Over 21,000 drunk drivers arrested over the holiday period in Thailand

[Sawan Chan 7]

....please define 'arrested'....

No idea how the soldiers are handling that, but a relative on Phuket got busted drunk driving his pickup two, or three years ago.

No accident occurred, the guy had to stay a few days in prison, plus had to pay a real hefty fine and it did lecture him.

Would be great to know what the Peace and Order guys mean with an arrest. Where are the honest alcoholics on this forum, please?

Please share your experience with us, we won't tell anybody else about it. I swear. -

P.S. Please be aware that Farcebook is reading the thread as well !!

Are you suggesting that only alcoholics get drunk and drive?

[Artisi]

So they apparently arrested over 20,000 DUI's, now the interesting point is, is or was that 1, 5, 10, 20% of all drivers on the road at anyone time. Leave it to others to run the statistics on what the number of DUI's might have been on the road at any time......

[diehard60]

Just think how many lives they could save every year if they did this all the time.

[Artisi]

21,000 arrested?

That is a staggering number... hat off to the police. Good job!

Keep it up lads!

Maybe 200,000 + missed.... Oh well there is always Songkram coming up.....

[connda]

The only thing that is going to stop the carnage is putting patrol cars on the Thai roads and enforcing moving violations.

I don't know about you, but when I see flashing lights and hear a siren, my heart-rate spikes and I get an adrenaline rush. It's called conditioning, and most people in the West are conditioned to stop when the cops pull you over.

Here in Thailand. Flashing lights and sirens are ignored. Flashing lights and sirens means VIPs coming or ambulance coming, and the average Thai driver could give a rip about the ambulance. If the BIB would make it a priority and make a public display of pulling people over for moving infractions, the deaths and injuries would decrease and Thai driving would improve out of - fear. Like the West. "But we're too proud of a nation to adopt Western ideas." If you like your carnage, you can keep your carnage.

[connda]

How come 21,000 cars weren't impounded?

How many Hi-so drivers got off with a wrist slap. TIT.

[connda]

....please define 'arrested'....

Arrest: Taken to the side of the road and tongue-lashed until sufficient ฿฿฿ has been squeezed out of the perp? Unable to pay -- jail and vehicle impoundment. Sound about right?

Do the math: If 3,046 cars were impounded out of 21,690 "arrests", then 18,644 vehicles drove on their merry way. Hummmm Great job BIB! Doing some very quick math from MADD.org, it seems that in the US, for every driver arrested for DUI there are at least 8.5x that number driving driving under the influence who don't get arrested. Apply that to Thailand and about 178,500 drivers on the road are DUI. I think that number is a low estimate.

Unless DUI arrests are a government mandate and a priority, and occurs year round, this is little but publicity and an attempt to put a band-aide on a bullet wound. In my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.

[Pib]

....please define 'arrested'....

For reporting purposes they seem to count a police officer issued traffic ticket fine also as an arrest. Pay the fine...off you go.

[Felt 35]

Over 21,000 drunk drivers arrested over the holiday period

Should be interesting to know how many percent that is of all checked drivers in the holiday period.......

[connda]

....please define 'arrested'....

For reporting purposes they seem to count a police officer issued traffic ticket fine also as an arrest. Pay the fine...off you go.

Sounds about right. Fine the drunk, pour him back in his car, and send him on his way. End result: 300+ increase in fatalities year over year.

[BigBadGeordie]

They have done very, very well

[Sawan Chan 7]

....please define 'arrested'....

Arrest: Taken to the side of the road and tongue-lashed until sufficient ฿฿฿ has been squeezed out of the perp? Unable to pay -- jail and vehicle impoundment. Sound about right?

Do the math: If 3,046 cars were impounded out of 21,690 "arrests", then 18,644 vehicles drove on their merry way. Hummmm Great job BIB! Doing some very quick math from MADD.org, it seems that in the US, for every driver arrested for DUI there are at least 8.5x that number driving driving under the influence who don't get arrested. Apply that to Thailand and about 178,500 drivers on the road are DUI. I think that number is a low estimate.

Unless DUI arrests are a government mandate and a priority, and occurs year round, this is little but publicity and an attempt to put a band-aide on a bullet wound. In my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.

Some people are so negative.

maybe their mate or girlfriend or bloody mother drove them home.

Well done the police

[Sawan Chan 7]

....please define 'arrested'....

For reporting purposes they seem to count a police officer issued traffic ticket fine also as an arrest. Pay the fine...off you go.

Sounds about right. Fine the drunk, pour him back in his car, and send him on his way. End result: 300+ increase in fatalities year over year.

I've never been behind the wheel in Thailand after ANY amount of alcohol - have you?

[Kasset Tak]

For all of you that are negative, remember that they arrested over 21,000 drivers and how many drivers did the police in your home country arrest for drunk driving during the same time?!
The maximum penalty in Thailand is 60,000 Baht and/or 6 month in prison depending on the judge. One of my friends got fined 50,000 last year when he crashed in to a tree while driving under the influence of alcohol, the judge did not give him any prison time as he had to spend 3 weeks in hospital...
Only 3,000 vehicles confiscated but there are many reasons why and here are some examples:
the driver is not the owner of the vehicle.

there where more than one person in/on the vehicle and that other person(s) was not drunk and where there for allowed to continue their trip and use the vehicle.

Many people here complain about the Thai police but at least the Thai police don't shoot people unless they have to unlike the police in US, in December 11 unarmed people were shoot to death by police in the US!?

[Sawan Chan 7]

For all of you that are negative, remember that they arrested over 21,000 drivers and how many drivers did the police in your home country arrest for drunk driving during the same time?!

