang of Thais because of a dispute over a bar bill. We see scores of the stories here about this on the board. We have accounts of the beating, but no one really knows what triggered the dispute, although a few might claim to know based on whisps of evidence. Discussion and arguments about whether he did what he is claimed to have done. But one thing is almost always clear in my mind, none of what the guy is claimed to have done justifies the beating. - Airport scam - similiar thing. Intense arguments over whether the video shows her pocketing the wallet or not. But that is not really the point. The point is the involvment of security officials in an extortion scam, some of whom are working the secure area of the airport. And there is a history here: it has happened over and over again. - Guys jumping off Pattaya balconies who, just a few days before, seemed perfectly fine. GF friend present and sometime a video of her in the lobby with a Thai guy just before the "suicide". Guys who commit "suicide" by handcuffing their hands to a chair behdind their backs, and then somehow pulling a plastic bag over their head. And some here going off on arguing: "well, it could be possible if...." Yeah maybe if he is Houdini, but ain't this a tad suspicious? The patterns vary but the details really don't matter to the point I am making here. The point is this: a few of these may be real suicides, but why does it happen over and over again. And why are very suspicious circumstances surrounding the "suicides" in so many cases? Many more examples available, but they all illustrate a fundamental point: under very questionable circumstances, to put it very mildly, this sort of stuff happens again and again in Thailand. There is an argument here about the details (someone claims to be an expert in martial arts or whatever), but in many cases the official or Thai version is just implausible, and we really don't know the background leading up to the event. But we do know the end result. There is hardly any dispute over that - a deadbody by the side of the apartment, etc. And it happens over and over again. Isn't that the real story? Not the specifics of whether the wallet went in the bag or whether the guy pocketed the bill and walked out? Irrespective of whether there was a shoplifting or nor, as long as the scams, beating and questionable "suicides" continune to occur here, Thailand's image as a safe and viable tourist destination will continue to suffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 Well rightly or wrongly Thailand has an 'anything goes' image. I think that's what attracts the questionable types, druggies, pervs, jumpers etc... 'Normal' tourists find it relaxing after all the rules and regulations in their own countries and the nightlife still beats Vegas. I know you're talking about official corruption but if you want scams try Spain. Thing I can't decide is whether these fearless media crusades help or not. I've seen so many of them over the years and all it seems to do is attract more trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadfly Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 fearless media crusades help or not. I've seen so many of them over the years and all it seems to do is attract more trouble I think transparency helps, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter what I think. The number of fearless media crusades and web postings about this sort of stuff has increased exponentially. And the rate in increase is going to continue to accelerate. Look at how many reports we see these day than we did just a few scant years back. And then go back to when this board first started, back in the nanaplaza.com days. There was nothing out there on the internet like there is now. This is not just a Thai phenomena. A politician in the U.S. cites a controversial fact during political speech, and a good portion of the audience is on the internet googling to see if he is bullshitting. United Airlines breaks some guy's guitar and jerks him around for a year, and one of the most popular youtube videos is launched: "United Breaks Guitars". It's hilarious. Yesterday I saw a guy walking down Sukhumvit with a "United Breaks Guitars" T-shirt. I am sure United Airlines is not exactly happy about any of this. We have the notthenation website. When are going to see NotTAT website? (Hmmm...) The world is changing; the internet has changed everything. We have google, youtube, twitter (I can't figure out the attraction) and blogsites dedicated to subjects that would not seen the light of day when the predecessor to this board was formed years back (and many of us have been around since the board first started operating, so I suspect we're mostly old farts now). The question is this: how will Thailand change with it. There is nothing that can be done by anyone to stop it. Complain and try to censor stuff, and you only draw more attention to what you want to stifle. You can try to spin the story, but that generally seems to backfire. I expect more fun and games in the years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 The media exposes are basically just salacious entertainment. This fake Bravo jetski thing is the latest twist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 The province’s governor Wichai Praisa-nob also stepped into the row today ...... He said he was considering banning jet skis from the island. Which proves again that there is always something positive arising from the ashes . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroyinEwa/Perv Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 He said he was considering banning jet skis from the island. Knee-jerk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.