Mass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran begins

[Lite Beer]

Mass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran begins

BANGKOK: -- Mass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran beginsMass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran beginsMass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran beginsMass exodus out of capital to celebrate Songkran begins

As foreign tourists keep flying into Thailand to join local people celebrating the Thai New Year at various famous tourist destinations, people living in Bangkok also begin leaving the capital both on land and in the air to celebrate Songkran at their home provinces.

All bus terminals whether they be Morchit 2 northern bus terminal and the southern bus terminal, Bangkok’s Hua Lampong railway station, as well as Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports were reported to be crowded with passengers.

Transport Company has increased buses to cope with the mass exodus saying it will be able to transport over 100,000 passengers a day.

By noon today, the Morchit 2 northern bus terminal was packed with passengers waiting to board buses homes.

Meanwhile scrupulous motorcycle taxis also took advantage of the traffic jams to overcharge passengers to the bus terminal to catch their buses or not to miss their buses.

A normal ride from the old Morchit 1 to the Morchit 2 is 50 baht. But today passengers complained they were charged between 200-300 baht.

Many passengers agreed to pay for the charge as they didn’t want to miss their buses while some also had no other choice as no other vehicle can avoid traffic jams to the bus terminal better than motorcycles.

They urged Bang Sue station police to monitor and punish these opportunists drastically as most people travelling on bus are mostly low-income earners or factory workers.

It was expected to be even packed this evening after office hours when factory workers coming to join.

Bangkok’s two airports were also seen to be congested with inbound and outbound passenger traffic.

A large number of Thais chose this year’s long Songkran holidays to travel abroad.

Airports of Thailand expects 80,000 passengers a day during Songkran festival or 970,000 passengers from 6,700 flights or 615 flights daily during the period at Don Mueang airport, an increase of 47.16% if compared with flights last Songkran festival.

Airport officials advise passengers to arrive at the airports three hours before departure to avoid traffic jams during the festival as hundreds of thousands are to leave the capital tonight and traffic snarls are expected on roads on the two airports.

Meanwhile major highways to the North, Northeast and South from Bangkok were congested and traffic jams of several kilometres were reported on various locations.

The Eastern and the Western ring roads reported heavy traffic jams now at various tollgates.

On the Friendship Highway, traffic snarling was reported at steep hill ascents near Muaek Lek of Sraburi and near Lamtakong dam although highway police have arranged reversible lanes for outbound traffic.

Asian highway to the North was also seen increasing traffic by noon today and highway police advise motorists to check traffic condition before starting the drive.

Highway police commander Pol Maj Gen Somchai Kaosamran expected heaviest traffic late this evening on Friendship highway and April 11.

He advised two shortcut and detour routes to the Northeast by taking the Lopburi-Chaiyaphum-Khon Kaen, and Nakhon Ratchasima-Buriram-Maha Sarakham to avoid traffic jams.

Police have also set up several service points to give advice and allow motorists to relax if they feel tired or sleepy.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/mass-exodus-out-of-capital-to-celebrate-songkran-begins

-- Thai PBS 2015-04-10

[Stradavarius37]

What is the phrase? Ahh yes... don't let they door hit you in the a#s on the way out...

Edited April 10, 2015 by Stradavarius37

[ratcatcher]

"Meanwhile scrupulous motorcycle taxis also took advantage of the traffic jams to overcharge passengers to the bus terminal to catch their buses or not to miss their buses."

I am sure they did.

Big word. Most mocy taxi boys are unscrupulous or in plain English devious.

[khwaibah]

That photo is a normal day on the Saraburi Grade.

[Fullstop]

Meanwhile scrupulous motorcycle taxis also took advantage of the traffic jams to overcharge passengers to the bus terminal to catch their buses or not to miss their buses.

Thainess Number #132

[wgdanson]

Airport officials advise passengers to arrive at the airports three hours before departure to avoid traffic jams .........................if you ARRIVE at the airport, you have already missed the <deleted> jams. Doh

[nuananddon]

Went to the hardware store awhile ago, nearly got run off the road twice, seems everybody is in a hurry to die. Not leaving the house again, home sweet home!

