There are a half dozen sizeable motorbike rental shops in-or-around the soi Yensabai epicenter that cater to the Arabs. If we knew how many of these were owned and/or sponsored by the BIB we would probably have our answer.
TIT
Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
TIT
-
Undaunted
- Posts: 2673
- Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
- Has thanked: 23 times
- Been thanked: 384 times
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
I don’t care who owns the shops the only answer is seizing the bikes if renting to unlicensed drivers.
_____________________________________________________________________
Pattaya hit by rowdy Kuwaiti street racers amid calls for better tourist screening
By Pattaya Mail
July 11, 2025
Locals and long-term visitors in Pattaya are calling on the government to clearly define what constitutes a “quality tourist” after yet another sleepless night of street racing — this time allegedly involving groups of Kuwaiti holidaymakers near Soi Yensabai in South Pattaya.
Pattaya police responded by setting up late-night checkpoints in an attempt to curb the disruption. Dozens of motorcycles were stopped, many driven recklessly by tourists without helmets, licenses, or respect for local traffic laws. The disturbances, which stretched into the early hours, sparked fresh public frustration and raised questions about Thailand’s “quality tourism” strategy.
Online, reactions were swift. Some commenters voiced sarcasm — “As always, the quality tourists,” — while others focused on the local businesses: “Why not go after the rental shops that hand these bikes to anyone with a passport?”
Many noted that large groups of young tourists from the Middle East, especially during school breaks, often arrive ready to pay fines but show little understanding of local norms. “They’re not here to cause harm deliberately — just chasing thrills,” one resident observed. “But that doesn’t make the streets any safer.”
Others questioned the effectiveness of current measures. “You arrest them and let them go. What’s the deterrent? They’re back every year,” wrote one user. Calls are growing for Thai authorities to introduce blacklists for repeat offenders and strengthen screening processes at the visa level. “Disruptive visitors should face prosecution and a ban on returning,” urged another commenter.
Some residents also warned against painting all tourists from certain countries with the same brush, instead highlighting the need for better enforcement regardless of nationality. “It’s not where they come from — it’s what they do when they’re here,” noted one local woman.
The incident comes amid broader debates in Thailand’s tourism sector about the long-term sustainability of mass arrivals and whether raw visitor numbers translate into economic or cultural value. As the country promotes its “soft power” and aims for higher-quality tourism, Pattaya residents say clearer standards and real enforcement are essential to protect the peace and safety of their communities.
Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattay ... ing-509201
_____________________________________________________________________
Pattaya hit by rowdy Kuwaiti street racers amid calls for better tourist screening
By Pattaya Mail
July 11, 2025
Locals and long-term visitors in Pattaya are calling on the government to clearly define what constitutes a “quality tourist” after yet another sleepless night of street racing — this time allegedly involving groups of Kuwaiti holidaymakers near Soi Yensabai in South Pattaya.
Pattaya police responded by setting up late-night checkpoints in an attempt to curb the disruption. Dozens of motorcycles were stopped, many driven recklessly by tourists without helmets, licenses, or respect for local traffic laws. The disturbances, which stretched into the early hours, sparked fresh public frustration and raised questions about Thailand’s “quality tourism” strategy.
Online, reactions were swift. Some commenters voiced sarcasm — “As always, the quality tourists,” — while others focused on the local businesses: “Why not go after the rental shops that hand these bikes to anyone with a passport?”
Many noted that large groups of young tourists from the Middle East, especially during school breaks, often arrive ready to pay fines but show little understanding of local norms. “They’re not here to cause harm deliberately — just chasing thrills,” one resident observed. “But that doesn’t make the streets any safer.”
Others questioned the effectiveness of current measures. “You arrest them and let them go. What’s the deterrent? They’re back every year,” wrote one user. Calls are growing for Thai authorities to introduce blacklists for repeat offenders and strengthen screening processes at the visa level. “Disruptive visitors should face prosecution and a ban on returning,” urged another commenter.
