Songkran carnage: Seven deadly days becomes 21 as 10% accident reduction targeted

[webfact]

Songkran carnage: Seven deadly days becomes 21 as 10% accident reduction targeted

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The Communications Ministry has invoked special powers to try and lower accidents at this year's upcoming Songkran holiday. 

 

Minister Arkhom Termphitthayaphaisit announced that he is using Article 777 to demand action to safeguard  more highways and rural roads. 

 

This year some 155 roads are under the special measures. Last year it was just 88. 

 

The Highways Department will look after 115 of these spots and the Department of Rural Roads will handle the other 40. 

 

Many are mountainous roads that are familiar accident black spots. 

 

The aim is to have 10% less accidents this year, said Arkhom. 

 

The ministry is on alert for the seven days prior to the festival, the seven so called "deadly days" of Songkran and the seven days after. 

 

Thaivisa notes that if past years are anything to go by somewhere between one thousand and two thousand  people are likely to lose their lives in that 21 day period. 

 

An average of about 70 people die on the nation's roads every day not just at Songkran. 

 

Safety measures to offset this at Songkran are always introduced as the festival sees millions more on the roads celebrating and going to their homes in the countryside. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-18

[Bluespunk]

1 minute ago, webfact said:

Minister Arkhom Termphitthayaphaisit announced that he is using Article 777 

What is article 777?

[BobbyL]

Article 777 is urging all parties concerned to pretend to do something. 

[owl sees all]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Minister Arkhom Termphitthayaphaisit

Wow!!!

 

What a name; 20 letters. 

 

Only know two people with a longer name. One of the Royal family members and Miss Plapawadee, who won the gold in the weight-lifting a couple of years back at the Olympics.

 

He will sort it for the country.

 

ps;;;; 777 for the lottery next time guys.

 

pps;; will not be much of a songkram in our area. Run out of water last week. Unless, of course, they chuck lao khow.

Edited March 18, 2019 by owl sees all

[4MyEgo]

So extend it from 7 days to 21 days, sounds like one bigger reason for an extended pi$$ up to me, with at least the doubling of deaths on the roads, another Thai genius idea with little thought gone into it, brilliant !

[4MyEgo]

15 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

What is article 777?

It's the one after article 776, and the one before article 778, in other words, it's just another article ????

 

[Lemonltr]

18 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

What is article 777?

He meant article 555!

[Dmaxdan]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

The aim is to have 10% less accidents this year, said Arkhom. 

Yes, and a large hog has been spotted cruising at thirty thousand feet.  

 

Dream on sunshine.

[baansgr]

Cebu Pacific doing great deals to PI at that time of year.....

[4MyEgo]

3 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Yes, and a large hog has been spotted cruising at thirty thousand feet.  

 

Dream on sunshine.

Hey, I saw that one just this morning, it travelling at warp speed...

[owl sees all]

Last songkram was a sad time for me. I went to the farm as usual, on the last day, to feed my koi carp. I thought there was something wrong as soon as I went to pond 6. It was almost as though there were no fish in there. I threw in some food and watched. Gradually, the koi started to show. It was obvious something was amiss. They had been shocked*.

 

I lost about 20 big koi. All the big whites and a few all-red were missing. And my favourite; a gin rin yellow and black (about 75cm)

 

Carp are not one of the better tasting fish, so I think it must have been an act of lao khow spontainiosity. Sort of good idea at the time, while downing the local rice wine.

 

This year I'm gonna stay at the farm. I reckon they (whoever they are) will be back for some more fish this year.

 

* It actually took about a week for them to return to normal.

[dcnx]

Just report 10% less like you plan to do anyway and spare us the drivel. 

[darksidedog]

I always kind of shake my head whenever this seven days or other period comes up regarding reducing accidents. Why the hell do they not come up with a concrete plan to reduce the carnage 365 days a year? Even a 10% reduction would save a couple of thousand lives, not to mention the misery of the injuries and subsequent disabilities.

[tingtongtourist]

9 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Last songkram was a sad time for me. I went to the farm as usual, on the last day, to feed my koi carp. I thought there was something wrong as soon as I went to pond 6. It was almost as though there were no fish in there. I threw in some food and watched. Gradually, the koi started to show. It was obvious something was amiss. They had been shocked*.

