PATTAYA, Thailand – Residents in Nongprue have voiced growing frustration over nightly disturbances caused by groups of teenage “wannabe” racers, who are taking to the main highway on modified motorcycles. According to complaints received on September 17, these youths, aged between 15 and 18, gather after dark on the Motorway 7 Pattaya–Bangkok stretch to race and rev their engines loudly, creating near-constant noise that prevents neighbors from sleeping.
Elderly residents describe being startled awake almost every night by the roar of engines and blaring exhausts. “It’s affecting both my physical and mental health. Any time I hear the motorcycles, I jolt awake,” one resident told reporters. Other locals expressed frustration that even after long workdays, they cannot rest due to the reckless behavior of these riders.
Upon inspection, journalists found more than 20 youths racing up and down the motorway, performing wheelies and dangerously revving engines. The cyclists even looped near the Pattaya Highway Police station, apparently undeterred by the proximity of law enforcement and showing signs of mockery rather than fear.
Residents warn that this behavior is not only a public nuisance but a safety hazard, endangering both the riders and other road users. Calls have intensified for authorities, including local police and administrative units, to actively patrol and crack down on illegal racing, ensuring that families in the area can finally sleep peacefully at night.
Without decisive intervention, residents fear that the nighttime street racing will continue, eroding public safety and harming Pattaya’s image as a safe city for both locals and tourists.
