Death toll rises to 343 during Songkran Thai traditional new year

Thailand's Songkran traditional Thai New-year or "Water Festival" holiday highway death toll has reached 343 since April 7 till Friday, said caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit.

Songkhla province currently has the worst record with 10 fatalities. In second place on the provincial list of fatalities is Nakhon Ratchasima with nine, followed by Rayong with eight, and Chiang Mai, Nakhon Pathom and Phitsanulok, which each have six.

In his capacity as deputy director of the road safety center, Sermsak said that on Thursday alone, which was the official Songkran day, 89 people were killed in road accidents across the country.
Earlier this month, the government said the related departments aim to reduce this year's death toll to 500, or 15 percent decrease compared with last year.

The major cause of the road accidents is drunken driving, accounting for over 31 percent of all accidents, followed by driving at excessive speeds. Motorcycles are involved in nearly 85 percent of road accidents, followed by pick-up trucks, and private cars.

The Thai Road Safety Centre announced a crackdown on speeding and drunk drivers as well as roadside alcohol-sellers.