BANGKOK, 1 April 2019: There’s no consensus on banning booze 13 April, the first day of the Songkran Festival celebrations.
Opinions in government are divided on proposals to transform the wettest day of the year into a dry one as far as alcohol is concerned.
Advocates for declaring just one day of the festival dry claim it could reduce the horrendous death and accident toll.
According to a report in the Nation on Sunday, the Public Health Ministry’s director of the committee on alcohol control,
But the road safety lobby is convinced that a ban on a single day is not the right way forward claiming speed and reckless driving are high up the list culprits, that caused 418 deaths and 3,897 injuries during last year’s festival travel week, 11 to 17 April. On average 66 people die every day on Thailand’s roads, or 24,000 a year, which is higher than the annual road deaths in the entire European Union
Obviously, drunk driving is a major concern, but opponents of banning booze for one day say the emphasis should be on enforcing compliance with all road safety laws for the entire festival.
Nipon added that his department would intensify restrictions on the sale of alcohol while offenders could face a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to Bt10,000.
Critics also pointed out that many holidaymakers opt to leave their vehicles at home so they should be able to buy booze without restrictions. A decision is expected later this week.
(Source: Nation, plus additional reporting)
