Domestic tourists have returned to Pattaya and so have the scammers.
Pattaya police said there has been a surge of complaints from vehicle and jet-ski renters complaining they were being extorted for huge sums by owners who claimed the customers damaged them.
Pol. Lt. Col. Adisorn Kongkoy and Pol. Lt. Thongin Panyanam led a team of officers to Koh Larn, the location of most complaints, July 13 to warn operators against trying to cheat tourists.
Since reopening, Koh Larn has been attracting 2,000-3,000 visitors a day on weekdays, 4,000-5,000 on weekends and up to 10,000 a day on holidays.
Pattaya has a long history of jet ski scammers claiming fake damage to their boats and demanding huge payments to cover damages. The scams are not restricted to foreign tourists, as the recent police complaints show.
Police try to mediate on Koh Larn, but if the disagreement persists, both parties are sent to Pattaya Police Station on the mainland, wasting everyone’s time and money, Adisorn said.
He reminded the vehicle and boat renters that mere weeks ago, they were unemployed and not to shoot the golden geese that have flown back to Pattaya.
