No Booze For People Travelling In Or On A Vehicle During Songkran

[webfact]

SONGKRAN
No booze for passengers, drivers this Songkran
POUNGCHOMPOO PRASERT,
TANPISIT LERDBAMRUNGCHAI
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- This is the first year for booze to be banned for people travelling with a vehicle during Songkran. Offenders would be fined up to Bt10,000 and/or jailed for up to six months, Pornthep Siriwanarangsan, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said on Thursday.

The PM's Office last year issued a directive prohibiting anybody travelling in or on a vehicle from consuming alcoholic beverages while the vehicle is moving or parked.

Pornthep said people should also obey other alcohol-related laws, such as bans on selling to minors and obviously drunk customers, selling while walking along roads and selling at dormitories, temples, medical facilities and pharmacies, government offices, educational institutions, petrol stations and public parks. The punishment is the same.

Alcoholic beverages can be bought at retail only from 11am-2pm and 5pm-midnight. The maximum penalty for violators in this case is a Bt4,000 fine and/or two years in jail.

For details, please call 02-590-3342/1422.

Police at every station across the country have been instructed to strictly enforce the law.

Samarn Futrakul, director of the department's Alcohol Beverage Office, said earlier that authorities have launched an awareness campaign on television.

"Drunk driving has claimed the most lives of Thais. The toll is higher than deaths caused by communicable diseases. However, big budgets have been allocated to implement measures addressing communicable diseases when news is reported about an outbreak," he said.

Deaths from accidents due to drunk driving have not received much attention, he added.


-- The Nation 2013-04-05

[LucidLucifer]

Should be a nice little moneymaker for the BiB.

[PoodMaiDai]

Not sure which made me laugh harder, this story or the one about banning water being thrown from trucks this year.

[Payboy]

Police at every station across the country have been instructed to strictly enforce the law.

Rewriting their job description, that's a start.

[reiltin]

If it Saves lives(subject to enforcement) why only songkran? Why not year round-As Thais are poor drivers with little safety awareness and less heed for other road users Year round,this cavalier attitude also infects foreigners too(lemming mentality) whose skin and bone will shred and shatter just as easily going through a windscreen at 70 kpm. Cheers.

[Locationthailand]

"... issued a directive prohibiting anybody travelling in or on a vehicle from consuming alcoholic beverages while the vehicle is moving or parked."

So motor cold, an elevated platform from which to throw water, having a beer and you can get nailed? Right - let's hope that WAS last years directive and this year they ignore it.

[macksview]

getting lagered, driving the truck, a tray load of drunks in the back throwing water, is now illegal, i thought thailand was a country of history and tradition,

[lovetotravel]

Last year, on the way up to Issan, beer was unavailable at the gas station. But a lady in the back had a cooler full. Asked how she could do this? Payoff was the answer.

[retell]

well gonna be fun snorting up laukau while driving

[laurentbkk]

I am glad I will be away from this craziness Songkran

[chiangmaicharlies]

Words mean nothing

[JetsetBkk]

Last year, on the way up to Issan, beer was unavailable at the gas station. But a lady in the back had a cooler full. Asked how she could do this? Payoff was the answer.

I am shocked.

[orosee]

Something was lost in translation, or there will be lots of people walking home instead of going back (drunk) by taxi. Or train. Or bus.

Better idea: Ban traffic for 3 days, everyone wins.

[stoli]

If it Saves lives(subject to enforcement) why only songkran? Why not year round-As Thais are poor drivers with little safety awareness and less heed for other road users Year round,this cavalier attitude also infects foreigners too(lemming mentality) whose skin and bone will shred and shatter just as easily going through a windscreen at 70 kpm. Cheers.

There are many poor drivers among the foreigners as well, not just Thais. Yesterday I was at an intersection, in the far right of the lane, with my right turn signal on. A foreigner, as I was about to turn right, came up on my right side, stopped to see if the intersection was clear, then went straight. I wanted to go after him and knock him over. Idiot!

[drdoom6996]

Should be a nice little moneymaker for the BiB.

Yeah, they take the 10K on the spot and you continue drinking. The HUB of SCAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited April 5, 2013 by drdoom6996

[thaicbr]

Not sure which made me laugh harder, this story or the one about banning water being thrown from trucks this year.

Maybe they will just throw the beer instead?????

[Fullstop]

The PM's Office last year issued a directive prohibiting anybody travelling in or on a vehicle from consuming alcoholic beverages while the vehicle is moving or parked.

So consuming alcohol under, behind, in front of, over, beside or any other preposition related to you and a vehicle is OK.

[jamhar]

"No booze..."

I stopped reading right there.

But seriously, not having open containers (as we called them) is not too much to ask. But to say its only for the holidays smacks of being unrealistic. This needs to become a habit, not a one time deal. Otherwise its just grandstanding.

Yep, this should be a good money maker for the local officials.

If they want to be serious about cutting down on the road accidents, make it all year.

If you just want to make headlines, and extra pocket money, you're doing the right thing

[AhFarangJa]

"... issued a directive prohibiting anybody travelling in or on a vehicle from consuming alcoholic beverages while the vehicle is moving or parked."

So motor cold, an elevated platform from which to throw water, having a beer and you can get nailed? Right - let's hope that WAS last years directive and this year they ignore it.

