The ridiculous amount of Public Holiday's in Thailand

[bob smith]

It seems more or less every week there is a holiday for Thais.

And every year the government of the day adds another.

Does anyone else feel this way?

 

Are they aware that there are only 365 days in a year?

Thailand must have more public holidays than any other nation on Earth.

 

Perhaps someone can either confirm or deny that.

 

Whilst I enjoy a good day off I personally think that too many holidays creates a lazy population.

If Thai's want to seriously compete on the international stage, they need to work their socks off for the chance.

Holidays don't put food on the table!

 

bob.

[Bert got kinky]

 

Thailand has 16 public holidays per year but as with many Asian countries most companies work a six day week.

 

[FritsSikkink]

4 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Thailand has 16 public holidays per year but as with many Asian countries most companies work a six day week.

 

Most companies also have very limited paid holidays.

[FritsSikkink]

19 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Holidays don't put food on the table!

 

bob.

They do let people post a lot though.

[digbeth]

13 is the legal minimum holidays , and many only pay just that, while this might seem a lot compared to say the UK with only 8 bank holidays, Thai workers get much less paid annual leave, usually 6-10 days depending on tenure compared to westerners that got almost a month annual leave

[bkk6060]

Sure seems like a lot more then 13 or 16. 

 

 

Holidays and Observances in Thailand in 2024

Date		Name	Type
				1 Jan	Monday	New Year's Day	National holiday
13 Jan	Saturday	National Children's Day	Observance
16 Jan	Tuesday	Teachers' Day	Observance
10 Feb	Saturday	Lunar New Year's Day	Observance
11 Feb	Sunday	Second Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
12 Feb	Monday	Third Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
14 Feb	Wednesday	Valentine's Day	Observance
24 Feb	Saturday	Makha Bucha	National holiday
26 Feb	Monday	Day off for Makha Bucha	National holiday
20 Mar	Wednesday	March Equinox	Season
6 Apr	Saturday	Chakri Day	National holiday
8 Apr	Monday	Day off for Chakri Day	National holiday
12 Apr	Friday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
13 Apr	Saturday	Songkran	National holiday
14 Apr	Sunday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
15 Apr	Monday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
16 Apr	Tuesday	Songkran Observed	National holiday
1 May	Wednesday	Labor Day	Bank holiday
4 May	Saturday	Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Day off for Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (Tentative Date)	Government Holiday
22 May	Wednesday	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
3 Jun	Monday	Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
21 Jun	Friday	June Solstice	Season
20 Jul	Saturday	Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
22 Jul	Monday	Day off for Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
28 Jul	Sunday	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
29 Jul	Monday	Day off for King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
12 Aug	Monday	The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
22 Sep	Sunday	September Equinox	Season
13 Oct	Sunday	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
14 Oct	Monday	Day off for Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
23 Oct	Wednesday	Chulalongkorn Day	National holiday
31 Oct	Thursday	Halloween	Observance
5 Dec	Thursday	King Bhumibol's Birthday/Father's Day	National holiday
10 Dec	Tuesday	Constitution Day	National holiday
21 Dec	Saturday	December Solstice	Season
24 Dec	Tuesday	Christmas Eve	Observance
25 Dec	Wednesday	Christmas Day	Observance
30 Dec	Monday	New Year Special Holiday	National holiday
31 Dec	Tuesday	New Year's Eve	National

Edited May 7 by bkk6060

[bkk6060]

26 in the above chart.

 

All these holidays just add to lack of productivity and debt.  

Edited May 7 by bkk6060

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Most Thais work 6 days a week - some 7 - and they attend/work long hours. Where in the west is a bank branch in a mall open to 7-8pm  etc etc. There are some days all Thai workers have off (Songkran etc.), but only the public servants take every public holiday off work.  What really annoys me is that the public servants who work at the Emabassies, take all the Thai days off, plus they take off the additional public holidays in the home country.    

[tomazbodner]

17 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

26 in the above chart.

 

All these holidays just add to lack of productivity and debt.  

There are a few mandatory ones in that list, but the rest are elective by the company. The companies usually provide 13 days of holidays (half of that list) usually focusing long holiday on their heritage - longer new year holidays for western companies, longer Chinese new year for Chinese and Songkran for Thai companies. Also some of those companies have company closure but force staff to take annual leave to cover that holiday. Usually 4-5 days. And with many companies only having 10-12 days of annual leave for employee, taking half of that off for mandatory holiday is quite cruel.

 

On the flip side to @bob smith - Europeans have 20-30 days of annual leave. Thais have nearly none. Should we protest that they give up their annual leave as well? So unproductive, lazy population!

