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

[Rancid]

You have to love commitees, always some bunch of government sychophants getting a financial kickback and thus ready to roll out any useless opinion that noboby cares about.

What happens to old politicians? Committess, Ambassadorships, Company Directors, Lobbyists. Even when they are gone these parasites still get their snouts in some trough.

[finnomick1]

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.

Never heard of that one -- ' trying to poke butter up a badgers ass with a red hot knitting needle ', but I get your point -- excellent

[finnomick1]

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 ...

...and impound the vehicle, whoever it belongs to. Claim the vehicle by paying a HUGE fine within 30 days or it goes to the auctions. And this goes for failure to produce a license or insurance and extend this to motorcycles i.e. no crash helmet, more than two on a bike etc., etc.

[473geo]

Average 40 people killed on Thai roads each day of the year. Estimated % that's alcohol fueled = at least half

Average number daily killed by ganja (pot) smokers = around zero

Average number annually of law-breaking activity by people stoned on hemp = zero

(it's not possible to get stoned smoking hemp)

Both ganja and hemp are illegal and can get a person thrown in jail - for having just a smidgen of the stuff.

Beer and hard liquor is drunk by everyone, including politicians and judges. Indeed, Thailand's drug czar is an alcoholic. Is this crazy or what? IT would be ludicrous except for that fact that alcohol is by far more harmful than all other recreational drugs (all of which are illegal) combined. It's like Thailand's leaders are so drunk, they don't know shit from shinola, and wind up enacting laws which oppose common sense and decency.

p.s. I haven't drunk alcohol or smoked hemp for several decades. All drugs should be legal, taxed, and screw-ups dealt with by counseling. Ronald Reagan and all other country-leading idiots since him have tried to outlaw drugs, and they've all failed miserably - indeed, every leader in the past 50 years who clings to the ridiculous 'war on drugs' has only made things worse overall.

Well there wasn't much support on Tvisa for the minimum wage increase which perhaps would reduce the number of hours drivers cram in to an already tight schedule to make the most out of the busy holiday period!! Maybe you need to widen your vision when looking for cause and effect.

Edited March 23, 2013 by 473geo

[Aussiescott]

We all that have lived in the "civilized" world before living here, have seen these campaigns to educate against the drink driving scourge . Unfortunately here, it could NEVER be as effective because the "establishment" wont follow through.. BUT i still think its better to advertise on TV and written media prior for a month or two about drink driving with the really in your face campaigns that are on the TV screens in Australia over the past years...very effective and we all thought we were invisible after a few drinks and could never have a crash.....until we were busted and cost a lot of money OR had a crash...I've done both and see these campigns after and think i wish i had seen these years before... I never hurt anyone thankfully though, only my wallett...

[philw]

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:

The safest form of transport. Hmmm. Maybe, until you are on a very dark country road and one comes past you, going in the opposite direction. And you didn't even see it until it was level with you (no lights) This has happened to me. Nearly 5hit myself.

jb1

Shouldn't live in Thailand.

Too easily shits himself.

[Lunghans]

There's one reason for drinking and driving that is hardly ever mentioned: In most of Thailand, there is no functional taxi or public transport system, and that includes most of the cities as well as all rural areas. If you want to get home, you have to drive. While I certainly agree that one shouldn't drink and drive, Thailand seems to be based on people providing their own transport, drunk or sober.

I disagree with that. Even in the remote rural areas there is transport, there are busses driving on almost every main road, from tour busses to baht busses. At every big intersection there is a bus stop. At every bus stop there are motor cycle taxis waiting for customers. When you are a local you would have the mobile number of at least one of these guys and they are more than happy to respond to a call. But if they are available at Songkran and sober as well I would not know.

[skorchio]

Its Songkran, lets get pissed and see what happens .... my Karma is all good!!!

Don't they proposed this <deleted> ever year?

[bristolgeoff]

will never happen people drink during that period and go crazy,then kill themselves and others on the road.all big cities suffer the same.i just wait and see the end results after it is all over

[kkup]

I don't comment here much, I see a big enough community of bored expats who do enough of that for me.

Normally i read an article i find interesting then quickly look at some of the comments afterwards, same old non constructive rubbish from the same old people living here with nothing to do but bash every idea or news item posts.

I've lived here for a couple of years now, of course things are different to your home country, you are in THAILAND, generally people try and come up with initiatives they think will help the country not make it worse, some are good, some aren't, hopefully they will learn from what works and what doesn't. It will take time here, just like it did in your country...

Unfortunately the corruption here makes it very hard to successively implement polices and safer regulations like we are used too. The government needs funding to do this and when police, government officials, business owners are all on the take, what does it leave for the people? Not much.

