Jet Skiing

Jet skiing in Phuket has a sordid past. If you search online, you can find dozens of stories, maybe hundreds, of tourists writing about how they were scammed on the beaches of Phuket by unscrupulous jet ski rental places. Is it really that bad? Not anymore it isn’t, but in the past, yes, there was a serious problem.

Today you can rent a jet ski on the beaches of Phuket Island and be relatively sure you’ll have a good experience after returning your undamaged jet ski. You’ll want to take detailed photos of the jet ski before you start and make sure to note every bit of damage on the vehicle before you sign the papers and head off into the waves.

The scams usually involve jet skis either falling apart on the water and the rental owners blaming you for it and insisting you pay, or them finding some new surface damage to the jet ski and insisting it wasn’t there before. They may insist on a cash payment of 10,000 to 100,000 Thai Baht to fix the damage ‘you’ caused.

Pretty scary scenario that many people just avoid altogether by refusing to rent jet skis until the authorities fix the problem once and for all. The situation has improved over the years after a number of high-profile cases involving video, but there are still incidents of tourists insisting they were scammed. The phone number you might keep handy is #1155 – dialed from any mobile phone. That is the number for the English speaking Phuket Tourist Police.

You can find jet skiing rental opportunities on most of the major beaches in Phuket: Patong, Kata, Kamala, Karon and Bangtao beaches from morning until sunset. Each licensed jet ski is supposed to have an insurance sticker on the jet ski – so, insist on seeing it, and walk if you don’t find one. Costs vary greatly, so ensure you are clear about the price and what charges are required if you go over the agreed-upon time limit.

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