Songkran death toll highest in a decade with 442 people killed during seven-day span

[webfact]

Songkran Death Toll Highest in a Decade
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Two people were killed and three injured – including an 8-month-old baby – when a driver fell asleep early Sunday morning in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. He was driving back to Bangkok.

BANGKOK — The number of people killed in road accidents during the long holiday soared to its highest level since 2006 this year, with 442 people killed during seven-day span.

From April 11 to 17, a period colloquially known as the “seven dangerous days,” there were 3,447 road accidents, and for every person killed, more than eight were injured, according to the Road Safety Directing Center.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1460957787


-- Khaosod English 2016-04-18

[webfact]

Songkran festival celebration claims 442 lives, 3,656 injuries



BANGKOK: -- Songkran festival holidays from April 11-17 have claimed the lives of 442 revellers and left 3,656 injured.

According to Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda at the press conference held by the Department of Public Disasters Prevention and Mitigation today, a total of 442 people died and 3,656 others injured in nationwide road accidents during the past seven days of Songkran celebrations from April 11-17.

Gen Anupong said there were 3,447 road accidents during April 11-17.

The death toll this year is higher than last year in numbers of fatalities (78), of the injured (97) and of accidents (74).

He said only on April 17 alone, there were 343 road accidents in which 45 people were killed and 385 others injured.

During the seven-day period, Chiang Mai came top with altogether 168 road accidents and 175 injured while Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima topped the list with the highest fatality rate, 19 killed each.

Drink driving accounted for most accidents, followed by speeding.

Motorcycles were blamed for most of the accidents followed by pickup trucks.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/159906


-- Thai PBS 2016-04-18

[Broken Record]

These figures are to be expected with the volume of motorcycles on the road.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Broken Record

[Tomtomtom69]

Oh gosh. Nothing will ever change here will it?

OK, so a few new fixed speed cameras have been put up, mostly in places where it's already quite safe to drive at high speed (such as on the Bang Pa-in to Bang-Na expressway km 5) and then there's the occasional mobile speed camera such as at km 179 in Pak Chong where I was mailed a notice to pay a 400 Baht fine a month after getting caught. Then there are ridiculous rules like you can turn right from the middle lane from 6-9am but if you try doing so at 9.30am or an officer catches you changing lanes after you've made the turn he will threaten you with a fine even though you are legitimately turning into a shopping mall entrance located just 50m from the turn!

However, overall nothing has changed. Enforcement just isn't there. I'm about to upload a video onto Youtube that I took with my webcam from an idiot who drove a moped against the flow of traffic at relatively high speed in the fast lane last Wednesday, 13th of April around 11pm as I was heading home after a business meeting and dinner.

I have seen a lot in Thailand but this put the icing on the cake. It seems to be getting worse and nobody cares.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Tomtomtom69

[Mango Bob]

They should give each Thai licensed to drive a 6 months mandatory driving classes and a final test they must pass before issue of a license. Then a complete driving test. Along with police getting out of these pit stops and stopping them speeding when it happens along with bigger fines. I was fined 400 baht for going 120 kph, I could laugh it off.

[clockman]

No concern, but the lottery fixed? and no deck chairs? They must feel very proud of themselves. Now just bury the dead. Till next year?

[jaltsc]

"The number of people killed in road accidents during the long holiday soared to its highest level since 2006 this year, with 442 people killed during seven-day span."

Another successful government holiday safety campaign. With all the suggesting, asking and begging people to practice safety during Songkran, Who could have predicted this?

Edited April 18, 2016 by jaltsc

[Tomtomtom69]

They should give each Thai licensed to drive a 6 months mandatory driving classes and a final test they must pass before issue of a license. Then a complete driving test. Along with police getting out of these pit stops and stopping them speeding when it happens along with bigger fines. I was fined 400 baht for going 120 kph, I could laugh it off.

I was fined 400 Baht for going 133 in a 90km/h zone, which of course doesn't have any speed limit signs. I think they only fine you if you are caught doing more than 120.

However, dangerous driving, drink driving, driving the wrong way down a road, not wearing seatbelts, too many people riding in the tray of a pickup and a whole list of other offences are generally much more dangerous and rarely cracked down upon.

[leeneeds]

If a plane fell out of the sky here with that amount of

people killed (442)

serious questions and actions would be asked and followed upon

here on the road

just lip service, that is embarrassing

[thaibeachlovers]

Gov talk crap, police don't work, so how will it ever change...It will not, why, gov talks crap, police don't work and the populous don't give a stuff about anything......UNTIL someone has to be blamed for their stupidity, then the shit hits the fan cos it wasn't their fault, always someone else fault...

Yes, with all the HYPE we have read about it will be safer this year....Total crap....Police do not work, populous have no fear about the BiB...None...Crazy stuff..

Let's be honest, if Thailand had law and order like any western country would there be enough westerners interested in the place to have a forum like this? I think not. It's all part of Thainess, like it or not.

[Snig27]

These figures are to be expected with the volume of motorcycles on the road.