 

I lost about 20 big koi. All the big whites and a few all-red were missing. And my favourite; a gin rin yellow and black (about 75cm)

 

Carp are not one of the better tasting fish, so I think it must have been an act of lao khow spontainiosity. Sort of good idea at the time, while downing the local rice wine.

 

This year I'm gonna stay at the farm. I reckon they (whoever they are) will be back for some more fish this year.

 

* It actually took about a week for them to return to normal.

I feel sorry to hear this.

I also lived at ISaan a long time ago but avoided buying or having anything that Thai people can just help themself to easily like this.

unfortunate that even if you catch them the result may not always be good or in your favour

[sammieuk1]

47 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

What is article 777?

Probably the daily figure of articles left ground into the road????   

[KhunBENQ]

More roadside tents for tea drinkers waiting for emergency calls.

I am impressed.

 

[JimSaints]

Happy to leave Thailand a few days before insanity of Songkran starts

[cardinalblue]

It’s article 737 max 8....

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Communications Ministry has invoked special powers to try and lower accidents at this year's upcoming Songkran holiday. 

Last year it was the Transport Minister and it didn't work. This year it's the Communications Minister. Next year maybe the Ministry of Culture...?

[AI5AASIA]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

So extend it from 7 days to 21 days, sounds like one bigger reason for an extended pi$$ up to me, with at least the doubling of deaths on the roads, another Thai genius idea with little thought gone into it, brilliant !

The longer the counting period for the road death toll, the more diluted the end number should be. However if you were to take UN estimates the Songkran period compares as favourably lower than the average over the other week's of the year. 

[dotpoom]

"Thaivisa notes that if past years are anything to go by somewhere between one thousand and two thousand  people are likely to lose their lives in that 21 day period. "

   "An average of about 70 people die on the nation's roads every day not just at Songkran. "

   According to those figures...no extra deaths over the Songkran period...just the same as all year round?

[jvs]

12 minutes ago, AI5AASIA said:

The longer the counting period for the road death toll, the more diluted the end number should be. However if you were to take UN estimates the Songkran period compares as favourably lower than the average over the other week's of the year. 

Yes you are right.Why not expand the period to 365 days and hope for 5% less victims?

[happyinthailand]

"Thaivisa notes that if past years are anything to go by somewhere between one thousand and two thousand  people are likely to lose their lives in that 21 day period. 

 

An average of about 70 people die on the nation's roads every day not just at Songkran. "

 

So over the 21 days the road death rate is about average.... ???

[jvs]

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

More roadside tents for tea drinkers waiting for emergency calls.

I am impressed.

 

Yes it is tea and coffee now,a few years ago it was beer and whiskey!!!Things are slowly changing,i did not say improving.

 

Edited March 18, 2019 by jvs
scared of spelling polite!

[Emdog]

10 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

"Thaivisa notes that if past years are anything to go by somewhere between one thousand and two thousand  people are likely to lose their lives in that 21 day period. "

   "An average of about 70 people die on the nation's roads every day not just at Songkran. "

   According to those figures...no extra deaths over the Songkran period...just the same as all year round?

Dang beat me to it! 21 X 70 = 1,470... almost dead center twixt 1 & 2 thousand. These guys are genius level at accident prevention. Like "take this medicine and you'll be cured in a week. Don't take it and get well in 7 days"

[outsider]

Invoke special powers? What, like those of the members from The Avengers? Aren't you idiots tired of the moronic drone - year in, year out - about the 7 stupid days? Oh, now you've extended it to 21. How about adding 344 days to it?

[thequietman]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

It's the one after article 776, and the one before article 778, in other words, it's just another article ????

 

Wrong, it's this ...............

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Article 777 is urging all parties concerned to pretend to do something. 

They may as well call it article 555 (hahaha).

[Chelseafan]

The aim is to have 10% less accidents this year, said Arkhom.

 

Surely the aim is to have 100% less accidents ?

 

[Sealbash]

Every year a news article regarding reduction of road deaths during Songkrahn. Every year TVF posters spewing the same comments. Anyone on either side got anything original?


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