Edited May 7 by tomazbodner

[bob smith]

7 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Most Thais work 6 days a week - some 7 -

do they?

 

apart from mrs. smith who works her socks off, I don't know any Thais that work 7 days a week.

 

bob.

[FritsSikkink]

22 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Sure seems like a lot more then 13 or 16. 

 

 

Holidays and Observances in Thailand in 2024

Date		Name	Type
				1 Jan	Monday	New Year's Day	National holiday
13 Jan	Saturday	National Children's Day	Observance
16 Jan	Tuesday	Teachers' Day	Observance
10 Feb	Saturday	Lunar New Year's Day	Observance
11 Feb	Sunday	Second Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
12 Feb	Monday	Third Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
14 Feb	Wednesday	Valentine's Day	Observance
24 Feb	Saturday	Makha Bucha	National holiday
26 Feb	Monday	Day off for Makha Bucha	National holiday
20 Mar	Wednesday	March Equinox	Season
6 Apr	Saturday	Chakri Day	National holiday
8 Apr	Monday	Day off for Chakri Day	National holiday
12 Apr	Friday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
13 Apr	Saturday	Songkran	National holiday
14 Apr	Sunday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
15 Apr	Monday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
16 Apr	Tuesday	Songkran Observed	National holiday
1 May	Wednesday	Labor Day	Bank holiday
4 May	Saturday	Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Day off for Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (Tentative Date)	Government Holiday
22 May	Wednesday	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
3 Jun	Monday	Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
21 Jun	Friday	June Solstice	Season
20 Jul	Saturday	Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
22 Jul	Monday	Day off for Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
28 Jul	Sunday	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
29 Jul	Monday	Day off for King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
12 Aug	Monday	The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
22 Sep	Sunday	September Equinox	Season
13 Oct	Sunday	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
14 Oct	Monday	Day off for Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
23 Oct	Wednesday	Chulalongkorn Day	National holiday
31 Oct	Thursday	Halloween	Observance
5 Dec	Thursday	King Bhumibol's Birthday/Father's Day	National holiday
10 Dec	Tuesday	Constitution Day	National holiday
21 Dec	Saturday	December Solstice	Season
24 Dec	Tuesday	Christmas Eve	Observance
25 Dec	Wednesday	Christmas Day	Observance
30 Dec	Monday	New Year Special Holiday	National holiday
31 Dec	Tuesday	New Year's Eve	National

Quite a few of these holidays are only for Government workers.. 

[bob smith]

24 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Sure seems like a lot more then 13 or 16. 

 

 

Holidays and Observances in Thailand in 2024

Date		Name	Type
				1 Jan	Monday	New Year's Day	National holiday
13 Jan	Saturday	National Children's Day	Observance
16 Jan	Tuesday	Teachers' Day	Observance
10 Feb	Saturday	Lunar New Year's Day	Observance
11 Feb	Sunday	Second Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
12 Feb	Monday	Third Day of Lunar New Year	Observance
14 Feb	Wednesday	Valentine's Day	Observance
24 Feb	Saturday	Makha Bucha	National holiday
26 Feb	Monday	Day off for Makha Bucha	National holiday
20 Mar	Wednesday	March Equinox	Season
6 Apr	Saturday	Chakri Day	National holiday
8 Apr	Monday	Day off for Chakri Day	National holiday
12 Apr	Friday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
13 Apr	Saturday	Songkran	National holiday
14 Apr	Sunday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
15 Apr	Monday	Songkran Holiday	National holiday
16 Apr	Tuesday	Songkran Observed	National holiday
1 May	Wednesday	Labor Day	Bank holiday
4 May	Saturday	Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Day off for Coronation Day	National holiday
6 May	Monday	Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (Tentative Date)	Government Holiday
22 May	Wednesday	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
3 Jun	Monday	Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
21 Jun	Friday	June Solstice	Season
20 Jul	Saturday	Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
22 Jul	Monday	Day off for Buddhist Lent Day	National holiday
28 Jul	Sunday	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
29 Jul	Monday	Day off for King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
12 Aug	Monday	The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
22 Sep	Sunday	September Equinox	Season
13 Oct	Sunday	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
14 Oct	Monday	Day off for Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
23 Oct	Wednesday	Chulalongkorn Day	National holiday
31 Oct	Thursday	Halloween	Observance
5 Dec	Thursday	King Bhumibol's Birthday/Father's Day	National holiday
10 Dec	Tuesday	Constitution Day	National holiday
21 Dec	Saturday	December Solstice	Season
24 Dec	Tuesday	Christmas Eve	Observance
25 Dec	Wednesday	Christmas Day	Observance
30 Dec	Monday	New Year Special Holiday	National holiday
31 Dec	Tuesday	New Year's Eve	National

way too many holidays.

