Bus, Train Stations Jammed As Holidaymakers Head Upcountry: Thailand

[SteeleJoe]

RT@191Thailand: 38 die on Thai roads on second dangerous day. Total is now 71 deaths (Bangkok Post)

​RT@191Thailand: Provinces with most road fatalities were Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Chonburi, with 4 deaths each

RT@191Thailand: On Friday, 32.88% of road accidents were caused by drunk driving and 20.52% by speeding.

Imagine: going by the above, 3 days before NYE and already we have maybe a dozen or more preventable deaths in one day that arguably wouldn't have happened given the employment of some basic sense.

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Edited December 29, 2012 by SteeleJoe

[webfact]

71 killed on roads in first two days of 'Seven Dangerous Days' of New Year

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 29 - The death toll from road accidents reached 71 and 826 people were reportedly injured in the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' of the New Year holiday, according to the Department of Probation.

Director-general of the Probation Department Ruenwadee Suwanmongkol said on Dec 28 alone, 38 people were killed and 504 people were wounded in 495 road accidents, with the northern province of Lampang cited with the highest number of accidents and injured.

For the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' (Dec 27-28), Ms Ruenwadee said, the total death toll climbed to 71, lower than last year's record at 94 deaths.

She said the most accumulated deaths -- 4 each -- were recorded in northeastern province of Chiang Mai, the eastern seaside province of Chonburi and the capital, Bangkok.

The biggest cause of accidents at 32.88 percent was drunk driving, followed by speeding at 20.52 percent. Motorcycles were the vehicles most involved in accidents or 83.39 percent.

The period when accidents occurred most frequently was between 4pm-8pm, followed by 8pm until midnight.

More than half of the deaths -- 56.41 percent -- were working adults, followed by teenagers under 20 years old at 22.74 percent, while 8.14 percent of deaths were children under the age of 15 years old. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-29

[Jim walker]

Same Same appalling statistics every holiday period here.

[IMHO]

Sorry, but the traffic is and was always crazy in Sisaket.--...

Traffic is a complete doddle in Sisaket - if you think it's crazy there you need to get out more...

[techboy]

I was impressed with Green Bus in Chiangmai. It was a zoo just trying to get into the station lot. But the relatively new queue system was working well. Took a queue ticket and sat for about twenty minutes reading, got called to a window, purchased my ride. Sabai, sabai.

[Tanaka]

RT@191Thailand: 38 die on Thai roads on second ‘dangerous day’. Total is now 71 deaths (Bangkok Post)

​RT@191Thailand: Provinces with most road fatalities were Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Chonburi, with 4 deaths each

RT@191Thailand: On Friday, 32.88% of road accidents were caused by drunk driving and 20.52% by speeding.

Here we go again, and again. Speed has NEVER caused an accident! It is the inability in the drivers that causes the problems. Unfortunately almost all of them are incapable at any speed in Thailand.

[OldeBellPedr]

These holiday getaways are the same in most countries, In UK, the worst times are as the schools break up in July and just before Christmas. These huge traffic jams are just another facet of Thailand's increasing affluence. The death toll is still 3rd world though.

[SteeleJoe]

RT@191Thailand: 38 die on Thai roads on second ‘dangerous day’. Total is now 71 deaths (Bangkok Post)

​RT@191Thailand: Provinces with most road fatalities were Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Chonburi, with 4 deaths each

RT@191Thailand: On Friday, 32.88% of road accidents were caused by drunk driving and 20.52% by speeding.

Here we go again, and again. Speed has NEVER caused an accident! It is the inability in the drivers that causes the problems. Unfortunately almost all of them are incapable at any speed in Thailand.

Lighter fluid has never caused anyone to get burned. It was the inability of the person who doused himself in it to withstand the flames that caused him to get burned.

In other words, if someone is driving at a speed in which they are unable to control their vehicle adequately or react in time to the actions of another driver and thus get into an accident they wouldn't have gotten into at a lower speed, it's just semantics at best - and a fallacy at worst - to claim speed wasn't a causative factor.

