Pattaya officials express concern
over jet ski scams
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Local Tourism Authority of Thailand officials have
begun laying out marketing plans for 2012, but its overseas efforts
could be hampered by the growing jet ski scandal at home.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay says the ongoing jet ski problem will hurt
tourism if it is not solved immediately.
At a Feb. 28 Pattaya Business & Tourism Association
meeting, TAT Pattaya Director Niti Kongkrut said Brazil and Australia
are among Pattaya’s new target markets for potential visitors with “high
purchasing power.” At the same time, TAT wants to put more resources
into further marketing the city to Russia, India and China.
“Analyses done in Bangkok show that Brazil, China and
Russia have strong purchasing power due to continued growth in their
economies,” Niti said. “Together with the private sector, we will use
this data to make a marketing plan for 2012 that will yield the greatest
benefit.”
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay warned, however, that
increasing negative publicity abroad about almost daily scams and
rip-offs perpetrated by Pattaya Beach jet ski vendors may undermine
TAT’s marketing.
The unchecked jet ski scandal - illustrated by
YouTube videos, dedicated Facebook pages and in international newspaper
reports - “is the most significant thing to damage Pattaya tourism in a
long time,” Verawat said. “It has become a daily problem for the Pattaya
Police Station.”
As a result, he said, PBTA President Jamroon
Vitsavachaipan has asked that the city alert Chonburi Gov. Wichit
Chatpaisit to the problem in hopes of finding an immediate solution.
Verawat - nor Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, who was also
in attendance - did not explain why they haven’t already taken action or
notified the governor themselves.
The PBTA is also laying plans for 2012, announcing at
the meeting qualifications for new board members looking to run in the
association’s upcoming elections.
Jamroon said the elections will take place at the
PBTA’s annual meeting to be scheduled later this year. Before then,
however, current members should scout out potential future board members
to serve the city.
The PBTA will also take part in a domestic tourism road show in
Chiang Mai March 14-18.
