Cops Cave To Public Pressure On People In The Back Of Pickups

Only in Thailand do you get headlines one day about impending road safety laws, one new, one 30 odd years old, that sends the interwebs wild only for the powers that be to make a u-turn and cave to the pressure the same day they were to come into force.
Today police were to begin enforcing a law passed back in 1979 that outlaws people traveling in the back of pickups. Until now it has been ignored with police themselves using pickup trucks to transport civilians to the cop shop.
There was also the confusing rules about people traveling in the cabs of pickups which I think stated older vehicles were exempt and the law affecting only newer models. The who could and couldn’t ride in the cabs of what pickups, old or new, two door or four, were as clear as mud.
But it was the rule stating nobody was to pile into the back of a pickup that sent the masses mad.
The people spoke – not giving a hoot about the hundreds of deaths that are about to happen over the New Year holiday.
Who cares about a few hundred dead bodies when people have to get home for Songkran… where they will pile into their pickups to go and blast each other with water.
In 2016 there were 442 deaths and 3,656 people injured during the “seven deadly days” of Songkran. The powers that be with the new seatbelt law and the attempt to ban pickups full of people has fallen on ignorant ears and they have caved.
So for now it’s all on hold, no fines, just warnings and more deadly accidents with bodies are splattered across the roads up and down the country day in, day out.
I wonder if any of those fined today will be heading back to their local cop shop and asking for a refund…