Pattaya City Council Chairman
Sanit Boonmachai makes a valid point during the meeting on what to do about
the jet ski situation.
Phasakorn Channgam
The committee established to resolved Pattaya’s jet ski problems would take
the first step toward ending the never-ending series of scams by restricting
operators to a centralized, monitored parking zone.
The panel, composed of city, police and marine officials, agreed Aug. 30 a
zone should be set up on Pattaya Beach as a test project that could be
expanded to Jomtien and Naklua beaches if successful.
The plan calls for restricting all jet ski operators to the city zone and
registering their information with the city. City or police officials would
be stationed in the zone to enforce regulations and resolve disputes. Those
found violating regulations would be subject to “harsh penalties,” said
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh, who chairs the committee.
“This has been a prolonged issue considered pivotal and immensely
destructive to tourism since the current situation is starting to expand,
has become national, and brought to the attention of the government,”
Ronakit said.
Pattaya City Council Chairman Sanit Boonmachai said more than 450 jet skis
owned by 168 individuals operate on area beaches, including Koh Larn. “The
problem is just being caused by a minority of these, but measures must be
taken to fix and prevent them to maintain a good image for tourism,” he
said.
The committee also wants to implement an insurance system to cover any
damage to jet skis, but panelists required more time before taking their
next step.
