Despite heightened efforts by authorities to curb death and injury rates during the Songkran celebrations, this year's toll is looking little better than that of previous years as Thailand enters the fourth of its notorious Seven Dangerous Days (April 11-17).
A driver of a well-known Ubon Ratchathani-based provincial bus operator was arrested in Nakhon Phanom for driving while intoxicated yesterday, local police said.
Thit Saisuwan, 41, registered under the travel company Sahamit Ubon Co, Ltd, was driving a scheduled trip from Ubon Ratchathani to Udon Thani when the bus was flagged down en route by police in Nakhon Phanom's Na Kae district for an inspection.
He was reportedly driving slightly over the blood alcohol limit, and carrying around 30 passengers on the bus. The Office of the Insurance Commission says individuals caught with more than a 50mg per 100ml blood alcohol level are considered legally intoxicated.
According to the police, Mr Thit said he had been drinking the previous night. The company sent a new driver to continue driving towards its terminal in Udon Thani.
The bus' destination province itself has reported several drunk-driving cases, with 12 accidents, 10 injuries and four deaths in the first two days of Songkran alone. According to local reports, most of the deaths in Udon Thani involved motorcycles.
In the northern province of Uttaradit, police have arrested and sought legal action against 14 drunk drivers, local reports say.
Uttaradit governor Sathienpong Maksiri said yesterday five deaths in the province had occurred during the last two calendar New Year and Songkran celebrations, all of which have involved motorcyclists driving while drunk.
"We ask locals and employees to be vigilant in looking out for those who can be seen drinking around the province, because we do not want any more deaths," Mr Sathienpong said. "Local chiefs must be informed if an intoxicated person is likely to drive [after drinking], and call their relatives to come and pick them up."
As for government moves to curb death and accident rates, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has urged police to seize the vehicles of those caught driving drunk. The vehicles are normally returned to their owners during Songkran, but the circumstances can vary depending on the severity of each case.
NCPO deputy spokeswoman Sirichan Ngathong said yesterday that the army and police have seized 1,475 vehicles nationwide so far, most of which have been motorcycles.
She said around 59,000 cases of reckless driving, including drunk driving cases, have been reported as of Thursday, 38,000 of which spurred legal action. As well, 4,628 driver's licences have been confiscated, she added.
Reports from Kalasin said 44 vehicles-- 36 motorcycles and eight cars-- have been seized since Thursday. Ten accidents, the same amount of injuries and one death was reported in which a 10 year-old boy lost his life.
Local police say the child was inside a pickup truck when one of its tires exploded, in Kalasin's Yang Talat district. The accident sent it crashing into another pickup driving in the opposite direction.
