52 people killed and 431 injured on first day of Songkran festival on Monday

[skorp13]

Exactly, how many are injured and die on any other day. Wait till it really kicks tomorrow. At some point the Thais may need to ask themselves if a week of this nonsense spread over the country is really necessary

[mrjohn]

"the main cause of the road accidents was speeding which accounted for 36.69 percent of the 387 accidents recorded on the first day followed by drunk driving which accounted for 26.87 percent of the accidents."

What about stupidity?

That's what I see every day on the roads in Thailand.

[Lingba]

unfortunately..another day in Thailand...

[jerico2017]

Party for a week then back to reality.

Drought will still around for another couple years according to my sources (el Nina). Military can enter your home any time it wants with out any order.

Reality - how am I going to pay off that loan shark. Oh well, I'll just blast the stereo in my shiny new pickup truck. No worry. As long as everybody around me thinks I'm a somebody.

Am I right?

[Roomuck]

Exactly, how many are injured and die on any other day. Wait till it really kicks tomorrow. At some point the Thais may need to ask themselves if a week of this nonsense spread over the country is really necessary

Visiting family in other provinces for Thai new year may be a week of nonsense for you. I don't think the Thais will agree with you somehow. Let's ban this Santa Claus /Jesus/ Virgin Mary nonsense first along with summer holidays.

I think you maybe confused, the deaths are mainly caused by traveling long distances to visit loved ones, not splashing water.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Roomuck

[does]

A good start!

Really? is that what you take from the death of 52 people, a good start? will it be better

for you with 500 dead?

Wake up "ezzra".....this is not fantasy land...hundreds will die!

It still doesn't make it a "good start". I bet none of Hawk's relative were among the victims. If "a good start" is the first thing that come to mind after reading such a dreadful figure... well, you get the picture.

Edited April 12, 2016 by does

[Skywalker69]

Wasnt Day 1 last year was like 25 deaths ?

seems the new campaigns to reduce the toll are working well !!!

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2015/04/full-road-accident-statistics-for-songkran-2015/

[mesterm]

A good start!

8 bottles of Leo and vroom vroom!

Mai pen rai khabb

Edited April 12, 2016 by mesterm

[freedom4life]

Cool let the party begin...death is death..irresponsibility is what it is ..carry on in Thailand. I still love Songkran and it's a lot of fun and no one or nothing in Thailand will make me believe otherwise...but there are others who would like to see Thailand's uniqueness disappear..ASEAN and/traitors within the Thai gov't?

Edited April 12, 2016 by freedom4life

[grumpyoldman]

Going to ride my motorcycle 3KMs to the beach for some sunset cocktails in about 20 minutes, will ride home at 7:30 the 3KMs and then tomorrow I will not ride anywhere.

Booze and cars, booze and bikes, booze and this heat (!), no thanks,

[does]

I think you do not know the difference between figure of speech and sarcasm.

A good start!

Really? is that what you take from the death of 52 people, a good start? will it be better
for you with 500 dead?

A good start is a figure of speech, with exactly the opposite meaning.

[jerico2017]

What was Songkran before like? Before villages had electricity, paved roads, cell phones?

While I was in Thailand for a few years, it seems to be make it up as you go along. Towards the end it seems everybody hated some other family. Multiple loud music speakers so loud you can't a)hear the music because of others blasting their music b)everybody dislikes someone else it seems.

What really is Songkran other then a excuse to go to the countryside for a week and party? When you say "family" I have witnessed the "family" from Bangkok come to a village, and get the elderly intoxicated too much, leave. Then mr. Furong if they are lucky gets to pay hospital bills until Gramps or Granny gets better.

[Boycie]

Going to ride my motorcycle 3KMs to the beach for some sunset cocktails in about 20 minutes, will ride home at 7:30 the 3KMs and then tomorrow I will not ride anywhere.

Booze and cars, booze and bikes, booze and this heat (!), no thanks,

Will those be non-alcoholic sunset cocktails?

[Basil B]

A good start!