I did some training and thousands of hours of practice and have always been regarded by people who know me well as a very skilled driver. I like to drive fast and always have. I've never been in accident but I don't fool myself into thinking that with a lack of proper judgment, there's no speed on any given road/ in any given circumstance where I could be at a speed that would cause me to crash.

James Dean comes to mind. He raced cars and presumably knew how to drive well enough but still managed to get killed because of the speed he was driving...

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

[BrianCR]

71 killed on roads in first two days of 'Seven Dangerous Days' of New Year

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 29 - The death toll from road accidents reached 71 and 826 people were reportedly injured in the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' of the New Year holiday, according to the Department of Probation.

Director-general of the Probation Department Ruenwadee Suwanmongkol said on Dec 28 alone, 38 people were killed and 504 people were wounded in 495 road accidents, with the northern province of Lampang cited with the highest number of accidents and injured.

For the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' (Dec 27-28), Ms Ruenwadee said, the total death toll climbed to 71, lower than last year's record at 94 deaths.

She said the most accumulated deaths -- 4 each -- were recorded in northeastern province of Chiang Mai, the eastern seaside province of Chonburi and the capital, Bangkok.

The biggest cause of accidents at 32.88 percent was drunk driving, followed by speeding at 20.52 percent. Motorcycles were the vehicles most involved in accidents or 83.39 percent.

The period when accidents occurred most frequently was between 4pm-8pm, followed by 8pm until midnight.

More than half of the deaths -- 56.41 percent -- were working adults, followed by teenagers under 20 years old at 22.74 percent, while 8.14 percent of deaths were children under the age of 15 years old. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-29

Motorcycles were the vehicles most involved in accidents or 83.39 percent. With what other motorcycles or cars? Or perhaps that could read "Cars were the vehicles most involved in accidents many with motorcycles?

[EarthAlien]

Drunkenness emerged as the leading cause of the accidents. Speeding came second. Failure to wear a crash helmet was blamed for 18.59 per cent of the injuries and deaths.

So it's *Drunkenness, *Speeding and *No Crash Helmets that are found to be the main causes,.... I am astounded at these findings!

What about "Speeding Drunken Motorcycle Drivers With No Crash Helmet"?.... there must have been a few of them in the mix.

...and also "Speeding Drunken Motorcycle Drivers With No Crash Helmet, No License and Cellphone Texting In Transit"?

Seriously,... the figures are way too high and it is sad indeed when the people of Thailand continue to suffer such carnage mainly because of inept and deplorable policing and school and social education.

[Thai at Heart]

My wife and daughter were in an accident in Si Sa Ket yesterday! ( thankfully no one hurt)

Unlicensed driver pushed her off the road to avoid a motorbike while overtaking then paid the cops 300b to tell my wife the accident was her fault. Threatened her with arrest if she didn't stop trying to argue the point with them.

Xxxxxxx backwards hillbillies, all the witnesses were from the same village as the boy....not his fault

I swear once people pass Korat their IQ drops 50 points.....

Maybe not iq, but their driving ability goes down by at least 50% the moment they turn north to Khon kaen at the korat junction.

It's as though the world is fine and then you have a pick up with no lights in the outside lane doing 40 km per hour.

[longtom]

Don't want to spoil the party but the true accident rate and death toll must be much much higher. Just observe the 'normal' daily accidents in your area/province and add what's happening over the hoildays - and what you see on the streets these days. (Not even including the victims not passing away immediately at the scene of the accident and thus not counting towards the statistics.)

OK, that's not really news, I know , but sad nevertheless.

[biplanebluey]

71 killed on roads in first two days of 'Seven Dangerous Days' of New Year

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Dec 29 - The death toll from road accidents reached 71 and 826 people were reportedly injured in the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' of the New Year holiday, according to the Department of Probation.

Director-general of the Probation Department Ruenwadee Suwanmongkol said on Dec 28 alone, 38 people were killed and 504 people were wounded in 495 road accidents, with the northern province of Lampang cited with the highest number of accidents and injured.

