Songkran Is Not a Festival… It’s an Extortion Racket

Sources

  1. 95 dead in 3 days, Songkran 2026
    https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3236273/
  2. 2025 full week: 253 deaths, 1,538 crashes
    https://english.news.cn/asiapacific/20250418/31322d76add745b4ac0cf675a0f35801/c.html
  3. 2024 Songkran: 480 deaths, 69/day vs normal 38/day
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11652744/
  4. Speeding 46%, drunk driving 24.5%, motorcycles 77%
    https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40065003
  5. Beer market: Boon Rawd 60%, ThaiBev 32%, combined 95.7%
    https://www.krungsri.com/en/research/industry/industry-outlook/food-beverage/beverage/io/io-beverage-2024-2026
  6. Songkran boosted alcohol sales 6.5–7.5%
    https://www.krungsri.com/en/research/industry/industry-outlook/food-beverage/beverage/io/beverage-2025-2027
  7. COVID cancellation: beer −8.8%, spirits −8.5%
    https://www.krungsri.com/en/research/industry/industry-outlook/food-beverage/beverage/io/io-beverage-2022
  8. Tax on bars/pubs cut from 10% to 5%
    https://www.euromonitor.com/alcoholic-drinks-in-thailand/report
  9. ThaiBev — Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, $10.5B
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThaiBev
  10. Vorayuth Yoovidhya — Red Bull hit and run, charges dropped
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorayuth_Yoovidhya
  11. Anutin assets 3.9B baht, 3 jets, 22 watches, Rolls-Royce
    https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/3101564/
  12. Anutin “dirty farang” remarks
    https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2020/03/13/health-minister-dirty-europeans-pose-virus-risks-to-thailand/
  13. Premchai — panther, UNESCO sanctuary, served <2 years
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premchai_Karnasuta
  14. Poorest workers real income fell 18.5%
    https://www.krungsri.com/en/research/research-intelligence/household-wealth-2025
  15. Motorcycles 82% of deaths, inequality link — academic research
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11652744/
  16. 43% accidents from faulty vehicle parts
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11652744/
  17. No high-speed rail, trains 8–12x slower
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11652744/
  18. Police salary ~6,000 baht, buy own equipment
    https://library.siam-legal.com/bribery-in-thailand/
  19. Two quotas: fines and bribes, cut around department
    https://thethaiger.com/thai-life/how-to-deal-with-traffic-stops-and-thai-cops
  20. 35,000+ stops first day 2026
    https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2026/04/12/thailand-in-songkran-party-mode/
  21. Fines quadrupled April 1, 2026
    https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40064520
  22. Fine menu: splashing 60,000, dress 5,000
    https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40064997
  23. Supreme Court: fines since July 2020 unlawful
    https://thethaiger.com/news/opinion/how-thailand-s-new-traffic-fines-are-playing-out
  24. 18 Udon Thani officers suspended
    https://www.thailandblog.nl/en/achtergrond/achtergrond-politie-in-thailand-tussen-macht-geld-en-wantrouwen/
  25. 22.27 billion baht, 678M tax, 5.27M travellers
    https://thai.news/news/thailand/thailands-maha-songkran-festival-boosts-tourism-revenue-to-1-58-billion-baht-in-2025
  26. “Thailand Pins Everything on Songkran”
    https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/thailand-pins-everything-on-songkran-to-revitalize-tourism-and-overcome-the-looming-economic-crisis/
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