Many of your useless comments sound like they are coming from lonely people who couldn't find happiness in their own country so now you come here and try and bring everyone and everything else down around you (because its cheaper and you are comforted by the pretense that you really are handsome).

Most of you are retired, and by the looks of it have bugger all to do (apart from complaining about the place you choose to live) so why don't you get off your ass and try and come up with a few good ideas yourself and do something about it, start a charity, build a website that educates Thai people on something you feel they can improve on, offer your time and services for community projects, start a campaign about driver education and compulsory licencing using licences that cannot be forged, rally to start a program in high school to teach kids about road safety and driving. The list goes on. Then you will at least end your days here knowing that you made a difference in your life. And hopefully put forward some constructive alternatives to problems you see and do something about it. Posting an idea on thai visa then going to read your book isn't doing anything for anyone. I'm saying this to the guys who do nothing with their day apart from going to get a coffee, read a book, watch tv, play golf, go to bars and basically do <Snip!> all to help anyone else.

I'm not immune to the frustration that goes on in Thailand, but if I want to take advantage of all the good things in this country, I should probably try and do something to make the bad things better.

Edited March 23, 2013 by metisdead
: Profanity removed.

[GentlemanJim]

From what I can determine, the road deaths over Songkran are no different to any other day of the year, in fact they may even prove to be less if you analyse the correct data...correctly. The only difference with the roads deaths at Songkran is that the authorities report them and publicise them.

This is not about Songkran, this is about problems that are endemic in Thai society, problems that are easy to fix.

It is about no adequate driving tests and standards.

It is about no adequate driving laws.

It is about the Police force failing to ensure that people adhere to what road laws there are.

It is about the judiciary failing to properly punish those guilty of serious road crimes, drink driving, wreckless driving, fleeing the scene of an accident, and as a result, failing to establish a credible and serious deterrent.

It is about failing to seriously punish those who drive without a licence or insurance, or who are underage.

It is the fact that Thailand probably has the same attitude to drink driving as most western countries did 50-60 years ago, the problem being that 50-60 yrs ago not many people/families had cars or bikes in the west, but in 2013 in Thailand, lots of them do...almost everybody, hell the government even help them by introducing irresponsible populist schemes that have only one objective...to get the government re-elected.

Where there is a will there is a way, where there is no will there is no way!

Edited March 23, 2013 by GentlemanJim

[gp2002]

How about stopping stupid people from throwing huge amounts of water on motorcycle drivers, causing them to lose their balance and crash!

How about making the festival April 13, 14, 15 like it's supposed to be instead of stretching it from the 13th to 21st (Rayong)??

How about teaching Thais the rules of the road BEFORE they operate a vehicle??

The list could go on and on...............

[geriatrickid]

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)

What we will get is moonshine with the resultant deaths and injuries.

This is what happens in India. Sad, but true.

[annabel]

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

Worse ! This is as good as saying " We are stepping up security everytime someone or many people in the south are killed by bombs or random guys riding by on a motorcycle and shooting people and are so called "INSURGENTS"... which seems to be a daily routine now, these days .... but Security has been beefing up daily , monthly, for how many years now ...?? Improvements..?? Peace..?? Anything accomplished ???.. but everyday the same comment "Security has been tightened ... Oye .. Mocking Birds !! Nothing else !

[belg]

they can put a 307% import tax on cars, but on local alcohol they cannot ? make everything same as sigarettes 200% tax increase and see how much those poor bastards can drink ...

[jackr]

Songkran has traditionally been celebrated as the New Year for many centuries,is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 16 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars in ASIA.. Drinking is part of this celebration & to Ban alcohol would be like changing the holiday & baning Spraying water as well !!! They can say that no driver drink any alcohol at all & then try enforse fines or tickets.. Some other way besides hurting the non drivers too..

No it isn't; it was traditionally all about respecting elders and monks, but has evolved somewhat over the past decades into a water-throwing frenzy.

If you're going to cut & paste Wiki, at least post the whole article (and link) rather than try to be clever and make another's' content your own.

[culicine]

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:

Not sure about those statistics. I would have though the percentage of bike accidents would be much higher relative to passenger cars, especially in terms of number of deaths resulting from such accidents.

[comserve]

Regardless of Songkran, I have been driving in Thailand for over five years, have clocked up more than 100,000 kms but have NEVER had to have a breath test!

[ericthai]

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

They would have riots on their hands if they tried to do this. Dont you know this is the biggest holiday of the year and all the Thai's that work in Bangkok, Rayong etc head home for Song Krong? Bangkok is almost empty and actually nice to drive in during the holiday. No way could they ban driving during the holiday.

