The first three days of New Year holiday travel saw 1,504 accidents, causing 159 deaths and 1,549 injuries, with Bangkok recording the highest death toll and the most drink driving cases.

Assistant national police chief Pol Lt Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat on Monday released the statistics for Friday to Sunday.

The highest death toll was reported in Bangkok, with 10 fatalities, but the most accidents were reported in the northern province of Lampang, with 48. Nakhon Pathom reported the most people injured in road accidents over the three days, at 56.

"Authorities are doing their best to prevent accidents, especially between 4pm and 8pm, when they peak," Pol Lt Gen Damrongsak said.

On Sunday alone there were 531 road accidents, 47 deaths and 560 injured people. Drink driving was given as the most common single cause, present in about 32% of accidents, closely followed by speeding, about 31%, he said.

Vithawan Sunthornkajit, director-general of the Probation Department, said that over the three-day period there were 4,601 cases of drink driving reported. Bangkok had the highest number, with 289 offenders,  followed by 254 in Khon Kaen and 237 in Maha Sarakham, both in the Northeast.

On Sunday there were 3,894 cases of drink driving reported, he said.