https://aseannow.com/rss/44-thailand-news.xml/National and regional news from all around ThailandenMore on youth crime.... Balaclava ban showdown. City fights back against masked riders A UK city could become the first in the country to crack down on balaclava-wearing riders after growing fears over masked youths allegedly terrorising streets on e-bikes and e-scooters. Nottingham has found itself at the centre of a heated debate after residents and businesses raised concerns about groups covering their faces while speeding through the city centre. The issue has sparked calls for tougher action as reports of antisocial behaviour continue to fuel anxiety. Council leader Neghat Khan said people should feel safe in Nottingham during both the day and night. She questioned why some riders were covering their faces during unusually hot weather, highlighting concerns about those travelling rapidly through busy pedestrian areas. But despite headlines suggesting a ban is imminent, no restriction has yet been approved. The proposal remains under consideration and has not been formally drafted. The discussion is taking place alongside plans for a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), a legal tool councils use to tackle behaviour that harms local quality of life. Nottingham's draft PSPO would run for three years if approved. The proposed order already targets a range of issues including blocked entrances, disruptive busking, unauthorised collections, public urination and interference with street-cleaning operations. The focus of the balaclava debate is not on people wearing face coverings during cold weather. Instead, local leaders are examining concerns about individuals concealing their identities while riding illegal or unregistered electric vehicles through public spaces. Police say similar riders have been linked to incidents involving disorder, violence, drugs, weapons and antisocial behaviour. Officers also warn that face coverings can make identification through CCTV footage or witness accounts far more difficult. One incident on May 6 intensified concerns. A neighbourhood inspector encountered two balaclava-wearing riders on electric motorcycles near Upper Parliament Street and Chapel Bar. Police said the vehicles could not legally be used in public places. Members of the public and council workers reportedly helped restrain the riders after the officer was assaulted. A 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were later charged with a number of alleged offences. Police stressed that charges do not amount to convictions. Further alarm followed on June 15 when officers pursued two teenagers riding an e-scooter on a pavement in Radford. According to police, both suspects were wearing balaclavas and attempted to flee. Searches reportedly uncovered two machetes concealed inside their trousers along with cannabis. Boys aged 15 and 16 were arrested on suspicion of offences including knife possession before later being released on conditional bail. In response to rising concerns, Nottinghamshire Police has launched Operation Reclaim alongside the council and partner organisations. The initiative targets youth antisocial behaviour, illegal e-bikes, weapon-carrying, drug dealing and retail crime. Officers are increasing visible patrols and say balaclavas can already be confiscated from young people involved in offending. Existing powers can also be used to stop identified offenders from wearing them again. Potential penalties could include a £100 fixed penalty notice or prosecution carrying a maximum fine of £1,000. For now, Nottingham remains a city considering a ban rather than one that has introduced it. The consultation on the wider city-centre PSPO closes at 11.59pm on June 23, 2026, after which officials will review public responses. UK city poised for first balaclava ban as masked youths terrorise streetsTue, 23 Jun 2026 08:46:05 +0000I checked the PO box this afternoon, so as of June 23 I have not received mine yet. It shows up when it shows up. If it doesn't show up by the end of July, I'll mail in the scanned copy I have one hand. My guess is that they'll be late like last year.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:45:20 +0000whether you personally accept the pakistanis penchant for the rape of white girls or not is irrelevant Men in general are not monsters Those in pakistani rape gangs are What if two men hold the girl down whilst a 3rd rapes her what if one administered drugs ? are they not all guilty? The other 85% of rapes was not the subject of a cover up by the authorities Do you really think that Pakistani women are anything other than totally subservient to their husbands and male relatives What to do about it ? Imprisonment, chemical or physical castration , and deportation send the pakistani rapists back to pakistan, the solution is simple enoughTue, 23 Jun 2026 08:42:47 +0000She's lucky he wasn't violent. Taxi driver is not the safest occupation for a female.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:41:37 +0000You have seen the photo of the check point with lots of light shining on the road and two other cops walking around? If he couldn’t see that he should not be driving.