[ericthai]

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.

What are you talking about?? Thailand has excellent public transportation system. You can get a bus to go anywhere you want in Thailand via a combination of public and privately operated bus companies. During Song Krong these buses are packed with people going home. You need to get a ticket weeks in advance. However the bus drivers are usually high or drunk along with the Train engineers etc. It is defiantly the need for education. You have better options in Thailand to travel by bus than you do in the USA.

[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.

What are you talking about?? Thailand has excellent public transportation system. You can get a bus to go anywhere you want in Thailand via a combination of public and privately operated bus companies. During Song Krong these buses are packed with people going home. You need to get a ticket weeks in advance. However the bus drivers are usually high or drunk along with the Train engineers etc. It is defiantly the need for education. You have better options in Thailand to travel by bus than you do in the USA.

What you are talking about is the intercity travel, that I agree is fine, but most of these accidents happen once people go back to their hometowns/villages and that's when they usually drink and drive around their town. And within their hometowns you cannot say that each town has a decent public transport system. I don't know how you would think bus travel in Thailand is better than the US because that just isn't true, greyhound, bolt-bus etc offer far more reliable services (with wifi etc) than anything i've used in Thailand.

[HeavyDrinker]

I don't comment here much, I see a big enough community of bored expats who do enough of that for me.

Normally i read an article i find interesting then quickly look at some of the comments afterwards, same old non constructive rubbish from the same old people living here with nothing to do but bash every idea or news item posts.

I've lived here for a couple of years now, of course things are different to your home country, you are in THAILAND, generally people try and come up with initiatives they think will help the country not make it worse, some are good, some aren't, hopefully they will learn from what works and what doesn't. It will take time here, just like it did in your country...

Unfortunately the corruption here makes it very hard to successively implement polices and safer regulations like we are used too. The government needs funding to do this and when police, government officials, business owners are all on the take, what does it leave for the people? Not much.

Many of your useless comments sound like they are coming from lonely people who couldn't find happiness in their own country so now you come here and try and bring everyone and everything else down around you (because its cheaper and you are comforted by the pretense that you really are handsome).

Most of you are retired, and by the looks of it have bugger all to do (apart from complaining about the place you choose to live) so why don't you get off your ass and try and come up with a few good ideas yourself and do something about it, start a charity, build a website that educates Thai people on something you feel they can improve on, offer your time and services for community projects, start a campaign about driver education and compulsory licencing using licences that cannot be forged, rally to start a program in high school to teach kids about road safety and driving. The list goes on. Then you will at least end your days here knowing that you made a difference in your life. And hopefully put forward some constructive alternatives to problems you see and do something about it. Posting an idea on thai visa then going to read your book isn't doing anything for anyone. I'm saying this to the guys who do nothing with their day apart from going to get a coffee, read a book, watch tv, play golf, go to bars and basically do <Snip!> all to help anyone else.

I'm not immune to the frustration that goes on in Thailand, but if I want to take advantage of all the good things in this country, I should probably try and do something to make the bad things better.

So after 2 years here you think you (or anyone) can 'improve' the country with your frankly lame ideas.

Your post is far more patronising than anything I've read here. ever.

Personally, I'll be having a beer laughing at your inevitable failure from a distance...

Edited March 23, 2013 by HeavyDrinker

[ericthai]

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.

What are you talking about?? Thailand has excellent public transportation system. You can get a bus to go anywhere you want in Thailand via a combination of public and privately operated bus companies. During Song Krong these buses are packed with people going home. You need to get a ticket weeks in advance. However the bus drivers are usually high or drunk along with the Train engineers etc. It is defiantly the need for education. You have better options in Thailand to travel by bus than you do in the USA.

What you are talking about is the intercity travel, that I agree is fine, but most of these accidents happen once people go back to their hometowns/villages and that's when they usually drink and drive around their town. And within their hometowns you cannot say that each town has a decent public transport system. I don't know how you would think bus travel in Thailand is better than the US because that just isn't true, greyhound, bolt-bus etc offer far more reliable services (with wifi etc) than anything i've used in Thailand.

ok, I agree with you to a point, however even in the small towns there a usually baht buses and motor bike taxis, tuk tuk to get you around. You might need to sit on the side the road for a long time. As for the buses in the US and Thailand, Im not talking about service on the bus, but service points. I know where I live in the US there is no bus service station near us. I have to drive more than 1hr to get to the bus station, hell the airport is closer. Greyhound is also cutting back on their service points. I did not take a bus for over 10 years in Thailand but recently took one and the service was great. Got into bangkok 30 minutes early, free soda and snacks, nice seats just great service over all. To be honest never road the bus in the USA, like I said the bus station is farther than the airport so always flew. However i have checked a few times in the USA to take a bus and it would only get you to major cites. Not like in Thailand you can get almost any city in Thailand via a combination of private and public.

