There were 1,134 traffic accidents over the first four days of New Year holiday travel, causing 175 deaths and injuring 1,109 other people.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Kraiboon Suadsong on Tuesday announced the figures for the period Friday Dec 27 to Monday Dec 30 inclusive.
On Monday there were 261 road accidents that claimed 32 lives and injured 267 people. The most common cause was speeding, followed by drink-driving and cutting-in.
Pol Gen Kraiboon said that on Tuesday, the last day of 2024, police were focussing on stopping intoxicated people driving vehicles away from New Year party venues.
The Ministry of Transport said the number of traffic accidents from Dec 27-30 was down nine percent on the corresponding period a year ago.
It also confirmed that Bangkok’s daily electric train service would operate until 2am on Wednesday, helping people return home from New Year transition celebrations.
The Department of Probation said that from Dec 27-30 a total of 3,795 drivers were placed on probation. Most of them, 3,661, were prosecuted for drink-driving, 130 for drug abuse and four for reckless driving.
Chiang Mai province recorded the highest number of drink-driving cases in court, with 306 cases, followed by Bangkok, 294 cases, and Samut Prakan with 258, the department said.
