Over 400 motorcyclists rounded up at Royal Plaza

BANGKOK: -- Police laid a siege around the Royal Plaza late Saturday night and managed to rounded up over 400 motorcyclists for allegedly racing on roads and illegally modifying their machines.

The massive arrests were made about half an hour past midnight.

Many of the 400 motorcycles, which were stopped and inspected by police were seized for breaching many counts of traffic laws.

Riders of the motorcycles were taken to the Dusit Police station for criminal records pending contracts of their parents as many of them are under 18 years old.

Police from the Metropolitan Division 1 and 191 Special Force laid siege on all roads leading to the Royal Plaza and left only the U-thong Road for the motorcyclists to exit where they were arrested by the waiting officers.

Police moved in to make the arrests following complaints by people that the motorcyclists made an illegal assembly there to race on the roads and they made very loud noises by modifying their exhausted pipes.

Police said they received complaints at 9 pm that about 1,000 motorcycles were gathering at the Royal Plaza to race, causing traffic snarls and very loud noises in the areas. But when police moved in, they managed to scatter and free on several connected roads.

They gathered again at 11 pm but this time police planned the arrest by moving in from all roads, blocking their escape routes.

--The Nation 2006-08-13

wow ... 400 bikes .... and no guns or machetes etc etc

in fact no drugs etc!!! WOW!