Transport Ministry reports 31% drop in New Year road deaths, says public transport coped with no stranded passengers
Thailand’s Transport Ministry says New Year “seven dangerous days” saw crashes fall 14% and deaths 31%, while public transport handled demand smoothly with no stranded passengers.
The Transport Ministry has reported that travel over the New Year 2026 holiday period was smooth overall, with road accidents and fatalities falling sharply and public transport able to handle passenger demand without leaving travellers stranded.
The ministry’s Transport Safety Operations Centre summarised operations during the “seven dangerous days” from December 30, 2025 to January 5, 2026, saying stricter enforcement helped cut road crashes even as vehicle movements in and out of Bangkok increased.
1) Road accident statistics: deaths down 31%
Across the ministry’s transport network from December 30, 2025 to January 5, 2026, there were:
- 1,441 accidents
- 166 deaths
- 1,611 injuries
The leading cause was speeding, recorded in 900 cases (62%). The vehicle type most involved was motorcycles, with 859 motorcycles (35%).
The most common crash location was straight road sections with no gradient.
The provinces with the highest number of deaths were Bangkok, Roi Et and Nakhon Ratchasima (7 each). The province with the highest number of accidents was Bangkok (72).
Compared with the previous year, the ministry said:
- accidents fell 14%
- deaths fell 31%
- injuries fell 13%
2) Public transport usage
The ministry said domestic and international public transport systems were sufficient to accommodate travel demand.
Total public transport trips during the period came to 18,324,366, down 6.46% compared with December 27, 2024 to January 2, 2025.
The domestic mode with the highest share of usage was rail, accounting for 43.53%.
By region, the main modes and volumes were reported as:
- Central region: air (arrivals) 388,638
- South: rail 231,562
- Northeast: road 195,997
- North: rail 128,372
- East: road 128,421
International public transport travel (road, rail, water and air) totalled 1,970,497, down 9.57%.
3) Bangkok traffic and safety enforcement
Vehicle movements in and out of Bangkok on 12 main highways totalled 7,414,241 vehicles, up 5.04% compared with December 27, 2024 to January 2, 2025.
Traffic on Bangkok expressways operated by the Expressway Authority of Thailand totalled 8,525,176 vehicles, down 18.39%.
The ministry said it conducted safety inspections as follows:
- 222 inspection, rest and parking points: 99,030 buses checked. Defects found in 65 vehicles — 64 ordered repaired and 1 ordered replaced.
- 99,030 staff checked at these points: no alcohol or drug use detected.
- Rail: 905 staff checked — 1 found with alcohol, none with drugs, and 1 ordered replaced.
- Ports/ferries: 152 sites. 5,716 boats inspected — 12 found with defects and ordered repaired. 8,193 staff checked — no alcohol or drug use detected.
The ministry said it implemented its travel facilitation and safety plan and ensured enough buses, trains, boats and aircraft to meet demand. It said the system was managed effectively and remained accessible, convenient, fast and safe, with no delays, no passengers left stranded, no overcharging and no passenger abandonment.
The Transport Ministry said it will continue upgrading service quality across all travel networks to strengthen public confidence during holiday periods.
The public can contact the Transport Safety Centre for travel information or complaints on 1356.
