Thailand sees 37 road deaths as New Year exodus begins

Most major highways in Thailand were choc-a-bloc on Friday (Dec 30) as holidaymakers headed out of Bangkok to welcome the New Year upcountry.

The Interior Ministry’s Road Safety Centre also reported that 37 people were killed in road accidents in the first of Thailand’s infamous “7 dangerous days”.

Meanwhile, early-bird motorists heading Northeast on the Friendship Highway hit congestion as early as Thursday night, as thousands of Bangkokians headed home to Isaan.

Bottlenecks were spotted on Phaholyothin and Asia highways in the early hours of Friday, the first day of the four-day weekend.

All lanes of Highway 9 were also packed as northbound motorists headed to Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in interchange to make their way to Saraburi province. Roads were also jammed as motorists waited to refuel or take a break.

Separately, as many as 349 road accidents were recorded on Friday, with 37 dead and 351 others injured. Most accidents took place in the northern province of Lamphun, while Prachuap Khiri Khan recorded three road deaths, the highest.

Agencies