More than 100 people died after 3 days of Songkran in Thailand

The figures were recorded by the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation from April 11 to April 13, the three peak days of Songkran. Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla had the highest number of accidents with 39 each, Songkhla had the highest number of injuries with 45. Bangkok topped the death toll with eight recorded cases.

The leading causes of accidents were speeding (40.05%), drunk driving (27.81%) and collisions (16.84%). The most common vehicle involved in accidents was motorbikes (85.5%). Accidents occurred mainly on straight roads (81.63%), while 35.97% occurred on highways and 30.1% occurred on city streets.

The time period with the highest accident rate is from 6pm to 7pm. The age group with the highest number of injuries and deaths is 30-39 years old.

On the evening of April 14, a foreign tourist died in Bangkok while participating in the water festival. Local authorities received a report of a missing person near Pratunam Pier along Khlong Saen Saep. Authorities have cooperated with the underwater rescue team and forensic doctors from Ramathibodi Hospital to investigate.

The victim was identified as a foreign tourist who came to Thailand to attend the Songkran festival. He dropped his water gun in the canal and drowned while jumping into the water to retrieve the gun.

Witnesses, including many tourists at the scene, tried to intervene but were unable to save the man in time, so they called the authorities for assistance. The exact cause of the incident is under investigation. The identity of the foreign tourist has not yet been revealed.

On the evening of April 14, the Bangkok government mobilized the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department to send more police and officials to maintain security and ensure safety for people and tourists participating in water splashing activities at two crowded and accident-prone locations, Khao San Road and Silom Road.

Mr. Somboon Homnan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said that according to preliminary statistics, the number of people enjoying Songkran on these two roads is much higher than in previous years.

Sidewalk stalls along these two streets have been temporarily removed to create space for people to participate in water splashing and to create an escape route in case of emergency. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has also repeatedly warned participants to be careful of pickpockets.

Major General Manop Sukhonthanapat, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said artificial intelligence cameras will be used to scan participants’ faces before entering festival venues. The AI ​​cameras will alert police if they detect criminal suspects or people with criminal records.

Local police are also investigating complaints from residents and tourists about taxi drivers overcharging during the peak festival days.

According to statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the 2023 Songkran festival season saw more than 2,000 accidents, more than 2,000 injuries, and 236 deaths, including tourists and locals. Bangkok is the place with the most casualties in the country. In 2024, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) has set a target of reducing road accidents by 5% during the 7 dangerous days of Songkran from April 11 to April 17.

The 2024 Songkran Festival will take place from April 11 to 21, on a large scale across the country. Some provinces and cities have started organizing water splashing events for tourists throughout April. Songkran in Thailand is identified as one of the 10 major global events. The 2023 festival will help Thailand attract more than 300,000 international visitors and generate more than 18 billion baht (nearly 537 million USD) in revenue, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).