According to the Royal Thai Police (RTP), the total number of people injured in traffic accidents on the first day of the long holiday reached nearly 2,000, with 22 fatalities.
Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, deputy national police chief and commander of the RTP’s Traffic Police Operation Centre, said on Saturday that his officers have been told to keep an eye out for traffic violations due to the high volume of trips from towns and cities to the provinces over the July 28-August 2 long holiday weekend.
With 1,871 injuries and 22 fatalities on Friday alone, Pol Gen Roy stated that speeding was the leading cause of accidents, followed by tiredness, changing lanes, and risky overtaking.
To avoid road accidents, he recommended drivers to inspect their vehicles and plan their routes ahead of time.
On Friday, 157 people were arrested for drunk driving, according to police.
The legal alcohol limit is 50 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL), according to Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn Chintakanon, commander of the RTP’s national police chief office.
Anyone found to be over the limit when breathalyzed will risk a drunk driving charge.
Drivers under the age of 20 who are detected exceeding the breath/alcohol limit of 20 mg/dL and do not have a valid driver’s license will also be sentenced.
According to Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn, first-time offenders risk up to a year in prison or a fine of 5,000-10,000 baht.
Those who commit the same offense within two years of their initial conviction will almost certainly have to pay fines of 50-100,000 baht and contest the sentence in a subsequent court appearance.
Meanwhile, the state-run Transport Co reported that over 58,000 passengers had departed Bangkok on Friday to return city dwellers to their hometowns on over l,000 cross-provincial buses.
Sanyalux Panwattanalikit, president of Transport Co, said 3,964 excursions back to the capital had been planned for Wednesday to accommodate 50,735 passengers on 7,975 rides, totaling 109,624 trips for both legs.
He stated that no passengers will be left stranded at bus or coach stops on their journey back to the city.
He stated that people will begin returning to the city on August 2-3, and that the Transport Co has readied its vans and buses to give around 3,500 rides per day for an average of 35,000 passengers per day.
Due to the large number of people traveling, the Transport Co sought assistance from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and Taxi Association to provide connections at the capital’s five main bus terminals.
