Booze Ban Urged To Cut Holiday Toll

[EyesWideOpen]

simple as it has been said so many times before , police should do their job all year round , heavier fines lose driving licence impound the vehicle ( as it is a tool for murder when driven drunk)

but hey maybe in 200 years they get the idea how to run a country

One of the many " farangs know all " posts !

Everyone who has spent any time here knows the job of the police is NOT policing as we understand the term in the western world, but rather to simply collect money and send it up the ladder. So to implore them to " police" ie catch criminals, stop traffic violators, and maintain public safety shows a kind of charming innocence about how things really work here. :-) Edited April 18, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[Thai at Heart]

Get a handle on this folks. My country, the USA has laws controlling just about everything. A century ago American do gooders banned booze; and we got the mafia. We banned cocaine; and got Columbian drug lords. We banned Ganja; and got the Mexican drug cartels.

No, banning booze is a fool's errand. The US is the world's biggest jailer ... and guess what? It's getting worse every day.

This has nothing to do with the USA, EU, or any developed country.

This is purely a Thai problem of being utterly irresponsible, and existing laws that are unenforced. Drink driving is illegal EVERYDAY of the year.

Cheers from my front garden.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[XINLOI]

These power mad idiots always love to use the ban method instead of actually analysing the problem before wagging their tongue.

Bans don't work in Thailand. Look at the 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm 'ban'. Widely ignored because the police can't or won't enforce it. Of course just ignore the bad driving habits of far too many on the roads. Kids riding motorbikes often on the wrong side of the road. Helmets, licences, insurance - forget it.

Alcohol on its own is only part of the problem but taken with local driving habits it becomes lethal.

Laws with teeth & actually enforced sans tea money might work. But that would take legislators to tackle a problem without a large budget & a police force to actually do their job fairly. Not in my lifetime unfortunately.

Also they cannot enforce the laws when they are just as drunk as all the revelers are. Saw that many places, the village police here are inebriated 24/7 and are only out, for the tea money!

[mrfill]

Get a handle on this folks. My country, the USA has laws controlling just about everything. A century ago American do gooders banned booze; and we got the mafia. We banned cocaine; and got Columbian drug lords. We banned Ganja; and got the Mexican drug cartels.

No, banning booze is a fool's errand. The US is the world's biggest jailer ... and guess what? It's getting worse every day.

Thailand jails a higher percent of the population than America does.

But back to topic. So to do the math, for the same time period, 285 died with the " booze ban" in place, and the year before with no " booze ban" , 282 died. So the magnificent stroke of genius of a "booze ban" has caused the death of three more people this year. So I think this idea can be thrown in the scrap bin.. Hopefully they can come up with a better idea next year.

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the US jails 716 per 100,000 (#1) and Thailand 373 per 100,000 (#22) - figures as at 2013.

China's figure is 121 per 100k but if the 650k in detention centres are included it raises to 170.

[vijer]

Hmm, it all sounds like bullshoes to me. Still, with the exception of motorcyclists killing themselves, I bet most of the car accidents were the result of cars trying to pass the very slow moving traffic not from driving drunk. But what do I know, I wouldn't be silly enough to leave the quiet confines of BKK and head out to the countryside during Songkran.

On the other hand

Songkran said prohibition of alcohol sales during the long holiday would prevent intoxicated locals from riding motorcycles or leaving home to buy alcoholic beverages.

Instead of banning alcohol sales they could set up a motorcycle delivery service like that offered by fast food restaurants; "dial 1155 and we will bring the booze to you no need to drive drunk to get more alcohol tell us what you need and we will bring it to your rice paddy".

By the way, this Songkran person is a dope if s/he thinks banning alcohol sales will preven intoxicated locals from riding motorcycles. What does Songkran think these drunks will do, "dang I am drunk as a buffalo and alcohol sales are banned, hmm should I ride my motorcycle home or walk [scratching head] yeah they banned the sale of alcohol so I guess I will walk".

[EyesWideOpen]

Get a handle on this folks. My country, the USA has laws controlling just about everything. A century ago American do gooders banned booze; and we got the mafia. We banned cocaine; and got Columbian drug lords. We banned Ganja; and got the Mexican drug cartels.

No, banning booze is a fool's errand. The US is the world's biggest jailer ... and guess what? It's getting worse every day.

Thailand jails a higher percent of the population than America does.

But back to topic. So to do the math, for the same time period, 285 died with the " booze ban" in place, and the year before with no " booze ban" , 282 died. So the magnificent stroke of genius of a "booze ban" has caused the death of three more people this year. So I think this idea can be thrown in the scrap bin.. Hopefully they can come up with a better idea next year.

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the US jails 716 per 100,000 (#1) and Thailand 373 per 100,000 (#22) - figures as at 2013.

China's figure is 121 per 100k but if the 650k in detention centres are included it raises to 170.

You are exactly correct. Thanks for straightening me out

.. :-) That will teach me to check Wiki before I post anything..... It is the female incarceration rate that is higher in Thailand than in the United States, not the overall rate. Thailand female rate is 14.7 percent of population, and America is 8.7 percent.

http://www.prisonstudies.org/info/worldbrief/wpb_stats.php?area=all&category=wb_female

[kimamey]

There must be 365 day a year Police enforcement, and fines for all motoring offences should start at 5000bt. That might make a few people think. And nothing to fear if you don't break the law.

serious hard that is ,, my opinion if get caught driving without a helmet (anyone on the bike not only the driver) your not gonna be driving another meter untill the fine is paid and you got a helmet on your head , and if it takes a few days to get the money gotta pay for storage of motorbike also

A good idea that works elsewhere. The other problem is the carrying of a helmet which they put on for the checkpoint then take off.

This can be dealt with by stopping them whilst they're driving, maybe using unmarked police cars.

Of course the first thing you need is a properly paid and trained police force but that would take money and time so probably won't happen.

[Sharp]

Just ban sales to Thais not tourists and you'll see who's to blame ..

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[retell]

Just ban sales to Thais not tourists and you'll see who's to blame .. Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

good idea than thai suddenly know what discrimination is ,,,,seriously i will never agree with stupid rules like that ,,, or with all the special days they have here lets make a national Farang day farang pay nothing for food and drinks, thai pay double . another stupid idea sorry guys my coffe a bit tooo strong this morning haha

[OldeBellPedr]

I don't believe the Thai police are nearly as bad as some of you suggest. Of course they do normal policing, arrest criminals and solve crimes. Certainly corruption exists, but it is ridiculous to suggest that the BiB spend all their time collecting bribe money. On the few occasions I have had to call them they have arrived promptly and dealt with the issues professionally. There is a colossal alcohol problem in this country and people have never felt the need to restrain themselves from drinking and driving. Thai society is trying to address the issues without making peoples live intolerable by over regulation.

some of you seem to want to recreate the rule ridden societies we left in the first place.