Thailand drafts in 80,000 police officers to prevent Songkran road accidents

[rooster59]

 

Tens of thousands of police officers will be drafted in to help prevent accidents on Thailand’s roads during the upcoming Songkran holidays.

 

Thairath reported that up to 80,000 officers will be deployed nationwide in a bid to reduce the accident and death toll during a period which is notorious for the large number of road accidents.

 

The last three years have seen an average of 3,405 accidents and 378 deaths on Thailand's roads during the seven days over Songkran.

 

The government’s target this year is to reduce those figures by five percent.

 

Despite Thailand likely to experience a somewhat muted Songkran this year, there are no restrictions on domestic travel and large numbers of people are still expected to travel upcountry and return to their hometowns.

 

Officers have been informed to keep traffic moving smoothly and be more rigorous and efficient in setting up roadblocks. 

 

Anyone involved in an accident will be breathalysed and any roadside stops or alcohol tests should be videoed as part of evidence gathering, officers have been told.

 

Shops found selling alcohol to underage drinkers will face strict punishments.

 

Meanwhile, checkpoints will be set up on these major roads:

 

1. Phahon Yothin: Nong Yao Subdistrict, Saraburi Km. 99--106, distance 7 km. 
2. Phaholyothin: Klang Daet - Nakhon Sawan Tok, Nakhon Sawan km 332-347, 15 km.                 
3. Mittraphap: Thap Kwang Subdistrict - Sikhio km 15-102, a distance of 87 km. 
4. Rangsiyothai: Pak Nam Pho - Bang Muang, Nakhon Sawan km 0-7, distance 7 km. 
5. Kabinburi-Pakthongchai: Kabin-Wang Nam Khiao km 165-252, a distance of 87 km. 
6. Buriram - Aranyaprathet: Ta Phraya - Non Daeng km 71-83, distance 12 km. 
7. Saraburi Bypass West: Pak Khao San Subdistrict, Saraburi km 0-9, 9 km.
 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[gunderhill]

Good  plan, what's the idea  ? lay them down on the road as sleeping policeman, I agree.

[mtls2005]

Maybe better to rasie the speed limit AFTER Songkhran?

[tonray]

The Amalgamated Brown Envelope Company has in response drafted in extra workers to handle the increased business over Songkran

[Thaiwrath]

Tens of thousands of police officers will be drafted in to..................................

Interview all those involved in accidents on Thailand's roads during the upcoming Songkran holidays,

would be more realistic.

I can't see them preventing many accidents, with some of the driving here.

[bloodyholly]

A positive move, as long as they’re sat at the side of the road monitoring activities, that’ll mean 80,000+ numpties on motorbikes off the road.

[PatOngo]

13 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

Good  plan, what's the idea  ?

Overtime pay for 80,000 cops! ????

[colinneil]

16 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thairath reported that up to 80,000 officers will be deployed nationwide in a bid to reduce the accident and death toll

How on earth are they going to achieve this?

Absolutely impossible, unless they ban vehicles on the roads over songkran.

[JAS21]

Seven deadly days ... 378 dead...so that averages 54 a day... what’s new! 
 

They need to be out in their cars and motorbikes. Also hiding behind bushes and reporting drivers to a road block further down the road.

[KannikaP]

19 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Maybe better to rasie the speed limit AFTER Songkhran?

It has not been raised yet. Has it?

[tonray]

1 minute ago, JAS21 said:

Seven deadly days ... 378 dead...so that averages 54 a day... what’s new! 
 

They need to be out in their cars and motorbikes. Also hiding behind bushes and reporting drivers to a road block further down the road.

more profitable to shake down expats in Thonglor...

[KannikaP]

From where will these 80,000 extra police officers be found please?

[PatOngo]

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

From where will these 80,000 extra police officers be found please?

In short time hotel rooms and gold shops around the country!

[PatOngo]

29 minutes ago, bloodyholly said:

A positive move, as long as they’re sat at the side of the road monitoring activities, that’ll mean 80,000+ numpties on motorbikes off the road.

I think if they was stood they'd do a better job!

[PatOngo]

19 minutes ago, tonray said:

more profitable to shake down expats in Thonglor...

One hundred farang at 500 baht a pop or a few million Thai's at 50 baht a pop, they are'nt stupid when it come to fleecing  the public! It's what they are trained to do!

[ezzra]

Like it's going to make any different.. but what do i know? will wait and see...

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

One hundred farang at 500 baht a pop or a few million Thai's at 50 baht a pop, they are'nt stupid when it come to fleecing  the public! It's what they are trained to do!

Problem is the Thais don't pay the fines....

[PatOngo]

Just now, tonray said:

Problem is the Thais don't pay the fines....

Roadside transactions!

[ikke1959]

How to prevent stupidity?? policemen playing on the cellphones all day?? pay a small fine and continue your journey??? If the police really start to work in first place and enforce the law, maybe there are less ass...on the road, but I think i drank to much Fanta to see this happen

[PatOngo]

6 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

How to prevent stupidity??

Just deny it! If you don't think about it or don't talk about it, it does'nt exist!

[anchadian]

Same same every year.  Will make no difference  

 

Traffic laws should be enforced continuously throughout the year, not just for Songkran and the New Year.

 

Now waiting for the high fatalities and injuries report.

 

No need to read the various comments. 

[AlexO]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

From where will these 80,000 extra police officers be found please?

From all those naughty BIB sitting in "inactive posts" in offices and no longer in the brown envelope queue.

 

[kwonitoy]

I wish I had a business renting mobile tents, all those extra police will need a lot of shade to sit in and browse their phones

[ParkerN]

80,000 bobbies on roadsides (presumably) to reduce the road death toll by 19 (5%).

 

Seems like good value to me... have they ordered enough tea and coffee to ensure said bobbies are well watered while sitting down by the roadside doing sod all?

 

Ee by gum...

[foreverlomsak]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

80,000 officers will be deployed nationwide

Is that the 80,000 that should be doing that job already but aren't?

[trainman34014]

80,000 Layabouts that would normally be inside Cop Shops playing with their phones or counting Tea Money; do they seriously believe these people are going to actually do some 'work' ?

[foreverlomsak]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

Now waiting for the high fatalities and injuries report.

trouble is that Songkran and New Year are high focus times, and the numbers are issued/updated daily, if they did that for the whole year then people might take notice, but also realize that normal days are as bad as the dangerous days when the additional volume of traffic is taken into account.

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Overtime pay for 80,000 cops! ????

To be side-tracked by their bosses for their own pocket. 

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

It has not been raised yet. Has it?

Does it really matter, makes no difference..... 

[Artisi]

So what do these seemingly 80,000 extra police do the rest of the time, or are they the ones stored away in the inactive post facility?