Campaign to reduce road accidents and prevent crimes kicks off today



BANGKOK: -- Many state agencies are now promoting campaigns to reduce the number of traffic accidents during the Songkran festival.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Transport also ensures that public transportation services can accommodate millions of travelers who will be planning to return to their hometowns this weekend.

The Excise Department also will be exercising strict control on the distribution of alcoholic drinks during the traditional Thai New Year.

Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong, the Transportation and Communications Minister, stated that the campaign to promote traffic safety would begin from today until April 19.

The campaign’s slogan is ‘Happiness, Convenience and Safety for All Thais’ and coordinates with a number of parties from the private sector to carry out checks on all aspects of transportation and communications.

Accordingly, improvements to road, rail, shipping and air travel systems will be made to ensure their state of readiness for the coming Songkran festival, he said.

A main priority will be placed on ensuring the existing transportation services can adequately cope with the expected rise in passenger traffic and setting up a 24 hour public aid service.

The director-general of the Excise Department, Somchai Phunsawat meanwhile, revealed that a policy of strict control on alcoholic drinks distribution will be enforced during the festival.

Furthermore, Mr. Somchai stated that all contrabands such as black-market cigarettes and alcohol will not be tolerated.

Anyone found selling or distributing such goods will find their commercial permits revoked and face criminal charges.

Thailand Tobacco Monopoly will also be informed of any transgressions and the agent in question will permanently lose their tobacco distribution rights.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/campaign-to-reduce-road-accidents-and-prevent-crimes-kicks-off-today

-- Thai PBS 2015-04-09

Road accident prevention center activated for Songkran

BANGKOK, 9 April 2015 (NNT) – The Minister of Interior has presided over the official launch of the Directing Center for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction, which will help ensure strict enforcement of traffic laws during the Songkran Festival.

This morning, Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda chaired the opening ceremony for the Directing Center for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction, set to be active throughout the Songkran long holiday this year from April 9 to 15. The center is given the responsibility of coordinating with other relevant agencies and units in an effort to stave off road accidents and minimize casualties.

The center will also ensure that road rules are strictly abided by and stern penalties are imposed on violators. Meanwhile, ten dangerous behaviors on the road have been compiled into a guideline which will be referred to by the center.

Such undesired behaviors consist of speeding, driving in the wrong direction, running of traffic lights, failure to fasten seatbelts, failure to carry a driver’s license, abrupt overtaking, drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, reckless motorcycle riding and use of mobile phones behind the wheel.


-- NNT 2015-04-09

I had no idea failure to carry a driver license led to so many crashes. I hope they meant "failure to ever learn how to drive or pass a proper licensing exam".

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by FloridaExport

>>Such undesired behaviors consist of speeding, driving in the wrong direction, running of traffic lights, failure to fasten seatbelts, failure to carry a driver’s license, abrupt overtaking, drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, reckless motorcycle riding and use of mobile phones behind the wheel.<<Quote

"Such undesired behaviors.........." should really read: Normal behaviors..............

Same Crap, Different Year.

With the same results.

What can possibly go wrong??

Road accident prevention center activated for Songkran

BANGKOK, 9 April 2015 (NNT) – The Minister of Interior has presided over the official launch of the Directing Center for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction, which will help ensure strict enforcement of traffic laws during the Songkran Festival.

This morning, Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda chaired the opening ceremony for the Directing Center for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction, set to be active throughout the Songkran long holiday this year from April 9 to 15. The center is given the responsibility of coordinating with other relevant agencies and units in an effort to stave off road accidents and minimize casualties.

The center will also ensure that road rules are strictly abided by and stern penalties are imposed on violators. Meanwhile, ten dangerous behaviors on the road have been compiled into a guideline which will be referred to by the center.

Such undesired behaviors consist of speeding, driving in the wrong direction, running of traffic lights, failure to fasten seatbelts, failure to carry a driver’s license, abrupt overtaking, drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, reckless motorcycle riding and use of mobile phones behind the wheel.

