Police target cutting number of accident during Songkran holiday
By English News



BANGKOK, April 10 -- The agencies under the Royal Thai Police have joined forces to cut the number of road accidents during Songkran holiday April 12-19.

National Police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew launched a campaign to reduce and prevent road accidents in which all agencies have mobilised their forces to achieve the target.

Metropolitan Police Bureau, Provincial Police Region 1-9, Traffic Division, Highway Police Division, Tourist Police Division, Police General Hospital and other agencies will prepare their personnel, vehicles and equipment to promptly respond to accidents.

They would also facilitate the flow of traffic during the five-day holiday period to prevent accidents.

Gen Adul said the campaign will focus on protecting lives and assets, warning of risk from drinking while driving and encouraging seasonal celebrants to enjoy the festive season safely and economically.

Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, chief of the Police Traffic Division, said the traffic would be closed during April 13-15 between 2pm-9pm at Khao San and Silom Roads for neighbourhood Songkran festival celebrations.

Cleanup operations will be completed by midnight to prepare the roads for the next day of celebration.

In case of emergency, police can be reached at hotline number 1599. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-04-10

Didnt read the article, but I will believe the headline when i see it.

How are they going to do that then

If you don't have goals, you're just practicing.

I applaud them for setting goals (whatever they may be)

I also applaud them for mobilizing their staff for the holidays.

You have goals, you have a plan

time to put the plans into action!

I, for one, hope they succeed!

How are they going to do that then

They won't cut the accidents but when the holiday is over the figures will definitely be cut

Didnt read the article, but I will believe the headline when i see it.

Apparently, they are expecting just one accident:

"Police target cutting number of accident during Songkran holiday"

I didn't read it either...I read it last year, already!

Every year the same announcement.

And every year the same results.

Edited April 10, 201313 yr by Misterwhisper

Last year they said the same.

The number of deaths rose.

PTP declared it an overwhelming "success"

They could start by ensuring that they (the police) are not the worst drunken offenders....

Let the carnage numbers reflect the boast.

Best of luck BIB, I sure hope it works out well, pretty sad that every year so many people die or are injured on the highways of Thailand. SLOW DOWN, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE,KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE CELL PHONE, AND THINK AHEAD OF YOU. Personally we stay off the highways during this holiday because of the reputation it has for dangerous driving conditions. If you have to travel be safe.

much like the TAT who announce whatever numbers they want

in order for this to be successful all they have do to is follow wuit

It would be nice to see real numbers of accidents / deaths / injuries reduced

but you cannot teach an old Somchai an new trick

Gotta' ask, Why is this a must read? Same release from the authorities every year and no

negligable decrease in road accidents and/or deaths. What could possibly be different this

year? Just askin.

Edited April 10, 201313 yr by Dap

I hope the number of accidents goes down in relation to the number of people celebrating. I do however not want the sale of alcohol to the non drivers to be effected inorder to stop people from enjoying them selves or for business to lose money from not being able to sell.

Every year the same announcement.

And every year the same results.

Actually no .

Last year was the announcement of Zero Deaths or was it the Hub of zero deaths.. either way the death toll remained shockingly high and then they apportioned the figures to Songkran related and non Songkram related even though they all happened over Songkran using some sort of strange divining rod that led them to believe they had actually reduced the number of deaths and thus claimed victory even though it was well above Zero.

At least this year they are saying they will try and limit rather than post a ridiculous target or goal. If you cant control a situtaion then you cant influence its outcome.. I think this is now being recognised or maybe they couldn't come up with a suitable hub classification for this year

Have never seen any alcohol control trap effective on the road.

Asked befriended policeman about this. He said of course not, these are our holidays also!!??

During Songkran and New Years period a useless post is set up, manned with locals sitting without action, narrowing the provincial road dangerously...

Prevention what prevention??

Nothing will change..............TiT !!!! Alcohol bans don't work, the people are stocking up now as i witnessed in my local Tesco Lotus. One way to reduce further accidents may be to impound the cars of drunk drivers and auction them to compensate families who lose loved ones because of drunk driving. It of course won't bring the loved ones back, but if the offenders risk losing their vehicles it'll maybe stop them for a while.

If they were to take this the same way they take it when a V.I.P. is passing down a soi, and turn out in those kinds of numbers, then it just might work. Otherwise, I have yet to see a policeman get the respect he imposes (not deserves, mind you) once he is distracted by just enough people to keep him occupied. Then the others just waltz around him and ignore his presence and whatever it is he is imposing. The thing is, the people do not trust the police or respect them, but merely tolerate them when caught, or use them as a tool when needed. It's pretty sick minded behavior if you ask me, but this is what the police created for themselves.

They have already erected the tents along the highways. Now all they have to do is get up off of their asses and just look at the traffic but they won't,

They will just sit there for the whole holiday reading the papers, watching soccer, drinking the coffee, tea and water, and listening to the jungle music.......sorry the same thing as last year and the year before and the year before.................

100 baht on red, the death toll will be higher than last year( s )

Same same every year!

The wife & I sat waiting on a red-light tonight at 1 of Hua Hin's main intersections..3 cars continued to come thru' on red, the traffic that had just got the green-light had set off..no collisions, but jammed-up cars that had to finally back-up to liberate the junction..all the while 2 MIB were stood on the corner watching, pointing & laughing..No action was what-so-ever taken against the cars that came thru' on 'Red'..If any of the offending drivers were drunk..Mai-Pen-Rai..MIB are not there to do police-work..it's after 5pm! (T.I.T.)