Watchdog Targets Shop After Teen Dies In Drinkrelated Crash

[webfact]

Watchdog targets shop after teen dies in drinkrelated crash

By The Nation

A watchdog agency wants authorities to penalise a shop for abusing the Alcohol Control Act by allegedly selling alcoholic drinks to a 17yearold who died after a drunken car accident last week. "We are now asking the police at Bang Khen Station to arrest the shop's owner an have him sentenced to a oneyear jail term as punishment," said Dr Saman Futrakul, director of the consumption control committee of the Disease Control Department's Office of Alcohol Beverages.

According to Article 29 of the 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, persons under 17 are not allowed to buy such beverages. Shop owners who sells such items to them face a year in prison and a fine of Bt20,000.

"His friend who was a witness told police that the 17yearold was drinking alcohol at a shop in KasetNawamin Road before he died," Saman said. "There are many shops, pubs, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues still selling alcohol to young people."

A deputy director of a hospital in Nan province, Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaipoon, said about 25 teenagers were sent to undergo medical treatment there for drinking problems each year. Many become disabled after accidents. No Nicotine and Alcohol Youth Network coordinator Jiraporn Kamonrangson said she wanted the government to enforce the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act strictly to take legal action against those who sell alcoholic beverages to teenagers.

"We don't want to count the number of fatalities every Songkran watersplashing and New Year festival," she said. The Ministry of Education should also monitor alcohol consumption among teenagers during sports days. "The Ministry should take this issue seriously and make schools 100 per cent free from alcohol," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-25

[Humphrey Bear]

The article says that the shop-keeper is not allowed to sell alcohol to under 17s. This kid was seventeen. So how can anyone prosecute the shop-keeper?

And for some chairman of an NGO to 'instruct' the police to not only arrest the guy, but to ensure he gets found guilty and is sentenced to a year in prison means that he considers he controls the jury and the judge (assuming the court system is judge/jury or similar).

The man is obviously a megalomaniac - should be promoted to prime minister.

[AngelofDeath]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

[Daffy D]

Sure blame anyone and everyone except the parents who had seventeen years to bring him up right and teach him responsibility.

[falangjim]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

Tells about the kid, the parent(s) and the shopkeeper, the traffic police, the car manufacturer and the booze factory...oh where does it end? How about at the beginning--just the kid.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts have been deleted.

[cup-O-coffee]

I see kids as young as 6 and 7 going to the mini marts all the time purchasing alcohol for their parents (or so they imply).

The irresponsible element here is that this watchdog group; no! the reporter is not reporting why this dead kid deserves the attention this article is providing.

What are the facts behind this incident that constitutes an extra portion of action or sympathy? Was he a straight A student? Did he have a criminal record? Was he there, telling the cashier that he was buying some alcohol for his family? Was the kid known by the seller?

Much like the feral dogs in this society, no one gives a dam_n about the feral kids until something happens; and then the bleeding heart idealists use the unfortunate victims status to press their agenda, no matter how out of sync their agenda is when you back off and look at it compared to the other laws.

Kids do this all the time everywhere. They ride and even race motorbikes without helmets, and they die. Should the idiotic watchdog group also imprison the owners of the motorbikes (i.e. the parents) because they allowed their children to ride and hence break the law? Answer: No! The watchdog group's nose is so damaged and useless that it couldn't smell a real situation if there noses were smashed into it.

A 16-year old girl can use a Mercedes Benz as a murder weapon and kill a mini van full of innocent people. Where is the dam_n watchdog group there?

And why quote laws only when it is convenient?

This is a degenerate situation that is described by degenerate reporting; again!

The watchdog group should get stuffed! Quoting laws...

Too many people quote here, and too few enforce their own terms, and natural selection wins the day again!

[eddie61]

Sure blame anyone and everyone except the parents who had seventeen years to bring him up right and teach him responsibility.

whatever: I think the government should help the poor shopkeeper, the poor kid, the poor victim, the poor parents, the poor liquor distributor.

It's all the governments fault: let the poor taxpayer pick up the tab.

[atyclb]

Thai government passed the commendable no smoking law but PD either dont enforce it, dont care (bribed) or business don't care about the health of employees and customers.

[endure]

I see there's a lot of high horses riding the range today. Is there anyone on this thread who hadn't had alcohol by the age of 17?

[kartman]

Minimum age for driving a car 18 years so if he had observed that all he would have had is a headache.

[x5david]

The Ministry of Education should also monitor alcohol consumption among teenagers during sports days. "The Ministry should take this issue seriously and make schools 100 per cent free from alcohol," she said. This part of the story is more amazing....alcohol consumption on campus during sports days???

