Songkran celebrations turn sour: Over 100 lives lost, 1,000 injured in road accidents

[KhunBENQ]

4 hours ago, digger70 said:

So what's so special about this ?  Nothing worse than a normal day in Los.

Exactly. If 49 deaths is a deadly day then every day is a deadly or terrible deadly one.

Just media frenzy, an annual ritual.

Edited April 15, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[jesimps]

17 hours ago, pixelaoffy said:

you wouldnt believe that Thai tv channels would be able to talk about people acting stupid throwing water at each other day after day ..but they do.. TIT

Always flummoxes me how people can stand beside a road from sunrise to sunset throwing water and not get bored.

[2baht]

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

Always flummoxes me how people can stand beside a road from sunrise to sunset throwing water and not get bored.

Reminds me of a band from the 80's........Simple Minds!

[Moti24]

The reason to celebrate Songkran by showing respect to your elders went out the window a long time ago.  Now, it's just another cash-cow.

[bristolgeoff]

No change from previous yrs anywhere in thailand.They give all the warnings but nothing is new,lets move on

[Chongalulu]

18 hours ago, anchadian said:

I remember reading a report very similar to this about 23 yrs ago.  

 

Nothing will ever change regardless of whatever government rules Thailand.

It WILL once the CCP ???????? government rules…! 

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, 2baht said:

Reminds me of a band from the 80's........Simple Minds!

One thing several hundred WON'T be after Sonkran… "Alive and kicking"  ???? ???? 

[ThailandGuy]

So sad that every year so many people die and get injured during their new year festival. Not a country in the world that has this many casualties. And nothing changes that reduces this. They still drive drunk, without insurance and without a license. It is bizar! I wonder why this does not change? Who benefits from this?

[kwilco]

All these stories do is elicit the same old cliched comments and suggestions about Thai driving from the ASEAN NOW community.

As there has been no change for nearly 3 decades we have to assume that these comments are for the most part wrong.

[Rimmer]

A derogatory troll post and reply have been removed

[Artisi]

23 hours ago, NanLaew said:

In case you haven't notoiced, Thailand doesn't do Easter.

Missed the comparison of a long weekend break, did you? 

[max72]

Hallo sorry i can't open a new topic, but besides the accidents, these days, the stifling heat is a matter of concern.

Today 15 april Thailand hit 45 degrees Celsius 115 Fahr. for the first time in history in the Tak agrometerological station : 45.4 C

previous record was 44.6C at Mae Hong Song in april 2016.

 

It's a screenshot from TMD Thai Meteorological station.

link:

http://www.aws-observation.tmd.go.th/rprt/weatherMinute

If you think it deserves a new thread, move it.

I think first 45 in Thai history is a news.

 

[ThailandGuy]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

All these stories do is elicit the same old cliched comments and suggestions about Thai driving from the ASEAN NOW community.

As there has been no change for nearly 3 decades we have to assume that these comments are for the most part wrong.

Tell that to the relatives of the people who died, maybe they are happy with your comment? I guess not as too many unessecary die every year and i do not want to be one of them. Happy Songkran!

[Bday Prang]

10 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

And that number was high compared to the last 10 years.

High fines, high demerit points, random breath stations, increased police presence on the roads, speed cameras all over the place have really helped reduce the road tolls in Oz.

So Australia may be safer but after reading your list of authoritarian restrictions currently inforce,  I'd prefer to be here thank you very much !   And so , evidently would quite a few others,  even those who continually moan about things here 

[max72]

35 minutes ago, max72 said:

Hallo sorry i can't open a new topic, but besides the accidents, these days, the stifling heat is a matter of concern.

Today 15 april Thailand hit 45 degrees Celsius 115 Fahr. for the first time in history in the Tak agrometerological station : 45.4 C

previous record was 44.6C at Mae Hong Song in april 2016.

 

It's a screenshot from TMD Thai Meteorological station.

link:

http://www.aws-observation.tmd.go.th/rprt/weatherMinute

If you think it deserves a new thread, move it.

I think first 45 in Thai history is a news.

 

45.4 is almost 114 fahreneit sorry.

[Bday Prang]

On 4/14/2023 at 5:44 PM, Artisi said:

Usual unbelievable normal out of control stupidity - and that's being kind. 

