Residents urge authorities to put an end to foreign motorbike gangs

[reader]

From The Nation

Residents of tourist city Pattaya in Chonburi province have urged police to investigate gangs of motorcycle riders in the sois off South Pattaya Road in Bang Lamung district whose behaviour at night has become a noisy nuisance.

The gangs, mostly made up of Arabian tourists aged 17 to 25, have been racing bikes at high speed in Soi VC Residence Hotel and Soi Yensabai from around midnight onwards, a Pattaya resident told the Nation on Thursday.

Some are using bikes with modified tailpipes to up the noise level, he said, adding that those who did not participate in the race also rode their bikes up and down the street in the pack, without observing the traffic laws.

The resident said that this has been going on for about two months and that these tourists were mostly using rental bikes from local businesses.

“We want police and related authorities to look into these gangs that have been causing such a nuisance and jeopardising the safety of other motorists in Pattaya,” he said. “We also ask that they check the local bike rental shops to make sure that they only provide street-legal vehicles to tourists.”

Bike rental is a popular business in the eastern resort city as it offers affordable and fast transport for tourists wishing to visit local markets, attractions and beaches of Pattaya. Prices start from 150 baht per day.

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The following excerpt from Barry Kenyon's recent column highlights the dilemma the Pattaya tourism industry is facing at the moment.

The much-proclaimed Indian market in Pattaya has also ceased expansion and promises of mass flights from dozens of Indian cities to U-tapao haven’t been fulfilled. Meanwhile, Cambodia is preparing to open two international airports in the next 12 months which will be able to accommodate intercontinental wide-bodied jets for the first time. “There is growing competition from neighbors such as Cambodia and Vietnam, whilst Pattaya is struggling to repair its roads,” said a Thai tourism association spokesperson. He added that many business people were concerned that the potentially-violent controversies over the appointment of a new Thai prime minister could spill over into bad news for international tourism.

 

[reader]

From Pattaya News

Police Seize 15 Motorbikes as Kuwaiti Motorbike Racers Remain a Problem

Residents and business operators in South Pattaya are still frustrated with the persistent presence of noisy Middle Eastern street racers gathering at night. Some hotel residents even moved from the area to avoid the unbearable nuisance, according to hotel operators.

Police officers from the Pattaya police station raided Soi Yen Sabai in South Pattaya early this morning today, July 31st, following residents’ complaints that young adults, mostly Kuwaiti nationals, had congregated in the alley and caused noise disturbances with their rented modified motorcycles.

The complaints stated that these young men revved up their engines, blocked the entire alley with their vehicles, parked in front of houses without permission, and drove loudly up and down the street without any regard for traffic rules. They also claimed the riders never wore helmets and had no valid licenses or insurance.

When the police arrived to inspect the situation at 1 AM, they found the road inside Soi Yen Sabai completely blocked by parked motorcycles, making it impossible for regular traffic to pass through.

The police then used patrol cars with sirens and made announcements to disperse the Kuwaiti group, but the group seemed indifferent and stood together, watching and somewhat seemingly amused by the authorities.

At the end of the operation, the officers seized 15 of the motorcycles that were blocking traffic and would proceed with legal actions against the tourists and the motorbike rental agencies accordingly.

[reader]

From Pattaya News

Thai Police Pledge to Eradicate Foreign Motorcycle Clubs

By Tanakorn Panyadee

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are on the hunt for five major foreign motorcycle clubs operating on Thai soil following a crackdown on the notorious Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Pattaya last month.

The RTP on July 21st launched a crackdown on the Outlaws group and arrested the alleged Austrian gang leader Thomas Ginner just as he was preparing to flee the country.

According to the RTP, Ginner’s motorbike club was notorious for engaging in transnational crimes and was implicated in an incident in which a German gang member named Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann was accused of murdering Hans Peter Walter Mack, a 62-year-old German property broker, in Pattaya last June. Brinkmann was arrested while hiding in a type of cubby hole at an Outlaws clubhouse in Bangkok.