-- NNT 2015-04-09

Failure to wear helmets by riders only ??? not passengers. use of mobile phones also when riding a motorbike ???

Forget about what it says about driving. Everyone knows the habits of Thai drivers as well as the checkpoints which will be made to collect holiday expenses for the police.

I am curious about the statement they made about alcohol ban.

I thought it was only banned on silom for songkran? Does anyone know more about this?

And Thai mothers on motorbikes holding their babies (in arms or by a strip of cloth behind their backs) will preclude injury in a crash. Same for tikes with their heads 2 cm from the speedometer, while the motorbike speeds along. Look at kids on motorbikes (as passengers or drivers) ....the ratio of them wearing helmets is about 1:6,500

Just in one small city, Chiang Rai, every hour an average of 12,000 drivers go through red lights. Nothing's going to change. About the only time I've seen traffic cops pull anyone over (in nearly 20 years on Thai roads) for not wearing helmets, is near universities, where the prettiest giggliest girls are. Easy place for a cop to get some phone #'s.

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by boomerangutang

so the police and the alcohol breath analyser's will be flat out now with no cash in hand bribes taken I think not, just pay your way out as normal

"...reduce the number of traffic accidents during the Songkran festival..."

Why limit it to Songkran? Too much work for the rest of the year?

Until they institute roving patrol vehicles that pull traffic violators over they will not make a dent in accidents.

last minute education is a waste of time. Have year round campaigns along with enforcement (I know, I know) or don't even bother wasting your time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, same old rhetoric every songkran. Soooo tired of hearing this! Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words.

When, and for how long is that particular campaign scheduled? just so I can plan my drink/driving habit around it!

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by eddie61

and what are they going to do tomorrow when this scheme fades into oblivion like all the other ''crackdowns''

Should maybe read the 121st annual road safety festival. KILL KILL KILL .

Good luck with that, the only problem is that Thais will be Thais. Songkran is almost here so time to dust off the Darwin Awards.

Every songkran it is same same ... and so are the sky high deaths and road accidents

.........Annual Campaign should be a permanent campaign period!

Success is as likely as being able to poke butter up a porcupine's ass with a red hot knitting needle.

Every dam year the same stream of campaigns to no effect.

300 + will die and 5 to 7,000 injured and they do nothing so let it be. Their country , their culture,their shame.

There's no need for all these BS campaigns, just proper driver training and law enforcement. I'm pretty sure the 7 deadly days death rate this year will be similar to last year and the usual clueless authorities will be wondering why!

What if two 747's full of Thai folks - crashed next week - with everyone killed. It would be headline news around the world, and Thais would be livid.

But the same number dying on the roads, well, heck it's a Thai tradition, darn it.

" driving in the wrong direction "......who'd have guessed?

Same Crap, Different Year.

With the same results.

Yep , once more into the breach. Maybe this year only 1 death less then last year ..............but don't hold yer breath.

One more trip to the grocery store tomorrow, and then I'm going to do my usual Songkran celebration. That is, lock myself in the house until it is all over, the roads are back to "normal," and things don't resemble that Star Trek TOS episode, The Return of the Archons.

You can campaign all you like, whether people listen is another thing, I don't think this will change anything

Yawn. More coffee please. Next.

One time just to see what would happen I was at a light and beside me was a cop on a motorcycle and I was on my ninja 650. When the light turned green I hit the throttle and did a wheelie before speedimg down the road reaching 170kph before I reached the next light. The cop pulls up beside me and gives me a thumbs up. I shook my head and laughed. True story.

Edited April 9, 201511 yr by ldiablo

Stupid IS what stupid DOES ?

Previous administrations played around with the definition of the holidays to cut down the casualty figures for Songkran and New Year so any extra days weren't really ' holidays '. >_>

Should be no difference this time around as I doubt the current administration will allow anything to detract from its dynamic efficiency.