Students from Thepsirin School pay attention to details and pictures of the 22 Bangkok governor candidates, put up at a balloting unit outside their school in Pomprap Sattruphai district. Tomorrow is the final day for correcting voter lists.

None has policies that cater to their need

ANCHALEE KONGRUT

Young people in the city are upset with all Bangkok governor candidates, saying none of them offers policies that cater to their need.

Chadchai Chearraman, director of Youth News Agency, an alternative news agency run by students, said most of the candidates' youth-related policies sounded too serious and depressive. For example, they talked about attempts to tackle domestic violence and rape, while young people just want simple things like public libraries that are fun to visit or public places for them to hang out and do things together.

The opinions of young people in Bangkok were polled recently by Youth News Agency and the ``Operation Pineapple Eyes'' radio programme.

Some 1,000 youngsters, aged 15-18, posted their opinions on the www.thailandkids.com website, or talked to radio and television hosts at AM 891 KHz and TTV1 cable television channel.

``They think youth projects do not have to be gloomy. In fact, they could be positive, and encourage children to develop their creativity,'' Mr Chadchai told a press conference on Sunday.

According to the opinion survey, young people want the new Bangkok governor to work on seven issues as follows:

FPush for longer service hours at the National Library and other public libraries. They also want the libraries to open on weekends and at night. Libraries should be made more attractive with a computer on-line system and interesting activities.

FProvide facilities to make life easier for disabled students. For example, public buses should be equipped with a loudspeaker system to let blind passengers know where they are and when to get off. Also, pavements and elevators should be improved to accommodate wheelchaired students.

FSet aside the city's AM 873 radio frequency for children's programmes and public service programmes.

FPush for public telephones that show the identity of callers, so this would be helpful in tracing missing children, prank calls or criminals.

FProvide more public hangout places for youngsters where they can engage in constructive activities, such as children's radio programmes, art, music, or sports activities.



FHelp provide free public school education in Bangkok, or make it as cheap as possible

FRemove all pornographic magazines from newsstands and bookstores.

Arisara Sangsiriwat, a Mathayom 6 student at Rajavinij Bang Khae School who also works as a DJ at a children's radio station, said children did not mind the fact adults buy and sell porn magazines as long as they did it with discretion.

``But if they want to keep dirty things out of children's brains, set a good precedent by removing all those porn magazines from the shelves,'' said the 18-year-old student.