Songkran: No water fights from back of trucks

Water fights from the back of pickup trucks, a common sight during Songkran, are against the law starting this Songkran for road safety reasons.

Revellers will not enjoy water-splashing on pickup trucks as water is banned from vehicles during the Songkran holiday. (File photo by Somchai Poomlard).

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Road Safety

Truck water fights banned for Songkran

28 Mar 2013
Online Reporters

Drenching battles carried out by people on the back of trucks during the heady days of Songkran are now history as authorities have banned all vehicles from carrying water for the duration of the festival.

The order came during a meeting of the Road Safety Centre on Thursday to reduce fatalities during the forthcoming Thai New Year holiday.

Strictly targeted by the police over the long weekend will be water carried by vehicles, driving under the influence, speeding, overloaded vehicles and other violations, Deputy Interior Minister Chat Kuldilok said after the meeting.

The tightened regulations will be enforced from April 11-17 to curb the number of road injuries and fatalities during this year's festival, he added.

The official Songkran holiday will be from April 12-16.

The average number of accidents during the period over the past three years was 470, according to the Highway Police. There were 859 fatalities and 10,608 injuries caused by road accidents during Songkran from 2009-2011, according to the National Statistics Office.

The organisation revealed that the most common cause of accidents was alcoholic impairment.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Road Safety, Truck water fights banned for Songkran, 28 Mar 2013, Online Reporters, link) 


Road Safety Vocbulary

Songkran - traditional Thai New Year's celebrated as a holiday from 13 to 16 April: "It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia. The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed. If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off are taken on the weekdays immediately following. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season" สงกรานต์ (See Wikipedia)
Water Festival - Same as "Songkran"

festival - a big event with many people to celebrate something and have fun เทศกาล
the Songkran festival

water fight - a fun throwing of water at each other, sometimes using water guns or water balloons (See Wikipedia)
truck water fights
water fights from the back of trucks

water balloon - (See Wikipedia)
water gun - (See Wikipedia)

accidents - อุบัติเหตุ, เหตุที่เกิดขึ้นโดยไม่คาดคิด, ความบังเอิญเป็น
road accidents - accidents involving cars, trucks, buses, etc on the road or highway

injury - physical damage to a person's body การบาดเจ็บ
road injuries

revellers - people having a noisy party (and also having a lot of fun)

splash - when water or some liquid moves and hits something กระโดดน้ำ, โดดน้ำ, สาด, สาดน้ำ, ทำให้เปียก,ทำให้เปรอะเปื้อน, กระเด็นเปื้อน
splash water
water-splashing

banned - officially not allowed to do something ถูกห้าม ห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ ถูกตัดสิทธิ ห้าม ห้างอย่างเด็ดขาด
Truck water fights banned for Songkran

vehicles - machines with an engine used to carry people or goods from place to place ยานพาหนะ
water is banned from vehicles

Revellers will not enjoy water-splashing on pickup trucks as water is banned from vehicles during the Songkran holiday. (File photo by Somchai Poomlard).

drench - make completely wet with water, soak with water ทำให้เปียก, ทำให้เปียกโชก, ทำให้ชุ่ม, ทำให้เปื้อน
drench with water

battle - a fight between two sides opposing each other (against two armies in a war, for example) การสู้รบ
drenching battles

heady - very exciting; having a strong and pleasant effect on you
the heady days of Songkran

are now history - does not exist anymore, not done anymore, nonexistent ที่ไม่มีอยู่
water fights from the back of pickup trucks are now history

duration - for the length of time it exists ช่วงเวลา,ระยะเวลา
the duration of the festival
banned for the duration of the festival

authorities - government officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
authorities have banned all vehicles from carrying water for the duration of the festival

Drenching battles carried out by people on the back of trucks during the heady days of Songkran are now history as authorities have banned all vehicles from carrying water for the duration of the festival.

meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
a meeting of the Road Safety Centre

forthcoming - happening or coming soon ที่กำลังจะมาถึง
the forthcoming Thai New Year holiday

fatality - when someone dies (because of some accident or bad event)
fatalities - the number of people who died (during an event, battle or over a period of time)
an order was made to reduce fatalities  

The order came during a meeting of the Road Safety Centre on Thursday to reduce fatalities during the forthcoming Thai New Year holiday.

targeted - chosen for special treatment; aimed at someone or something ตกเป็นเป้า ตั้งเป้า เล็ง มุ่ง
targeted by the police

influence - the power to have an effect on people or things อิทธิพล
influence - to affect or change how someone or something develops, behaves or thinks มีอิทธิพลต่อ, ชักจูง อำนาจบังคับ

drunk - when a person cannot control their actions and behaviour after they have drank too much alcohol เมา
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) - the crime of driving while drunk 

overloaded - carrying or having too many things or weight in it บรรทุกน้ำหนักมากเกินไป, บรรทุกเกินพิกัด
overloaded vehicles

Strictly targeted by the police over the long weekend will be water carried by vehicles, driving under the influence, speeding, overloaded vehicles and other violations, Deputy Interior Minister Chat Kuldilok said after the meeting.

regulations - official rules that control the way that things are done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ  ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ กฎระเบียบ
tightened regulations

enforce - make people follow and obey the laws, rules and regulations and punish them if they do notบังคับให้ทำ, บังคับให้กระทำ, ช้กำลังบังคับ, ใช้กำลังบังคับ, ทำให้ปฎิบัติตาม,  ใช้กำลังบังคับให้ปฏิบัติตาม
enforce regulations

curb - stop or reduce ลดหรือยุติ to control or limit something that is harmful ระงับ, ควบคุม
to curb the number of road injuries and fatalities

The tightened regulations will be enforced from April 11-17 to curb the number of road injuries and fatalities during this year's festival, he added.

official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
official holiday
The official Songkran holiday will be from April 12-16.

The average number of accidents during the period over the past three years was 470, according to the Highway Police. There were 859 fatalities and 10,608 injuries caused by road accidents during Songkran from 2009-2011, according to the National Statistics Office.

common - happening often, seen or encountered often
a  common cause - often the reason for something happening

the most common - happening more than other things
the most common cause
the most common cause of accidents

impairment - when some part of your body is not able to function or work properly (and do what it needs to do)
alcoholic impairment - when a person drinks too much alcohol and cannot think properly

the most common cause of accidents was alcoholic impairment

revealed - made known or showed somthing that was surprising or that was previously secret เปิดเผย
The organisation revealed that the most common cause of accidents was alcoholic impairment.