Thai police warns against alcohol sale to underage in new year

The Thai police on Monday warned all liquor stores against selling alcoholic beverages to the underage on the New Year eve.

The police are on a watch on retail stores that sell alcohol to those under the age of 20, especially during the New Year holiday as drink and drive for the first three days of the holiday season have already climbed to 159, Xinhua news agency reported after quoting Lt-Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat, assistant national police chief and spokesman of the Center to Prevent and Reduce Road Accidents.

"From our record, many of the drunk drivers involved in accidents were under 20, prompting the centre to order officials to tighten up on the sale of alcohol to youths and take legal action against violators," Damrongsak was quoted as saying.

The Center to Prevent and Reduce Road Accidents, earlier today, said that 47 people were killed and 560 others injured in 531 road accidents, according to records till December 29.

A total of 31.83 per cent of the roads accidents were blamed on drunk driving and 30.89 per cent on over speeding.

Motorcycles were involved in 80.55 per cent of the accidents cases, the record said.

Damrongsak added that over the past three days, a total of 216,804 traffic violators have also been charged, including 58,550 cases of failing to wear crash helmets and 52,434 cases of driving without a license.