[Mosha]

Perhaps the clock needs turning back on this festival. Every year it gets worse. You hear of the drunks getting angry cos people won't stop. About 2 years ago a bloke was murdered on his way to a family funeral. Bottom of our road they set up a road block so people had to stop. The whole festival is completely out of control. I'll go buy a box of beer and do as I normally do. Stay home.

[spectre324]

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.

talked about the same thuing for the past two years! not going to happen in my life time! only safe thing to do is stay home and off the roads!

[Mosha]

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)

What we will get is moonshine with the resultant deaths and injuries.

This is what happens in India. Sad, but true.

They already have it. Lhao Khao, and Lhao Daeng

[easyas]

From what I can determine, the road deaths over Songkran are no different to any other day of the year, in fact they may even prove to be less if you analyse the correct data...correctly. The only difference with the roads deaths at Songkran is that the authorities report them and publicise them.

This is not about Songkran, this is about problems that are endemic in Thai society, problems that are easy to fix.

It is about no adequate driving tests and standards.

It is about no adequate driving laws.

It is about the Police force failing to ensure that people adhere to what road laws there are.

It is about the judiciary failing to properly punish those guilty of serious road crimes, drink driving, wreckless driving, fleeing the scene of an accident, and as a result, failing to establish a credible and serious deterrent.

It is about failing to seriously punish those who drive without a licence or insurance, or who are underage.

It is the fact that Thailand probably has the same attitude to drink driving as most western countries did 50-60 years ago, the problem being that 50-60 yrs ago not many people/families had cars or bikes in the west, but in 2013 in Thailand, lots of them do...almost everybody, hell the government even help them by introducing irresponsible populist schemes that have only one objective...to get the government re-elected.

Where there is a will there is a way, where there is no will there is no way!

"Wreckless driving"? That makes me guilty, and I thought I was doing OK!

[crazykopite]

Who is this crackpot if people want to drink which would be the case they will ensure they are stocked up should a ban take place to ban the sale of booze will not stop the death toll !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mosha]

Been driving here for over 10 years now and believe me, NOTHING surprises me anymore. Why is it that Thais are always in a hurry when they get behind the wheel and any other time you got to draw a line in the dirt to see if they're actually moving. All BS aside they really need to have good law enforcement and some type of driver ED in the school system.

The only thing that surprises me, is that I am no longer surprised at what I see here.

[somtampet]

I don't comment here much, I see a big enough community of bored expats who do enough of that for me.

Normally i read an article i find interesting then quickly look at some of the comments afterwards, same old non constructive rubbish from the same old people living here with nothing to do but bash every idea or news item posts.

I've lived here for a couple of years now, of course things are different to your home country, you are in THAILAND, generally people try and come up with initiatives they think will help the country not make it worse, some are good, some aren't, hopefully they will learn from what works and what doesn't. It will take time here, just like it did in your country...

Unfortunately the corruption here makes it very hard to successively implement polices and safer regulations like we are used too. The government needs funding to do this and when police, government officials, business owners are all on the take, what does it leave for the people? Not much.

Many of your useless comments sound like they are coming from lonely people who couldn't find happiness in their own country so now you come here and try and bring everyone and everything else down around you (because its cheaper and you are comforted by the pretense that you really are handsome).

Most of you are retired, and by the looks of it have bugger all to do (apart from complaining about the place you choose to live) so why don't you get off your ass and try and come up with a few good ideas yourself and do something about it, start a charity, build a website that educates Thai people on something you feel they can improve on, offer your time and services for community projects, start a campaign about driver education and compulsory licencing using licences that cannot be forged, rally to start a program in high school to teach kids about road safety and driving. The list goes on. Then you will at least end your days here knowing that you made a difference in your life. And hopefully put forward some constructive alternatives to problems you see and do something about it. Posting an idea on thai visa then going to read your book isn't doing anything for anyone. I'm saying this to the guys who do nothing with their day apart from going to get a coffee, read a book, watch tv, play golf, go to bars and basically do <Snip!> all to help anyone else.

I'm not immune to the frustration that goes on in Thailand, but if I want to take advantage of all the good things in this country, I should probably try and do something to make the bad things better.

Are u for real?????

Try do anything here and the police will get u for not having a work permit.Also,if i retired in the uk,i have a right to moan about stuff that isnt right and i dont have to get involved in community work,and i believe most that come on here are not bored,what is wrong with gaining info from this board and others,Are u a teacher????