BANGKOK, Thailand — The annual exodus for Songkran celebrations turned deadly on Friday as Thailand’s roads claimed 27 lives in 211 accidents during the first 24 hours of the “Seven Dangerous Days” holiday period—a grim tradition that continues despite years of safety campaigns.

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While the death toll marked a slight decrease from last year’s 29 fatalities, Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong warned: “One preventable death is still one too many.” The statistics reveal familiar, heartbreaking patterns:

The data indicates that 41% of collisions are attributed to speeding, 23% are alcohol related (276 arrests for drink driving on Friday alone), 84% of accidents involve two-wheeled vehicles. 50% of the accidents occurred from 15:00 to 18:00.

Mukdahan emerged as the accident capital with 11 crashes, while Bangkok recorded the highest fatalities (5 deaths). Nonthaburi led in drunk driving arrests (40 cases), exposing a crisis in suburban areas where checkpoints are sparse.

27 dead first day of songkran from traffic accident in Thailand 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/x73VZ2Tdqo

— Personal Thailand (@PersonalThai) April 12, 2025

Among the victims was a family of four whose pickup truck collided head-on with a speeding motorbike in Chiang Mai—a crash scene littered with water guns and overturned food baskets meant for holiday celebrations. “They were going to grandma’s house for the traditional rod nam dam hua ceremony,” sobbed a relative at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.

Despite deploying 60,000 officials at 2,000 checkpoints nationwide, the Probation Department reported a 7% increase in DUI cases compared to 2024’s first day. Ministry of Justice data showed that 85% of the probation cases (276) were alcohol related, 47 drivers tested positive for drugs and 3 cases of reckless driving.

Songkran’s road fatalities—often exceeding 300 annually—remain Thailand’s shameful open secret. While the government touts declining numbers, trauma surgeons note the real toll is higher: “Many die en route to hospitals or get classified as ‘later deaths,'” said Dr. Somsak Akksilp of Siriraj Hospital.

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As the country enters peak travel days (April 13-15), officials plead for caution. But with pickup trucks packed with revelers and “water fights” spilling onto highways, the week ahead looks perilous.

-Thailand News (TN)