[luckyman]

Best time of the year to do some shopping in BKK is during Songkran, April 13-15

i'll have all the malls almost to myself, great service everywhere and not to worry about a place to park my truck either...

[Lupatria]

Got to see it the positive way: My clients are happy already since they found out I'm grounded at home working, glued to the chair in front of the PC and only leave home for emergencies during the days of madness.

[toybits]

TODAY's ENGLISH LESSON. The word SCRUPULOUS. I would rather have a scrupulous motorcycle taxi driver than an unscrupulous one. Scrupulous persons do NOT take advantage of persons. Those that are unscrupulous do.

Edited April 10, 2015 by toybits

[AlQaholic]

"Airport officials advise passengers to arrive at the airports three hours before departure to avoid traffic jams during the festival as hundreds of thousands are to leave the capital tonight and traffic snarls are expected on roads on the two airports."

I assume if they arrive at the Airport three hours before departure, they have already gotten through the jam. If there are traffic jams on all roads to the airports as stated, It is quiet clear that encountering a traffic jam on the way there is very likely if not actually unavoidable. It does not make any difference when one undertakes the journey from the home to the Airport, the jam will still be there. I can only assume, what they actually wanted to say is: "In order not to miss your flight, because of the traffic jams one will almost certainly encounter and the huge number of travelers at the airports, one should leave the home for the Airport as if on a normal day one would then have three hours to wait before the flight departs at the airport". Or say, leave home about four hours before the flight departs, leaving about 2 hours for the jams and 2 hours for the mess at the airport.

O

Edited April 10, 2015 by AlQaholic

[JOC]

Hope they all home safely and enjoy their well deserved holiday!!

Happy Songkran!!

[TPI]

Happy Soncran everybody, do your best to stay alive on the roads, leave your pistol at home!

[bendare]

brilliant time of year, cant understand why some people stay indoors for one of the best festivals in the world, happy sonkran everyone

[lujanit]

Songkran is the best time of year to be a motorist in BKK

[Jiggo]

Don't forget the songkarn road death totals will only the ones who died on the road side, not later in hospital (so I'm lead to believe) so they don't count.

[FredNL]

TODAY's ENGLISH LESSON. The word SCRUPULOUS. I would rather have a scrupulous motorcycle taxi driver than an unscrupulous one. Scrupulous persons do NOT take advantage of persons. Those that are unscrupulous do.

I wanted to post it myself. You were earlier.

I only went out to pick up my repaired notebook. Just 500 meters up and down on my motorcycle. I met 3 ghost drivers and many !d!ots on the road... No wonder that Thailand has so many deaths. It is me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, not caring about someone else having priority or not.

I just say Thai don't care and so do I (about all those !d!ot Thai drivers)

Edited April 10, 2015 by FredNL

[fareastguy]

Thais over-charging Thais I LOVE IT !!!!
I get fleeced at National parks now paying 10X the normal entrance price

do I have any sympathy for them NO !!!

Now you know how we feel all year round !!!!

Stop squealing is what were told.. so shut-up & pay up or walk !!

[LuckyLew]

And so begins the death tally ... anyone got an IBM super computer to keep track?

Stay safe out the people and enjoy the holidays

I will play songkran with my daughter in our condo complex swimming pool

[bendare]

yeah the one time a year i can throw something at the wife

[metisdead]

A spelling/grammar police troll post has been removed.

[toybits]

I just wonder how the (proposed?) speed limit at which ambulances can travel to 80 KPH would affect mortality rates and whether that speed limit would be waived if some VIP was on that ambulance.

[bbbbooboo]

Oh how I love not being in Thailand during Songkran

[soalbundy]

A lot going out, not so many coming back, Sonkran, the coffin makers joy.

[jerojero]

Let the killing fields on Highways begin!

[malt25]

Oh how I love not being in Thailand during Songkran

If your avatar is a photo of you..... me thinks many people love YOU not being in Thailand as well.

No disrespect intended.

Cheers..... Mal.

[Ghostnigel]

Have a good time people, take care out there. I wanna go look, but also don't wanna die....maybe wear a suit of double thick bubble wrap...