The maximum penalty in Thailand is 60,000 Baht and/or 6 month in prison depending on the judge. One of my friends got fined 50,000 last year when he crashed in to a tree while driving under the influence of alcohol, the judge did not give him any prison time as he had to spend 3 weeks in hospital...

Only 3,000 vehicles confiscated but there are many reasons why and here are some examples:

the driver is not the owner of the vehicle.

there where more than one person in/on the vehicle and that other person(s) was not drunk and where there for allowed to continue their trip and use the vehicle.

Many people here complain about the Thai police but at least the Thai police don't shoot people unless they have to unlike the police in US, in December 11 unarmed people were shoot to death by police in the US!?

Ironically, it's mostly Yanks that do the complaining!

[puukao]

60,000 baht is nothing as a fine!!!! And human life not valued much here....

In USA, the fine is about 300,000 baht and then you get a wrongful death suit by victim's family....

lower fines, more odds of dying...

get happy about paying only 60,000, and then your family gets run over...

your choice..

[Ks45672]

60,000 baht is nothing as a fine!!!! And human life not valued much here....

In USA, the fine is about 300,000 baht and then you get a wrongful death suit by victim's family....

lower fines, more odds of dying...

get happy about paying only 60,000, and then your family gets run over...

your choice..

In America the average wage is probably ten times higher than Thai, a 60k fine here is probably "more" to the average Thai than a 300k fine is to someone on new York wages.....

Not that any amount of money is worth a life.... But 300k fines wouldn't work in Thailand simply because 90% of everyone who gets fined could never pay it anyway....

Lengthy ban and confiscation of the vehicle NO MATTER who the owner is "might" work better...

[Timwin]

60,000 baht is nothing as a fine!!!! And human life not valued much here....

In USA, the fine is about 300,000 baht and then you get a wrongful death suit by victim's family....

lower fines, more odds of dying...

get happy about paying only 60,000, and then your family gets run over...

your choice..

The average Thai monthly salary is only about 15000 baht. So it is pretty steep price already.

[yrag]

we can conclude that their was not an increase...surly 3,046 of these drivers had their vehicles confiscated...lives were saved

21,000 arrested saved lives ....

Great Effort by Officials

[Plutojames88]

The idea is to fawn care and responsibility .

The reality is the Governments economic failures along with oppressive tactics over the populace do little to curb self medication by Thais in these depressive times.

It also ( if anything) tells the westerner who spends 3000 on a visa run by mini van to reconsider.

Roads are dangerous .

Very dangerous.

You can fly to Yagoon and back for about the same and get 30 days .( just returning )

Risking your life is not worth it.

Australia which has one third of Thailand 's population had 34 killed and 65 people arrested in the same period .

Compare that to Thailand even after multiplying it by three.

You are entering a third world mind set.

You only need to try getting to the opposite side of a road using a crossing to see your not in a country with high regard for either human life , road rules , or plain empathy.

It's aggressive behind the wheel.

They are listening to music or being nagged and trying to race away ...the tangling Buddha protecting them from harm and a developing outlook in the road .

Which themselves are horrendous

What a stat.

Carnage.

Mexico is actually 48 times safer

[Plutojames88]

we can conclude that their was not an increase...surly 3,046 of these drivers had their vehicles confiscated...lives were saved

21,000 arrested saved lives ....

Great Effort by Officials

See the mindset ?

Great effort ....

That's like adding some extra life boats to a Titanic and praising the efforts , but over looking the ships faults.

The captain and his rate of knots and disregard for ice packs.

And the course taken.

Great effort indeed.

They are the problem. ( The captain ) Government .

Successive ones .

Kids ride motor bikes eating ice cream at age ten and have three friends on the back .

Might look cute but none wear helmets or hold a license .

The rate of deaths and accidents are beyond further commentary .

Suffice to say its third world mentality

[englishoak]

The National Council for Peace and Order says it arrested 21,690 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol between Dec. 25 and Jan. 2.

Some 3,046 of these drivers had their vehicles confiscated.

Missing out the other 18,000 might have not been the smartest move either.

Nothing will change here lol

[Pattaya Wolf]

I always ask my g/f to wear crash helmet when she is on her motor-bike, but I am mostly ignored they do not understand the safety reason and they should try to re-educate the Thai people on the safety issue> I told her not drive under the influence and to get motor-bike taxi. There have been a lot more checks by the police around Pattaya. She also told me I don't stop for police I just drive on and it seems the norm for Thai. Mai pen rai.

[Sawan Chan 7]

I always ask my g/f to wear crash helmet when she is on her motor-bike, but I am mostly ignored they do not understand the safety reason and they should try to re-educate the Thai people on the safety issue> I told her not drive under the influence and to get motor-bike taxi. There have been a lot more checks by the police around Pattaya. She also told me I don't stop for police I just drive on and it seems the norm for Thai. Mai pen rai.

Who is the "they" you refer to - all Thai people or Thai females in Pattaya. There is a very very big difference.

[Pattaya Wolf]

I always ask my g/f to wear crash helmet when she is on her motor-bike, but I am mostly ignored they do not understand the safety reason and they should try to re-educate the Thai people on the safety issue> I told her not drive under the influence and to get motor-bike taxi. There have been a lot more checks by the police around Pattaya. She also told me I don't stop for police I just drive on and it seems the norm for Thai. Mai pen rai.

Who is the "they" you refer to - all Thai people or Thai females in Pattaya. There is a very very big difference.

Ah I see, by "they" I mean most the Thai ladies I have known since living here. I wear a crash helmet for safety reasons. Most the problems I see in driving in Thailand they are not proficent in drving skills. In the UK you need to learn to drive to a certain standard or you will not get a license. If you do not wear a crash helmet you would be fined and points on your license, same as speeding and other offences. I would like to see the standards in Thailand improved for all road users.