'Heavy drinking' mars Thai New Year - 13 Apr 08

Thai residents have been celebrating their New Year with traditional festivities.

It is also an occasion famous for
and heavy drinking.

But one feature of the Songkran celebration is less festive - the carnage on Thai roads, as drunken revellers attempt to drive home.
Selina Downes reports.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• AlJazeera
• Al
• Jazeera
• Thailand
• Festival
• Alcohol
• Driving
• Accident

[Valca000]

it's the newer generations that are being the rebels

[mallcorekidsdie]

i got hit by two drunks boys this past year on songkran...they drove away from it. i got up and launced rocks at em but they sped off drunk

[doug1gord]

Bet you can't wait for the single malt huh? I'll bet distillers the world over are going to be upgrading their facilities to compete with THIS putz! He's certified by the Ministry of Ptomaine.

Thai government numbers are always suspect. The dead are probably just the D.O.A.s not counting the injured who expire later; take 40% of the injured numbers and add to the 'dead' for a more realistic result.

Trust me. I've just spent 7 days inside the house avoiding these drunk ungulates.

[thai2500]

EVERY year the Thai authorities have special campaigns in an attempt to cut down on traffic accidents. BUT, every year the death tolls goes UP!

[PeaceProfit]

Bottled

Clasping its coolly deceptive exterior swallowing a soothingly smooth liquid flower drowning shame sinking fears prolonging suffering looking now through dull glassy eyed anger unable 2 fight the terrifying vertical embrace of this hoax hostage 2 a slick hypocritical bite a singular self destructive impostor absent of pride bottled and discarded upon the decaying heap of social misery forever shrouded in a life of poisonous mist between center and balance bound only by threads we weave.

[cheegum]

"Please Enjoy Responsibly" simply doesn't drive the message home. Those 361 people would have lived today had alcohol been completely banned in Thailand.