The whole of Australia recorded  about 16 deaths for the Easter weekend. 

But did anybody actually have any fun ?   of course not

[Bday Prang]

6 hours ago, Moti24 said:

The reason to celebrate Songkran by showing respect to your elders went out the window a long time ago.  Now, it's just another cash-cow.

So not unlike Christmas, Easter, Halloween ,Mothersday, etc. etc, 

[Bday Prang]

8 hours ago, jesimps said:

Always flummoxes me how people can stand beside a road from sunrise to sunset throwing water and not get bored.

A bit like watching a cricket match, 

[Bday Prang]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:33 PM, BangkokReady said:

Everyone seems pretty happy and unphased as far as I can see.

That's the way I see it too,   Other than a few self appointed "health and safety officers", who would ban any form of enjoyment as they continue their crusade to change Thailand into a clone of their own miserable "safe " countries. Makes me wonder why they came here in the first place, makes me wonder even more why they choose to remain.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 4/14/2023 at 5:44 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Shooting or splashing water at motorbikes... Nuff said.

I don't begrudge folks some reasonable, safe amount of fun...

 

But earlier today, I was watching a YT video of a mixed Thai-falang couple I follow participating in a SK celebration down in Samui...

 

Both the falang guy and his Thai wife/gf -- both of whom really ought to know better -- were going out of their way to throw bowls or pails of water into the faces of motorcyclists passing by on the road.

 

Is Song Kran now about a total absence of common sense?

 

 

 

[Deserted]

They were put under orders to manipulate the statistics about 7 years ago because of the sheer embarrassment involved. It's always been more than 1000 deaths on the roads at Songkran, they just reclassify some of the deaths.

[NanLaew]

On 4/15/2023 at 1:30 AM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

i like my tea like my women--hot-black and strong

 

as before i preferred them like my beer..cold n bitter ????

Or, as a pre-presidential "Dubya" is alleged to have said when asked how he liked his women, "Same as my Scotch. Eighteen years old with Coke."

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I think we would in the west. But on the Children's Channels ! Whole country here is just a big bunch of adult children. They never learn. 

And this forum is just a big bunch of gurning pensioners with nothing better to do who can't do anything about it. They never learn either.

[NanLaew]

16 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

That’s my point, as they were neither hot, nor black, but followed in their looks the Thai ideal, looking more like bloodless (white like chalk) ladyboys.

Wow... have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, you stay in Thailand too much?

[NanLaew]

16 hours ago, 2009 said:

Makes you wonder why almost 80% of accidents involve motorcycles? ????

It's almost 80% of deaths and injuries that involve motorcycles, not accidents. Absolutely nothing ponderable there.

[NanLaew]

15 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

And that number was high compared to the last 10 years.

High fines, high demerit points, random breath stations, increased police presence on the roads, speed cameras all over the place have really helped reduce the road tolls in Oz.

Yeah, it's just no fun anymore.

[NanLaew]

10 hours ago, ThailandGuy said:

So sad that every year so many people die and get injured during their new year festival. Not a country in the world that has this many casualties. And nothing changes that reduces this. They still drive drunk, without insurance and without a license. It is bizar! I wonder why this does not change? Who benefits from this?

This forum's click-through rate, that's who.

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, Artisi said:

On 4/14/2023 at 8:28 PM, NanLaew said:

In case you haven't notoiced, Thailand doesn't do Easter.

Missed the comparison of a long weekend break, did you? 

No, not at all. But I can tell apples from oranges.

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

13 hours ago, jesimps said:

Always flummoxes me how people can stand beside a road from sunrise to sunset throwing water and not get bored.

A bit like watching a cricket match,

Not quite. More like watching a rained-off cricket match.

[kwilco]

6 hours ago, ThailandGuy said:

Tell that to the relatives of the people who died, maybe they are happy with your comment? I guess not as too many unessecary die every year and i do not want to be one of them. Happy Songkran!

Not sure if you understand my post.

I don't think telling Thai people they are bad drivers helped one little bit.

however an intelligent conversation about road safety might.

 

I see little sign that many people on this thread understand even the basics of road safety and I don't see any sign that you are offering comfort to the bereaved.