Drinking and Driving Don’t Mix in Koh Samui

Drinking and driving is not the smartest decision you can make in Thailand

When the Koh Samui weather conditions remain dry throughout the week, what’s the best thing to do in order to enjoy a lonely night? For many of this island’s visitors, that’d be heading down to a club and getting intoxicated with the local crowds.

As tempting as this may be for anyone belonging to the younger generation, sometimes its important to limit alcohol consumption, most especially when the party-goer chooses to drive himself home instead of hiring a taxi.

From the law’s point of view, the permissible limit of BAC levels for drivers is 0.5 grams. But for the bloke who had his driver’s license for less than five year, this limit drops down to 0.2 grams. The Thai government is doing everything that it can to reduce the number of drunk-driving incidents. Anyone that’s caught driving beyond the accepted BAC levels will either be heavily fined, or sentenced to jail – depending on how bad the accident is.

Thai police come equipped with breath test detectors for catching drunks. They also setup outposts throughout the entire country – Koh Samui included – and are given a greater level of freedom when it comes to dealing with woozy drivers.

It’s not surprising that the government is trying to clamp down on the issue, as studies show that there are roughly 25,000 deaths caused by intoxicated drivers every year. The frequency of such related accidents is even worse during festivals and special holidays, and reach as high as 800 deaths per day.

In the worst-case scenario, a vacationist could easily contribute to the statistic of dead motorists due to intoxication. He may even bump the annual figures even higher if he has passengers, or crashes into another vehicle or individual.

In other cases, the tourist may be lucky enough to walk away from the vehicular accident, with nobody – including himself – harmed. However, this leaves him in a world of trouble with the law. Again, he’ll most likely be made to be a hefty fine, or spend the night cramped in a jail cell with other sadistic inmates who’ve been waiting to get their hands on a foreigner!

When out partying, it’s always best to leave the car behind, and take a taxi home instead. Koh Samui government highlights the importance of setting limits for alcohol intake for the sake of personal safety, as well as the greater good of all.