Songkran Alcohol Ban Mulled In A Move To Reduce Deaths During Holiday

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ACCIDENTS
Roads in Thailand the sixth most dangerous
JINTANA PANYAARVUDH
THE NATION



Songkran alcohol ban mulled in a move to reduce deaths during holiday

BANGKOK: -- The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee will on Monday consider whether to issue a ban on the sale of alcohol during the Songkran holiday period, Songkran Pakchokdee, director of the Anti-Alcohol Organisations Network, told The Nation.

A ban, aimed at reducing deaths from road accidents over the period, will be proposed by Dr Saman Futrakul, director of the Disease Control Department's Office of Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Consumption Control Committee.



The committee, chaired by Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong, is expected to announce a decision on Monday. If the proposed ban is passed, it will be submitted for final approval to the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, on March 28, in time for next month's water festival.

Saman's earlier proposal for a year-round ban on the sale of alcohol on pavements, roadside areas and public walkways was shelved by Plodprasob's committee last December.

Thailand currently bans alcohol sales on four major religious holidays: Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asarnha Bucha Day and Buddhist Lent Day.

In related news, the Thailand Accident Research Centre (TARC) recently conducted a study into accidents on Thai roads over the past 20 years.

Kunnawee Kanitpong, who headed the research, said that statistics for 1993-2011 road accidents and fatalities gathered by two agencies - the National Police Office and the Public Health Ministry - varied significantly (see graphic).

Prommin Kantiya, director of the Accident Prevention Network, said Thailand lacked a single systematic process to gather such information.

He said police statistics only covered cases in which victims had died on the same day as their accidents, while the Public Health Ministry collects follow-up information for another 30 days and therefore records a much higher number of road-accident fatalities.

However, the number of road deaths recorded by the Health Ministry is still lower than that gathered by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Last month the WHO reported that up to 26,000 people are killed in road accidents every year in Thailand, which places the country as sixth-highest in the world for road fatalities.

The TARC research indicates that integration of relevant agencies is necessary to gain a true reflection of trends in road use and the toll that road accidents take, said Kunnawee.

The research study, the fruit of almost a year's work, will be forwarded to the Road Safety Centre and published in a book this year.


-- The Nation 2013-03-23

[NongKhaiKid]

More hot air that no one will pay attention to. They can introduce all the bans they want but grog can always be found and the BIB will make extra pocket money going around to " fine " those breaching the ban. This is as useful as the road safety campaigns that achieve nothing and don't even sound good anymore

[bdenner]

Ban alcohol sales over Song Kran, clean up the public transport system in Phuket etc. This isn't news, just ridiculous rhetoric by non functional government!

[arthurboy]

Any of these so-called road safety initiatives require strict application and enforcement of the law - and the absence of corruption - to work.

And we all know that ain't ever going to happen.

[fareastguy]

So this proposed new measure will keep death & carnage off the roads during the festival period ??

By baning the sale of alcohol over the three day festival, widely publicised beforehand of course so Joe public can stock up on their favourite brew, still enjoy their 3 day beer fest & the government keeps it's revenue coming in, problem solved!!

PROBLEM NOT SOLVED!!

Are they not capable of thinking any policy through to the end ??

People will stock up on alcohol ahead of the festival & still feel the need to drive.. this will never stop drink driving in a million years !!

Police mounting road blocks on every corner with the advisory reading: if you drink & drive during this period you WILL be banned automatically for a year, you WILL go to jail for 6 months, you WILL pay a huge fine, your insurance cover WILL double in price..

As in other countries this WILL have more effect !!

[Credo]

Why don't they ban driving during Songkran. That would reduce road fatalities. People can stay home and drink, though.

[bigbamboo]

As usual the Thai authorities missing the target completely. It isn't the sale of alcohol that kills during Songkran it's the half wits who drink and drive.

[Pond Life]

Many true comments above, but lets face it, Thai's dont need to be drunk to drive like idiots.

They do it all the time.

Ban cars.

[sjjmmi]

Why don't they ban driving during Songkran. That would reduce road fatalities. People can stay home and drink, though.

+10 But what about the Bus and Taxi drivers not forgetting the BIB

Edited March 23, 2013 by sjjmmi

[Locationthailand]

26,000 people are killed in road accidents every year in Thailand... So how about 'driver education'? Every idiot in Thailand knows how to go fast as putting the pedal to the metal ain't difficult!! But teaching them to 'drive' would go a long way to avoiding accidents, by not overtaking on unbroken lines, observe speed signs, driver courtesy etc... ah silly me... Songkran... the excuse to party for a week and enjoy water fights, play music past the point of distortion and drink Leo whilst watching your girlfriend in a wet T Shirt.

