Children Under 18 To Face Curfew In Bangkok

[webfact]

Children under 18 to face curfew in Bangkok

The Metropolitan Police will issue a directive to prohibit children under 18 years old from leaving home after 10 pm without justified reasons, the bureau spokesman said Thursday.

Metropolitan Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo said the ban was aimed preventing youths from hanging out at night and committing crime or becoming crime victims.

Piya said if police found children under 18 hanging out at night without justified reasions they would be takenn to police stations and they would be have criminal records and their parents would be called to pick them up.

He said students, who finish class at tuition schools late at night, would be exempted from the curfew.

-- The Nation 2011-01-13

[somtampet]

Going to be very quiet on Nana and Cowboy

[TheWalkingMan]

An enforced curfew? I have my doubts that this will work.

TheWalkingMan

[coma]

Just as they announce that they are going to cut crime by 20% within the next six months. They go and make more pathetic laws that cannot be possibley be enforced without a major draw on already lacking police manpower.This law in itself will raise criminal acts in Bangkok 10 fold with the ammount of youths out after 10pm. I mean.... Please!

[spiderleghead]

again the rich against the poor. the students who can afford to go to tuition classes (and have spare cash from mummy and daddy to buy cigarettes, booze and the odd gram of cheap powder) will be free, but the poorer kids will be picked up. same old.

[Soutpeel]

And how the h*ll are they going to enforce it, and on what basis would someone be given a criminal record ?, I always thought it was a court of law who decided not the police,

Seems to me this is a revenue making exercise for Thailand's finest...who decides what are the "justified reasons"....let me guess.... the BiB...

And you presence on the streets after 22:00 will be justified after a small contribution to the policemans ball

Once again another hair brained scheme brought to you with compliments of the RTP..

So what do we have this week ?

Reduce crime by 20% in the next 6 months in BKK

All 18 years old off the streets by 10:00pm

A crack down on drugs

These boys are going to be busy

[Thailand]

[thailandbluegrass]

What a third world country Thailand is trying to be. This is the stupidest things I have heard for a long time. So now when one of these poor children are out after 10:00pm they will end up with a criminal record? That should really help there future when looking for a job.

Wasn't it a few days ago that this Government declared that Education should be first in line? Yeah this really helps that.

God I whish I could afford to get out of this backwards Country now.

And to all of you with children, what a sad day this is when the police can just hand out Criminal Records to children.

[kitiya1980]

No worries i've seen lots of em were waiting for shoppin centre to open at 11 am erm...they supposed to be in school? wait only in BKK? how about another areas? wow that'd be great!!

Edited January 13, 2011 by kitiya1980

[Svante]

What a third world country Thailand is trying to be. This is the stupidest things I have heard for a long time. So now when one of these poor children are out after 10:00pm they will end up with a criminal record? That should really help there future when looking for a job.

Wasn't it a few days ago that this Government declared that Education should be first in line? Yeah this really helps that.

God I whish I could afford to get out of this backwards Country now.

And to all of you with children, what a sad day this is when the police can just hand out Criminal Records to children.

If you could afford to get here in the first place, surely you can get out of here as well.

[asiawatcher]

This would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic. Love to hear the PM explain this is was this announced by some rogue cop? Unbelievable.

[Pib]

An enforced curfew? I have my doubts that this will work.

There will be new signs put up around Bangkok that say, "If You Are Under 18 and It's Pass 10pm, Please Call This Police Number, Report Your Location, and Stay There Until the Police Arrive"

See, simple to enforce. I bet you this is the BIB implementation plan.

[ginjag]

No worries i've seen lots of em were waiting for shoppin centre to open at 11 am erm...they supposed to be in school? wait only in BKK? how about another areas? wow that'd be great!!

So your not at risk outside of Bkk, 13-18 is o.k. in Pattaya always has been, and Ph/ChM/Sam-the rest. O.k. kids if you want a good time go out of Bkk area, So students are o.k. exempt--then many can still ply for trade after 10-as long as they study first. Its more of a joke everyday. I have not a brilliant brain-but I think a lot of common sense, To think how much money they are paid, to come up with a totally brilliant--stupid idea.

[rreddin]

What a third world country Thailand is trying to be. This is the stupidest things I have heard for a long time. So now when one of these poor children are out after 10:00pm they will end up with a criminal record? That should really help there future when looking for a job.

Wasn't it a few days ago that this Government declared that Education should be first in line? Yeah this really helps that.

God I whish I could afford to get out of this backwards Country now.

And to all of you with children, what a sad day this is when the police can just hand out Criminal Records to children.

The idea might have some merit if these youngsters were taken home and their parents required to explain to the BiB why they let their kids roam the streets late at night.

[Pib]

What a third world country Thailand is trying to be. This is the stupidest things I have heard for a long time. So now when one of these poor children are out after 10:00pm they will end up with a criminal record? That should really help there future when looking for a job.

Wasn't it a few days ago that this Government declared that Education should be first in line? Yeah this really helps that.

God I whish I could afford to get out of this backwards Country now.

And to all of you with children, what a sad day this is when the police can just hand out Criminal Records to children.

