Thailand Faces High Road Fatalities as Songkran Safety Measures Launch

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) and Statista report has placed Thailand among the top countries for road accident fatalities, recording a staggering death rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people annually. This drastically surpasses the global average and places Thailand alongside nations like Guinea, Libya, and Kenya in terms of road traffic mortality.

 

With nearly 18,000 deaths yearly—an average of 50 daily—Thailand's roads pose significant danger. Over 80% of these fatalities involve motorcycles, with issues like not wearing helmets, speeding, and driving under the influence highlighted as key factors.

 

In response to these alarming statistics, the Thai government has initiated a national road safety campaign coinciding with the Songkran festival period, from April 11 to 18. Led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, this initiative mobilises volunteers and sets up nationwide checkpoints to curb road fatalities during the high-travel holiday season.

 

 

 

Drunk driving, a notable contributor to road deaths in Thailand, tends to spike during holidays. The Department of Probation reported over 1,258 drink-driving cases on April 11 and 12, underscoring the need for stringent measures. Efforts include over 1,037 new probation cases with 94.70% linked to drink-driving on the latter day.

 

The government aims to leverage these safety measures to mitigate the typical spike in accidents during Songkran, emphasising that participation in festivities should not come at the cost of road safety. These efforts will be crucial in addressing the critical state of road safety in Thailand and reducing the toll on both lives and the economy, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-16

 

 

[Gottfrid]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Over 80% of these fatalities involve motorcycles, with issues like not wearing helmets, speeding, and driving under the influence highlighted as key factors.

That´s because over 80% of the population float the rules, drive drunk, wear no helmet and are speeding. Not that the Thai driver license and poor education does anything better, but too many also drive without license.

[sammieuk1]

On the bright side planning for old age and the 800 baht per month pension becomes irrelevant 🤔

 

[JoePai]

Good to know Thailand is good at something      😎

[Gsxrnz]

It's not as if the government actually try to do anything about it.  They could take the one positive action of going full DEVCOM 1 on enforcing and educating about motorcycle helmets over an extended period, and I don't mean the last week of the month when the BIB's rent money is due. 

 

If they went full media promotion, schools enforcing it, parents pilloried, public shame, no fine - instead confiscation of smartphone, they could easily enforce a cultural change.  

 

Trouble is, it would require a functioning police force.  Oh well....

 

 

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

File photo for reference only

 

A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) and Statista report has placed Thailand among the top countries for road accident fatalities, recording a staggering death rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people annually. This drastically surpasses the global average and places Thailand alongside nations like Guinea, Libya, and Kenya in terms of road traffic mortality.

 

With nearly 18,000 deaths yearly—an average of 50 daily—Thailand's roads pose significant danger. Over 80% of these fatalities involve motorcycles, with issues like not wearing helmets, speeding, and driving under the influence highlighted as key factors.

 

In response to these alarming statistics, the Thai government has initiated a national road safety campaign coinciding with the Songkran festival period, from April 11 to 18. Led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, this initiative mobilises volunteers and sets up nationwide checkpoints to curb road fatalities during the high-travel holiday season.

 

 

 

Drunk driving, a notable contributor to road deaths in Thailand, tends to spike during holidays. The Department of Probation reported over 1,258 drink-driving cases on April 11 and 12, underscoring the need for stringent measures. Efforts include over 1,037 new probation cases with 94.70% linked to drink-driving on the latter day.

 

The government aims to leverage these safety measures to mitigate the typical spike in accidents during Songkran, emphasising that participation in festivities should not come at the cost of road safety. These efforts will be crucial in addressing the critical state of road safety in Thailand and reducing the toll on both lives and the economy, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-16

 

 

Well, and if you add all those who die on the way to or in hospital it might be 50% more.

[Homburg]

Thailand: Road deaths hub.

[Snig27]

7 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Well, and if you add all those who die on the way to or in hospital it might be 50% more.

 

It’s an oft-repeated myth that Thailand only counts deaths at the scene of the accident. The stats are bad enough and shameful without that sort of fact-free exaggeration. 

[ronster]

Tell us something we don't know now !

[newbee2022]

10 minutes ago, Snig27 said:

 

It’s an oft-repeated myth that Thailand only counts deaths at the scene of the accident. The stats are bad enough and shameful without that sort of fact-free exaggeration. 

That's what I said.

