The Thai Government says it will prosecute nearly 60,000 drink-drivers caught during the New Year period, which claimed 426 lives.

The number of deaths, injuries and accidents all increased from last year, as many Thais returned to their hometowns for the New Year holiday.

Over six days, police found 20,889 motorcyclists under the influence of alcohol and 38,168 drink-drivers, said deputy spokesman for the military government, Colonel Sirichan Ngathong.

In a separate press conference, police said they logged 669,037 traffic violations, mostly for people not wearing helmets or seatbelts, and for driving faulty vehicles.

Thailand has the second-worst road toll in the world, with confirmed deaths of 14,000 and a World Health Authority estimate of 24,000 killed annually.

Only Libya is a more dangerous place to drive.

In a single accident this season, a packed mini-van hit a ute converted to carry passengers and exploded, killing 25 people.

Police believe the van driver fell asleep at the wheel, after driving the 250-kilometre Chanthaburi-Bangkok route five times in the space of 31 hours.

"Unfortunately, the number of fatalities has increased despite a campaign from the Government and law enforcement to increase safety," Government spokesman Weerachon Sukondhapatipak told Reuters.

"Road safety is something we will have to continue working on continuously and not just during the New Year period."

Despite a military coup two years ago, Thailand remains a popular destination for Australian tourists, many of whom rent scooters while on holidays.

Road and boat accidents involving foreigners are common in Thailand.