Massive Songkran festival travel spurs coffin business

[Gandtee]

People are dying to enjoy themselves

[stevehaigh]

1000 baht for the cheepy. not bad/ now i know where me and the wife will end up

[Bigfarang1948]

The logic /estimate of deaths escapes my simple Farang mind, Last year 215 or so dead, this year estimates of 300 - 400 deaths and they have a campaign ro REDUCE road fatalities this year? All smoke and mirrors in a country that does little to prevent these predictable deaths. Shame on Thailand's Transportation and Public Safety Ministers.

[tracker1]

The periods during festivals yield the highest statistics of death from road accidents. That is why they are known as the Seven Dangerous Days.

The main culprits are drunken driving, fatigue and sleeping at the wheel which as a consequence help to generate high demand for coffins which in hindsight is every humans final resting place.

If they know this ! why don't the authorities establish a decent Highway Patrol and introduce Random and Mandatory Drug and Alcohol testing on a permanent basis not just for 7 days and enforce the road rules !!!!!!!

[dennisgb45]

I think this topic is in very bad taste and should have never have been published on ThaiVisa. Shame on you.

[mic59]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

requiring drivers to take a valid test of their ability to drive before granting them a license

educating all road users on safe and considerate behaviour on the roads

effective policing and prosecution of traffic law violators

just a few practical and measurable steps that could be taken for the benefit of all.

In particular effective policing and prosecution. In 1972 in South Australia, a relatively small Australian state there were 380 deaths in the year. The alcohol limit was 0.08 and the attitude to DUI was pretty lax by police and drunk drivers. Seatbelts were not enforced. Now seatbelts are compulsory, the limit is 0.05 and drink driving is policed and fined hard and frowned upon. The number of deaths in 2013, with an obviously larger population than in 1972 was 98. Unfortunately Thailand is a lot larger and more difficult to police but surely a lot more can be done than is at the moment.

[biplanebluey]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

requiring drivers to take a valid test of their ability to drive before granting them a license

educating all road users on safe and considerate behaviour on the roads

effective policing and prosecution of traffic law violators

just a few practical and measurable steps that could be taken for the benefit of all.

In particular effective policing and prosecution. In 1972 in South Australia, a relatively small Australian state there were 380 deaths in the year. The alcohol limit was 0.08 and the attitude to DUI was pretty lax by police and drunk drivers. Seatbelts were not enforced. Now seatbelts are compulsory, the limit is 0.05 and drink driving is policed and fined hard and frowned upon. The number of deaths in 2013, with an obviously larger population than in 1972 was 98. Unfortunately Thailand is a lot larger and more difficult to police but surely a lot more can be done than is at the moment.

NO ----Thailand is not more difficult to police,its all in the Thai police attitude.There are plenty of police and god knows where they go when they are not on their one day a week tea money collecting.If they were all to be on the streets---or roads----8hours a day actually policing,and by that I mean looking for law breakers and going after them on the spot----- as is the norm in most other countries---- The crime rate would drop dramatically,and they would still get their tea money from the instant fines,probably get a lot more in the beginning. In NZ I used to always put my helmet on,even going down to the village shop to get a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk.I knew that the chances of seeing a police officer maybe just sitting there on his bike,maybe even on the other side of the road,that was enough to get him chase you and you have a fine and an endorsement in your licence. Surely that's a much more satisfying job than lazing away in the station.Real live "Highway Patrol" stuff!!!!! OH God Sorry,---I forgot where I was for a minute!!!!!!!

[Luk Mhee]

Maybe we’re not ready for Vehicles yet, perhaps we should revert back to the good old Buffalo? Especially if we are from the remote villages.

[lee b]

This is one sick article even though its very true.... OMG !!

[Benmart]

I seem to remember that roadway fatalities increase during the holidays back home in the USA. It's not just Thailand that confronta this tragic increase in deaths on the roadway, just significantly higher is all. Alcohol, bad drivers and poor roads are world wide problems.

I am in Cambodia getting away from Songkran back in Pattaya. The drivers here are a sight for sure, but I have seen only one crash so far. I'm sure there are many during the Khmer New Years.

Stay safe everyone. Wear a helmet, face protection, sturdy shoes and have good health/accident insurance.

[noitom]

Go long Thai coffins.

[tingtongfarang]

I think this topic is in very bad taste and should have never have been published on ThaiVisa. Shame on you.

yeah....the road death toll should be kept secret huh?

The true numbers are not published anyway, i believe the ones who die on their way too or at the hospital are not counted.

[vogie]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

Well, since most people over here believe in Reincarnation, who not party and have fun and if you die, you just come back and party and have fun some more :-) Beats the depressing Western outlook...if you have fun, you die and go to hell, or you can be good and your life will be boring controlled and against most of your internal instincts.

The way I look at it, if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space

I don't believe in reincarnation, and I didn't when I was a frog

[Gutterboy]

With an average of 26,000 deaths on the road each year, Songkran would actually appear to be safer than other times of year. Perhaps this is because of the congestion preventing high speed accidents, perhaps the majority of people stay home during the 3 day period or perhaps the numbers are suppressed. But anyway interesting to see that coffin sales go up. My theory is that more rich folk are dying in their new cars that they can't drive, compared to the usual natural selection deaths that we see every day of stupid kids riding bikes badly with no helmets.

