Bangkok Post - Songkran road accidents killed 243 people. Ruangsak Suwaree, director-general of the Probation Department, said that from April 11-16 there were 5,786 traffic violation cases, 96.6% of which involved drink-driving. Bangkok had the most drink-driving cases (493), followed by Samut Prakan (313) and Chiang Mai (302).

Songkran road accidents killed 243 people

Vehicles pack the Bangkok-bound lanes of the Mitraparp highway in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Tuesday. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert) 

Road accidents killed 243 people and injured 1,837 others during the six days of the Songkran festival holiday.

Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob said on Wednesday there were 1,811 traffic accidents from April 11- 16, when many workers returned to their home provinces for Songkran celebrations. Motorcycles were involved in 84.9% of all traffic accidents.

The northernmost province of Chiang Rai had the highest number of accidents (71) and the highest death toll (15).

Another northern province, Phrae, reported the most people injured (68). Nine of the 77 provinces were free of traffic fatalities during the Songkran Thai New Year festival, Pol Gen Permpoon said.

On the final day of the road safety campaign, April 16, there were 242 traffic accidents, leaving 32 people dead and 237 injured. Speeding was the most common cause, accounting for 37.6% of the accidents, followed by drink-driving (23.9%) and cutting in front of other vehicles (21%). 

Pol Gen Permpoon said most Songkran travellers had already returned to work.

Ruangsak Suwaree, director-general of the Probation Department, said that from April 11-16 there were 5,786 traffic violation cases, 96.6% of which involved drink-driving. Bangkok had the most drink-driving cases (493), followed by Samut Prakan (313) and Chiang Mai (302).