Several operators were arrested at Kamala Beach, with one more arrested “at a pier in Koh Kaew”, the CIB reported.
The five suspects arrested were identified as Kritsada Jaija, 32; Cherdchai Anuphraiwan, 31; Phanomphorn Phrom-ouan, 25; Bancherd Bulan, 40; and Anchalee Tiangnoi, 34.
Kritsada, Chetchai and Anchalee were all charged with operating a vessel without a license, a violation under Section 9 of the Thai Navigation Act B.E. 2481, as amended, the CIB confirmed.
Phanomporn who was found operating a vessel without carrying the required license, breaching Section 150 of the Navigation Act B.E. 2456.
Banjerd was charged with using an expired certificate (Section 282) and failing to keep the certificate on board (Section 284), both offenses under the amended Navigation Act.
The operators were using unregistered jet skis that lacked both names and registration numbers, in clear contravention of the Thai Water Navigation Act, the CIB said in its report.
The suspects were informed of the charges and their rights before being taken into custody.
They were handed over to investigators at Kamala Police Station and Phuket City Police Station for further legal proceedings, the CIB confirmed.
While the CIB said the arrests were part of an ongoing crackdown to enhance marine safety and regulate tourism-related businesses operating along the coast, the arrests also follow a crackdown at the beginning of Phuket’s tourism high season late last year.
That crackdown, initiated under an order by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, resulted in 72 illegal jet-skis “discovered” being rented out to tourists in just a few weeks.
According to the plethora of official reports marking the weeks-long crackdown, the operators caught were fined B10,000 each ‒ marking a net take in fines of at least B720,000 in less than a month.
However, the fines have obviously not deterred operators from continuing to illegally rent out jet-skis to tourists. The CIB report did not confirm whether or not any of the five arrested in this latest crackdown had already been arrested and fined for the same offence.
According to the Bangkok Post, the latest arrests were part of a “crackdown on scam gangs preying on tourists” and “high rental fees and exorbitant charges for ‘damages’ among frequent tourist complaints”.
Yet the CIB report made no mention of the jet-ski operators being investigated for ripping off tourists.