Heavy fines, vehicle seizures await holiday drunk drivers

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Chonburi officials are promising fines of up to 20,000 baht and impounding of vehicles if motorists are caught drunk driving this holiday season.

Deputy Gov. Chawalit Saeng-Uthai outlined steps the province is taking to prevent road accidents during the “seven dangerous days” Dec. 29-Jan. 4.

Drivers violating traffic laws during the period face fines of 5,000-20,000 baht, with the heaviest penalties reserved for drunk drivers. In such cases, a vehicle will be impounded until after the holiday period and the driver’s license will be suspended six months or revoked entirely, he said.

Highway Police set up a checkpoint around Sukhumvit in front of Pattaya Highways Department.

Chonburi’s campaign also focuses on raising awareness of the social and economic impact of road accidents, particularly among youths. The deputy governor said the economic impact of road fatalities and injuries totals in the millions of baht.

The provincial government has coordinated with police, local governments and civil-defense volunteers to monitor high-risk areas and intersections.