The idea might have some merit if these youngsters were taken home and their parents required to explain to the BiB why they let their kids roam the streets late at night.

I agree the idea may have merit. Just like the law a person has to have a motorcyle license to drive a motorcycle but there are tens-of-thousands upon tens-of-thousands, probably millions, of kids without a license drving motorcyles everyday throughout Thailand...but I will admit I have seen one or two with helmets on as they drive through the police checkpoint.

When more laws are implemented and continue to be ignored and/or not enforced by the police, it just increases corruption and disregard of the laws.

Edited January 13, 2011 by Pib

[Bagwan]

I seem to remember that this was promulgated a few years ago. So they've brought it out again. Doh! Still what can you expect when there are no more than handful of mental institutions available in Thailand?

If you think that this defies common sense I can assure you that the powers that be are capable of far greater insanities. A few years ago it was announced that to combat crime no police officer below the rank of Colonel was permitted to play golf. I bet that had the criminal fraternity quaking in their flip flops. Perhaps is was to give the 'masterminds' an alibi when a crime went down?

[pgangeles]

Just as they announce that they are going to cut crime by 20% within the next six months. They go and make more pathetic laws that cannot be possibley be enforced without a major draw on already lacking police manpower.This law in itself will raise criminal acts in Bangkok 10 fold with the ammount of youths out after 10pm. I mean.... Please!

Give them a break, they are trying to do something, anything to get youth crime down to a minimum. Many countries around the world have somewhat similar curfews. To do nothing is a crime. Do you know where your children will be after 10:00 PM? If you have any.

[pgangeles]

This would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic. Love to hear the PM explain this is was this announced by some rogue cop? Unbelievable.

So I would guess that your thinking is the young adults or children are better off roaming the streets late at night. Force the parents to get off there dead ars and pick up there kid from the police station and explain why there 15 year old was on the street at 1:00 AM. Your right it is pathetic only because some people think this is all laughable.

[rubl]

Piya said if police found children under 18 hanging out at night without justified reasions they would be takenn to police stations and they would be have criminal records and their parents would be called to pick them up.

I assume Thai parents in Bangkok will still be able to sent kids to the shop around the corner to buy beer, whiskey and cigarettes late at night?

[dumpling]

A rule kim jong il would be proud of

[ginjag]

Piya said if police found children under 18 hanging out at night without justified reasions they would be takenn to police stations and they would be have criminal records and their parents would be called to pick them up.

I assume Thai parents in Bangkok will still be able to sent kids to the shop around the corner to buy beer, whiskey and cigarettes late at night?

It has just been anounced on Thai T.V. that the curfew applies to the whole of Thailand. So my earlier post is now only partly correct. PLEASE NOTE THIS.

[ginjag]

I just replied re the curfew---it applies to the whole of Thailand

[coma]

Just as they announce that they are going to cut crime by 20% within the next six months. They go and make more pathetic laws that cannot be possibley be enforced without a major draw on already lacking police manpower.This law in itself will raise criminal acts in Bangkok 10 fold with the ammount of youths out after 10pm. I mean.... Please!

Give them a break, they are trying to do something, anything to get youth crime down to a minimum. Many countries around the world have somewhat similar curfews. To do nothing is a crime. Do you know where your children will be after 10:00 PM? If you have any.

You said it exactly. Responsibility lies with the parents. Not with law enforcement.

[WhingeingMoaners]

It might sound overly protective to impose a curfew on the kids, but to some extent the measure is needed. It is for their own sake; for their own safety as well as preventing them from causing a public nuisance after dark. Most importantly, I don't think it's sensible for Thai children to venture out after dusk since nowadays the city and other big Thai provinces seem to be saturated with sick-minded farangs who seek to prey on minors.

[rubl]

It might sound overly protective to impose a curfew on the kids, but to some extent the measure is needed. It is for their own sake; for their own safety as well as preventing them from causing a public nuisance after dark. Most importantly, I don't think it's sensible for Thai children to venture out after dusk since nowadays the city and other big Thai provinces seem to be saturated with sick-minded farangs who seek to prey on minors.

I have no statistics on this, but doubt criminal cases against 17-or-less old children committed by farang are only a very minor part of all crimes against children. Most is 'Thai only' business. Mind you the new curfew is also meant to combat crimes by children.

PS to be sure, in no way do I want to defend 'sick-minded' farang, neither sick-minded Thai.

[Bagwan]

Give them a break, they are trying to do something, anything to get youth crime down to a minimum. Many countries around the world have somewhat similar curfews. To do nothing is a crime. Do you know where your children will be after 10:00 PM? If you have any.

Yes they are trying to do something, but only in theory. The main thrust of posters is that this is unenforceable and the lawmakers should know that. The announcement is only hot air. As you may have noticed policemen do only those things that they are instructed to do. If they are told to collect from those not wearing a helmet they will not do anything about 4 people on one bike. When they stop anybody do they check whether they have a licence or insurance, that all the lights work, do the tyres have enough tread on them? Wouldn't it then follow that specific policemen were instructed to scour the streets for young persons and they would do nothing else? They have the manpower to do that?

