Bangkok

Experts say just arresting teens doesn’t stop street racing

Published

Monday, June 22, 2020 14:39

PHOTO: Siamrath

It’s going to take more than simply arresting street racers to stop the so-called ‘dek waen’ motorbike riders from speeding through city streets, police say. The next step in eradicating the illegal races is to crack down on the mechanic shops and garages that juice up the engines.

Young dek waen racers took off again last week after the nightly curfew was lifted. Many are teenagers. Police issued a warning, even making some arrests. Deputy rector of Rangsit University, police lieutenant colonel Kritsanapong Phutrakul, says authorities need to do more than arrest the young riders. Mechanics and motorbike owners should be arrested in parallel with the riders, he says.

“Police arrests do not solve the problem at its root cause so all parties should work together to eradicate street racing,” he said, adding that steps should be taken after the racers are arrested to make sure they don’t do it again. Some agree that restorative justice is the best approach. Even educating parents about the illegal sport could help he says.

A criminologist from Mahidol University, Sunee Kanyajij, says that the government needs measures to control motorcycle trading as more than half of the motorcycles brought from these specialist shops have been used by the young racers.

“The problem of street racing must solved at the policy level.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

Get more from The Thaiger

📱 Download our app on Android or iOS
👋 Have your say on our Thailand forums
🔔 Subscribe to our daily email newsletter
📺 Subscribe / Join YouTube for daily shows
👍 Like/Follow us on Facebook
🐦 FOLLOW us on Twitter
📷 FOLLOW us on Instagram

News Categories: Bangkok Thai Life

Related Topics:arrests crime dek waen Police racers street racing

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Create an Account

8 Comments

Pete

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 3:02 pm

Confiscate their motorbikes, put the bikes in a crusher and make the racers watch.

Reply
Sam Thompson

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 3:25 pm

Start with confiscating and breaking up their bikes (sell the parts) and imposing a hefty fine, repeat and on the third offence, automatic jail

Reply
Toby Andrews

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 4:57 pm

Just give them race tracks where they can race legally.
Simple.

Reply
Tobias Krantz

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 5:12 pm

I think police and judicial officials are reluctant to pass relevant legislation and enforce such legislation because these illegal racers are children of rich and affluent officials in Thailand. How many poor or middle-class children have the resources to purchase one of these bikes? This is all lip service to an easily eradicated problem. Same the same here in Thailand. This is an easy fix as in all other countries, confiscate the bikes and crush them and make street racing punishable with jail time. Problem solved.

Reply
Don MacLean

Monday, June 22, 2020 at 9:00 pm

I’m with Sam…when caught racing, these kids need to be arrested, fined at least 7,500 baht, and told that the next offense they will lose their motorbike. If caught again, put the racing bike on public display and flattened it with a steam roller for everyone to see. Toby has a fair idea as well…provide a safe locale where these kids can ply their hobby.

Reply
- Mike White
  
  Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2:54 am
  
  Crush the bikes the first time they’re cought
  
  Reply
Alexandra

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 4:37 pm

Make loud, aftermarket exhaust illegal. Take a second when outside and listen to how much noise pollution comes from motorcycle exhaust. Dek waen use loud/after market exhaust pipes. Make it illegal to change the factory exhaust.

Reply
Jason Burt

Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 8:33 pm

They need some education about community peace and quiet. These children don’t realize how much the noise affects the citizens.

Reply

Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.

Up Next

Thai doctor pours cold water on suggestion ‘bitter cucumber’ cures cancer

Don't Miss

Bangkok’s revamped Khaosan Road may reopen in August, without international tourists