Efforts to regulate jet skis to be stepped up

       Authorities are stepping up efforts to regulate jet ski operators following alleged scams involving extortion of foreigners over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
       Phuket officials, jet ski operators and representatives of insurance companies yesterday met to discuss measures to promote tourism in the resort island and to bring jet ski operations into the insurance system to prevent possible extortion of foreigners.
       The move came after the recent distribution of video recordings featuring foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
       Phuket deputy governor Samith Palwatwichai said a committee will be set up to look at the possibility of having all jet skis in the province insured.
       Mr Samith said local authorities, insurers and jet ski operators will meet again on Wednesday to thrash out the details of insurance premiums for jet skis.
       A total of 219 jet skis are available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala, Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
       Mr Samith said the provincial marine office had been asked to survey and register jet ski operators in the province.
       The deputy governor said operators will be asked to stop overcharging and extorting tourists or demanding exorbitant compensation for minor damage to jet skis.
       Suvimol sae Lim, director of the Phuket insurance commission office, said Phuket should serve as a trail-blazer in jet ski insurance as so far no insurers had ever provided coverage for jet ski operators in the country.
       She said if jet ski insurance was introduced in the province, this would help sort out problems involving the extortion of foreigners over damage.
       Tourists who rented jet skis would feel confident they would not be taken advantage of, Ms Suvimol said.
       "If Phuket is successful, it will serve as an example for other provinces which has jet ski operators," she said.
       Ms Suvimol said initially proposed insurance packages would cover damage to jet skis, insure against loss of income due to the damage to jet skis and provide coverage to tourists renting them.
       So far only the Bangkok Insurance company has offered to provide cover for jet skis in Phuket, Ms Suvimol said.
       Anusorn Sa-re, head of the Phuket association of jet ski operators, said he agreed with the proposal and said the insurance premium must be acceptable to operators. He said operators can only earn income between December and May. They could not make money during the remainder of the year as it is the monsoon season.
       Recently, video clips have been distributed showing a female British tourist being arrested for marijuana possession at a full moon party on Koh Phangan and a British marine and a US marine being threatened to pay exorbitant compensation for damage to rented jet skis on Phuket in separate incidents.