Some residents also warned against painting all tourists from certain countries with the same brush, instead highlighting the need for better enforcement regardless of nationality. “It’s not where they come from — it’s what they do when they’re here,” noted one local woman.
The incident comes amid broader debates in Thailand’s tourism sector about the long-term sustainability of mass arrivals and whether raw visitor numbers translate into economic or cultural value. As the country promotes its “soft power” and aims for higher-quality tourism, Pattaya residents say clearer standards and real enforcement are essential to protect the peace and safety of their communities.
Story and photos: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattay ... ing-509201
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
How would do you get the police to do that, if they were paid to turn a blind eye ?
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 24327
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 1671 times
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Also, what happened to the sacred "good image" of Pattaya?
I'm not as sure as you are about the police being paid. I can't make sense out of who would be paying who, for how much - and why.
Whatever the reason this continues to be an annual problem, with nothing effective ever done about it, it's on my "I Don't Get It" list.
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Kuwaiti youth crash in soi Yensabai and his friends cause chaos for the ambulance crew. Soi Yensabai is turning into France or Sweden where ambulances can't operate in islamized areas without police protection...
_________________________________________________________________________________
Pattaya Rescue Team Faces Chaos as Kuwaiti Tourists Swarm Ambulance After Motorcycle Crash
By Adam Judd
July 15, 2025
At 12:06 AM on July 15, 2025, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit in Pattaya received a report of a motorcycle accident in Soi VC in South Pattaya. Rescue volunteers rushed to the scene to provide assistance.
Upon arrival, authorities found a black Honda PCX motorcycle lying on its side with minor damage. Nearby, a young male Middle Eastern tourist, believed to be an Arab man from Kuwait aged between 18 and 25, had sustained minor injuries to his left leg. Rescue personnel provided first aid before preparing to transport the injured man to Pattaya City Hospital.
However, chaos erupted when a group of the victim’s friends—numbering around ten—rushed to the scene, attempting to crowd around their injured companion and even lift him into the ambulance themselves. The situation escalated as the group insisted on boarding the ambulance together, causing disruption. Rescue workers had to intervene, urging the group to calm down and comply with instructions. Eventually, the friends cooperated, allowing the rescue operation to proceed smoothly.
According to local witnesses, the young Arab rider lost control of his motorcycle at the scene, causing the crash and resulting in his injuries.
The Pattaya News notes this area has seen a number of accidents and conflicts over the years during July and August as thousands of young Kuwaiti college students come to visit Pattaya for their summer break. However, some choose to race rental motorbikes without licenses, helmets, insurance, or other proper documentation and a number of accidents and problems have taken place.
There have also been several conflicts between Kuwaiti tourists and local residents over the years driven by loud motorbike racing preventing people from sleeping during all hours of the night.
Story and photos: https://thepattayanews.com/2025/07/15/p ... cle-crash/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Pattaya Rescue Team Faces Chaos as Kuwaiti Tourists Swarm Ambulance After Motorcycle Crash
By Adam Judd
July 15, 2025
At 12:06 AM on July 15, 2025, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Unit in Pattaya received a report of a motorcycle accident in Soi VC in South Pattaya. Rescue volunteers rushed to the scene to provide assistance.
Upon arrival, authorities found a black Honda PCX motorcycle lying on its side with minor damage. Nearby, a young male Middle Eastern tourist, believed to be an Arab man from Kuwait aged between 18 and 25, had sustained minor injuries to his left leg. Rescue personnel provided first aid before preparing to transport the injured man to Pattaya City Hospital.
However, chaos erupted when a group of the victim’s friends—numbering around ten—rushed to the scene, attempting to crowd around their injured companion and even lift him into the ambulance themselves. The situation escalated as the group insisted on boarding the ambulance together, causing disruption. Rescue workers had to intervene, urging the group to calm down and comply with instructions. Eventually, the friends cooperated, allowing the rescue operation to proceed smoothly.
