Phuket jet-ski trip halted after riders ignored repeated safety warnings

A jet-ski excursion in Phuket was stopped midway on Tuesday, 6 October, after riders repeatedly ignored safety warnings and crossed one another’s paths. No injuries were reported.

The incident was mediated by the Phuket Tourist Assistance Centre and Tourist Police after the riders’ manoeuvres alarmed other participants. Phuket Tourist Police Chief Pol Lt Col Ekkachai Siri said the group continued riding dangerously despite repeated warnings from operators and officials.

The latest case follows a collision off Naka Island on 29 September in which two Saudi Arabian tourists, including a 14-year-old girl, were seriously injured. Police reported that the pair suffered punctured lungs and other injuries after being thrown into the water, with one person submerged for about three minutes.

It also follows an incident on 3 September in which four jet-skis repeatedly crossed in front of and behind a passenger boat travelling from Ao Por Pier to Koh Naka Yai. The boat crew warned the riders over the risk of a collision.

Pol Lt Col Ekkachai said Tourist Police and Marine Police regularly inspect jet-ski operations and instruct operators to brief customers on how to use the machines, ride safely, and identify permitted and prohibited areas. He said some riders nevertheless became overconfident, lacked experience or acted carelessly once on the water.

He estimated that Phuket recorded around two to three jet-ski collision incidents a week, with Patong Beach the most commonly reported area. He stressed that the figure did not mean collisions occurred every day or that every incident caused injury; some involved only minor contact and damage such as scratches.

Where a collision causes injury, the matter can enter the legal process in a similar way to a road accident, including possible action over negligent behaviour. Whether a case proceeds can depend on whether the injured person files a complaint. Insurance arrangements and negotiations between the parties determine how damage and compensation are handled.

Pol Lt Col Ekkachai said any refund or compensation after a jet-ski service is ended because of unsafe behaviour must be settled between the operator and tourists, taking account of insurance and the parties’ agreements.