With Songkran coming up this weekend, along with the fun and celebrations that happen all across the island, there is also a dark side to the festivities.
Songkran, along with the Christmas and New Year period, are the most dangerous times on Phuket’s roads. People drink a lot, and many people are on holiday.
Last year, during the holidays in Phuket, there were 44 reported accidents, with three dead and 43 injured. There were probably many more that went unreported. Governor Maitree Intusut, chairing a meeting earlier this month, said this year’s aim should be zero road deaths.
Behind every crash is a story – of the huge impact it has on victims and the people closest to them.
Family loses its main provider
Father of three Meesak Seubsin, 46, used to be head of his household. He earned a living as the housekeeper of a hotel in Cherng Talay. He was the sole provider for his family, and he was proud.
That all changed in June, 2011.
Mr Meesak was driving his motorbike with wife Samai Suebsin, 41, on the back when their bike was hit outside Tesco Lotus in Cherng Talay.
The couple were driving along the road when a car clipped them as it tried to turn into Tesco. The driver was a German tourist, who was arrested and paid B500,000 in compensation to Mr Meesak.
Mrs Samai suffered a broken leg in the crash, but Mr Meesak appeared okay, at least initially. He had been wearing a helmet.
However he went to the doctor shortly after the crash, and fainted and fell unconscious. This prompted the doctor to carry out brain tests, where it was discovered he had a blood clot in his brain. He was operated on immediately, but spent one month in a coma before finally waking up.
From that day on he was completely paralysed – unable to eat, talk or move by himself ever again. He can only make small noises, and he cries often.
The crash has had a huge impact on the life of Mrs Samai and the couple’s twin daughters and son. Mrs Samai has to wake up every few hours during the night to move her husband’s body to avoid him getting pressure sores.
She also had to begin work selling items from a stall outside her house. But the money she makes to support her family is a far cry from what her husband was earning at the hotel.
As Mrs Samai told her story to The Phuket News, Mr Meesak was lying on the bed nearby, crying continuously.
“Whenever a stranger visits him, he cries,” Mrs Samai said, explaining that he can understand everything she says but can only respond in noises.
“My monthly income cannot cover all the family expenses.
“We get some compensation from the government and some help from the Cherngtalay OrBorTor. But I don’t think we deserve this,” she said.
Finding peace with injuries
This Songkran, the Phuket Drunk Driving Victims Club wants to warn all drivers to be more careful. Members hope that by sharing their experiences, it will make drivers more aware and to think before they drive.
Nalinee Boonthawadchai, 43, the founder of the club, has been the victim of two road accidents.
The first happened when she was 15 years old, when she was on a bus from Bangkok to Ratchaburi. The bus driver, who was possibly drunk or fell asleep, lost control on a curve and the bus flipped over.
“That was when I lost my left arm,” she said.
“I didn’t know what to do with my life. My dreams, my education, and my future seemed shattered after the accident.
“I tried to hide from society. I didn’t leave my house during the day, and when I had to go out into the community, I always tried to cover up my arm or use a prosthetic arm because I didn’t want people to see. I couldn’t accept my injury at all.”
Then, in her late teens, disaster struck again for Miss Nalinee.
She was on the back of a pick-up truck with friends, when the driver started a race with another pick-up. Then, a 10-wheel truck came from another lane, and the driver of the second pick-up tried to avoid it, instead hitting the pick-up that Miss Nalinee was travelling in.
Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash.
“They hit our truck hard and we smashed into a tree on the side of the road. The nerve that controls my legs was torn, and since then I have been unable to walk. I am paralysed from the waist down.
“This time it was worse than ever. Every day I was praying to die because I could not accept what had happened. It was the toughest moment in my life.”
“I used to love discovering new things, being independent, studying, dancing and meeting people. But all of this was stopped in an instant in the crash.”
But two decades on, Miss Nalinee has made peace with her injuries. She’s no longer bitter or angry, and instead has found a way she can help others – by forming the Phuket Drunk Driving Victims Club.
“It took more than 20 years for me to get used to my life like this.”
Drunk driver regrets actions
Phuket man Kanchit Suksom, 30, a former tour guide, knows exactly the impact of drunk driving.
He was left paralysed from the waist down after he was in a crash, but this time he was not the innocent victim. He was the drunk driver.
“It was five o’clock in the morning when I rode a motorbike through a crossroads in the middle of Phuket Town. I was drunk after I had left a party,” Mr Kanchit said.
“Then a woman rode on a motorbike through the red light just in front of me. I wasn’t able to stop in time because I was driving too fast, and I had to choose between hitting the woman, which might kill her, or crashing into the footpath.
“I crashed into a wall and that was my last memory. I was in a coma for three months and spent one year in hospital.”
He said that his life has completely changed. He had to quit his job, and had to dramatically change his way of life. To make his way to the toilet, he sits on a special tray with wheels, and uses his arms to push himself to the bathroom, where he is able to climb up on the toilet.
“I deserve it because I drank alcohol and drove. If I could go back in time I would not repeat it. But I cannot change anything, so I have to accept my condition.”
“I want to warn every driver to be careful. You can see what happened to me and I do not want you to end up the same,” he said.
A warning for Phuket’s drivers
Starting this weekend, the Phuket Drunk Driving Victims Club will begin their Songkran Festival campaign. They will accompany police at the checkpoints, and give out brochures to drunk drivers.
“The brochures explain what happened to us,” Miss Nalinee said.
“Using our bodies, we can really show the impact that the crashes have had on us. I will ask them if they want to end up like us or not. If they say no, then they should stop their car and get a family member or friend to pick them up.
“I want to warn all drivers. If you drink alcohol, please do not drive. The same applies if you feel sleepy or need to use your cellphone.
“Be careful and think about your life, as well as other people’s lives, and people who might have to care for you if you have a crash.”
For more information about the Phuket Drunk Driving Victims Club, contact Miss Nalinee on 089 474 6629, or email her at case_9@hotmail.com.