A contradiction in terms here, how can you be TRAVELLING in a vehicle when it is PARKED?

still, i for one will not be around but I wish all a safe and happy Su Wat Dee Pee Mai...

Edited April 5, 2013 by AhFarangJa

[HeavyDrinker]

I actually stopped reading after the title as I know this will just produce the standard Thai Visa responses:

1 - Thais are terrible drivers

2 - People who drink should be shot

3 - A nice opportunity for the coppers to make money

4 - People who throw water at people on motorbikes are stupid...not the people who are stupid enough to ride a motorbike during Songkhran...

[carlspencer]

"No booze for passengers, drivers this Songkran" Feel free to knock yourselves out during the other parts of the year

[Sing_Sling]

If Thailand were a Muslim country there would be shouts of 'sharia law', 'draconian' etc . . .

. . . but because it is the Land of Snakes it is

[thaicbr]

I actually stopped reading after the title as I know this will just produce the standard Thai Visa responses:

1 - Thais are terrible drivers

2 - People who drink should be shot

3 - A nice opportunity for the coppers to make money

4 - People who throw water at people on motorbikes are stupid...not the people who are stupid enough to ride a motorbike during Songkhran...

So your saying it's NOT stupid to throw water at someone riding a motorbike??????

It's the riders fault for going about their business on the only transportation they have... OK then

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

[MikeENZ]

What do you mean I can't buy beer at the Pharmacy anymore?

[how241]

"No booze for passengers, drivers this Songkran" Feel free to knock yourselves out during the other parts of the year

+1

[HeavyDrinker]

I actually stopped reading after the title as I know this will just produce the standard Thai Visa responses:

1 - Thais are terrible drivers

2 - People who drink should be shot

3 - A nice opportunity for the coppers to make money

4 - People who throw water at people on motorbikes are stupid...not the people who are stupid enough to ride a motorbike during Songkhran...

So your saying it's NOT stupid to throw water at someone riding a motorbike??????

It's the riders fault for going about their business on the only transportation they have... OK then

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE Q6

Frankly, yes.

If the rest of the nation can get their business done before the holiday, I struggle to understand why a few idiots can't, then go out on their bikes during the most dangerous time of the year, then whine about it here.

Leave the bike at home and get a taxi or hire a car....

[NoshowJones]

If it Saves lives(subject to enforcement) why only songkran? Why not year round-As Thais are poor drivers with little safety awareness and less heed for other road users Year round,this cavalier attitude also infects foreigners too(lemming mentality) whose skin and bone will shred and shatter just as easily going through a windscreen at 70 kpm. Cheers.

There are many poor drivers among the foreigners as well, not just Thais. Yesterday I was at an intersection, in the far right of the lane, with my right turn signal on. A foreigner, as I was about to turn right, came up on my right side, stopped to see if the intersection was clear, then went straight. I wanted to go after him and knock him over. Idiot!

You should have.

[smutcakes]

i will be breaking this rule

[Time Traveller]

Does the PM's office actually understand that it's drunk drivers that cause road accidents and not drunk passengers?

[Lite Beer]

Special Report: Police to toughen alcohol ban and road safety laws during this year's Songkran

This year, the National Police Bureau is set to toughen alcohol ban during the Songkran period in a bid to keep influx of local and foreign revelers in order.

National Police Spokesperson Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo said sobriety checkpoints would be set up along popular water-splashing routes and accident-prone areas in order to impose a strict ban on all alcoholic drinks.

Police have also decided to zone off alcohol-free areas in Bangkok and major provinces for this year’s Songkran celebration. Laws restricting the hours during which alcohol can be sold, the sale of alcohol to intoxicated persons, and the sale of alcohol to those under 20 will be strictly enforced inside these areas. The zoning areas in Bangkok will include Khao San Road, Silom Road, and Rama 9 Road.

Earlier, media outlets reported that water fights from the back of pickup trucks will also be prohibited for road safety reasons. Pol Maj Gen Piya has since denied the report, saying vehicles will be allowed to carry water during the festival but police will tighten regulations on speeding and driving under the influence in order to reduce the number of road accidents.

The average number of accidents during the period over the past three years was 470. According to the National Statistics Office, there were 859 fatalities and 10,608 injuries caused by road accidents during Songkran from 2009-2011.

The Highway Department has issued a statement that in addition to implementing measures to curb road fatalities during the “seven dangerous days” period, the agency is set to waive tolls on major expressways and motorways during the festive season from April 10-16. The department stated that the toll exemption is aimed at accommodating motorists who wish to visit their hometowns during the festival and at easing congestion in parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said Songkran will generate tourism revenue of at least 110 billion baht, with international tourist arrivals totalling 2.7 million.

The agency has released a statement saying that average occupancy rate in major cities including Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya during the festive month is expected at over 70 percent.

In March, over 1.2 million international tourists arrived in Thailand, nearly a 12 percent rise from the number of the same period last year. The number is set to skyrocket in April as the country’s airports expect 177 chartered flights to Thailand from China, Russia and Malaysia during the long holiday period.

TAT will hold this year’s Songkran celebrations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Sukhothai and other major provinces which are scheduled to run during April 11-21. In the capital, revelers can participate in the bathing of Buddha statues, the building of sand pagodas, and the performance of cultural shows.

-- NNT 2013-04-05