[ozzieovaseas]

If this is the same accident i am thinking of the kid had indeed been drinking all afternoon at some sort of party or function. The car was a complete mess as he lost control and ran smack bang into a tree at high speed. Being later in the evening i guess it was lucky no other motorists were involved.

One can only imagine how these parents must feel, and if the guilt incurred from "loosening the reigns" on kids might rub off on other Thai parents.

Very sad.

edit: Just to add....A Thai friend who was in the area at the time heard the 17y.o was a passenger in the vehicle, and not the driver. Driver was 19 according to her.

Edited August 25, 2011 by ozzieovaseas

[surangw]

sounds like this watch dog is humping the publics's leg agin ( trying to look busy whilst actually doing nothing)

[Beetlejuice]

The article says that the shop-keeper is not allowed to sell alcohol to under 17s. This kid was seventeen. So how can anyone prosecute the shop-keeper?

And for some chairman of an NGO to 'instruct' the police to not only arrest the guy, but to ensure he gets found guilty and is sentenced to a year in prison means that he considers he controls the jury and the judge (assuming the court system is judge/jury or similar).

The man is obviously a megalomaniac - should be promoted to prime minister.

Right on.

There could be many factors involved here.

Perhaps the teen looked a lot older than his actual age, he was served by an inexperienced member of staff without the knowledge of the owner and so on.

Otherwise this sounds like a guilty before proven innocent assumption.

[ajarnmark]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

Tells about the kid, the parent(s) and the shopkeeper, the traffic police, the car manufacturer and the booze factory...oh where does it end? How about at the beginning--just the kid.

How could parents allow a 17 years to drive anything? I will never allow my kids to drive till they have a valid driving license...

Having said that, i do feel sorry for the family... and the kid... RIP... :jap:

[cup-O-coffee]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

Tells about the kid, the parent(s) and the shopkeeper, the traffic police, the car manufacturer and the booze factory...oh where does it end? How about at the beginning--just the kid.

How could parents allow a 17 years to drive anything? I will never allow my kids to drive till they have a valid driving license...

Having said that, i do feel sorry for the family... and the kid... RIP... :jap:

Stories like this have left my "sorry" trampled in the dust. Rather, I feel embarrassed for people who don't have tight reigns on their kids, until said kids can prove their responsibility. But then again, how can you expect an 80 year old grandmother to do it all?

When I put my infant son on the bed (he loves to rumple in the pillows) I keep a close watch on when he frog kicks to the edge and gets into the "red-zone". Yes! He does not yet understand the consequences of sailing over the edge of the bed and hitting the tiles a half meter below. Were I to allow him to do so, and then hire a watch dog group to put the manager of Home Pro (who sold me the bed) in jail for a year, then we would have the same principle and psychology!

I'll be glad to read the article the day it is printed; where the parents were jailed and the kids put in a proper foster home. As long as people are allowed the right to breed without responsibility and care for their offspring, these stories will contaminate one's logic, rationale and desire to have a child and love it forever.

[cup-O-coffee]

I see there's a lot of high horses riding the range today. Is there anyone on this thread who hadn't had alcohol by the age of 17?

First bottle of beer at the age of 21. Absolutely no alcohol before that time. I am saddled and riding atop a Shetland!

Edited August 27, 2011 by cup-O-coffee

[mca]

According to Article 29 of the 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, persons under 17 are not allowed to buy such beverages.

Well far be it from me to question the unerring accuracy of the Nation's reporting of events according to Article 29 of the Act itself the minimum age is 20.

http://www.lawreform.go.th/lawreform/images/th/content/en/484/c484_3.pdf

[tominbkk]

There are may places around town that allow kids in their early teens drink....especially if they are pretty girls. Mostly they are around Sukhumvit. All sanctioned by our fearless BIB, by the way. I know because there have been alerts via intercommunications amongst international school administrators on this problem. Nothing happens unless somebody dies in a car, gets raped, or a hiso teen gets into trouble, then the place closes down and the party moves to the next place that can afford the police protection.

[tartempion]

Sure blame anyone and everyone except the parents who had seventeen years to bring him up right and teach him responsibility.

You think a 15 year young kid is going to listen to his parents?

Som nam na

[softgeorge]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

Tells about the kid, the parent(s) and the shopkeeper, the traffic police, the car manufacturer and the booze factory...oh where does it end? How about at the beginning--just the kid.

You forgot Thatskin he normally get the blame for everything.

[cup-O-coffee]

I don't think anyone has to blame for his death except for the kid himself. Drink driving, eh? It tells a lot about the kid.

Tells about the kid, the parent(s) and the shopkeeper, the traffic police, the car manufacturer and the booze factory...oh where does it end? How about at the beginning--just the kid.

You forgot Thatskin he normally get the blame for everything.