Interior Minister thanks officials for keeping roads safe during holidays

[Lite Beer]

Interior Minister thanks officials for keeping roads safe during holidays

SARABURI, 2 January 2015 (NNT)- More than 1,000 people have volunteered nationwide to keep holidaymakers safe for the public during the New Year celebrations.

According to Interior Minister General Anupong Paojinda, the government and provincial authorities have joined hands providing safety on the road and to the communities.

He also thanked volunteers and officials who have spent the holiday period working for the public. General Anupong added that the government did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible.

The Interior Minister also visited a public service point in Saraburi province yesterday, where he gave the officials working there moral support for their roles.

-- NNT 2015-01-02

[Anthony5]

Looks like the interior minister is good at sarcasm.

190 killed, 1,782 injured in 1,737 road accidents in first three days of seven-day road accident monitoring period for New Year holidays /MCOT

[Snig27]

"General Anupong added that the government did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible."

The Interior Minister seems to be another who's sat the IQ test, failed, and then got the job.

Perhaps, it's lost in translation.

[ToddinChonburi]

What !!!!! is this a freakin joke ? must not have read his morning paper yet. What a foolish thing to say and then allowed to be printed.

[givenall]

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Looks like the interior minister is good at sarcasm.

190 killed, 1,782 injured in 1,737 road accidents in first three days of seven-day road accident monitoring period for New Year holidays /MCOT

Typical Thai response. First bad news then wipe off the bad news with a good news. Its just like cant never say business is bad even when losing money

[slapout]

maybe they should start counting the number of holiday travelors who arived at their destination safely/in one piece, that should be a impressive lurge number to throw around to the press and public to digest/reflect on, as another new years gift/treat.

[docshock13]

Well, it's about time the Minister of Tourism and Sports has gotten into the spirit of the season and started passing the bong around amongst the other cabinet ministers. She's been hogging it the last few months.

[A1Str8]

The roads were only safe coz i chose to stay home.

[maapaa]

Should call him and his officials "retarded".

Safe roads with already more fatal accidents compared to last year`s New Year's period.

Very safe, yes.

[ThePlant]

Looks like another majestic nepotistic, financially motivated ministerial posting....I thought the Supreme Leader wanted shut of such things....No wonder the world chuckles at Thailand these days....

[Felt 35]

Kingdom of making believe.

[Hornell]

The point that most of you, who can never find anything but sarcastic criticism to say about almost anything that happens in this country, have missed is that during the New Year and Songkran local people up-country (I can't speak for the cities) give up a lot of their time to help man the roadside safety areas - not check-points - where there is an ambulance or rescue vehicle, often a fire service vehicle, repair guys and maybe food and drink. These people deserve a bit of support and praise and if the Transport Minister gives it, so be it, it may be the only positive thing she has done all year, but at least someone recognises the time and effort these volunteers give.

[transam]

..............................

[marcusd]

am I dreaming or is this a sick joke?

[smutcakes]

To be fair there are many volunteers who give up their time to try and assist in accidents, give out free coffee, water etc and generally try and do the best job they possibly can for little or no pay over the holiday season. (actually all year)

The state of the emergency services here, especially outside large urban areas is quite frankly deplorable, and i for one would be pleased to receive these volunteers assistance should i have the misfortune to have an accident, rather than waiting hours longer for a proper ambulance. The state of the main services is not their responsibility, so they provide a valuable service.

The rest of the article is just fluff, but like Anupong i also thank these volunteers who assist.

[chainarong]

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Looks like the interior minister is good at sarcasm.

190 killed, 1,782 injured in 1,737 road accidents in first three days of seven-day road accident monitoring period for New Year holidays /MCOT

Either sarcasm or on another planet take ya pic.

[lostinisaan]

He also thanked volunteers and officials who have spent the holiday period working for the public. General Anupong added that the government did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible.

​ What a dumb statement.

[sawati]

555555+++++

Let’s hope this Mahachai-Nakhon Pathom bus doesn’t crash with the kid at the wheel (Pic @FireDept33)

[WitawatWatawit]

Well, it's about time the Minister of Tourism and Sports has gotten into the spirit of the season and started passing the bong around amongst the other cabinet ministers. She's been hogging it the last few months.

Calling Captain Kirk. Space cadet waiting to be beamed up.

[alantheembalmer]

He was always going to be a hostage to fortune by making this statement somewhat prematurely.

[bangon04]

The point that most of you, who can never find anything but sarcastic criticism to say about almost anything that happens in this country, have missed is that during the New Year and Songkran local people up-country (I can't speak for the cities) give up a lot of their time to help man the roadside safety areas - not check-points - where there is an ambulance or rescue vehicle, often a fire service vehicle, repair guys and maybe food and drink. These people deserve a bit of support and praise and if the Transport Minister gives it, so be it, it may be the only positive thing she has done all year, but at least someone recognises the time and effort these volunteers give.

You are quite right of course. The many many volunteers deserve some thanks and recognition for giving their time and efforts in an attempt to stop the annual slaughter of people who should know better but simply do not care enough to take care of themselves or those around them.

I believe the sarcasm is mainly aimed at the so-called "professional" law enforcement and traffic management officers, who yet again have demonstrated vividly that they care even less.

[Don Aleman]

Reading paragraph 3 can, literally, drive you insane !

[rtco]

I've gotta say that I take my hat off to the RTP. Doing my usual New Year journey up the 331/304 they actually had the sense to temporarily make the single lane mountain part of the trip before Ban Tap Lan into a dual-lane going north. They stopped the very light traffic coming south to allow the heavier traffic to get through the first stage of the mountains without coming to a crawl. It also made it a whole lot safer because the raving lunatics that usually treat the road as a two lane one were doing it legally!!! Having said that it still took 8 hours to do what normally takes about 5 hours. But hey that's better than the 12 hours it took a few years back.

[wow64]

Thanks that headline just made me laugh.. Comedy gold.

Anyone know what this statement means "General Anupong added that the government did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible."

My head hurts thinking about it.

Edited January 2, 2015 by wow64

[transam]

Did he get a bonus for talking that crap.....?

[gandalf12]

"did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible." Am I missing something here? Not going to stop being killed but will save as many lives as possible?

Can someone explain this to me

[transam]

"did not aim to lower the number of road fatalities, but rather to save as many lives on the road as possible." Am I missing something here? Not going to stop being killed but will save as many lives as possible?

Can someone explain this to me

Nope............

[retarius]

The point that most of you, who can never find anything but sarcastic criticism to say about almost anything that happens in this country, have missed is that during the New Year and Songkran local people up-country (I can't speak for the cities) give up a lot of their time to help man the roadside safety areas - not check-points - where there is an ambulance or rescue vehicle, often a fire service vehicle, repair guys and maybe food and drink. These people deserve a bit of support and praise and if the Transport Minister gives it, so be it, it may be the only positive thing she has done all year, but at least someone recognises the time and effort these volunteers give.

There may be volunteers and they should be praised, but he isn't praising the volunteers....he is praising the 'officials' who by definition are not volunteers.

[HOOD Robin]

Wouldnt it be better to give that ministry post to a REAL buffalo ?

Maybe it makes more sense....

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Safe roads??? Wonder what the ministers definition is for unsafe roads?