Love curfew for Bangkok teens

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Keywords: Valentine\'s day, love

Bangkok: Men buying flowers? It must be Valentine's Day, but here in Thailand, the special time for couples to express their love could be a bit of a let down for teenagers.

Concerned that those under the age of 18 might do more than just gaze into each other's eyes, the Bangkok Police have imposed a curfew. The teens have to be home by 10 pm or risk spending the night behind bars.

This means that for most high school students, traditional Valentine's dates are going to have to be cut short. A bunch of flowers is fine, but if you want to go for a late night movie or a candlelight dinner, you could wind up being arrested.

"We are using laws that are in place to protect children. Valentines Day is for celebrating love for one another, but you don't have to have sex on Valentine's Day to show your love," says a policeman named Kamol Kaewsuwan.

Police will round up any youngsters they find out of their homes late in public places.

Teenagers are divided on whether the curfew is necessary or not. In a city renowned for sin, where sex is for sale in hundreds of strip joints and brothels, some think a Valentine's Day curfew is laughable.

Says a resident of Bangkok, Mechai Viravaidya, "Well it's ludicrous. What we should be doing is educating the children and even giving them condoms."

Instead, the police are hoping old fashioned romance will sweep over the city that love, not sex, will be on teenagers' minds on Valentine's Day.