We’ve heard it all before of course.
Nevertheless, Thailand’s new national police chief has vowed to crack down on drunk drivers over the upcoming New Year holiday. Torsak Sukvimol says police officers around the country have been instructed to strictly enforce the law when dealing with drivers found to be over the limit.
Thai law stipulates that drivers under the age of 20, who have held a driving licence for less than two years, are considered intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol concentration of more than 20mg per 100ml of blood.
For drivers over the age of 20, with a permanent or 5-year driving licence, a blood alcohol reading of more than 50mg per 100ml indicates intoxication. The penalty for drink driving is a fine of up to 120,000 baht, a 6-year prison term, and the possibility of a driving licence being revoked.
A drunk driver found guilty of causing death could face a fine of up to 200,000 baht and 10 years in prison. The Interior Ministry has set up a special operational centre for dealing with road traffic accidents over the coming long weekend.
According to a Nation Thailand report, there will be checkpoints at accident blackspots. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he wants the New Year holiday to be a “festival of happiness and warmth”, when people can travel home to their families safely.
According to last year’s data from the Department of Probation, there were 8,923 road traffic accidents between December 29, 2022 and January 4, 2023. Of those, 8,567 involved drunk driving, an increase of 8.88% on figures for 2021 – 2022.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