Really? is that what you take from the death of 52 people, a good start? will it be better

for you with 500 dead?

Keep your hair on old chap...

Many of us understand Hawk's comment to be Satirical and meant to radical those who could do something about it...

[tezzainthailand]

52 people killed..I thought I was beginning to read the headline about a bombing in the Middle East. What can you say? This isn't my country but so many lives wasted. Very sad. Take care on the Thai roads.

[Josh88]

Isn't that figure in the ball park for the daily average, in fact it may be a little lower.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

This is exactly why the annual 'Songkran fatalities' article on Thaivisa is so meaningless. They never compare it to the daily average fatalities from road accidents, they just put the statistic in the headline and expect readers to be shocked. It's the epitome of propaganda.

[chainarong]

52 too many, sadly a reminder that road users in Thailand are selfish and not able to understand the consequences till it is too late...................

[Boycie]

A total of 528,903 vehicles were checked and, of these, 84,724 faced legal actions, including 25,651 cases of no driving licenses and 23,354 cases of riding with crash helmets.

-- Thai PBS 2016-04-12

You can now get a ticket for riding with a crash helmet? They must of had it in the basket.

[Duncan Donut]

As my Maths teacher used to say, Don’t Drink and Derive.

[jerome2]

Brain worms and road accidents

The subjects with latent toxoplasmosis have significantly increased risk of traffic accidents than the noninfected subjects. Relative risk of traffic accidents decreases with the duration of infection. These results suggest that 'asymptomatic' acquired toxoplasmosis might in fact represent a serious and highly underestimated public health problem, as well as an economic problem.

[ehw200]

and the largest number of vehicles in accidents were motorcycles,,, go figure

worst thing about moto's is that many foreigners see the way the locals drive and instead of setting a good example

start to drive like the locals and do things they would never consider back home as they would end up with

one heck of a lot of expensive tickets for stupidity

[planemad]

A must read thread for all the TV Ghouls.

[denis911]

"and 23,354 cases of riding with crash helmets". I thought that was the general idea, to wear a crash helmet, not get stopped for wearing one.

[emilymat]

The figure I find amazing is not the headline 'deaths' but the number of people who had no driving license. 25,651 !!!!

Given that figure is for roadblocks how many in Thailand altogether are driving without a license?. Staggering

[English 1]

Such brainless people who think they know it all and will not listen to advice!

Pathetic.

[LennyW]

I drove all the eay from Ban Chang, Rayong to Khon Kaen yesterday, 331, 304 and the 2, not a single police check point in operation!

[ChrisY1]

A good start!

Really? is that what you take from the death of 52 people, a good start? will it be better

for you with 500 dead?

I think ezzra is being factual.......and certainly not making points of road toll fatalities.....which everyone hates

[hgma]

It is rather cynical every year with Songkran road fatalities.......50-500 these people are dead, ripped away from family and friends, lives and families ruined.

And in many cases innocent of any violation, killed by anonymes drunks who, when given the change, run at the first sight of trouble.

It is like suicide bombers and terrorism.....you cant protect the people from lunatics, drunk drivers don't have a clue their on the road, let alone how to drive.

i have seen 2 trying to start a car the other day, as non Thai i can't make a citizen arrest, but would have intervened when Thai, for the sake of public safety.

Maybe the problem lies there....being Thai.........since Thai do not intervene EVER.

[Robbie Dye]

Speed limits do not work in Thailand! They just get ignored as do stop signs, pedestrian crossings and road signs. I wish so much the mentality would change but I fear it won't. With clear proper road signs, cameras on all traffic lights and policing and above all education it could. But it won't. Friend lost her sister this morning in Ubon. Wiped out by a speeding car. It's madness.

[jerico2017]

Nobody mentions why it is so important to put bus loads of kids on a 1-3 day non-stop journey to see the Thai aircraft carrier among other things.

Probably a better idea is to drive the bus, and stop at the next accident to teach kids to just stay off the road unless its important, then to pay attention or else you end up like this (point to burning car).