There are far, far more on the roads of Indonesia and Vietnam. And yet both have lower tolls by a margin.

[webfact]

Provinces ordered to study data after Songkran road accidents stats higher than last year

BANGKOK, 18 April 2016 (NNT) – Road accidents during the Songkran period increased from last year, prompting an order for each province to study measures to cut incidents in 2017.

Minister of Interior Gen Anupong Paojinda, as chairman of the Road Safety Directing Center, has reported a conclusion of road accident statistics for 2016. He made known that on April 17 alone, 343 fatalities were recorded with 45 injured in road accidents. Nakhon Si Thammarat and Chiang Mai had the most accidents with a combined 14 and Chiang Mai and Prachuapkhirikan had the most fatalities at 4 total.

Over the entire Songkran holiday from April 11-17, a total 3,447 accidents took place and resulted in 442 deaths and 3,656 injuries. The only provinces without road accident fatalities were Trat, Yala, Ranong and Nong Bualumphu. Chiang Mai had the highest number of accidents while Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima had the most resulting fatalities. The most common cause of accidents were drunk driving followed by speeding and motorcycles were the most common vehicle involved in incidents.

Due to the data showing more loss of life and accidents than last year, Gen Anupong has ordered all provinces study their information and propose amendments to laws within the next 5 months so that new measures can be implemented in time for the New Year’s holiday.

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan meanwhile, thanked all security officers for their work as well as members of the public who made sure to celebrate the holiday in an orderly fashion. He noted that a higher rate of travel may have been a factor in the higher instance of accidents on roads, pointing out that overall the public was seen adhering to road laws. He stated that he is seeking to alter laws to allow for immediate revocation of a driver’s license and vehicle if they are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol.


-- NNT 2016-04-18

[Moonmoon]

i thought there was a campaign or something this year for safety during songkran? looks like it didnt work out.

[Snig27]

Gov talk crap, police don't work, so how will it ever change...It will not, why, gov talks crap, police don't work and the populous don't give a stuff about anything......UNTIL someone has to be blamed for their stupidity, then the shit hits the fan cos it wasn't their fault, always someone else fault...

Yes, with all the HYPE we have read about it will be safer this year....Total crap....Police do not work, populous have no fear about the BiB...None...Crazy stuff..

Let's be honest, if Thailand had law and order like any western country would there be enough westerners interested in the place to have a forum like this? I think not. It's all part of Thainess, like it or not.

What nonsense - there are a ton of westerners in Indonesia and in Vietnam (and very active forums). Indonesia: 15.3 deaths per 100,000 people, Vietnam: 24.5, Thailand: 36.2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

Blaming this death toll on "Thainess" is a complete copout, it's a broken legal system and zero enforcement combined with a lack of skills. The roads in Thailand are far, far better than Indonesia, but a cop there will pull you up if you spin through a red light or roar wildly down a highway. Not so here.

And the lack of respect for the law goes all the way up - you don't like the government, change it with guns and tanks, and so on.

Indonesia also has a functioning and developing democracy which actually works for the people (most of the time ..) and a very active anti-korupsi agency that actually arrests people and charges them.

Until the rule of law is allowed to grow and mature in Thailand the mayhem and gore will continue.

[skinnymilinky]

Don't know why they make such a big deal about the 7 dangerous days considering every other day of the year is just as dangerous...24,000 died in RTAs in 2013...that's around 65 a day...so by my calculations songkran this year is below the average..seems like a success story to me!

[lostinisaan]

Gov talk crap, police don't work, so how will it ever change...It will not, why, gov talks crap, police don't work and the populous don't give a stuff about anything......UNTIL someone has to be blamed for their stupidity, then the shit hits the fan cos it wasn't their fault, always someone else fault...

Yes, with all the HYPE we have read about it will be safer this year....Total crap....Police do not work, populous have no fear about the BiB...None...Crazy stuff..

Mate, please calm down and wait until the high speed trains from China will show how secure they really are.

[MrJohnson]

When Songkran arrives every year I have a simple strategy, If I am not leaving the country, I'm not leaving the house. There are a number of reasons for this but chiefly it is for safety reasons and certainly road safety. I think the incredible thing is not that the road death toll is so high. The incredible thing is that it is not so much higher. Drink driving, speeding, tailgating, driver fatigue, failure to wear seat belts, failure to wear helmets, passengers in the rear of pick-up trucks, and on and on. Of course there is little law enforcement as well. As with many issues in this country it is not about lack of laws but simply the lack of enforcement.There also probably needs to be more driver education. A little more carrot and a lot more stick.

[apetley]

If a plane fell out of the sky here with that amount of

people killed (442)

serious questions and actions would be asked and followed upon

here on the road

just lip service, that is embarrassing

There seems to be a plane crashing every single week of the year but for some reason those with the power to actually do something about it are either unwilling or incapable.

[eddie61]

It is karma, brought on by a society that has no care for anyone but self.

Karma, what can you do about it?

Nothing!

Thailand must have pulled the legs off flies in a previous incarnation.

