Street racers get warning from police

Damrongsak: Wants teens to be safe
Damrongsak: Wants teens to be safe

Police issued a stern warning on Tuesday against dek waen motorbike riders who have returned to take over the roads of Bangkok and some provinces after the government lifted the night-time curfew on Sunday.

The warning was issued on Tuesday by Pol Lt Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the assistant national police chief.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday issued a warning saying the government would reimpose the night-time curfew if people failed to cooperate with Covid-19 control measures.

Gen Prayut's warning followed media reports saying young motorcyclists, or dek waen, gathered for illegal street races on Sunday night shortly after the curfew was lifted.

According to the authorities, people have filed complaints about motorbike racing on major roads in Bangkok and some provinces.

"Police will take tough legal action against these dek waen," Damrongsak said.

He said six of them had been arrested in Songkhla.

The racers, aged 15-18 years old, were arrested for disturbing the peace after they gathered for illegal street racing on Sunday night after the night-time curfew was lifted, he said, adding their motorbikes were confiscated.

Damrongsak said each racer was fined 1,000 baht while three of them were told to pay additional fines of 500 baht each for driving without a licence.

The parents were fined for allowing the teenagers to go out at night, he said.

Members of the public are encouraged to report illegal street racing.

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Vocabulary

  • confiscate: to officially remove someone’s possessions for legal reasons or as a punishment   - ยึดทรัพย์
  • cooperate: to work with other people to achieve a result that is good for everyone involved - ร่วมมือกัน
  • curfew: a law that does not allow people to go outside between a particular time in the evening and a particular time in the morning - กฎอัยการศึก คือห้ามออกนอกบ้านในยามวิกาล
  • disturb: to interrupt somebody or cause them to stop when they are trying to work, sleep, etc - รบกวน
  • encourage: to make someone more likely to do something, or to make something more likely to happen - ปลุกใจ
  • file a complaint: to make an official statement that someone has done something wrong - ยื่นคำร้อง
  • licence: an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something - ใบอนุญาต
  • measures (noun): actions taken to solve a particular problem - มาตรการ
  • tough: demanding that particular rules be obeyed and ready to give out punishments to those who refuse - ที่ลงโทษร้ายแรง เข้มงวด

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