Mitraphap Highway traffic at a crawl - Thailand

[Muthukali]

The Mitraphap Highway from Bangkok heading to Nakhon Ratchasima was jam-packed with traffic on Thursday afternoon as people fled the capital to spend the Songkran festival with their families in their home provinces.

Nakhon Ratchasima, commonly known as Korat, is a main gateway to provinces in the northeastern region.

Motorists using the highway faced heavy traffic congestion from Muak Lek district of Saraburi, where vehicles were edging up the hill road, and in tambon Khlang Dong of Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.

The traffic was nearly paralysed at the Pak Thong Chai bypass road, about five kilometres before reaching Nakhon Ratchasima. Police opened two special lanes, taking over inbound lanes from Korat to Bangkok, to help improve the traffic flow.

Police expected the traffic congestion would continue into Thursday night

 

[Muthukali]

Songkran road toll rises to 88

A total of 58 people were killed in road accidents yesterday, the second of the "seven dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Friday.

The total holiday road toll rose to 88, from 30 reported on Thursday.

Phichit and Chumphon had the highest number of road fatalities, with five deaths each, followed by Chiang Rai, Suphanburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom and Kalasin (three each), the department said.