KANCHANABURI — Police on Friday night raided five disco rafts along Kwai Noi River and found all of those aboard were minors.
After residents complained of loud noises and disturbances to the Damrongdhama Center of the interior ministry about juveniles partying on disco rafts along Kwai Noi River, authorities raided them to find all 186 of them were below 20.
Barred from entering pubs and clubs in Kanchanaburi, teens have resorted to party and drink alcohol on disco rafts.
“It’s dangerous for juveniles to party in a raft alone without adults and it’s our duty to investigate,” Police Col. Tossaporn Pathumya of Amphoe Muang station said on the phone Saturday afternoon.
He said officials had previously discussed the issue with all raft operators three times. He said that while many were willing to cooperate, others ignored the warning just to make profit.
While pubs and bars forbid entry to minors, there’s no official regulation to limit the age of those who wish to rent rafts.
Tossaporn said that there are more than 100 rafts in Kanchanaburi, some of which are sleeping rafts and other disco raft. He said normally, youths are accompanied by parents.
“There’s no adult or security guard on the raft. Who’s going to help them if there’s a fight or something bad happens on board?” Tossaporn added.
After the raid, the minors were taken to Amphoe Muang police station to record their personal information with officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and wait for their families to take them home as required by the Child Protection Act, he said.
Tossaporn said raft operators and those in business will be asked to attend a panel with authorities to find a solution to the issue.
