38nholding wrote:speaking of war.Does anyone recall the number of dead and injured last year in Thailand. I think 500 dead and 15000 to hospital.Think open heart surgery in farangistan looks likea better option.
The Nation - 13/04/07 wrote:The first day of the Songkran holiday got off to a dreadful start with 41 people killed and more than 500 injured in road accidents around the country, Transport Minister Admiral Theera Haocharoen said yesterday. Many were caused by drunk drivers.
The deputy director of the National Road Safety Centre said there were 435 accidents on Wednesday, killing 41 people and wounding 514 others. A third of the accidents were caused by drunk drivers, while speeding and cutting in too closely in front of other vehicles were also factors.
Some 85 per cent of accidents involved motorcycles and most took place on straight secondary roads between 4pm and 8pm.
Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat experienced the most deaths with three each, followed by Trang, Nonthaburi, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Samut Sakhon, and Surin with two deaths each.
Udon Thani had the highest number of injuries at 23, followed by Nakhon Sawan, Buri Ram, and Si Sa Ket with 19 each.
Si Sa Ket and Udon Thani had the most accidents with 19 each, followed by Chiang Mai at 17 and Nakhon Ratchasima at 13.
Nearly two million vehicles were stopped at checkpoints around the country and 33,719 people were charged. Most were motorists unable to present their driver's licence, followed by riders not wearing safety helmets and drivers not wearing seatbelts.
The Nation - 15/04/07.
Drink-driving chiefly blamed again;victims' kin urged to take payments
As Songkran festivities continue, the number of road-accident victims stands at 169 dead and 2,296 injured in the first three days of the holiday, the Road Safety Centre said yesterday.
The road toll to date is down on that of 2006, Public Health Deputy Minister Dr Morakot Kornkasem said.
Once again, drinking drivers are causing most accidents, he said.
Insurance Department director-general Chantra Buranarerk encouraged families of accident victims to seek initial payments from the victims' compensation fund.
The fund pays actual expenses for injuries to a maximum of Bt15,000.
Relatives of those killed in motor accidents receive Bt35,000. Compensation for victims hospitalised but later dying of injuries is a maximum of Bt50,000.
She said once victims' relatives completed documentation they would receive payment within half an hour. More information is available on the department's 1186 hotline.
The fund was set up by the Road Accident Victims Protection Act of 1997 and is paid for with third-party insurance premiums. All accident victims receive compensation.
The volume of prank and hoax calls to the ministry's emergency Narenthorn Centre is on the rise.
Morakot said that since the festival started on Wednesday 2,153 prank calls had been fielded. Almost 900 bogus calls were made on Friday alone. Most come from public telephone booths, he said.
"This shows people do not realise the importance of the emergency call centre. It is there to save the lives of the critically injured. These calls prevent medical teams reaching real victims on time because those in need cannot get through to the centre," he said.
Senior officer at the Ministry of Culture's Cultural Monitoring Centre, Ladda Tangsuphachai, said yesterday the overall situation of traditional Thai cultural activities during the Songkran Festival has been satisfactory. Only three out of 76 provinces have been found in cultural violation: Chiang Mai, Prachin Buri and Angthong. All three cases related to coyote dancing with revealing and improper dress, she said.
In the Chiang Mai case, the improper dancing was staged in the temple in the middle of the town, she added. "All performances were stopped after police were informed," she said.
The final tally for the Official Songkran Death Toll:
Deaths slightly down, but accidents and injuries increase
The seven "dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays ended yesterday with 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in 4,274 road accidents.
There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.
Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.
- The Nation