claim that economic gains wo n’t make up for losses
PUBLISHED: December 5, 2023, at 6:42
Officials have not taken the necessary precautions to prevent alcohol-related injuries, according to righteousness organizations and proponents of road safety, who are urging the government to reconsider its decision to permit restaurants, clubs, and other leisure venues to perform until 4 a.m.
The calls were made a week or so after the Interior Ministry announced that bars and clubs in Bangkok, Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui on Surat Thani would empty until 4 am on December 15.
According to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, the extended opening hours will be tested in hotels along Silom Road, Royal City Avenue (RCA ), and Ratchadaphisek Road.
” To make sure that no one under the age of 18 is admitted to these spaces, we will collaborate with local government.” To avoid accidents, he said, we may ask the police to set up checkpoints to look for drunk driving and substance use.
Although businesses have praised the legislation, proponents of temperance argue that the government should reconsider its strategy to prevent an increase in traffic fatalities.
Theera Watcharapranee, chairman of the Stop Drinking Network, stated at a meeting called by Pheu Thai MP Khattiya Sawatdipol that the legislation will cause street deaths to ascend rather than boost the economy if enough preparations are made.
At least 2, 118 fatalities were attributed to drunken driving last year, according to Thanapong Jinvong of the Road Safety Academic Centre, who cited injury data from Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Bangkok, and Phuket. Bangkok was the location of nearly half of the incidents, or 1,004 situations.
” Last year, fatal car accidents resulted in costs of about 6.5 billion baht in just the four counties.” There are costs that the financial benefits from the scheme it n’t offset, he said.
After a study in Norway found that the longer the drinking hours, the higher the number of violent crimes, Udomsak Sae-Ngow of the Centre of Alcohol Studies ( CAS ) expressed concern about the effect of longer operating hours on the incidence of violence.
Drink-driving laws need to be strictly enforced, according to Tairjing Siriphanich of the Do n’t Drive Drunk Foundation ( DDD), as many drivers do not take the laws seriously.
In the meantime, DDD president Jetsada Yaemsawabai urged police to install more checkpoints in congested areas to increase protection for onlookers as the workday lengthens.