Korat: 10-year-old 'allowed to drive locally'
Ten-year-old Satang Semamon, from Nakhon Ratchasima, poses with the van he drives to deliver food in his neighbourhood.
A 10-year-old boy is spending his school holidays helping his family's business by delivering food to customers in the Northeast town of Nakhon Ratchasima - by van.
Police said it should be "all right" if the boy drove "around his own neighbourhood", but main roads were definitely off limits.
Satang Semamon, a fourth-grader at Anubal Nakhon Ratchasima School, has been driving a small Suzuki van to help deliver food and sweets to local grocery shops and neighbours every morning. He also helps his food vendor parents by driving the van to deliver food at Suranaree School, under his 41-year-old father's guidance - each morning during school time.
Satang said he was taught to drive by his father when he was nine.
The boy also urged other kids to help their parents whenever they were free and not to waste their time on "vices" such as "drugs or computer games".
His father, Suthep, said he taught the boy to drive upon his son's request. He thought it was a good idea for the boy to learn the traffic laws early.
However, Suthep said he did not allow his son to drive alone or for a long distance because he was not big enough and had no driver's licence yet.
He praised his boy for being a "good, diligent, and economic kid".
Muang Nakhon Ratchasima deputy commander Pol Lt Col Prasit Premkamol said allowing children aged 10 years old to get behind a wheel was illegal, according to traffic laws.
However, this was a case of a "good kid" helping his parents and the boy only drove around his neighbourhood. Thus, permission could be granted, the officer said, adding that Satang must not be allowed on main roads with heavy traffic or to drive long distances.
The Nation 28 Mar 2007
Nakhon Ratchasima