[LennyW]

The figures don't compute, average of 70 fatalities a day normally yet over the 7 days of Songkran they expect the numbers to be between 3 and 400, this would be a reduction from the normal! ! Or did they maybe mean an additional 3 to 400 over the 7 days?

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[choochoo]

is the bkk-ekkamai- to pattaya a safe route to travel during the 7 days of road deathss?

[Rimbuman]

They should build coffins to look like crashed cars, motorbikes, or beer bottles, just to remind the funeral attendees of the stupidness of that particular victim's death.

Why white-wash it with a beautiful pristine white coffin?

I'm looking into starting a business selling good quality cardboard boxes for competitive prices.

[kurtgruen]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

Well, since most people over here believe in Reincarnation, who not party and have fun and if you die, you just come back and party and have fun some more :-) Beats the depressing Western outlook...if you have fun, you die and go to hell, or you can be good and your life will be boring controlled and against most of your internal instincts.

The way I look at it, if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space

Excellent avatar you have....goes with your opinions precisely....

Yep, times a ticking, for us baby boomers, lol. Like Peter Pan said "Life is a great adventure" (who knows, maybe death will be too. If now, oh well, we won't know it anyways)

[kurtgruen]

That's very reassuring for drunken and speed drivers.

If you die in an accident you are going in a beautiful coffin.

Now, carry on as usual.

Well, since most people over here believe in Reincarnation, who not party and have fun and if you die, you just come back and party and have fun some more :-) Beats the depressing Western outlook...if you have fun, you die and go to hell, or you can be good and your life will be boring controlled and against most of your internal instincts.

The way I look at it, if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space

I don't believe in reincarnation, and I didn't when I was a frog

Well, one thing is for certain. We will all die sooner or later (some of us sooner than later). So why not have fun while it lasts. I see 10's of thousands, having fun in our little town today, laughing, singing, throwing water, getting wet, playing in the Ping River, getting drunk with family and friends. Beats worrying about death and when it comes for you

[bbbbooboo]

Maybe people who ride on the back of trucks should sit in coffins to speed up the process of body disposal?

[bushman1666]

There is a boom - the Thai Gov under-reports the numbers drastically

Lies, damned lies and statistics. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Sent from my very clever thingy that uses battery far too quickly

[kurtgruen]

They should build coffins to look like crashed cars, motorbikes, or beer bottles, just to remind the funeral attendees of the stupidness of that particular victim's death.

Why white-wash it with a beautiful pristine white coffin?

Or it could remind them, how much fun those people had, while they were alive, while the survivors get old, get to look forward to the joys of wearing "Depends", pain in old age, feeling alienated and alone, because of their judgmental attitudes and only having enough brain cells left, to play bridge as the "dummy" hand.

[luckytrev]

Can't wait until they change from driving on the left to the right, I might go into the coffin business myself.

Oh My Buddha!

when's this supposed to happen?

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post and the replies to it.

[Greg Nixon]

In the west police actually do something about speeders and other highway traffic act violations. As for Song Khran, much of it is dangerous horse play. In the west you would never be allowed to do this. If horseplay is wrong at work, it is wrong in the community when it reaches dangerous levels. Alcohol, running out on the road while throwing water at cars is hazardous and should not mix. I see 5 year olds running out in front of cars while there parents look on.The police in the West would definitely stop this practise.

If Thailand continues in this vein the Thais will need a lot more coffins.

[mic59]

I couldn't believe what I saw when I was here. The only people who wear helmets are the blokes who drive you around town or to the bus stations, the farangs who ride motorbikes do so in thongs, vests and shorts, I even saw a guy whose leg was in plaster up to his hip and he was on kis motorbike with his cast sticking out the front and the crutches on the back. And this was on Soi Buakhaow in Pattaya, one of the more hectic roads in that city. And there were no policemen around. I did see one once and there were multiple cases of dangerous driving and he just stood there looking out to sea.

[lawrence1366]

"The massive Songkran festival travel will unavoidably bring highway accidents resulting in the high fatalities each year."

Surely traffic accidents can be avoided. Drive with a bit more care & attention...

Seems there's a news blackout this year on the death toll during Songkran? Anybody noticed this or is it me alone?

[zazezo]

In the west police actually do something about speeders and other highway traffic act violations. As for Song Khran, much of it is dangerous horse play. In the west you would never be allowed to do this. If horseplay is wrong at work, it is wrong in the community when it reaches dangerous levels. Alcohol, running out on the road while throwing water at cars is hazardous and should not mix. I see 5 year olds running out in front of cars while there parents look on.The police in the West would definitely stop this practise.

If Thailand continues in this vein the Thais will need a lot more coffins.

I is a simple cultural difference. In most countries there adults in charge who say "Some things are just

too stupid to be allowed." In Thailand there are no adults to be in charge, and there is absolutely nothing

too stupid to be allowed, provided you expressing your "Thainess."