[A Member]

More hot air that no one will pay attention to. They can introduce all the bans they want but grog can always be found and the BIB will make extra pocket money going around to " fine " those breaching the ban. This is as useful as the road safety campaigns that achieve nothing and don't even sound good anymore

I wonder if the clowns who come out with this rubbish actually believe it themselves or is it on a calendar under " time to make another stupid public announcement ' ?

[geriatrickid]

They are going about it the wrong way.

We need a public information campaign:

[doctorproc156]

The focus of this is wrong, it isn't the alcohol that needs to be banned, it's the people who need to be educated on the dangers of drinking and driving. This is defeated in more developed countries by providing free and more frequent public transport during the festive seasons. This will obviously not work as there is a severe lack of a sufficient public transport infrastructure in Thailand. So for now, channeling money into adverts and education is the only way they can at least try to bring down the drunk driving fatalities.

[laurentbkk]

I think we could talk about the knowing the sex of angels for years and will never find any solution ...... the only problem here is Thais think they are the best driver in the world , oh yes I heard that so many time ... All those dead ? that's their Karma .....nothing to do with lack of education in driving , courtesy etc ..... A deep change is needed in the mentality but no government never took that seriously. as foreigner , we just have to drive the way we would do in our country and try to avoid the crazy drivers here.

[somtampet]

So this proposed new measure will keep death & carnage off the roads during the festival period ??

By baning the sale of alcohol over the three day festival, widely publicised beforehand of course so Joe public can stock up on their favourite brew, still enjoy their 3 day beer fest & the government keeps it's revenue coming in, problem solved!!

PROBLEM NOT SOLVED!!

Are they not capable of thinking any policy through to the end ??

People will stock up on alcohol ahead of the festival & still feel the need to drive.. this will never stop drink driving in a million years !!

Police mounting road blocks on every corner with the advisory reading: if you drink & drive during this period you WILL be banned automatically for a year, you WILL go to jail for 6 months, you WILL pay a huge fine, your insurance cover WILL double in price..

As in other countries this WILL have more effect !!

EXCELLANT IDEA

[somtampet]

As usual the Thai authorities missing the target completely. It isn't the sale of alcohol that kills during Songkran it's the half wits who drink and drive.

aNOTHER GOOD POST

[sscsamui]

Cut Songkran to 1 day Everywhere in Thailand and that would save Lives... Many of them..... Wake Up.....

[IMA_FARANG]

My suggestion: raise the price of alcohol by 50% during Songkhran ... especially in Pattaya.

And make that a 75% increase for falangs in Pattaya.

Would be worth it just to hear the howls of outrage from the Pattaya boozer and loser brigade.

But we all know that won't happen.

Pattaya Delendum est.

[Halion]

So typical in this country founded on arrogance and ignorance. Another example of a day late and a dollar short !

There is and has been substantive data for years that this holiday period promotes road carnage on an epic scale and this report only serves to indicate how incredibly dumb they are.

There is little doubt that alcohol is a major contributor however, the pertinent facts are that the people simply do not give a dam owing to an etherial judiciary and an innefective and rampantly corrupt police force and a Government who are totally impotent to effect change in the status quo. Education and sincere and diligent enforcement are the key elements and there is as much chance of that as trying to poke butter up a badgers ass with a red hot knitting needle.

The bottom line is that we are about to enter a major holidy period which will result in tears ,pain and distress for so many people because their Government has no bloody idea, nor the will of how to deal with this national phenomena.

[johnsuma]

Best and only way in this land is to raise any alcool

by 500%, simple beer included guess ar the price of 250 bahts not many will get drunk...

These people are usually low level worker with small brain. (if any)

[Pimay1]

Best and only way in this land is to raise any alcool

by 500%, simple beer included guess ar the price of 250 bahts not many will get drunk...

These people are usually low level worker with small brain. (if any)

Very demeaning post.

[Thaddeus]

Best and only way in this land is to raise any alcool

by 500%, simple beer included guess ar the price of 250 bahts not many will get drunk...

These people are usually low level worker with small brain. (if any)

They would just stock up beforehand, they are not that stupid.