Outside of the cities I have never encountered a cop after dark so that leaves lots of villages where this law will not be implemented. I would go along with parents being made top collect their kids from the nick and given a police warning. Subsequent offences would attract fines. In the UK parents who do not control the activities of their kids are brought before magistrates and some instructed to attend parenting classes. My mind boggled at this but then I realised that the grandparents were not up to the mark either so that there had been no example for them to follow. A classic case of ignorance breeds more ignorance.

[rubl]

I have no statistics on this, but doubt criminal cases against 17-or-less old children committed by farang are only a very minor part of all crimes against children. Most is 'Thai only' business. Mind you the new curfew is also meant to combat crimes by children.

PS to be sure, in no way do I want to defend 'sick-minded' farang, neither sick-minded Thai.

I hate it when I make a mistake like this. I hope all understand 'doubt ... are only a very minor part' should be 'doubt ... are more than a very minor part'

Edited January 13, 2011 by rubl

[WhingeingMoaners]

I have no statistics on this, but doubt criminal cases against 17-or-less old children committed by farang are only a very minor part of all crimes against children. Most is 'Thai only' business. Mind you the new curfew is also meant to combat crimes by children.

PS to be sure, in no way do I want to defend 'sick-minded' farang, neither sick-minded Thai.

I hate it when I make a mistake like this. I hope all understand 'doubt ... are only a very minor part' should be 'doubt ... are more than a very minor part'

Sexual crime against minors by Caucasian men be it in Thailand or in western countries is widely documented. It is not very difficult to find the information to validate my statement. Anyone can simply google it on the internet, e.g, the recent case in the UK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-12143586 It is no wonder that kids in the west are scared to venture out on their own be it during the day or in the evening. If these men were not so perverted they would not spend their money travelling all over the world to abuse minors. The notoriety of male farangs in Thailand is widely discussed and there is nothing you people can do to alter the locals' negative perception. I don't doubt that there are some Thai men who are sick-minded, yet I don't see them going abroad like a lot of their Caucasian counterparts do - to carry out these heinous acts against children. And if they did, they would be punished severely. I find it utterly hypocritical of farangs to keep lecturing the locals about their sexual morality when they seem to have no problem breaching their own code of ethics.

[AZBill]

Going to be very quiet on Nana and Cowboy

This is going to be very interesting. My bet is that absolutely nothing will change and these bars will be permitted to continue their sexual exploitation of young children as they have always done. I hope I am wrong and I would be thrilled if I were. On its face, this is the kind of law that needed to be passed, but more importantly enforced! Would be a nice change but I tend to live in the real world.

[AZBill]

I have no statistics on this, but doubt criminal cases against 17-or-less old children committed by farang are only a very minor part of all crimes against children. Most is 'Thai only' business. Mind you the new curfew is also meant to combat crimes by children.

PS to be sure, in no way do I want to defend 'sick-minded' farang, neither sick-minded Thai.

I hate it when I make a mistake like this. I hope all understand 'doubt ... are only a very minor part' should be 'doubt ... are more than a very minor part'

Sexual crime against minors by Caucasian men be it in Thailand or in western countries is widely documented. It is not very difficult to find the information to validate my statement. Anyone can simply google it on the internet, e.g, the recent case in the UK: http://www.bbc.co.uk...hester-12143586 It is no wonder that kids in the west are scared to venture out on their own be it during the day or in the evening. If these men were not so perverted they would not spend their money travelling all over the world to abuse minors. The notoriety of male farangs in Thailand is widely discussed and there is nothing you people can do to alter the locals' negative perception. I don't doubt that there are some Thai men who are sick-minded, yet I don't see them going abroad like a lot of their Caucasian counterparts do - to carry out these heinous acts against children. And if they did, they would be punished severely. I find it utterly hypocritical of farangs to keep lecturing the locals about their sexual morality when they seem to have no problem breaching their own code of ethics.

Where is this" widely documented?" Yes there is abuse all over the world. As there are far more people who live in the "West" than in Thailand there will certainly be a larger number of incidences worldwide involving westerners. You dont see Thai men coming to the west to commit these acts because most cannot afford to travel and most cannot even obtain visas to countries like the US, UK and Australia without great difficulty. Anyway, why should they travel when they can get what they want at home without threat of any meaningful enforcement. You site one case in the west. I'll cite one to you then - my wife was raped by a Thai man in her village when she was 14. Unfortunately I cant give you a court citation because the man was never prosecuted despite everyone knowing who he was and what he did. So why would Thai men go abroad and face meaningful prosecution when they can get away with rape with impunity right at home. I dare say farang do not get away with such behavior even in Thailand, nor should they. The difference between the west and Thailand (and Asia in general) is that in the west there is usually meaningful enforcement against a rapist or abuser. In Thailand enforcement against a local is a farce and used primarily against foriegners. So it would only make sense that in a country where women are viewed as second class citizens whose main role is to take care of their male counterparts, and sexual abuse is not prosecuted, they would suffer more abuse from the local men as there are simply more of them. While sexual abuse cannot be condoned by anyone, it is not the farangs who created a society that fosters and tolerates this kind of abuse.But you must blame the west because as we all know, face saving is far more important than facing the truth in the LOS.