Picture: Naew Na

 

After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. 

 

After stepping out of a helicopter following surveys of traffic returning to Bangkok yesterday Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat claimed that there were 20% less accidents this year.

 

This was reported as fact by Naew Na who made no attempt to question the general or grind down into the details.

 

Their report was a PR exercise as they followed the top brass on an "eye in the sky" tour around Nakhon Sawan.

 

They praised the general for taking immediate action to open an extra lane on a road instead of taking the opportunity to ask awkward questions.

 

The general gave the usual rhetoric saying that the prime minister and deputy prime minister cared about all road users and wanted them to be safe and sound advising careful driving. 

 

He said that on New Year's day 520,000 vehicles were on the move, 600,000 on the 2nd and 600,000 more returning to Bangkok anticipated yesterday. 

 

He handed out gifts at a tent by the roadside thanking officers for their diligence and New Year sacrifices. 

 

Meanwhile the morgues were full with accident victims as they are on any given day in Thailand - 25,000 are reportedly killed annually, suggest ASEAN NOW.

 

And the courts are handling record numbers of DUI cases according to probation department figures.

 

The New Year and Songkran action to limit death on the roads and reduce accidents has been criticized as mere lip service by NGOs with far wider and more sustained action needed 365 days a year to address the appalling toll on the nations' highways. 

 

Without a concerted effort to do something more concrete a million Thais will perish before forty more New Year holidays are celebrated. 

 

Happy indeed. 

 

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"After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. "

 

He shouldn't be a deputy for much longer after a comment like that.

Norway in whole 2021 it was 84 deaths on the road in Norway, 2020 it was 93 and in 2019 108. When I grew up in the 70 and 80íes it was average 430 people who died in the traffic yearly and never been lower than today since 1950. Keep in mind we drive more kom pr year than ever as well. 

 

Norway have a population of 5,4 million only, but still the death pr 100 000,- is very low. 

 

Thailand got a long long way to get the numbers down, and with increased new big motorbike drivers as well, auch

6 hours ago, webfact said:

After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. 

 

After stepping out of a helicopter following surveys of traffic returning to Bangkok yesterday Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat claimed that there were 20% less accidents this year.

So more people were killed and more people drove drunk but their were less accidents, Surely its more the outcome of people in an accident and the cause than how many accidents. These stats just show their must have been fewer damage only accidents then. 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. 

I am sure there is a Mental health terminology for somebody that makes such a crass statement as this.

I just cant think of the correct one.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. 

I'm sure all the fines will be useful.

7 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

"After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. "

 

He shouldn't be a deputy for much longer after a comment like that.

He won't be, most get promoted.

9 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

I am sure there is a Mental health terminology for somebody that makes such a crass statement as this.

I just cant think of the correct one.

I can but a suspension will follow writing it.

Stalin: one death=Tragedy, one million dead=statistic

Relativity ? To increase in total vehicles registered ? ( not moving on any of the  7 days not relative ! ) Creativity? Not limited to interpretation derived from reality.

Optimistically? The question was never asked  and so never answered but is it not  very possible that the  reference was to a 20% reduction in accidents (involving  RTP vehicles ) ?

Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat is the RTP pr1ck stepping off a helicopter as roads were too dangerous or the CCTV mess continues not working?

20% less accidents this year is a joke; you could eliminate the entire hike over the festive days if your boys would not get p1ssed roadside on "donated" whisky for the year end and fine drunk drivers to the full extent of the law. 

Everything else is pure nonsense but befitting the law enforcement agency of this failed state! 

Or does he mean FEWER accidents?

8 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

"After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. "

 

He shouldn't be a deputy for much longer after a comment like that.

Reminds me of a tennis player I interviewed after a match. "I served quite well today", she said. "You hit 17 double-faults," I responded. :"Yes, but it was better than last week," she declared.

8 hours ago, CelticBhoy said:

"After hundred more people died on the Thai roads at New Year - and more drunks than ever got behind the wheel - a deputy at the Royal Thai Police said that he was happy. "

 

He shouldn't be a deputy for much longer after a comment like that.

correct

Nothing will ever change in Thailand with the dinosaurs at the helm unless it directly effects the Elite. Peons are collateral damage when travelling by road, rail or bus. The Thai Elite 1% travel by air and probably don't give a second thought about the daily carnage and anybody else's welfare.... Thainess...

Stalin: one death=Tragedy, one million dead=statistic

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

He won't be, most get promoted.

 

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The general gave the usual rhetoric saying that the prime minister and deputy prime minister cared about all road users and wanted them to be safe and sound advising careful driving. 

After this statement you are probably correct......Brown Noser