There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.

Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.

Permanent secretary for Interior Pongpayom Vasaputi said that on Tuesday alone 43 people were killed and 512 wounded in 451 accidents, mostly the result of drunk driving. Most accidents (90 per cent) involved motorcycles and occurred on secondary roads between 4pm and 8pm. Samut Prakan had the most deaths with five, while Nakhon Si Thammarat had the most injuries with 72, and Roi Et the most accidents with 40.

Khon Kaen had the highest total deaths with 16, followed by Nakhon Phanom with 15 and Chiang Mai with 13. Chiang Rai experienced the most number of accidents with 160 followed by Udon Thani, 135, and Chiang Mai, 130.

Chiang Rai also had the most number of injuries with 167, followed by Nakhon Si Thammarat, 157, and Udon Thani, 145.

Pongpayom said that 13.53 million vehicles - nearly 600,000 vehicles more than the same period last year - were stopped at checkpoints nationwide and 282,525 law breakers faced legal punishment.

A tragic accident to end the Songkran holiday occurred yesterday at 5am in Phuket's Muang district, when a Krabi motorist crashed his vehicle into an electricity pole, resulting in five deaths and one injury.

Following a road accident report on the Thepkrasat Road's outbound segment, police rushed to find the wreckage of a Toyota pickup truck, Muang Phuket police inspector Lt-Colonel Rada Kruengwong said.

Five male natives from Krabi in the truck - Chumpol Hempitak, Theerapat Thepbuth, Thawan Thepbuth, Pasakorn Pechawuth, and Narin Kuldee - were killed. Police believe the accident occurred due to reckless driving and the driver's unfamiliarity with local roads.

Another major accident occurred in Saraburi's Kaeng Khoi district, when a van carrying a dance troupe to perform at a Lop Buri function, crashed head-on with a truck, killing the van driver Chatchai Kaewsarathi, 47, dance troupe leader Chaliew Krajangphan, 58, and a teenage dancer identified as Ann.

The accident occurred at around 5am on the Kaeng Khoi-Banna Road. Eight other dancers were severely injured. Police said the van lost control and crossed into the opposite lane and smashed head-on into an 18-wheeler truck.

It was suspected the driver might have dozed off behind the wheel.