A tourism official in the Thai resort of Pattaya has warned the town risks being boycotted by Indian tourists due to the lack of action in stopping scams by jetski operators.
Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association has called for police to be stationed at the beach to immediately deal with problems and any vendor found scamming tourists should be prosecuted.
He said officials need to take the growing problem seriously or risk a boycott from Indian travellers.
The Ministry of Interior in India had reported a number of instances involving its citizens who were subject to scamming, extortion and threats of violence if they attempted to make a complaint.
Following a meeting to discuss the problem, city councilman Sanit Boonmachai said tourists involved in scams should file a police report but many complaints were ignored.
Corrupt police officers have been known to collude with the scammers in extorting money and taking a cut, Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said back in 2011.
Authorities have in fact spent several years discussing the problem with a number of proposals to regulate the industry but tourist police say the number of scams has been rising in recent months.
