Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual

[Undaunted]

'Arabian Racing’ returns to Pattaya – Dashcam captures daylight street chaos on Sukhumvit Road

By Pattaya Mail

June 7, 2025

Street racing by groups of Middle Eastern tourists — often referred to locally as “Arabian racers” — has once again returned to Pattaya’s main thoroughfares, this time in broad daylight. A recent dashcam video circulating online shows three motorcycles without helmets speeding off aggressively at a red light on Sukhumvit Road, ignoring traffic laws entirely.

The video, believed to be filmed near Na Jomtien, has reignited public outrage over the reckless behavior of foreign riders who appear to be treating city streets as their personal racetrack. Concerned residents say the problem isn’t just limited to noise and disruption — it’s about real safety hazards to drivers, pedestrians, and even the riders themselves.

This isn’t the first time such racing activity has plagued Pattaya. In past incidents, groups of young riders — including foreign nationals and Thai youths — have regularly converged on Sukhumvit Road during weekends to race, pop wheelies, and show off their modified bikes. On some nights, more than 50 motorcycles have been seen taking over the road, creating loud disturbances and posing serious dangers to the local community.

In response to growing complaints, Pattaya police have been cracking down on these races. A prior operation led to the seizure of multiple illegally modified bikes and the identification of underage riders. Parents were summoned and warned, while police reiterated the legal consequences of street racing.

However, these new incidents during daytime hours signal that the problem may be evolving. While nighttime street racing has long been an issue in Pattaya, bold, mid-day stunts — especially by international visitors — reflect a worrying lack of fear of enforcement.

Authorities have previously warned motorbike rental shops to be more stringent in verifying driving licenses and tracking who they rent to, particularly during the tourism high season. The latest events suggest those warnings may be falling on deaf ears.

With Pattaya’s image as a family-friendly destination under constant scrutiny, the return of “Arabian racing” to Sukhumvit Road raises serious questions about the city’s ability to police its roads — and protect the public from this kind of reckless tourism.

Story andh photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/arabia ... oad-504014

[Gaybutton]

So much for the police "blitz". Anyone surprised? This is exactly what I and others predicted would happen. The authorities know where these 'tourists' do their activities and it also can't be difficult to track down the shops that rented to them - and yet it goes on.

If they are so worried about that sacred "good image" of Pattaya, I can't understand why they do virtually nothing about it, year after year after year after year . . . The worst that happens to these people are warnings, maybe fines for a few of them, and nothing beyond a minor slap on the wrist. What kind of image does this yield? When are the authorities ever going to realize they have to show they mean business about enforcing this kind of behavior?

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm expecting this to be the same as always and will just escalate as more and more of them arrive. If anything substantial actually happens to these scofflaw violaters who obviously couldn't care less about anyone other than themselves, or happens to the shops renting to them, I will be - as the Brits might put it - gobsmacked. I for sure am not holding my breath.

What I believe should happen, but won't, is confiscation of the offending motorbikes and fines, heavy fines, for the shops renting to them and they don't get their motorbikes back until the fines are paid. Or better still, closing those shops completely, and they never get their motorbikes back unless they buy them back - at retail prices. And for the scofflaws riding the motorbikes, arrest, heavy fines for them too, prison and/or deportation, and blacklisting from returning to Thailand. I'm not holding my breath for anything even close to that either.

Tolerance of this behavior has been on my "I Don't Get It" list for years - and it looks like it's going to continue to remain on my list.

[Jun]

#1 That's The Pattaya Mail, which is known for making a mountain out of a molehill. Or even out of nothing. The pictures are very inconclusive and show the fat Arabs riding two up on what look like very modest powered bikes. If they were accelerating sharply, there should be at least some evidence of squat. I see none.

#2. I haven't seen any problems at all. But, the only time I've been anywhere near Sunee Plaza was mid morning, taking a shortcut. There's not much reason to go there at night time any more.

When problems do occur, expect that to get policed in the same way everything else is here.

[Gaybutton]

the only time I've been anywhere near Sunee Plaza was mid morning, taking a shortcut

The article clearly states that the trouble was on Sukhumvit, not anywhere around Sunee Plaza. You said this is your first summer in Pattaya. When the motorbike maniacs arrive in full force, I think that will be the end of you thinking Pattaya Mail is making a mountain out of a molehill. It gets far worse than Pattaya Mail portrays it.

If the police will rigidly enforce the rules for once, that would be great. But if past behavior is any indicator, don't bother holding your breath. You'll see for yourself soon enough.

Those of us who live here and have seen and experienced it for years are neither making this up nor exaggerating. Neither is Pattaya Mail. What is going on at the moment is only the beginning.

[Jun]

I"ve no doubt there is a problem at times. But the photos provided by The Pattaya Mail don't show one.

Given their track record of misreporting, I wouldn't trust them.
For example, remember when they posted a photo of a few motorcycle sidecar food vendors and tried to claim there was a major and disruptive market at the beach?

[Dodger]

Nothing surprising here because the authorities have done nothing to prevent the recurrence of the same old problem.

I also don't put too much stock in Pattayamail articles for the reasons Jun stated. They have an earned reputation for publishing fairy tales.

[Gaybutton]

They have an earned reputation for publishing fairy tales.

Good or bad, There are not many local English language news sources. The reliability of all of them are about equal. I always take most of the gloom-and-doom news with a grain of salt.

It's not always their fault. The latest is the police touting their motorbike helmet safety "blitz". The news media reported it, as they should. Meanwhile, as far as I can tell this "blitz" hasn't materialized. Decide for yourself whose fault that is.

I think it is best to rely on the factual part of many of these news articles without giving much credence to the degree they say things are going to happen.

In any case, this topic is about the motorbike riders, not the reliability of the news media. Let's stick to the topic.

[Jun]

I think it is best to rely on the factual part of many of these news articles without giving much credence to the degree they say things are going to happen.

In any case, this topic is about the motorbike riders, not the reliability of the news media. Let's stick to the topic.

In the case of The Pattaya Mail, we can't even believe "the facts".

As for the blitz on helmets, yesterday I saw a number of police leaving their HQ on high performance bikes and remarkably, all were wearing helmets. Unlike the one near Dongtan beach, riding a scooter with no helmet. So they still can't even follow the law themselves.

As for the "Racing Business As Usual" topic, I'll wait for reliable evidence that they are starting early this year.

[Gaybutton]

According to the June 10 Pattaya News video, the motorbike maniacs have begun to return and are already engaging in their usual behavior. So far the police response seems to be about as always too.

[Jun]

So far, the only reckless motorcycle riders I've seen were Thais, a farang going far too fast on a big noisy bike and the usual Grab delivery maniacs.

I walked right through the Arab zone this morning.