PUBLISHED : 30 Jul 2023 at 05:51
The total number of people injured in road accidents on the first day of the long holiday reached almost 2,000 with 22 fatalities, according to the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, deputy national police chief and commander of the RTP’s Traffic Police Operation Centre, said on Saturday his officers have been told remain on the lookout for traffic offences due to the high volume of journeys from towns and cities to the provinces during the July 28 to Aug 2 long holiday weekend.
With 1,871 injuries and 22 fatalities on Friday alone, Pol Gen Roy said the main cause of accidents had been speeding, followed by drowsiness, changing lanes and dangerous overtaking.
He advised drivers to check their vehicles and study the route before leaving home to avoid road accidents.
Police also reported that 157 drivers had been arrested for drunk driving on Friday.
Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn Chintakanon, commander of the RTP’s national police chief office, said the legal alcohol limit is 50 milligrammes per decilitre (mg/dL).
Anyone found to be over the limit when breathalysed will face a charge of drunk driving.
Also, drivers below the age of 20 who do not hold a valid driver’s licence when caught over the breath/alcohol limit of 20 mg/dL will be sentenced.
Pol Lt Gen Nithithorn said first-time offenders will face up to a year of jail time or 5,000-10,000 baht in fines.
Those who repeat the offence within two years of their first conviction will likely have to pay 50-100,000 baht in fines and contest the sentence in a new court appearance.
Meanwhile, the state-run Transport Co said that over 58,000 passengers had left Bangkok to take city-dwellers back to their hometowns on Friday aboard over l,000 cross-provincial buses.
Transport Co president Sanyalux Panwattanalikit said 3,964 journeys back to the capital have been laid on for Wednesday to cater for 50,735 passengers on 7,975 rides making 109,624 trips in total for both legs.
No passengers will be left stranded at bus or coach stops on their way back to the city, he said.
He said people would begin to travel back to the city on Aug 2-3 and the Transport Co has prepared its vans and buses to provide about 3,500 rides per day for an average of 35,000 passengers a day.
He said the Transport Co had sought help from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and Taxi Association to offer connections at the capital’s five main bus terminals due to the high number of people travelling.