Only a third of the required area for youth development was available in Bangkok, warned the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, which fears youth problems will worsen unless prompt action is taken.

Thai Health manager Supakorn Buasai said teenagers today tend to hang around in unhealthy places where unsuitable activities take place.

He blames these places for contributing to misguided ideas and misbehaviour among young Thais.

According to recent statistics, more than 50,000 girls between 14 and 19 years old have unwanted pregnancies each year.

The same report said 30,000 cases of youth-related crimes are recorded annually.

"It could be said that every day we have an average of 82 teenagers committing crimes. Providing more youth centres where teens can take part in healthier activity is one way of reducing such problems," Supakorn said.

Many countries that had implemented such programmes have been successful in curbing youth delinquencies.

Supakorn warned that too few places providing good recreational activities are available for youths.

The problem is glaring when one considers there are 15.75 million youths in the country, he said.

The country has only five state zoos countrywide. In Bangkok, there is only one zoo, 17 public parks, 5 sports stadiums, one science museum and 26 youth centres.

Meanwhile, each province has an average of 26 public places for sports and other activities.

"Because the state provides such limited amounts of spaces for teenagers, they tend to spend much of their time playing computer games, surfing the Internet, watching television or hanging around at pubs and at entertainment complexes," Supakorn said.

Amornwit Nakhonthap, director of the Ramjitti Institute said some foreign countries have developed "Child-friendly Cities", such as Seattle in the United States.

Seattle provides for every 1,000 people an equivalent of 27.5 rai of learning areas, public parks and spaces.

The city has public libraries that provide 19 books for every youth.

"A good environment with good activities can help reduce youth problems in cities. In Seattle, the number of unwanted pregnancies among teens is 6 per cent, compared to 10-15 per cent in other big cities," Amornvit said.

He also noted that teen crimes in Seattle involved 700 out of every 100,000 youths or just 0.7 per cent of the youth population.

That percentage was twice as low than in other cities.

Amornvit said the government should try to push for a Child-friendly City programme in Thailand. The foundation yesterday opened a "child walking street" in Ayutthaya for teenagers as a place where they could go to on weekends.