Thailand experienced an increase in road accidents and injuries during the Songkran festival, according to official reports released on Tuesday. However, there was a decrease in fatalities across the country.
The Ministry of Interior stated that there were 2,203 road crashes reported in Thailand during the festival week, which took place from April 13-15. These accidents led to 264 deaths and 2,208 injuries, with Bangkok recording the highest number of fatalities at 22. The number of accidents increased from 1,917 during the same period last year.
Director-General of the Ministry’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Boontham Lertsukhikasem, revealed that from April 11-17, the main cause of accidents, which is speeding, decreased by 1.55 percent, while drunk driving declined by 3.26 percent. This resulted in a 5.04 percent drop in the death toll compared to the same period last year. He added that motorcycle accidents had the highest rates, with most fatalities being caused by motorcyclists not wearing helmets.
To ensure safe driving during the peak travel period as Thais returned home to celebrate the water festival with their families, the Thai government set up checkpoints on main roads and dispatched officers.