It lowers the official numbers

[mfd101]

59 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

It's not as if the government actually try to do anything about it.  They could take the one positive action of going full DEVCOM 1 on enforcing and educating about motorcycle helmets over an extended period, and I don't mean the last week of the month when the BIB's rent money is due. 

 

If they went full media promotion, schools enforcing it, parents pilloried, public shame, no fine - instead confiscation of smartphone, they could easily enforce a cultural change.  

 

Trouble is, it would require a functioning police force.  Oh well....

 

 

Cultural change is the key expression.

 

I can't speak about all Thais because I don't know enough but what I notice here amongst the Khmer peasants and in my own family is great reluctance ever to accept responsibility when something goes wrong. Even just in the house, some minor mishap and - even though it was clearly b/f's fault - in the space of quarter of a second it will turn out that it was my fault. Only if I get angry and show it will b/f giggle to display contrition but without actually admitting that it was his fault ...

 

Spread that across a whole culture, daily reinforced by Buddhist passivity & autocratic politics, and you get what we see on the roads.

[Sydebolle]

Well, a significant drop from +/- 24,000 reported in earlier years. Maybe get the figures right, impose existing laws and clean up this s*ç%"hole once and for good. 

It is like fish, starts stinking at the top first 😉 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

That´s because over 80% of the population float the rules, drive drunk, wear no helmet and are speeding. Not that the Thai driver license and poor education does anything better, but too many also drive without license.

A nation where you are allowed to get onto roads with the least amount of training [if any where kids are involved] and where most laws are blatantly disregarded and ignored by police, 

[spidermike007]

Nowhere else in the world have I seen people consistency take the kinds of chances and risks in the road, that they take here, with their whole families in the car. Nowhere. When they could have waited three seconds to make the uturn or turn onto the highway, and have a completely clear path, they instead choose to take a tremendous risk by cutting right in front of me, while I am doing 120kph. It is beyond comprehension. I see it all the time. My eyes do not lie to me. This rarely ever happens to me in the US.

 

If I decide to cut you off on a highway, when you are going 120kph, and I am making a u-turn, and there was plenty of room behind you for me to make a safe turn, is that an error, if it results in a horrific, fatal accident, and I take the lives of you and your family? 

 

Sometimes an error is wearing white after Labor day in New York City. And sometimes an error is invading Russia before the oncoming winter.

 

I don't make the kind of errors that result in bad accidents, much less fatalities. Why? Because I am very, very careful on the road, and very, very respectful of other drivers, their lives, and those of their families. That is a choice that results in NOT making very many terrible mistakes.

 

 It most certainly has something to do with the inability to visualize. Neither the future, nor the hypothetical. What will happen in this scenario? What about this? What about that? What are the inherent risks involved in piloting my bike, car or truck onto the safety lane of a major highway, in the wrong direction, with big trucks coming at me at 100kph? Or onto a lane of a major highway, with oncoming traffic going 120kph? Is it worth sacrificing my life, or my ability to walk for the rest of my life? How will my death affect my kids? Hold on, what about the lives of my wife, kids and sister who are in the vehicle with me, and I am responsible for their safety. Wow. That would be a big loss. An entire family. Maybe I should act like an adult, and be prudent and careful.

[ChrisKC]

Nothing more to say of this wretched business.

 

Let them die is the default policy.

[thailand49]

All smoke no action WHO need to stop providing funds to help do nothing.  Demand control of their system to make the necessary force changes,!

[ChrisKC]

32 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Nowhere else in the world have I seen people consistency take the kinds of chances and risks in the road, that they take here, with their whole families in the car. Nowhere. When they could have waited three seconds to make the uturn or turn onto the highway, and have a completely clear path, they instead choose to take a tremendous risk by cutting right in front of me, while I am doing 120kph. It is beyond comprehension. I see it all the time. My eyes do not lie to me. This rarely ever happens to me in the US.

 

If I decide to cut you off on a highway, when you are going 120kph, and I am making a u-turn, and there was plenty of room behind you for me to make a safe turn, is that an error, if it results in a horrific, fatal accident, and I take the lives of you and your family? 

 

Sometimes an error is wearing white after Labor day in New York City. And sometimes an error is invading Russia before the oncoming winter.

 

I don't make the kind of errors that result in bad accidents, much less fatalities. Why? Because I am very, very careful on the road, and very, very respectful of other drivers, their lives, and those of their families. That is a choice that results in NOT making very many terrible mistakes.