It is destined by its karma..........

It will die with its karma

so be it!

Chaiyos!

[anon467848]

There should be study as to how the funds were spent that were supposedly allocated to each province for a safer Songkran this year.... No doubt the recipients of the budgets had a very nice Songkran party for all their families and cronies..

Letters of condolence were sent from the Royal family and the Govt. for the earthquake victims in Japan, what about all the fatalities that are happening on their own doorstep ever year during Songkran? Head, sand, mentality....

Edited April 18, 2016 by merlin2002

[slipperylobster]

Well...

You can't say the government did not warn them.

I guess what this means, is people here don't listen to the government.

Which is good....in all matters except this one.

We are left with two thoughts.

1. Lots of money and effort spent on Safety....with no results.

2. People are speeding, drinking, and crashing, with exponential speed. This leads me to the conclusion that there is some kind of social anomaly that we are dealing with. Things won't get better. Perhaps, the more you preach, the more they crash.

[Chicog]

Good to see Chiang Mai keeping up their #1 spot for accidents and injuries, but they must be disappointed at the #2 spot in the fatalities competition.

[Jim walker]

Need to employ another police man one who can stop a car take a breath test and take car keys and driver to police station not hold out his hand for a few Baht

[Broken Record]

These figures are to be expected with the volume of motorcycles on the road.

A total ban on all Alcohol sales would certainly help every countries traffic fatality rates, but drugs are big business and Alcohol will continue to be sold and the carnage continues, I'm all for a total alcohol ban every day of the year.

Never happen though.

Edited April 18, 2016 by seedy
Quote hidden post

[torpedo1970]

Big face loss for those who campaigned so hard before Songkran.

But not a surprise.

Locally i did notice a lot less police presence on the road this year compared to last year.... (just an observation)

[seedy]

Anti Gov't / Flaming posts Removed

[hutchings1963]

Gen Anupong has ordered all provinces study their information and propose amendments to laws within the next 5 months so that new measures can be implemented in time for the New Year’s holiday.What a joke they are more interested in women being scantly clothed than tell people to put helmets on, and underaged kids on bikes ,drive the right side of the road and last but least looking right when you come out of a road while on a bike.

[Tomtomtom69]

When Songkran arrives every year I have a simple strategy, If I am not leaving the country, I'm not leaving the house. There are a number of reasons for this but chiefly it is for safety reasons and certainly road safety. I think the incredible thing is not that the road death toll is so high. The incredible thing is that it is not so much higher. Drink driving, speeding, tailgating, driver fatigue, failure to wear seat belts, failure to wear helmets, passengers in the rear of pick-up trucks, and on and on. Of course there is little law enforcement as well. As with many issues in this country it is not about lack of laws but simply the lack of enforcement.There also probably needs to be more driver education. A little more carrot and a lot more stick.

Well said.

I was scared too but decided that I would head over to Cambodia with the family, starting about a day before the mad dash out of Bangkok. First night we spent at a nice resort just outside of Trat and the highway out of BKK (Bangkok-Chonburi motorway) didn't have a whole lot of traffic yet. I think everyone was waiting to save 30-60 Baht by starting their journey after midnight that night as tolls were exempted from the 9th until the 17th.

Crossed the border the next day, went to Sihanoukville then Phnom Penh and Koh Kong back into Thailand the same way we came. Traffic on the Cambodian side was as usual, not any more congested than what I expected it to be except in Phnom Penh, which has pretty bad traffic these days. Was surprised to learn that the Cambodian government bans water throwing in Phnom Penh, so it appeared to be a

\

Back to Bangkok on the 13th, when traffic was a little busy especially in the other direction, starting around Klaeng in Rayong, but wasn't too bad at all. Didn't see any accidents on the way (which is unusual for a long-distance trip in Thailand) and then Bangkok was nearly empty.

As I've already mentioned in another reply, saw some maniac driving against the flow of traffic towards another car and then me in the right hand lane of a suburban Bangkok road. Hadn't seen that before in Thailand, despite all the insane driving I have seen here over the years but I stayed out of trouble at least.

Along the way, there was almost no water throwing (I guess kids don't like standing out alongside busy highways trying to throw water at vehicles passing at 100km/h) although I did see quite a few pickup trucks with people at the back heading into town centres, including one poor guy who had some kind of facial tumour, guess the guy just wanted to have fun.

[Dorian232]

Police checks over songkkran. I have driven every evening and not seen a single check point, what I have seen though is more and more motorcyclists not wearing helmets, more the 2 people on a small motorbikes. Bikes and cars with no rear lights, car with fog lights on and/or main beam lights on,. Police have set duties for that day so they ignore what they have not been assigned that day. And 8 p.m.they all seem to go home.

[johnnytuc]

These figures are to be expected with the volume of motorcycles on the road.

There are far, far more on the roads of Indonesia and Vietnam. And yet both have lower tolls by a margin.

Cant talk for indonesia, but Vietnam each time I have been there the police seem to be doing there job, better and better it really is leaving this place sinking further and further down the swanee.