Following Brinkmann and his three accomplices’ arrest and a crackdown on the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the RTP are now targeting five major motorcycle clubs operating in the country. These clubs include Outlaws Motorcycle Club or Outlaws MC, Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or Hells Angels, the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, which is also known as the Bandido Nation, the Mongols Motorcycle Club or the Mongol Brotherhood, and the Vagos Motorcycle Club, which is also known as the Green Nation, the Bangkok Post reported.

Most of the clubs are managed by Australian nationals and operate mainly in tourist destinations across Thailand such as Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani, and Pattaya, allegedly targeting foreigners for protection fees in exchange for them to run businesses in the area. They occasionally even abduct or commit murders against foreigners for money, the RTP said.

Typically, the gangs do not meddle with Thai people as they know it will land them in trouble more easily than when they do with foreigners.

part from Thailand, these gangs have members around the world, allegedly committing various kinds of illegal activities such as narcotic drug distribution, assault, theft, loan-sharking, fraud, money laundering, or murder, the Bangkok Post reported.

Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn stated that the gang members tend to favor Thailand due to the lack of strict law enforcement and corrupt officials.

He cited the outdated 1979 Immigration Act, which allows foreigners aged above 50 to easily live in Thailand only if they have 800,000 baht in their bank account or an income certificate with a monthly salary not less than 65,000 baht.

Due to the existence of these dangerous gangs, aware foreign tourists feel discouraged to visit Pattaya or invest in the Eastern Seaboard, causing huge damage to the country, Pol Gen Surachate said.

As part of the efforts, Pol Gen Surachate promised that he would propose an amendment to the immigration law, especially concerning retirement visa extensions, through the police chief once a new government takes office. This aims to filter out bad people and make the law truly helpful for investors or someone who innocently want to live in Thailand.

For biker gangs, he ensured that at least one of them, the Outlaws, has been completely weeded out from Pattaya. The police are now extending their investigation to Phuket and Koh Samui.

[reader]

From Pattaya News

Robbery Incident Against Kuwaiti Tourists Turns Out to Be Bad Prank

A male foreigner was seen in a viral video clip flaunting a gun at a group of Kuwaiti tourists and allegedly robbing them at a famous viewpoint in Pattaya on August 2nd. However, it later turned out that the whole harrowing incident was just a bad “prank” orchestrated by the Kuwaiti tourists themselves, according to the Pattaya police.

In a 1.39-minute-long video recording, a man who appeared to be in his 20s to 30s and of foreign descent was seen. He was dressed in a black shirt, dark trousers, and stood at approximately 170 centimeters tall. The man held a pistol and ordered to line up and sit down a group of more than 10 foreign tourists, who bore a resemblance to Middle Eastern men. The man seemed to be threatening the tourists with his weapon.

Led by police chief Pol Col Thanapong Phothi, the police officers collected CCTV recordings of the incident and interviewed nearby vendors for more clues. The new evidence, however, led to an unexpected turn of events as the police discovered that the entire harrowing robbery was just a bad joke pulled by the Kuwaiti tourists themselves, stated Pol Col Thanapong.

Mr. Kyaw and Mr. Nay claimed that they were smoking tobacco at the viewpoint, when they were approached by a group of 10-15 Kuwaiti tourists seen in the video, who raced their motorbikes up to the viewpoint. One of the tourists then asked Mr. Gaew in English to use his “pistol lighter,” the one seen in the video, to pretend to rob them while acting as a mafia boss.

Promising it would be just for fun, the tourists also requested Mr. Kyaw to force them to sit in a row on the edge of a cliff and point a gun at them, while Mr. Nay was tasked with recording the prank, using the tourist’s phone.

Mr. Kyaw and Mr. Nay told the police that the tourists had uploaded the video to TikTok, but they never expected it to receive so much attention or damage Pattaya’s reputation. They apologized for their thoughtless actions, saying that they had only intended to help the tourists with their silly content.

If it is determined that the two individuals intentionally damaged Pattaya’s reputation with their video, they will also face charges under the Computer Crime Act, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to 5 years, a fine not exceeding 100,000 baht, or both imprisonment and a fine.

