Public Holidays

[kmart]

Another Public Holiday yesterday, and then another one on Thursday. Its difficult to build up momentum at work due to all these unnecessary holidays. Bearing in mind that most of our customers are 24hr petrochemical process plants and downstream, but their staff take the days off just like banks, etc!

Just wondering when all these holidays were introduced and why?

Frustrating to say the least, has no-one ever (tried to) introduced a system of flexible time, lieu days, accrued holidays, whatever here? Crazy.

[chanchao]

Don't forget it's the hot season/pre reainy season when traditionally not a whole lot of work gets done. Most holidays are in this period.

[Austhaied]

Ergophobia..

[sriracha john]

due to all these unnecessary holidays

Unnecessary?

Coronation Day is in honor of His Majesty The King's coronation in 1950 and has been observed ever since.

Visakha Bucha Day is the holiest time in the Buddhist calendar to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha and dates back centuries.

I guess in a Buddhist country with a Royal Monarch, they are not "unnecessary."

Edited May 8, 2007 by sriracha john

[ajarnmark]

Another Public Holiday yesterday, and then another one on Thursday. Its difficult to build up momentum at work due to all these unnecessary holidays. Bearing in mind that most of our customers are 24hr petrochemical process plants and downstream, but their staff take the days off just like banks, etc!

Just wondering when all these holidays were introduced and why?

Frustrating to say the least, has no-one ever (tried to) introduced a system of flexible time, lieu days, accrued holidays, whatever here? Crazy.

Take a look at this one and then see if there are too many holidays here in Thailand or in any other country?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_holidays_by_country

Edited May 8, 2007 by ajarnmark

[mosquitoman]

Another Public Holiday yesterday, and then another one on Thursday. Its difficult to build up momentum at work due to all these unnecessary holidays. Bearing in mind that most of our customers are 24hr petrochemical process plants and downstream, but their staff take the days off just like banks, etc!

Just wondering when all these holidays were introduced and why?

Frustrating to say the least, has no-one ever (tried to) introduced a system of flexible time, lieu days, accrued holidays, whatever here? Crazy.

Take a look at this one and then see if there are too many holidays here in Thailand or in any other country?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_holidays_by_country

Great list, but no mention of Thailand, it goes Tanzania to Tibet.

Sri Lanka does rather well with 28 days

MM

Edited May 8, 2007 by mosquitoman

[samtam]

My understanding is that Saturday 5th was Coronation Day. Yesterday was a day off in lieu. Thursday is only a holiday for government offices....Royal Plouging Day I think. The problem arises where people take holidays when there isn't officially one, (yesterday) and don't when there is, (Thursday). So maybe you've got your flexi-time already.

[KireB]

Well, it's all relative, isn't it? In Germany, Holland, Sweden, Belgium people have 30/35 days (for real!) a year holiday whereas Thais have about 7 days. So maybe the Thais have more public holidays but overall much less than us lazy buggers in the West!

I have to admit that Europeans are problaby thrice as productive as Thais so it's all squared!

[PhilHarries]

From my experience working in a large office with predominantly Thai staff the concept of flexi-time, lieu days or accrued holiday would be a nightmare to administer. It was hard enough to keep them in work for a fixed working week so you'd never know where the little bu66ers were with flexi ot whatever. Even if you had a swipe card system they'd be swiping their mates in and out on a regular basis. This is not to say that westerners working in Thailand, or their home country for that matter, wouldn't get up to the same tricks but in Thailand would make matters worse "farang do, Thai do".

It used to be amazing how many of them would be sick on a Monday or Friday when the Tuesday or Thursday was a public holiday. Doctors notes could be produced no problem, we had one present a note that translated as saying "This man is tired and needs time off work".

I've said it before, the best system is contract hire on an hourly rate. No paid holidays or sick leave, work get paid, no work no pay. If someone has a medical or personal issue that requires time off on a regular basis then it is up to them to negotiate a deal.

[soundman]

It used to be amazing how many of them would be sick on a Monday or Friday when the Tuesday or Thursday was a public holiday. Doctors notes could be produced no problem, we had one present a note that translated as saying "This man is tired and needs time off work".

I've said it before, the best system is contract hire on an hourly rate. No paid holidays or sick leave, work get paid, no work no pay. If someone has a medical or personal issue that requires time off on a regular basis then it is up to them to negotiate a deal.

The man was probably not too tired to go out and get on the piss with his mates.

Totally agree with the hourly rate thing, however, once you have been in business for a few years, its a bit hard getting away with not paying sick pay.

One solution we have come up with to sick pay is this: Most staff are on daily wages that are higher than the minimum wage. If they take a day off sick they only get the minimum wage of 155B for the day instead of the 250 - 300B for a normal days work. This is 100% legal & helps to discourage the staff taking too many sick days.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[kmart]

due to all these unnecessary holidays

Unnecessary?

Coronation Day is in honor of His Majesty The King's coronation in 1950 and has been observed ever since.

Visakha Bucha Day is the holiest time in the Buddhist calendar to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha and dates back centuries.

I guess in a Buddhist country with a Royal Monarch, they are not "unnecessary."

I didn't intend to demean the importance of these auspicious dates to Thais, but why does virtually everything have to stop on these days? Banks, factories, all government offices; etc. The loss in financial / productivity terms must be pretty vast...?

[Mid]

welcome to Asia ,

please check your western ethics at the door ................................................................

[kmart]

welcome to Asia ,

please check your western ethics at the door ................................................................

I've been here quite a while, but my ethics snuck in with me. Logic has always been a good friend and hopefully will continue to be.

And thats why I find the idea of so many compulsory holidays to be rather annoying. Just a personal vex.

[PhilHarries]

One solution we have come up with to sick pay is this: Most staff are on daily wages that are higher than the minimum wage. If they take a day off sick they only get the minimum wage of 155B for the day instead of the 250 - 300B for a normal days work. This is 100% legal & helps to discourage the staff taking too many sick days.

Cheers,

Soundman.

I like that idea, very Thai oriented. Legal but sends a clear message that throwing sickies is not in everbody's interest.

On the subject of statutory holidays I think only the King's birthday and Labour day are mandatory so why not just add the remaining public holidays to the workforce's annual allowance and allow them the choice. As I said above you'd have to be a bit sharp on the admin but it would only be like recording annual vacation. It would also depend on whether you pay premium rate for overtime. Oh the fond memories of double time plus a day in leiu for Xmas and Good Friday, time and a third for weekday, time and a half for Saturday and double bubble for Sunday overtime.

[chanchao]

> I've been here quite a while, but my ethics snuck in with me.

Soak them in Chang or sang-som nightly and soon they won't give you any trouble no more.

[scousemouse]

Another Public Holiday yesterday, and then another one on Thursday. Its difficult to build up momentum at work due to all these unnecessary holidays. Bearing in mind that most of our customers are 24hr petrochemical process plants and downstream, but their staff take the days off just like banks, etc!

Just wondering when all these holidays were introduced and why?

Frustrating to say the least, has no-one ever (tried to) introduced a system of flexible time, lieu days, accrued holidays, whatever here? Crazy.

Dont ask why , just enjoy .