Kids' rule to be Thai-tened up?

In a proposal that has left many parents dismayed, Thailand's peak consumer board has suggested that motorcycle passengers must be older than six years old.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) proposal is the on the back of statistics show that many children have died or been injured in motorcycle accidents, and that they also fall asleep on bikes – many of them without wearing safety helmets.

"We believe it's necessary to put a warning label on every motorcycle too. The label should read 'Death and disability without using helmet'," said OCPB deputy secretary general Virachai Chomsakorn.

Despite its good intentions, the proposed ban did not sit well with parents who rely on the two-wheeler to send their kids to school -- in other words it's a necessity rather than a luxury.

Factory worker Boonta Vicheanchuy, who hires a motorcycle taxi to send her boy to school, is worried about costs.

"The school bus services will be more expensive. I can't afford them," she said.

Darame Paitisakul, who has a four-year-old son, said she does not trust school bus services, after reading reports of children being left in school buses and dying of suffocation.

"What am I supposed to do if this proposal gets the green light?" she lamented.

In most Australian states and territories, pillions must be at least eight years of age.