Thai youth faces night curfew

The curfew will be used to control crime in popular nightspots

Thailand's cabinet has approved a night-time curfew on all people under 18, in a bid to stop criminal violence.

Young people found on the streets without their parents between 10pm and four am will be liable to arrest, starting on 29 March.

Correspondents say it is unclear how strictly the measures will be enforced, in part because many young people work in night jobs.

The move follows mounting concern about youth crime in Thailand.

"It's not about punishment, but this measure is aimed at safeguarding under-aged youths as it is unreasonable for them to aimlessly wander around late at night," said the Justice Minister, Pongthep Thepkanjana.

Among behaviour deemed "inappropriate" will be under 18s going out with their parents after 10pm.

A spokesman for the Youth Observation and Protection Department, which will enforce the curfew along with police, said such a measure was important because most crimes including gang rape, shootings and motorcycle races are committed after 10pm when youngsters had consumed alcohol.

Under the proposals, first-time curfew offenders would be detained until their parents picked them up, but the authorities are considering longer detention and bail for multiple offenders.

There have also been suggestions that the curfew was unlikely to be enforced across the entire country, but would be a useful tool for the authorities to deal with disruption in night-life districts.

The curfew is being introduced after justice ministry figures showed an alarming rise in violent crime, particularly sex crimes, among young people in Thailand.

Reports said rape increased by 16 percent on the previous year in 2003, with gang rape rising by 70 percent.