 

 It most certainly has something to do with the inability to visualize. Neither the future, nor the hypothetical. What will happen in this scenario? What about this? What about that? What are the inherent risks involved in piloting my bike, car or truck onto the safety lane of a major highway, in the wrong direction, with big trucks coming at me at 100kph? Or onto a lane of a major highway, with oncoming traffic going 120kph? Is it worth sacrificing my life, or my ability to walk for the rest of my life? How will my death affect my kids? Hold on, what about the lives of my wife, kids and sister who are in the vehicle with me, and I am responsible for their safety. Wow. That would be a big loss. An entire family. Maybe I should act like an adult, and be prudent and careful.

I think, irrespective of your comments re people taking risks, 120 KPH is speeding!

[Tarteso]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai government has initiated a national road safety campaign

The ideal festival for young people to start consuming alcohol, fights and drive 5 in 1 motobike.👍

[nausea]

I stay home during Songkran. Guys are drunk  crazy. Yeah, it's fun the first couple of times, but it all wears a bit thin after a while. Risk averse guy.

[actonion]

Road traffic accident numbers, it seems  like they are generated by Tourist Authoriy of Thailand

[Bobydog]

2 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

It's not as if the government actually try to do anything about it.  They could take the one positive action of going full DEVCOM 1 on enforcing and educating about motorcycle helmets over an extended period, and I don't mean the last week of the month when the BIB's rent money is due. 

 

If they went full media promotion, schools enforcing it, parents pilloried, public shame, no fine - instead confiscation of smartphone, they could easily enforce a cultural change.  

 

Trouble is, it would require a functioning police force.  Oh well....

 

 

Not to mention putting less in their own pockets to fund it, nothing will change.

[actonion]

The government, the Police  and all of these so called  Road Safety Campaigners are all Thai, they drive the same as those who cause these  accidents, the whole lot do not have a clue as to how to reduce accidents, They need to import  some health and safety experts  but they will never have a Foreigner telling them  what to do,  & how to do it, so  let it continue as it has  done for many years

[bkk6060]

I think it says a lot about the people. 

 

Stop in the middle of the road, speed, reckless, tailgate, on phones, pull out in front of you and expect you to stop, seemingly no concern for safety or human life.

So reckless and selfish.

What modern country has the attitude and drives like this?

Seems all a cultural phenomenon that will never change and just another reason this place will remain in the semi 3rd world.

[LOS1]

Just how many lives could be saved if they just wore a helmet? Common sense.

[bbbbooboo]

hmm… hasn’t this fact been self evident for the past 15 years?

[Chongalulu]

zzzzzzzz…here we go again,more  repetition of all the Groundhog Day comments. 🥱 

[jcmj]

That isn’t even close to the real numbers of people who died from car, motorbike and bus accidents on scene, on the way to the hospital or at the hospital. That’s the truth, believe as you want. 

[Gsxrnz]

Mind you, it's not only the locals.  Just followed a muppet Russian tourist (actually probably on a student visa, because it was his own personalised Vmax "wannabe" scooter) up Thappraya Road from Jomtien. I was behind him at the U-turn just past Rompho and he couldn't make the turn - he had to paddle it. Obviously zero riding skills - I undertook him.

 

He then fangs it past me and about ten other scooters as we depart the Thepprasit lights, makes multiple gap choice errors, brakes on and off a dozen times, counterbalances the wrong way as he attempts to weave at speed between the cars, probably should have died three times.

 

Then he stops at the U-turn at the top of the hill, and proceeds to paddle it around - again.  I undertook him - again. 

 

These are the ones that will get you. 

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Well, and if you add all those who die on the way to or in hospital it might be 50% more.

This is a complete myth. It's been reported many times over the years that deaths, on the way to, or reported from hospitals are added later as the arise.

 

But newbees wouldn't be aware of that would they, so they just follow the herd.

[Luuk Chaai]

how many  roadside set ups "nationwide checkpoints"  to curb road fatalities during the high-travel holiday season have to driven past with at least a dozen staff members sitting there playing with their idiot phones  ( short answer ..  all of them )

 

Here's an idea...        stop every car / pickup and momo-cycle  give a check

and if your found under the influence 

 

voila ..  on the spot ..  no negotiating ..

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXMaA8raghxcNhUNgqPOWXUZUaikLESSPH7w&s