Over 400 arrested for drink-driving in Kalasin province during holiday campaign
PHOTO: 200 drink-drivers ended up in court after being arrested on NY Eve – INN News
More than 400 people have been arrested for drink-driving in the northeastern province of Kalasin alone over the holiday period. This, an appalling result during the first four of Thailand’s “7 Dangerous Days” safety campaign over the Christmas/New Year holidays.
The drivers were caught at traffic checkpoints across the province, mainly at night. A judge for the Kalasin Court said that between December 27 and 30, at least 100 drivers have been sent to the court each day, but on the morning of New Year’s Eve, the record was broken when over 200 were sent to the Court for prosecution. Many wait in jail for relatives to come to pay their fines before they can be released (follow-up story “Overcroding in Kalasin prisons”).
Across the nation, police have checked 169,772 vehicles, of which 17,523 drivers have been prosecuted. Some 315 motorbikes and 58 cars have been seized. Drivers are fined according to their blood alcohol level and the type of vehicle they were driving. Most receive a fine of between 2500 – 5000 baht. Those with no relatives or resources to pay their fine are automatically sent to prison.
Most drink drivers admit to their crimes, according to the Kalasin judge, who revealed that most have never been arrested before.
“Drinkers who have been arrested learn their lesson after being fined or imprisoned. Drink-driving can attract a fine of 10,000 – 20,000 baht, and imprisonment up to a year, or both.
SOURCE: Thai Residents
