Music fans inundate city during Pattaya Music Festival 2004

Pattaya was absolutely inundated with music fans last weekend when this year’s version of the Pattaya Music Festival showcased international stars and Thailand’s hottest bands. Literally tens of thousands packed the beachside resort for the three-day festival, causing major traffic jams, but also turning Pattaya into one big party. Shown here, Sontaya Khunpluem, tourism and sports minister, beat the victory drum to set the party in motion. (Full story and more photos on center pages this week)

On average, at least 36 people die on Thailand’s roads every 24 hours. This equates to 1.5 deaths per hour, totaling a staggering 13,000 fatalities per year. Over 70 percent of the deaths are alcohol and speed related, especially during festivals such as Songkran.

Deputy Prime Minister Jaturon Chaisaeng released these frightening statistics at a recent eastern region policy meeting held at Pattaya’s Adriatic Hotel.