[keemapoot]

Based on that chart from Road Safety & Nat'l Police, the safest vehicle you can drive in Thailand is a Farm Truck. I've always wanted one of these, now it's confirmed:

[LuckyLew]

So this proposed new measure will keep death & carnage off the roads during the festival period ??

By baning the sale of alcohol over the three day festival, widely publicised beforehand of course so Joe public can stock up on their favourite brew, still enjoy their 3 day beer fest & the government keeps it's revenue coming in, problem solved!!

PROBLEM NOT SOLVED!!

Are they not capable of thinking any policy through to the end ??

People will stock up on alcohol ahead of the festival & still feel the need to drive.. this will never stop drink driving in a million years !!

Police mounting road blocks on every corner with the advisory reading: if you drink & drive during this period you WILL be banned automatically for a year, you WILL go to jail for 6 months, you WILL pay a huge fine, your insurance cover WILL double in price..

As in other countries this WILL have more effect !!

Only problem with banning them from driving is that this will not stop the guilty from driving

They do not care about drunk driving ... so they will not mind driving with no license

Name them ... shame them ...

[jocko]

A three day prohibition .

I will start cooking my moonshine now.

Unbelievable

[jocko]

Based on that chart from Road Safety & Nat'l Police, the safest vehicle you can drive in Thailand is a Farm Truck. I've always wanted one of these, now it's confirmed:

I haven't seen that model before.

I like it

[ballpoint]

Every year the Songkran, or indeed, any long holiday traffic policing policy, if it can be given such a name, consists of narrowing two or three lanes of highway down to one, causing huge jams on crowded roads as all traffic is forced into one lane. Traffic then crawls past a bunch of BIB who seem to care more about extorting money from vehicles carrying any sort of cargo than enforcing any laws of sensibility, as pickups heavily overloaded with water sodden children, drunks, or combinations of the two are waved through, while those carrying goods items are directed off to one side. You'd think they'd at least have the sense to randomly breath test a number of drivers at these check cash points, but no. You could drive through in a haze of alcohol and be waved along to drunkenly carry on till the next checkpoint, or scene of your crash, whatever happens sooner. Once through, the traffic speeds up again to make up the lost time, and work out the frustrations of being brought to a crawl, with some artistic maneuvering employed to get around the slower vehicles that haven't seemed to notice the road block is over and continue to crawl along the fast lane, safe in the knowledge that every policeman in the area is either manning the checkpoint or sitting under the canvas awning off to the side, divvying up the cash while watching the telly. And off they speed until the next district and the next checkpoint.

This system has been employed for years. It doesn't work. Do they think of changing it? Maybe random patrols pulling dangerous or speeding drivers over on the spot? Has anyone ever seen a police car pull a driver over outside one of these checkpoints, at any time of the year? I've seen cars overtaking highway patrol vehicles at speeds way in excess of the limit, or sensibility, with nothing done about it. If they must persist with these ridiculous checkpoints, at least introduce random breath testing, and make the penalties effective. A small fine and handing the keys to the car back to the driver are not going to solve anything. And neither is a ban on alcohol sales.

[Pimay1]

Based on that chart from Road Safety & Nat'l Police, the safest vehicle you can drive in Thailand is a Farm Truck. I've always wanted one of these, now it's confirmed:

I haven't seen that model before.

I like it

There area lot of them between Udon Thani and Kalasin. Big sugar cane producing area.

[WhizBang]

Again?

Didn't we see this same article last year?

Has TAT approved it? This ban would do wonders for the tourist business that our puppet PM wants increased. Oh right... she wants the 'Quality' tourists. Guess they don't drink.

Here's an idea... get the cops out in force and actually doing their job. No 100 baht and you get to go on your way BS. If you are caught driving under the influence, you car is impounded for 7 days, starting right NOW, and you get hit with a 10000 baht fine (payable at the courthouse only). You also get to pay for the 7 day storage of your vehicle.

Oh, and any cop who takes a bribe gets an automatic termination notice.

Yeah right, like any of that would/could happen in Thailand LOS (Land of SCAMS).

[Sydebolle]

Well, one solution could be to carry on selling/stocking & drinking while Songkran is abolished. Anyhow bloody ridiculous how grown-ups turned this nice water festival into the most childish event. High pressure water cannons, ice water, tons of smeary powder irritating eyes and the respiratory system - I for one are never in the country when Thailand goes over the moon........