Australian wanted over Thai jet ski death

Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, August 29 2008 @ 09:54 PM ICT

It never ceases to amaze me at the injustice here in Thailand between Thais and foreigners. When I speak of injustice, I refer to the basic lack of unbiased application of the laws (selective enforcement) and blatant racism. Taksin, who has fleeced the Thailand out of billions of baht & disgraced Thailand in the process, is allowed to flee the country while on bail without any extradition warrant contemplated while an Australian tourist is sought to be extradited based on a “witness” who came forth shortly thereafter the accident.

How many Thai automoble drivers have been extradited to foreign countries for vehicular manslaughter for causing the death of a foreigner??? Thai drivers kill foreigners on a regular basis. Forget the foreigners that are murdered by Thais by use of a gun or knife. Thailand ranked 3rd in the world for homicides with firearms in 2002 with a per capita rate 5 times that if the US.

I’ve lived in Thailand for almost 20-years and blame the Thai government for allowing the tourists to rent the jet skis and/or not enforcing the law. If it is the law that an operator of a jet ski must possess a captain’s license, so be it but enforce the law amongst all people. I know that it is standard practice to enforce only those laws which benefit certain Thai business operators and/or those laws which are convenient to enforce.

I, personally, possess a captain’s license in a western country and am not allowed to operate my vessel while engaged in chartering within Thai waters without a “licensed” captain aboard. This is a quite a joke as many foreign boat owners have their Thai girlfriends (fresh out of the bar) obtain a Thai captain licenses to function as their obilgatory “captain”. So much for the “captain” license required to operate a jet ski. A ridiculous law which is enforced in a manner that benefits the local Thais renting jet skis. I wonder how many of the thais operating jet ski rentals have a captains license…. How many are actually paying taxes on their income???

The Australian man from Sydney should not be extradited and be granted “political asylum” (in his own country!!) because he wouldn’t be given a fair trial in Thailand.

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Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, October 06 2008 @ 12:56 AM ICT

It is not all that bad in Thailand, one thing that is different here is that not the rental company is responsible for you renting a motorcycle or Jet ski. Rental companies have no juristic power and are therefore not allowed to ask for the driver license or boating license. Only official government officials can do that.

Mater of fact if you read, the Australian law, you should find that it is even questionable in Australia for none-authorized persons to ask for another person to show his drivers license. A civilian business owner can ask another person to show his ID, but if this person shows his national ID card or passport it would be fine.

Of course in Australia, the law is bend so that it gives the idea that a person needs to show his drivers license when he wants to rent a car, motorcycle ...etc. But basically it is not needed. So to set things straight, which country bends the law... And it is always the foreigners who say "we not get a far trail"....

And how would Australia react, if after an accident a new witness steps forward, would Australia say a forget about it. Our would Australia, follow the right path and would try extradite the person in question. As it is clear that the Australian citizen clearly did not told the truth to the police.... The forensic evidence on the jetski indicates that the new witness is more likely telling the truth, then the Australian tourist.

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