Pattaya police purge on motorbike rental shops and renters

PHOTOS: Facebook/Sophon Cable

Pattaya Police are cracking down on tourists renting motorbikes in the coastal tourist city as well as the shops renting out the bikes. The current purge is in response to recent problems of marauding tourist bike groups making a nuisance of themselves in the seaside tourist city.

Sophon Cable reports that rental shops are now attracting attention from police who are issuing fines up to 2,000 baht for anyone renting motorbikes to tourists you don’t show a valid license. Renters now face a month in jail or a one thousand baht fine and shops renting bikes to tourists could face a fine of up to 2,000 baht for contravening the regulations.

Police are routinely inspecting shops around Pattaya checking on rental shop paperwork and checking of renter licenses and passports.

Pol Maj Arut Sathanon says Pattaya police are following orders handed down from the Royal Thai Police head office in Bangkok. Sophon reporters referred to ‘gangs of tourists’ on noisy motorbikes riding around Pattaya annoying other road users, tourists and residents.

Meanwhile, there was another serious accident this morning where two young Thai students were seriously injured in an incident with a tourist on a motorcycle. Pol Maj Arut said that all tourists must be in possession of an international driving licence (or other legal permit) to rent and ride a motorcycle in Thailand. Offenders could face a month in jail and a fine up to 1,000 baht or both.

Pattaya police are also cracking down on illegally adapted motorcycles and cars in the city.

SOURCE: Sophon Cable | ThaiVisa