Pimply faced teenage schoolmates Art, Odd and Arm have one common passion: street motorcycle racing. It is an illegal passion, but a hobby they say has earned them the love and attention they do not get at home.
To most people, they are known as dek vaans — a derogatory term associated with aggression, unruly behaviour and public nuisance.
The three boys agreed that racing in the wee hours of the morning, with some of the best street racers, is not just a "cool" practice to boost the confidence of teenagers, but also a platform by which they can broaden their circle of friends and form a camaraderie that will last a lifetime.
"Senior racers look after us like fraternity brothers," said Arm, who studies in a vocational school in the Samut Prakan area. "They even pay for our repairs and help us to avoid fights. There are racers that do drugs, but we don't. People that push drugs in our circles are the ones that do not have enough money to pay for a more powerful engine and spare parts that would give them an advantage during the race."
A teenage motorcyle gang.
In each other's company, they spoke about a number of issues ranging from modifying and designing their bikes to generating the most ear-deafening sounds. If people did not realise that the boys were avid dek vaans, they could be mistaken for aspiring Moto GP racing enthusiasts.
"I was first invited to race by a friend who is a school dropout," began 15-year-old Art. "I enjoyed it a lot, even though I was just a spectator. Later I invited a group of my friends to race. It was an adrenalin-pumping experience, and the three of us were hooked. I know it is against the law, but I suppose that is what makes it exciting.
"We always change the racing venue to elude police detection. As they are clamping down on street racing now we try to search for new areas that are both secluded and have small sois which we can use to escape if police arrive."
Dek vaans make headlines almost every month, sometimes every week. In late May, the police arrested nearly 400 of them — including their female pillion riders, colloquially known as skoy girls — at their nocturnal races on Rajapruek Road, though dek vaans are common in many areas in Bangkok as well as the provinces. They're lawbreakers and troublemakers, their crimes ranging from disrupting traffic to being a road hazard, but dek vaans and skoy girls are also connected with other social ills, from economic difficulties to educational inadequacy and inner-city disenfranchisement.
In the hope of combating illegal street racing, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last week invoked Section 44 as a new measure to put an end to dek vaans. Under the new orders, gatherings for street racing are strictly prohibited.
Parents who fail to restrain their children aged under 18 from repeatedly taking part in street racing face a maximum of three months in prison and a fine of up to 30,000 baht. Owners of motorcycle accessory and modifying shops found to service cars or bikes for street racing, and even those who go along to just watch the races, will face punishments.
But for the three dek vaans who spoke to Life, the band of brothers they found on the streets matter as much to them as the illicit joy of racing.
Arm, 16, said not having his single mum home often made it easier for him to decide to join his friends for a night out for what he terms "fun and games". Street racing enables him to gamble while filling his free time meeting like-minded teens.
Odd, 15, opted to give street racing a go to kill boredom.
"There are no places to indulge in sports or other activities where I live, so street racing was a great outlet for me," he said.
"We attend races held during the weekend which are buzzing with activity because everyone takes it seriously. As it is held in the early hours of the morning, we usually sleep during the day so we are well rested during races."
Their reasons for breaking the law vary. Art said it was a challenge not getting caught by the police, while Arm talked about the darker allure, saying "the risk of getting hurt can be exciting". Odd said he races to prove that his machine has a more powerful engine than his competitor.
Senior dek vaans often hang out at the motorcycle accessory shops because one of the main points of honour is how loud your bike's engine is — exactly why they're despised by so many city people. If they find you are worth competing against, they will have one of their friends invite you to compete.
During the competition, racers are usually paired in twos. Winners get to make fun of the losing party and ask them for a rematch.
Bikes of one gang.
The risk of accidents is high. The teens talk matter-of-factly about a near-miss with a 10-wheeler because they dozed off while riding back home and an accident that nearly had Arm's head squashed by an approaching vehicle.
None of them believe a motorcycle racing circuit will cause street racers to abandon public roads for a more controlled environment.
