Blood on the Highway: Thailand's Seven Deadly Days of Songkran (2.27)

On this episode of the Bangkok Podcast we talk about traffic
in Bangkok - specifically the "Seven Deadly Days" of Songkran - and
Thailand's awful road safety statistics. We also talk about what
men do when their wives are away... or won't go away. Don't
worry... it's not as bad as it sounds.

Songkran is upon us, a week-long celebration of Thailand's
new year. What will we be doing during Songkran? Staying off the
roads, because it's also known as the Seven Deadly Days, when
road traffic shoots up to three times the normal rate. Yes,
that's likely a contributing factor to Thailand's hold
on the #2 spot in global traffic fatalities per 100,000
people. In an effort to get those crazy numbers
under control, Thailand's military junta announced sweeping
changes to vehicle motor code. Effective immediately, police
would be issuing fines anyone in any vehicle not wearing a
seatbelt, and anyone riding in the back of a pickup truck.
And then the very next day -- not surprisingly -- they
softened their enforcement language. Perhaps the fact that many
taxies have removed seatbelts from the back seat. And a
substantial chunk of the population ride in the back of pickups
to get to work, into town, to the doctor… And in urban areas,
some governmental-sanctioned transportation methods are nothing
more than riding in the back of a modified pickup bed, none of
which have seatbelts. As it turns out, mandating behavior changes
for a country of 65 million people is… messy.
Neither of us are so arrogant as to say we have the
answers. But that didn't stop us from offering up some ideas. Got
a few yourself? Take a listen to the show (on iTunes, Android,
whatever) and tell us if you think our ideas would work or not.
And speaking of stupid ideas...
Love, Loathe, or Leave?

Thailand really, really wants to make us whiter. Something
neither of us need. Nor does anyone else, but such is life in
Thailand, where it's hard to buy personal hygiene products that
aren't loaded with whitening agents. And who are these people
with super dark armpits? When did that become a problem?
Want more?

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(Direct download .mp3)