For the first two days of the 'Seven Dangerous Days' (Dec 27-28), Ms Ruenwadee said, the total death toll climbed to 71, lower than last year's record at 94 deaths.

She said the most accumulated deaths -- 4 each -- were recorded in northeastern province of Chiang Mai, the eastern seaside province of Chonburi and the capital, Bangkok.

The biggest cause of accidents at 32.88 percent was drunk driving, followed by speeding at 20.52 percent. Motorcycles were the vehicles most involved in accidents or 83.39 percent.

The period when accidents occurred most frequently was between 4pm-8pm, followed by 8pm until midnight.

More than half of the deaths -- 56.41 percent -- were working adults, followed by teenagers under 20 years old at 22.74 percent, while 8.14 percent of deaths were children under the age of 15 years old. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-12-29

Its only the second day and they can't even get that right----- Number of deaths so far----32 day 1 and 38

day2----------- 32 + 38 =71 ?????????

[edgarfriendly]

Dozens dead, hundreds injured in traffic that is at a standstill....

Anyone wondering how this is even possible should consider a visit to the driver licensing dept and see how these people are 'taught' road safety etc...

Then calculate how many of them didn't even bother with a 'stupid' license.

You used to say Live & let live, u know u did, u know u did, u know u did....

[rotorbreeze]

We never go anywhere during this time or at Songkran not only because of the traffic in the country but because BKK empties out and it's actually enjoyable to go somewhere in the car. So there is an upside, for us anyway.

Yes Bkk is a place to be a couple days before the outrush of Thai leaving Bkk, one can see what a lower population was once was. Will Thais ever learn on holidays it is impossible to travel by car..now taking a plane would be advisable or no one has said anything about traveling on motor bike and slipping between the stalled traffic..of course not on a Harley Davidson it is just a show bike and no practical use..60's technology..like shoe box cell phones..but a scooter say PCX150/125cc. Trust all that read this are not in a traffic jam but are understanding the best holiday is contentment on being in the present..do not seek it elsewhere on a laborious travel by car! Prosperous New Year to All

[radiochaser]

Are all the mentioned deaths and accidents on the main highways in Thailand?

If a person were not interested in getting from point A to point B in the fastest time possible, but wanted to drive a slow pace, could that be done on back roads, off the main highways?

And if it were possible to drive from Bangkok to, say Udon Thanii, taking your time arriving, about 1 to 2 weeks after leaving Bangkok, would that be possible and could that be done safely?

[sausageandmash]

or he could have paid the cops 1,000 baht to have the boy arrested. Money talks. Play them at their own game.

[quote

name=gkinbkk' timestamp='1356756322' post='5971980]

My wife and daughter were in an accident in Si Sa Ket yesterday! ( thankfully no one hurt)

Unlicensed driver pushed her off the road to avoid a motorbike while overtaking then paid the cops 300b to tell my wife the accident was her fault. Threatened her with arrest if she didn't stop trying to argue the point with them.

Xxxxxxx backwards hillbillies, all the witnesses were from the same village as the boy....not his fault

I swear once people pass Korat their IQ drops 50 points.....

You could have had it more complicated. The 300 baht were because the boy had no license to drive, as usual.

Once, there's no solution, both vehicles have to be brought to the police station to get things sorted out. You could also spend your weekend at the police station and argue who's fault it was.

[sausageandmash]

One could say that the dozens dead mean that there are now a few less lunatics on the road. Unforntunately, this is no consolation, as dozens more potential lunatics will start driving soon to take their place.

Dozens dead, hundreds injured in traffic that is at a standstill....

Anyone wondering how this is even possible should consider a visit to the driver licensing dept and see how these people are 'taught' road safety etc...

You used to say Live & let live, u know u did, u know u did, u know u did....

[bangon04]

Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong said 24 more train trips were added to the schedule yesterday to facilitate the extra passengers. The number of carriages per train had also been increased to accommodate the demand, he said.

"Each train will get two more carriages to make sure passengers won't be stranded," he said

Wouldn't it be nice if this guy could also run the Sukhumvit line Skytrain and give the management the benefit of his vast experience?