According to local witnesses, the young Arab rider lost control of his motorcycle at the scene, causing the crash and resulting in his injuries.
The Pattaya News notes this area has seen a number of accidents and conflicts over the years during July and August as thousands of young Kuwaiti college students come to visit Pattaya for their summer break. However, some choose to race rental motorbikes without licenses, helmets, insurance, or other proper documentation and a number of accidents and problems have taken place.
There have also been several conflicts between Kuwaiti tourists and local residents over the years driven by loud motorbike racing preventing people from sleeping during all hours of the night.
Story and photos: https://thepattayanews.com/2025/07/15/p ... cle-crash/
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 24327
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 1671 times
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Hmmmmm, now I wonder what could possibly have caused that to happen . . .Pattaya News wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 12:14 pm the young Arab rider lost control of his motorcycle at the scene, causing the crash and resulting in his injuries.
And of course the question which has really become a rhetorical question: Where were the police?
I'm certainly glad to know the authorities are doing so much to prevent and put a stop to the nightly chaos - along with making sure they won't return next year to be doing the same.
Imagine the maturity level of these people whose idea of a great time is traveling to a foreign country to engage in this kind of behavior.
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Be grateful that the Kuwaitis go home after their holidays.
Unlike all the illegal middle eastern immigrants in Europe.
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 24327
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 1671 times
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
"the group employs tactics to evade enforcement, using signals to warn each other to park their bikes and disperse on foot when authorities are present, only to resume riding once officers leave."
Arrest, heavily fine, seize the motorbikes, deport, and blacklist. Again, seems like a no-brainer to me. Still, I have seen nothing about going after the shops that rent illegally to these people who have no driving licenses, International Driving Permits, insurance, and some even refuse to provide a copy of their passport. Some of the motorbikes have been illegally modified with loud exhausts. The shops doing that and whoever authorizes having these bikes illegally modified need to be dealt with too.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Pattaya Police Focus on Noisy Middle Eastern Tourist Motorbike Racers in South Pattaya, Seize 14 Vehicles
By Adam Judd
July 15, 2025
At 2:50 AM on July 15th, 2025, Pattaya City Police, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Cheawalit Suwannamanee, alongside Mr. Natthaphop Yomjinda, Chief of Security Administration, conducted a joint operation to curb disturbances caused by a group of foreign youths, primarily of Kuwaiti descent, riding loud motorcycles in Soi Yensabai and the nearby area. The operation resulted in the seizure of 14 motorcycles, targeting riders without valid licenses and vehicles with illegally modified exhausts.
Local residents in Soi Yensabai reported ongoing disturbances from the group, who were frequently heard revving engines and racing through the area at all hours, disrupting sleep and causing distress. “The noise from their big bikes is unbearable,” one resident said. “They ride around all night, making it impossible to rest.”
Despite the police checkpoint, residents noted that the group employs tactics to evade enforcement, using signals to warn each other to park their bikes and disperse on foot when authorities are present, only to resume riding once officers leave. Locals expressed frustration, claiming the group shows little regard for the law.
Authorities have vowed to intensify measures to restore peace to the area, with plans for stricter enforcement to address the ongoing issue and ensure the community’s tranquility is restored.
This enforcement action took place only a few hours after one Kuwaiti tourist was injured in an accident in the same area and almost a dozen of his friends reportedly interfered with rescue teams.
The Pattaya News notes this area has seen a number of accidents and conflicts over the years during July and August as thousands of young Kuwaiti college students come to visit Pattaya for their summer break. However, some choose to race rental motorbikes without licenses, helmets, insurance, or other proper documentation and a number of accidents and problems have taken place.
There have also been several conflicts between Kuwaiti tourists and local residents over the years driven by loud motorbike racing preventing people from sleeping during all hours of the night.
Pattaya police have taken a more proactive stance so far this year setting up roadblocks and checkpoints in the Soi VC and Yensabai area multiple nights so far this year.
