Songkran's Toll

An editorial in yesterday's Bangkok Post estimates more than 400 deaths nationwide related to this year's Songkran celebrations. The Thai government has said the number, whatever the exact figure, was in line with official expectations and represents a slight decrease from last year.

Check out this photo for a sense of what the roadway merriment is like, and consider that during the Fourth of July weekend of 2003, the United States (with a population nearly five times that of Thailand) had 514 traffic fatalities, according to the (U.S.) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.