Buddhists sprinkle water on Buddha statues from nine temples placed along Bangkok’s picturesque Utthayan Road as the Songkran celebrations begin yesterday.

Anucha Mokhawes, chief of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department and secretary of the National Road Safety Centre, said from April 7 to 12 there had been 2,722 accidents, down 20 per cent on last year's 3,406. The toll of 254 dead was 69 less than the same period last year, the 3,038 injuries down 771.

Nakhon Ratchasima  topped the casualty list with 15 deaths, followed by Lop Buri and Songkhla, each with 10, and Chiang Mai and Rayong, each with nine, Anucha said.

Chiang Rai has seen the most accidents and the highest number of injuries.

In Lop Buri, Rayong and Uttaradit, the number of road deaths has already exceeded the hoped-for maximums set before the holidays began. They had aimed to keep their road tolls below eight, eight and five respectively, Anucha said.

Only eight provinces have reported no deaths: Trat, Nakhon Nayok, Mukdahan, Pattani, Phrae, Ranong, Samut Songkhram and Amnat Charoen.

On Wednesday alone, there were 694 accidents killing 60 people and injuring 764, he said. Most accidents resulted from drunk driving and speeding, with the vast majority involving motorcycles. Most occurred on secondary roads, not highways, between 4pm and 8pm.

The nationwide police checkpoints had stopped 909,248 vehicles and charged 37,250 people, mostly for riding a motorbike without a helmet, reckless driving and failure to present a driver's licence.

Meanwhile, for many, the long journey home continues.

 Thousands of people were shuffling through Mor Chit 2 bus terminal to buy bus tickets yesterday, said a source at Transport Co Ltd, and as many as 150,000 travellers were expected to pass through the terminal before the final bus departed last night. At Ekamai bus station and the new Southern Route bus terminal another 230,000 passengers were expected to have left the capital by midnight.

The company has 1,600 return trips planned over the next few days, on the assumption people will gradually filter back to the capital.

Businesses are reportedly enjoying the festivities, celebrating their own boost in fortunes.

Bangkok's Khao San Road, for one, heaved with foreign tourists and the 3,000 to 4,000 rooms in the area were all booked.

Business operators estimated about Bt1 billion would change hands in the next few days.

At Songkran celebrations in nearby Sanam Luang, thousands made merit with 224 Buddhist monks in the morning and throughout the day flocked to worship the highly venerated Phra Buddha Sihing statue, put in place until tomorrow.

The southern province of Songkhla's "Hat Yai Midnight Songkran and World Music Festival" had already generated Bt500 million for local business, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand's southern office director Suthep Keasang. He said the event would continue until Saturday night and by then would have attracted almost 70,000 tourists, mostly Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Suthep said the festive atmosphere should continue until the end of the month, when Malaysians celebrate labour day.

Hotel operators in the region reported 100-per-cent occupancy, with 12,000 rooms booked.

It was a relief after the past two years, which have been quiet because of the armed conflict gripping the region, said Hat Yai-Songkhla Hotel Association president Somchat Phomthanaphoonporn.

In related news, Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda yesterday morning opened his home in Songkhla's Singha Nakhon district to civil servants, Army officers and the public to offer him blessings for Songkran.

He urged all Thais to unite for the greater good of the motherland.