Screening of people visiting motels and night-time entertainment venues will be more stringent to ensure the safety of minors on Valentine's Day, according to the Royal Thai Police.
Pol Col Chanchai Rattanapanich, deputy spokeswoman of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), on Tuesday said that national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has expressed concern over the safety of young people on Valentine's Day evening.
All agencies under the RTP have been instructed to monitor and prevent crimes against children, focusing on particular areas, she said.
Road checkpoints near entertainment venues, motels, pubs and internet cafés will be beefed up to screen motorists and teenagers to minimise the risk of violence and catch people in possession of illegal objects, as well as prevent illegal street racing.
Stringent measures will be carried out at entertainment venues to prevent illegal opening hours, underaged customers, obscene performances and illicit drug use.
Motels across the country have also been urged to avoid admitting minors.
The police meanwhile urged parents to supervise their children and alert them to various potential risks, including advising them to be wary of accepting from strangers any food or drinks, which could potentially contain date rape drugs.
According to Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phewphan, chief of the RTP's Forensic Science Office, more than 300 cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault have been reported since 2021. Most cases happened in Bangkok.
Date rape drugs may cause seizures, a slow heartbeat, slow breathing and can even lead to a coma.
