Songkran Festival, which celebrates Thai New Year’s, runs from April 11-17 and despite all the fun and festivities, is known for having a huge surge in road deaths.
Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is vowing to strictly penalize those who break road laws, drive drunk, or otherwise drive recklessly on the roads during the festival.
According to Prayut, the government already has all the necessary laws in place, but a lack of enforcement, awareness, and light penalties is largely the reason why traffic incidents remain massive during Songkran.
“Songkran traffic deaths are largely due to two things: the sheer amount of drivers taking to the roads during the travel-heavy period and the huge amount of drunk drivers navigating the streets”, said Jitsopin Narasettapong, an accident lawyer in Thailand.
On top of harsher punishments for rogue drivers, the Thai government also plans to launch road safety campaigns and advertisements in the buildup to Songkran.
Last year, Songkran road deaths jumped 7% from the previous year, totaling 418.
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