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:41:14 +0000One thing is clear. Neither you nor that "Silverwoman" poet would lose a minute of sleep if Israel committed national suicide in the name of social justice.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:41:06 +0000OzTue, 23 Jun 2026 08:40:58 +0000His face is blurred, might well be despite his passportTue, 23 Jun 2026 08:40:03 +0000What is illegal about the Thai government?Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:39:27 +0000WizardTue, 23 Jun 2026 08:39:16 +0000It's 2026 Raymond. You don't have to be stood in the town centre wearing a socialist workers sandwich board to make a difference anymore. 😉Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:39:09 +0000I am a foreigner who is married to a Thai and neither of us work and we have a mortgage through SCB. I could have dug into my investments and stumped up the entire money, but would substantially reduce my nest egg and kids education funds. SCB saw I am on an LTR, asked for three years of my income statements and tax returns from my home country to prove my income, took a 20% down payment and gave me a mortgage at 2.79%. I make 10-12% a year on my investments so it would be foolish to not use the bank’s money. I have done the same with two new vehicles with Tisco. They financed my truck 18 months ago with the same documents (no work permit) that SCB requested. They see my 10 year NCB history and know that I have excellent credit. We had a new addition to the family last month and I felt that the wife should have a car for herself and Tisco didn’t bat an eye at financing that one as well. Both at 1.89% for 48 months. So it can be done if you know the right people and have the financial documents and proof that you are here for a long stay (10 year LTR visa). Even AmEx Thailand gave me a 300,000 baht credit limit on an unsecured card based on my history with AmEx back home. With AmEx it is very easy to get a card here if you have a history with them elsewhere. So the bank owns my house until the mortgage is discharged and it will be in the wife’s name and I might be pushing up daisies by then. But it will be an asset that she has and no risk of the government ripping it out from under us. And I know someone (my old landlord) that is in a panic with five houses in a company name with his wife and him owning 49% and a woman that runs a massage shop is the 51% owner. And I know 100% she never put any of her own funds into it as he told me how he set it all up. His house of cards is likely to collapse and his “villa” is going to be yanked from under him along with his 4 town house rentals.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:38:10 +0000What makes you think that the anti-cannabis lobby is the minority of the public?Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:36:07 +0000I'll let you know if he actually comes out and tells us what he stands for and what he plans to do as PM. So far he's a pair of glasses on a blank face.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:34:58 +0000The old chestnut about, 'Brexit hasn't really been implemented/ done correctly', is getting a good airing here. Truth - and problem - is that when challenged to explain and expand on what they mean, those espousing this view have little to no idea what the 'real Brexit' should look like. I'll concede that there is, at least, one exception to this accusation:@JonnyF seems to believe that all laws which originated from the EU are bad laws and would remove them all from the UK stature book. Yep, that'll work🤦Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:33:14 +0000That's never been proposed.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:32:24 +0000Why the thumbs down lou ?Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:32:23 +0000When back home food is essential and part of the daily view as well.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:31:21 +0000As you're an educated poster, could you please write full words in English, rather than using asterisks. It's not a speech impediment issue, stammering in written form, is it? let me guess- 'Actively and openly working on voters and looking in their faces is relatively new.....'Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:30:02 +0000Lol! Have you seen the charging documents? 🤣Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:29:16 +0000How about a motorbike? And can you rent one when you visit?Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:27:19 +0000They would have made you push him in there on his bed, knowing this lot,Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:27:15 +0000Tall fescue/American Flag Blue grass perhaps?Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:26:28 +0000I thought that they hit you on the nose!Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:23:57 +0000Something wrong with your caps button? Suggest getting help from someone with GCSE who might be able to show you how to type. I'm not sure what GCSE is, as at the Grammar School I attended we only had O and A levels.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:23:43 +0000