"We hate wearing a helmet, let alone the gear you are expected to wear in a controlled environment," said Odd.
"There is so much more adrenalin pumping into you when you have no idea what to expect. Above all, the excitement of going against the law and not being caught is the icing on the cake. That is the thrill we seek."
When Art was asked what he felt when a traffic policeman who was hit by a dek vaans died, the teen said with a poker face: "Frankly, I don't care. They treat us like rodents and give us no respect. If one of them becomes a casualty I don't see what is wrong. When they disrupt our races, they often kick us off are bikes when we try to escape.
"They don't have our best interests at heart because most of them are corrupt. For 100 baht, we are free to go." So what is the solution to this unfortunate phenomenon? The teens suggest having their parents spend more time with them.
"I would like my mother to take me for outdoor activities, maybe even the beach, but all she does is watch television when she is at home," said Art.
"I would like to have a place to play sports where I live, so when I am bored I can shoot some baskets. We race largely because there is nothing more interesting to do," said Odd.
Arm reflected a moment and then said: "If I can get to join a gym near my home and meet people who enjoy working out that would be a good start. Spending more quality time with my family might convince me to stay at home."
One gang.
* Nicknames used to protect their identities.
Social media, lack of parental guidance and the proliferation of a drug cocktail have all contributed to the scourge of street motorcycle racers, said Pol Maj Sanphet Jirasakul, a senior traffic inspector at Phra Khanong Police Station.
Catching them on the streets at night has become a nightmare for traffic police because they always remain one step ahead. So he believes the present government's legal move to address the problem of teen racers is a move in the right direction.
"Facebook is often used to organise races, so it's been really difficult for us to keep tabs on them," said Sanphet. Racing on streets has become more than just the act of disturbing the sleep of residents; drugs and prostitution have also ensued.
"Despite it being against the law, street racing has become an institution for its members, most of whom are social misfits. They pride themselves on the knowledge that they know a lot about bike engines and spare parts that generate noise and speed.
"Today racers are getting younger in age. The people that gain most from this are the motorcycle and accessory shops. Laws need to be tough but also administrated without any form of bias. There is no excuse, families have to get involved, while neighbours have to keep a look out for illegal activity in their communities. We can no longer afford to have a 'it is not my business' attitude."
The government's initiative to address the street racing dilemma has enabled the police to keep roads free of gangs, he said. Today there is a more proactive approach towards handling the issue, he stated. Police and soldiers work together to set up checkpoints from 10pm onwards, while arrests are also a joint effort. Informants are also given cash rewards. In the past, he admitted that laws were meted out more leniently; police made the occasional arrest and set up checkpoints, but usually to no avail.
"The current government has also given law enforcement the green light to catch racers regardless of whether they come from a prominent family," said Sanphet.
"This helps us to do our job without having to worry about the repercussions of catching bikers with famous names. Besides using the law to intervene, I would like to see families and community leaders take a more proactive approach towards guiding wayward street racers to complete their education. We also need more informants to help us catch people who continue to break the law by indulging in street racing.
"Cough medicine Procodyl, mixed with a paracetamol tablet and coca cola, is currently a popular concoction among the youth. This gets them high enough to make them believe they are invincible. I would say 50% of street racers take drugs, so it is definitely a social issue that needs to be attended to quickly before the situation gets out of hand."
While the government is drafting stricter laws against street racing, he suggests they come up with a clause which will make it more difficult for young people to purchase motorcycles.
But dek vaans aren't the only problem. Street racing is practised by rich people too, in the form of big bikes and chopper motorcycles, Sanphet explains. This is not to mention the hit-and-run cases involving luxury cars.
"Unlike dek vaans, these riders are in their 40s, financially well off and ride together in large groups. We have observed that their bikes are altered in a manner which goes against the law. It is a daunting task for a low-ranking traffic police officer to give them a ticket because of their position in society."