Meanwhile, on August 3rd, Pattaya police were able to round up four Kuwaiti tourists in the video. They were identified as MR. Meshal Alazemi, 20, MR. Ahmad Alazemi, 19, MR .Moharnmad Alazemi, 19, and MR. Mobarak Alazemi, 20. All of them were using tourist visas valid for 30 days.

Six other tourists are still on the loose. The arrested were charged with the same offense as the two Burmese suspects. Pol Col Thanapong mentioned that he intends to submit a request to the relevant committee, seeking a decision on whether to deport and place these tourists on a blacklist to prohibit their future entry into Thailand due to their reckless conduct.

[Olddaddy]

I saw on the news the Australian Federal Police are now opening up a office in Pattaya to deal with crime by Australians !🤣

[reader]

From The Nation

Motorbike collision sparks street fight between Thais and Kuwaitis

Panicked residents living on Soi Yensabai in Pattaya City had to rush out of their homes to stop a street fight between Thai locals and Kuwaiti tourists at about 15 minutes before 1am today.

The street fight took place in front of a restaurant after a group of Thais on motorbikes chased down a group of Kuwaiti tourists on motorbikes in an attempt to negotiate a settlement for a motorcycle collision the Thais blamed on a Kuwaiti tourist. 

They said the Kuwaitis fled the scene of the collision on their motorbikes and that they pursued them to the soi.  

The attempt to negotiate compensation turned into a street brawl, witnesses said.

The young Thais later apologised to the owner of the restaurant that the brawl erupted in front of and promised to pay compensation for damages to the venue.

The Thais also filed a police complaint against the Kuwaiti tourists for compensation for the motorcycle collision.

[reader]

From The Nation

Notorious Arab motorbike riders were forced to cancel their road-racing plans after some 200 policemen and Interior Ministry officials were deployed to keep law and order on Pattaya roads late on Saturday night.

Officers from Pattaya Police Station and officials from Chonburi provincial administration were deployed to check the roads and sois where local residents have complained about road racing and the blocking of traffic by Arab youngsters, mostly tourists from Kuwait. Interior Ministry officials also joined the operation.

Most of the riders parked their motorbikes on the roadside as soon as they saw the officials approaching.

Some, however, were defiant and continued riding their bikes, only to be stopped and fined for violating traffic laws.

The officials did not arrest those who had parked their bikes, but they were interrogated and found to be mostly Kuwaiti teenagers.

Police said the interrogation of some 200 youngsters continued into the early hours of Sunday.

Last week, Pattaya police held a meeting with other agencies concerned to discuss measures to prevent road racing, which has become popular among Arab tourists but is making life difficult for local people.

Motorbike rental companies have been warned to strictly check the identification particulars of tourists and their driving licences before renting out bikes.

 

[Keithambrose]

12 hours ago, reader said:

From The Nation

Notorious Arab motorbike riders were forced to cancel their road-racing plans after some 200 policemen and Interior Ministry officials were deployed to keep law and order on Pattaya roads late on Saturday night.

Officers from Pattaya Police Station and officials from Chonburi provincial administration were deployed to check the roads and sois where local residents have complained about road racing and the blocking of traffic by Arab youngsters, mostly tourists from Kuwait. Interior Ministry officials also joined the operation.

Most of the riders parked their motorbikes on the roadside as soon as they saw the officials approaching.

Some, however, were defiant and continued riding their bikes, only to be stopped and fined for violating traffic laws.

The officials did not arrest those who had parked their bikes, but they were interrogated and found to be mostly Kuwaiti teenagers.

Police said the interrogation of some 200 youngsters continued into the early hours of Sunday.

Last week, Pattaya police held a meeting with other agencies concerned to discuss measures to prevent road racing, which has become popular among Arab tourists but is making life difficult for local people.

Motorbike rental companies have been warned to strictly check the identification particulars of tourists and their driving licences before renting out bikes.

 

Does this mean anything, or just a gesture?