Over 2,000 casualties occurred over five days from the 11th to the 15th.
Traffic accidents caused by drinking and speeding, fights, and sexual offenses are rife.
Tourists enjoy the festival by spraying water in Bangkok on the 13th during Songkran, Thailand. Bangkok = AP Yonhap News
More than 200 people lost their lives in accidents during Songkran, Thailand’s biggest holiday and known as ‘the world’s biggest water festival.’ Although the local government focused on security by deploying hundreds of security officers and encouraging participation in alcohol-free events, it could not prevent casualties.
According to Bangkok Post Thailand on the 16th, Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Chon Nan Sri Kaew visited Jinan during the Songkran festival. In five days from the 11th to the 15th, 206 people died and 1,593 were injured.He said he did.
Songkran is the Thai New Year holiday. Thai people, who consider the start of the new year to be the time when the sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, sprinkle purified water on Buddha statues or hands to wash away good luck during this period and make a wish.
As part of this custom During the Songkran holidays, water festivals are held in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, where people spray water or shoot water guns at each other. Even large water spraying trucks and elephants were mobilized.do. At this time, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand reaches 500,000 every year. UNESCO also registered Songkran as an intangible cultural heritage in December last year.
An elephant sprays water on citizens in Ayutthaya on the 9th, ahead of Songkran, Thailand. Ayutthaya = Yonhap EPA News
However, during this time, many people flocked to big cities. As the festival fever heats up, various incidents and accidents happen one after the other.. A representative example is a traffic accident. It is common for people to get hurt when driving at high speed or when drinking alcohol.
Some extreme participants spray water on moving cars and motorbikes, causing disasters when drivers lose control of the wheel. Bangkok Post “Motorcycle accidents accounted for 83.8% of all fatal accidents during Songkran this year,” he said “Speeding (43.2%) and drunk driving (23.9%) were the main causes.”explained. Last year, 252 people died due to drink and speeding.
On the 13th, during Songkran, Thailand, citizens spray water on riding motorcycles in the southern city of Narathiwat. Narathiwat = AP Yonhap News
Fighting and sexual crimes also occur frequently. In a survey conducted by a civil society organization in Thailand last year, six out of 10 male and female respondents said they had experienced sexual harassment during Songkran. On the 14th, when the festival was in full swing, A foreign tourist drowned after jumping into the river to retrieve a water gun that had fallen into a canal running through downtown Bangkok.An unfortunate incident also occurred.
Ahead of this year’s Songkran, the Thai government previously encouraged people to enjoy the festival without alcohol, saying, “Festival areas where alcohol is prohibited have been proven to be safer for participants.” 1,600 civil servants and volunteers, including firefighters and nurses, were sent to Bangkok, the capital, and 600 police officers were sent to Pattaya, a major resort. However, despite the strict measures, this year, the stigma of being a ‘dangerous festival’ was not removed.
Hanoi= Heo Gyeong-ju Reporter fairyhkj@hankookilbo.com
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