Songkran 2015: Roi-Et has most fatalities, police say

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Roi-Et has most fatalities, police say
TANATPONG KHONGSAI
THE NATION



11 KILLED IN FIVE DAYS IN NORTHEASTERN PROVINCE; 251 DEAD AROUND THE COUNTRY

BANGKOK: -- AS the country continued to celebrate the Songkran Festival, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday that five days of the holiday monitoring period had seen 2,406 road accidents killing 251 persons and injuring 2,532 others.

Nakhon Si Thammarat had the most accidents at 94 and the highest number of injuries at 98 people, while Roi-Et had the most fatalities at 11, Colonel Damrong Simakhajornboon, assistant secretary to the minister of education, said.

On Monday, 671 road accidents claimed 60 lives and injured 724 people. Checkpoint officials charged 128,716 motorists, mostly for failing to wear a motorcycle helmet (39,398 cases) and failing to present a driver's licence (35,112 cases).

Drunk driving and speeding remain the major causes of accidents at 44 and 24 per cent respectively, while motorcycles were involved in about 82 per cent of the accidents.

More than half (62 per cent) of the accidents occurred on a straight stretch of road and about a third happened between 4pm and 8pm. Half of the victims were of working age.

Only 10 provinces have reported no road fatalities this Songkran: Trang, Beung Kan, Phichit, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Ratchaburi, Loei, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon.

Meanwhile Wanlop Suwandee, adviser to the Bangkok governor, announced yesterday that Songkran celebrations in the Silom area would be extended under the watchful eyes of police for one more day until today. The events, featuring an 80-metre water tunnel but no stage performance, will promote the concept of "safe, alcohol-free, no obscenity, and no powder smearing".

The "Big Cleaning Day" operation will kick off at midnight tonight, he added.

After the Cabinet provided an eight-point guideline for well-behaved Songkran celebrations, the Northeast province of Buri Ram reported yesterday that police on Monday had arrested three women, aged 18-23, for dancing obscenely in front of the King Rama I monument on Sadet Niwat Road. Police also impounded four trucks for being illegally modified to disturb the public with overly loud noise and apprehended two men in their 20s who allegedly obstructed police.

While some provinces saw teens acting and dressing inappropriately, other provinces promoted the Thai culture via traditional clothing.

A Songkran celebration in Phichit's Muang district adopted the nostalgic theme of the era of the musical film "Monrak Luk Thung", while another event on Maha Sarakham's Khao Mao Road featured traditional games like tossing saba seeds and mon son pa (hiding a cloth) as well as ramwong folk dances.

Another celebration at Hat Chao Phraya in Angthong's Chaiyo district saw many attendees wearing Thai traditional clothing, eating traditional food and asking for seniors' blessings. Children also enjoyed games and toys including a 40-metre-long makeshift water slide into the river.

In related news, national police deputy chief Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen announced yesterday that the number of homes nation-wide placed under police guardianship during the Songkran holidays had risen to 4,212 - including 1,470 in Bangkok and 2,742 in other provinces.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Roi-Et-has-most-fatalities-police-say-30258012.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-15

[cmiuc]

Yet to be added...the masses heading back to bangkok...

(Roi-et is like the wild wild west of Thailand)... so no surprise... No holes barred on buying alcohol anytime anyplace(other than your 7/11 or Big C type joints)... Mom-pops don't hold back especially since the Gov't added 2 baht more to alcohol(for beer anyway)... during this year.

What is the comparison from last year to this year from Thai Visa? be curious.

[mongoose11]

wow.

Just wow.

O_o'

[ToddinChonburi]

Wow is just puttong it lightly, MY GOD !!!!! I think they are having to much fun here.

[blazes]

"Half of the victims were of working age."

What exactly does this mean? That half the victims were...children? pensioners? what?

[chicowoodduck]

So happy to be in Viet Nam and far away from all the crazies in Pattaya and beyond....safe and sane in Hanoi...?

[meltingpot2015]

On Monday, 671 road accidents claimed 60 lives and injured 724 people.

That's 10 fatalities per day more than the usual 50. According to a research paper published in 2005, approximately 50 people lose their life through road accidents in Thailand.

Of course, these are just numbers. Behind these numbers, so many lives are affected.

Motorcycles come top on the accident list as usual I see. Wearing a crash helmet (a safety complaint one) and riding skills are all useful to reduce motorcycle accidents. Also what about running headlights during daytime?. Too many ghost riders perhaps.

[BadBouy]

So happy to be in Viet Nam and far away from all the crazies in Pattaya and beyond....safe and sane in Hanoi...?

Bottoms up!

[Lokie]

Only 10 provinces have reported no road fatalities this Songkran: Trang, Beung Kan, Phichit, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Ratchaburi, Loei, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon.

B $, Phuket has road fatalities nearly everyday somewhere on the island, does this really mean the roads are safer over the festival - must be the sucessful safety measures put into place for the publics protection and everyone is abiding to the speed limits, wearing helmets on bikes and not DUI...

[ableguy]

"Half of the victims were of working age."

What exactly does this mean? That half the victims were...children? pensioners? what?

Why ask the question when you have answered it ?

[ableguy]

On Monday, 671 road accidents claimed 60 lives and injured 724 people.

That's 10 fatalities per day more than the usual 50. According to a research paper published in 2005, approximately 50 people lose their life through road accidents in Thailand.

Of course, these are just numbers. Behind these numbers, so many lives are affected.

Motorcycles come top on the accident list as usual I see. Wearing a crash helmet (a safety complaint one) and riding skills are all useful to reduce motorcycle accidents. Also what about running headlights during daytime?. Too many ghost riders perhaps.

You are not saying anything new ? Why put in a pointless comment that has been posted thousands of time ?

[robertthebruce]

Hate this time of year, Childish......, and dont get me started about the ''Deaths'' on the Roads....

[Yunla]

Road safety / vehicle safety regulations, and driver training regulations, all need to be a serious year-round priority for investment and modernisation.

The tragic losses during this season, which are always completely heartbreaking to read about, are more related to the background issues that exist all year round, issues which just become more obvious during the holiday. These are urgent issues of critical importance, and real progress could be gradually made with enough focused investment and persistence. I do pray for this all the time, that there will be a major rethink of the background issues, and a concerted plan to resolve the problems, before too many more are killed or maimed out there.

[Strangebrew]

So happy to be in Viet Nam and far away from all the crazies in Pattaya and beyond....safe and sane in Hanoi...?

Next time take picture standing upright instead of hanging upside down, Oh how is the dog there tasty? I found the monkey meat a bit to stringy and sweet.