Jet ski racer Pichet Sethura and fellow national
team members petition Tourism and Sports Committee Chairman, Rattanachai
Sutidechanai for help in obtaining sponsorship money they feel they are due.
Chatchanan Boonnak
Pattaya-area jet ski racers complain they’ve not received
nearly 2 million baht in sponsorship money promised them to cover training
and other daily expenses.
National Jet Ski Team member Pichet Sethura led fellow
racers to Pattaya City Hall Jan. 21 to file a petition for city assistance
in getting the Thailand Jet Sports Boating Association to cough up the funds
pledged in 2008.
Pichet maintained that his team’s efforts helped enhance
Thailand’s image internationally. The jet skiers won four medals at the 2010
Asian Beach Games in Oman and, the year before, two gold medals at the same
event in Bali.
While the TJSBA covered airfare and accommodations, the
jet skiers contend the association had also pledged to cover daily expenses
and practice, which cost them 600-1,000 baht per day.
Pinchet reckons the association now owes team members 2
million baht.
Pattaya City Council Tourism and Sports Committee
Chairman Rattanachai Sutidechanai said he’d try to arrange a meeting between
the TJSBA and the Sports Authority of Thailand to sort out the matter..
