Road Deaths - Thailand is Over the Limit

There are more than 12000 road deaths in Thailand every year caused by drivers over the limit. During the Songkran Festival alone, there are around 600 road deaths with 41% caused by an excess of alcohol. In a study carried out 14 years ago, out of nearly 5000 drivers, 12.6% were found to have a BAC above the legal limit. Tests carried out between 10pm and midnight showed that 19% of the motorcycle drivers were over the limit and 16% of the drivers of 4 wheel vehicles also failed the test.

Even in a country like Thailand that seems to value life so cheaply, these figures are appalling. If you think that things have got better since that survey, just go for a drive on any of Thailand’s roads, especially late evening and see for yourself. It can be a frightening experience and often terrifying. Certainly an adventure scary enough to drive anyone to drink!

Thailand has as many if not more Laws than Western countries (there seems to be a new one every day) and indeed has fairly strict laws against drinking and driving. Every year it seems there is some new campaign to curb drink driving with colourful and sometimes graphically horrifying posters all over the cities. The current campaign is “Mao Mai Kap” which means if you’re drunk then don’t drive. The problem is that many Thai drivers just don’t care, especially teenage motorcyclists who care more about their hair than their life so don’t wear helmets, and the drivers of those big macho pick-up trucks where the very devil himself ( This of course also includes she devils ) can be hiding behind those black windscreens often surrounded by “protective” amulets. Visitors often say that Thai people are so nice and friendly but when they get behind the wheel they seen to grow horns. Give those horns a beer or two and you have a cocktail for carnage.

As I said, Thailand does have laws against drinking and driving. The legal blood alcohol limit in Thailand is 50mg of alcohol per litre of blood. This equates to 2-3 cans of beer in an hour for the average drinker. If caught, the penalties can be quite severe with jail sentences, fines up to 20000 Baht, driving license suspended or revoked and Community Service. Police breathalyser checkpoints are becoming much more common but seemingly without effect. With the New Year coming shortly, there are already new “tough” measures being talked about to curb drinking and driving including immediate imprisonment. I’m sure that when Songkran comes around next year there will be newer even tougher measures talked about, but this is Thailand. Nothing will change. The Grim Reaper is only a glass or two away.

2leep.com