The ‘strict enforcement’ part of the annual road and marine safety campaign, conducted this year from Apr 11-17, concluded at midnight last night.
Last year, Phuket officials recognised two people were killed and 47 people were injured in 49 road accidents across the island over the ‘Seven Days’ for Songkran.
Of note, to be recognised by officials as ‘injured’, accident victims must be admitted to hospital for treatment.
For the last day of the Seven Days campaign this year (Apr 17), Phuket officials recognised seven people injured in seven accidents on the island during the 24 hours of yesterday.
For the whole Seven Days, from Apr 11-17, officials recognised 45 people injured in road accidents in Phuket, with no fatalities. The 45 injured comprised 27 in Mueang District, nine in Kathu District and nine in Thalang District.
Regardless, national road safety agency ThaiRSC reported 63 people injured in road accidents just yesterday.
ThaiRSC as of today (Apr 18) reports that 30 people have been killed and a further 9,597 people have been injured in road accidents in Phuket so far this year.
Focusing on the positive, Governor Sophon at a meeting of officials at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning said, “The absence of fatalities during this year’s Songkran Festival reflects the dedication and cooperation of all involved sectors.
“I thank all government offices, the private sector, and our citizens for their commitment to safety. Phuket will now assess lessons learned and continue developing more effective safety measures. This cooperation is key to making Phuket a safe and sustainable tourist destination,” he added.
At the meeting, Wichit Sutthaso, Chief of the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket), noted that of the 45 people injured in road accidents during this year’s campaign, 27 were men and 18 were women.
Of those injured, 31 were Thai nationals, while 14 were foreigners, including individuals from Myanmar, Tunisia, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, he added.
Speeding was cited as the primary cause of accidents, while the most common risky behavior was riding without a helmet. Most incidents involved motorcycles, Mr Wichit also noted.
POLICE ACTION
Police recorded a total of 5,060 arrests and issued 241 warnings for 10 key traffic violations over the past week, according to a recent report from the Phuket Provincial Police.
The strict enforcement campaign, conducted between Apr 11-17, targetted violations contributing to road accidents, particularly during the high-risk Songkran holidays.
The top offense was failure to wear a helmet, with 1,376 arrests and 111 warnings issued — totalling 1,487 cases, police reported.
However, their own report marked that 2,971 cases ‒ including 2,917 arrests and 54 warnings issued ‒ were for people operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license.
Other common violations included drunk driving (161) and failure to fasten a seatbelt (229). Motorbikes without safety modifications accounted for 143 cases, while speeding (16), ignoring traffic lights (132) and illegal overtaking (46) also featured prominently.
The 10 priority offenses and their totals, as presented in the police report, were:
- Not wearing a helmet – 1,376 arrests and 111 warnings issued - totalling 1,487 cases
- Unsafe motorbike modifications – 135 arrests and 8 warnings issued - totalling 143 cases
- Drunk driving – 161 arrests and no warnings issued - totalling 161 cases
- No seatbelt – 202 arrests and 27 warnings issued - totalling 229 cases
- No driver’s license – 2,917 arrests and 54 warnings issued - totalling 2,971 cases
- Speeding – 16 arrests and no warnings issued - totalling 16 cases
- ignoring traffic lights – 116 arrests and 16 warnings issued - totalling 132 cases
- Wrong-way driving – 54 arrests and 11 warnings issued - totalling 65 cases
- Overtaking in a tight spot – 37 arrests and 9 warnings issued - totalling 46 cases
- Using mobile phones while driving – 46 arrests and 5 warnings issued - totalling 51 cases
Following the briefing, the governor formally declared the closure of Phuket’s Operation Center for the Prevention and Reduction of Road and Marine Accidents for the Songkran Festival 2025.