Story and photos: https://thepattayanews.com/2025/07/15/p ... -vehicles/
Arrest, heavily fine, seize the motorbikes, deport, and blacklist. Again, seems like a no-brainer to me. Still, I have seen nothing about going after the shops that rent illegally to these people who have no driving licenses, International Driving Permits, insurance, and some even refuse to provide a copy of their passport. Some of the motorbikes have been illegally modified with loud exhausts. The shops doing that and whoever authorizes having these bikes illegally modified need to be dealt with too.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Pattaya Police Focus on Noisy Middle Eastern Tourist Motorbike Racers in South Pattaya, Seize 14 Vehicles
By Adam Judd
July 15, 2025
At 2:50 AM on July 15th, 2025, Pattaya City Police, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Cheawalit Suwannamanee, alongside Mr. Natthaphop Yomjinda, Chief of Security Administration, conducted a joint operation to curb disturbances caused by a group of foreign youths, primarily of Kuwaiti descent, riding loud motorcycles in Soi Yensabai and the nearby area. The operation resulted in the seizure of 14 motorcycles, targeting riders without valid licenses and vehicles with illegally modified exhausts.
Local residents in Soi Yensabai reported ongoing disturbances from the group, who were frequently heard revving engines and racing through the area at all hours, disrupting sleep and causing distress. “The noise from their big bikes is unbearable,” one resident said. “They ride around all night, making it impossible to rest.”
Despite the police checkpoint, residents noted that the group employs tactics to evade enforcement, using signals to warn each other to park their bikes and disperse on foot when authorities are present, only to resume riding once officers leave. Locals expressed frustration, claiming the group shows little regard for the law.
Authorities have vowed to intensify measures to restore peace to the area, with plans for stricter enforcement to address the ongoing issue and ensure the community’s tranquility is restored.
This enforcement action took place only a few hours after one Kuwaiti tourist was injured in an accident in the same area and almost a dozen of his friends reportedly interfered with rescue teams.
The Pattaya News notes this area has seen a number of accidents and conflicts over the years during July and August as thousands of young Kuwaiti college students come to visit Pattaya for their summer break. However, some choose to race rental motorbikes without licenses, helmets, insurance, or other proper documentation and a number of accidents and problems have taken place.
There have also been several conflicts between Kuwaiti tourists and local residents over the years driven by loud motorbike racing preventing people from sleeping during all hours of the night.
Pattaya police have taken a more proactive stance so far this year setting up roadblocks and checkpoints in the Soi VC and Yensabai area multiple nights so far this year.
Story and photos: https://thepattayanews.com/2025/07/15/p ... -vehicles/
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
Add a week in jail to your list just to really improve the results.Gaybutton wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 4:07 pmArrest, heavily fine, seize the motorbikes, deport, and blacklist. Again, seems like a no-brainer to me. Still, I have seen nothing about going after the shops that rent illegally to these people who have no driving licenses, International Driving Permits, insurance, and some even refuse to provide a copy of their passport.
As for going after the rental shops, why would you expect to hear about that ? They're hardly going to announce it if the result were tea money.
-
Gaybutton
- Posts: 24327
- Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
- Location: Thailand
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 1671 times
Re: Arab Motorcycle Racing Business as Usual
I don't expect to hear about that - or much about any of the other suggestions either. A once-in-a-while one night "crackdown" hardly puts a dent in any of it. I also don't expect much in the way of police presence or any truly harsh penalties.
What I do expect is for this to continue, essentially unabated - as usual.
I still am not convinced about tea money for the same reasons I've already stated. I have been unable to figure out who would be paying who, for how much, and why. Who would be laying out a substantial amount of money so that these motorbike maniacs can go to Pattaya and create all this annual havoc with virtual impunity? And whoever would be accepting it on the Thai end would be somebody or some entity that has been accepting it for years, with the authority to be able to prevent the police from putting a stop to it, and apparently unconcerned about ever getting caught. I just can't make sense out of it.
For me, the tea money involvement idea just doesn't work.