Drunk driving tops of probation cases during New Year Festival in Thailand

BANGKOK, January 8 (TNA) - There are over 6,600 cases that have entered an official probation process due to reckless New Year celebrations in Thailand recently, with drunk driving cases having been slated on top of the list. Prasarn Mahaleetrakul, Director-General of the Department of Probation, under the Thai Ministry of Justice, told journalists of the statistics on Monday, elaborating that there have been 6,677 cases entering his department's process caused by the reckless New Year celebrations recently nationwide, 6,030 cases or 90.31 per cent of which were caused by drunk driving. Prasarn noted that 99 out of the total probation cases, or about 1.5 per cent, were drunk driving and reckless driving conducted repeatedly by those who were under his department's probation process during 2015-2017. Prasarn said most of the cases were reported in Surin Province, Bangkok and Maha Sarakham Province, where there were recorded at 448, 354 and 269 cases respectively. According to the senior official, the probation cases during the recent New Year celebrations, slated during the seven days of most dangerous New Year revelling from December 28, 2017-January 2, 2018, were higher than the previous corresponding period due to the enforcement of laws more strictly by officers on duty. The senior official vowed, however, that his department will work together with other relevant parties to launch campaigns on creating public awareness on road safety and to continue enforcing the laws strictly with tougher legal action against violators. The senior official explained that those who have entered his department's probation process over the next 1-2 year, based on local courts' orders, are legally required to conduct good deeds through social services 12-72 hours, or 21 hours on average, and to report to his department four times totally. The senior official revealed that the social services for the recent New Year probation cases are emphasized on their taking care of patients with serious conditions who were victims of drunk driving in order to create their awareness against drunk driving, apart from assigning them to clean temples, schools, hospitals or government agencies, donate their blood and work at the mortuary of hospitals. (TNA)