No fear of infection as 9 million people in Thailand use public transport during long weekend

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Transport Ministry reported on Wednesday (July 8) that more than 9 million people had taken public transport during the July 4-7 long weekend.

The report said the number of people using public transport was 15.34 percent higher than the same period last year, with more than 1 million traveling to other provinces, 629,004 traveling within provinces and more than 7 million traveling to Bangkok.

Also, more than 11 million personal vehicles were driven out of the capital, with more than 5 million opting for highways and the remainder using tollways.

During the holiday period, 369 road accidents were recorded, with 56 killed and 369 people injured. Of the vehicles involved in the accidents, 35.55 percent were pick-up trucks, and most crashes, or 71.54 percent, were caused by speeding. The most accidents were in Chonburi at 34.