About two weeks to go before the motorbike maniacs return to Kuwait. It is virtually a given they'll be back next year trying to do the same thing. Now the powers-that-be will have the better part of a year to plan how to prevent this fiasco from happening again.
As for finally deploying a large number of police just a couple days ago, my first question is why didn't they do that right from the start? They knew what was about to happen. We all knew because it's been going on for years. My second question is was that just a one night deployment or will the police be out there until they're gone. Obviously if it was just a one night deployment, they'll be right back at it. The article says some of the motorbike maniacs were stopped and fined. Does anyone actually believe they give a damn about a 1000 or 2000 baht fine and that's going to stop them?
Ok, folks - what do you think? Will they successfully prevent it from happening again or will it be the same thing, or even worse, when they return next year?
Also, why in hell does the media keep referring to them as "tourists"? The only thing they tour is a couple of sois around Sunee Plaza. I would not refer to them as tourists. I would refer to them as _________ (fill in the blank)
"It's deja vu all over again."
- Yogi Berra
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Pattaya police nab defiant Arab road racers, warn motorbike rentals to be strict
by THE NATION
August 14, 2023
Notorious Arab motorbike riders were forced to cancel their road-racing plans after some 200 policemen and Interior Ministry officials were deployed to keep law and order on Pattaya roads late on Saturday night.
Officers from Pattaya Police Station and officials from Chonburi provincial administration were deployed to check the roads and sois where local residents have complained about road racing and the blocking of traffic by Arab youngsters, mostly tourists from Kuwait. Interior Ministry officials also joined the operation.
Most of the riders parked their motorbikes on the roadside as soon as they saw the officials approaching.
Some, however, were defiant and continued riding their bikes, only to be stopped and fined for violating traffic laws.
The officials did not arrest those who had parked their bikes, but they were interrogated and found to be mostly Kuwaiti teenagers.
Police said the interrogation of some 200 youngsters continued into the early hours of Sunday.
Last week, Pattaya police held a meeting with other agencies concerned to discuss measures to prevent road racing, which has become popular among Arab tourists but is making life difficult for local people.
Motorbike rental companies have been warned to strictly check the identification particulars of tourists and their driving licences before renting out bikes.
Story and photos:
https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand ... l/40030179