Posted on 04/16/2026 5:17:42 AM PDT by Libloather
The annual festival of Songkran usually signifies a dazzling week-long celebration — but this year’s death toll paints a picture that’s anything but.
While the Thai holiday is globally famous for being the “world’s largest water fight,” the reality on the ground is a horrific cycle of road accidents, drunk driving and reckless behavior.
In the first three days of Songkran this year, more than 191 deaths have been recorded with 951 accidents and 911 injuries.
Despite the government’s road safety campaign, enforcement of stricter drunk driving laws and increased police checkpoints, the carnage continues.
Marking the Thai New Year, the holiday triggers a mass exodus from major cities like Bangkok as millions travel to their home province to celebrate with family.
Fifty-one people died in road incidents on the first day of celebrations alone. Speeding was the leading cause of fatalities (just under 42 per cent), followed by drunk driving (27.4 per cent).
According to the Road Accident Victims Protection Company, an average of 38 road deaths per day occur throughout the calendar year, indicating a large increase over the Songkran festival.
Nicknamed the “seven dangerous days,” the death toll is also driven by “speeding and risky behaviors such as not wearing helmets.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I subbed a Japanese TV show about this and one funny thing about the festival is if you get splashed, you can’t get angry at the person that got you wet.
Seems like that rule has ended.
It would be interesting to see an analysis of accidents/deaths/injuries correlated with miles driven. (Not that I think Thailand could produce this analysis.) I would not be surprised to see that the carnage is simply proportional, with “more driving” equaling “more wrecks” independently of water fighting.
I’ve been there for Songkran. It truly is just fun and games. Most are very polite and don’t hose down an obvious tourist who has no water weapon. It’s a lot of smiles and frolicking.
The deaths are almost entirely from car accidents.
EC
Talk about hard water
Don’t drink and douse.
Thailand?
Drunk driving, speeding, wet t-shirts -- sounds like a great market for all the wine surplus on Earth.
Totally bogus headline. There were no deaths attibuted to water fights. I have seen several article about the traffic carniage happening during the last week, none of which campare and contrast with a non holiday week.
There was a stabbing incident linked to a Songkram celebration, but its orgin was the typical boy talked to the wrong guys girlfriend.
One tragic accident occured with four teenage boys on a motorcycle crashing killing all four. That can not be attibuted to Songkram, but stupidity on behalf of the boys.
It is a bit of unusal custom of have water gun battles to celebrate Songkram, but there is a lot more to the holiday than the public displays.
Thailand?
Sounds like Dyngus Day in Poland.
The excerpt is all about reckless driving.
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