 

and i'm sure they will add more soon.

 

thais love a day off.

 

bob.

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

do they?

 

apart from mrs. smith who works her socks off, I don't know any Thais that work 7 days a week.

 

bob.

That you don't know them, doesn't say much. 

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

That you don't know them, doesn't say much. 

I personally know about 50 Thai people.

First name terms, know where each other live etc.

 

None of them  work 7 days a week.

A few work 5 days a week,

some work part time,

most drink and play cards.

 

bob.

[tomazbodner]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

most drink and play cards.

Basically like you, then?

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Basically like you, then?

I am debt free with plenty money in the bank.

 

I can do as I please.

 

bob.

[Gweiloman]

I love public holidays, except for those that falls on a weekend. No off peak rates for those holidays.

[NanLaew]

43 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

26 in the above chart.

 

All these holidays just add to lack of productivity and debt.  

 

Yes! Isn't it great? It's the Thai way of making sure the knowitall farang squatters have something to gurn about.

[KhunLA]

46 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

26 in the above chart.

 

All these holidays just add to lack of productivity and debt.  

People don't get off work for them though.  Govt & bank holiday (national) are the only real holidays.   Rest fall in with 'world pizza day', and nobody cares.

 

ex: Equinox, Solstice ... joking right, most don't even know they exist, or their meaning.

 

To the title, only compared to Yanks in reality, as how many days off of work does the Eu give people.  Now there's a silly amount, compared to Yank's national holidays of 10 maybe, I think.  And that's if the employer even honors those 10, or gives them vacation time, maybe 1 or 2 weeks.

Edited May 7 by KhunLA

[NanLaew]

19 minutes ago, bob smith said:

I personally know about 50 Thai people.

First name terms, know where each other live etc.

 

None of them  work 7 days a week.

A few work 5 days a week,

some work part time,

most drink and play cards.

 

bob.

 

Another empirical Thai study brought to you by the letters b and s.

[bob smith]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Another empirical Thai study brought to you by the letters b and s.

it's my observation and it's as valid as anyone else's.

 

bob smith.

[worgeordie]

12 minutes ago, bob smith said:

I am debt free with plenty money in the bank.

 

I can do as I please.

 

bob.

Says you....I believe you about the same as the orange man , another post

bashing Thai's , do you realise how many hours a week the average Thai

works (not civil servants ) and the wages they pick up  

 

regards Worgeordie

 

[gomangosteen]

There are 13 days protected by law for all employees.

 

Government employees get minimum 19, plus recently these 'special holidays' that come out of a magician's hat 

 

Depends what country you are from in terms of comparison. 

 

New Zealand: 11 public holidays, work on one and you get overtime rates plus an additional day's annual leave. Minimum 20 days paid annual leave per year, most companies increase this to 25 after five or seven years service, or in the case of my last employer there, 25 is the starting allowance for new employees. 36 paid total, add on minimum 10 sick (many companies higher or unlimited) - think that's more than Thai employment contracts.

 

 

Edited May 7 by gomangosteen

[bkk6060]

Another thing is the law states they get 30 days of sick leave a year.  30 days paid!

So, take a holiday, call in sick a couple days a month, relax enjoy yourself.

 

Also, the law states workers cannot work more then 48 hours a week.

So, claims that they are forced to work many hours may be true.  But, you would think there would be a lot of social media posts how their rights are being abused which is not the case.

 

Edited May 7 by bkk6060

[IvorBiggun2]

For those with children. On top of public holidays there's the school/teachers holidays. Add those to the list and you'll more likely know that children spend more days out of school than in it.

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Another thing is the law states they get 30 days of sick leave a year.  30 days paid!

So, take a holiday, call in sick a couple days a month, relax enjoy yourself.

 

Also, the law states workers cannot work more then 48 hours a week.

So, claims that they are forced to work many hours may be true.  But, you would think there would be a lot of social media posts how their rights are being abused which is not the case.

 

well said mate.

 

bob.

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

For those with children. On top of public holidays there's the school/teachers holidays. Add those to the list and you'll more likely know that children spend more days out of school than in it.

kids never seem to be in school.

 

always on some holiday or other.

 

national pad thai day next.

 

bob.

[Bangkokhatter]

16 minutes ago, bob smith said:

it's my observation and it's as valid as anyone else's.

 

bob smith.

Problem is your observation is incorrect, as many others have pointed out to you there is a big difference in public and private holiday allowances with 13 being the legal requirement. Very few companies will give more than this.

If you add this to the legal requirement of 6 days personal leave then it's not much.

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, bob smith said:

do they?

 

apart from mrs. smith who works her socks off, I don't know any Thais that work 7 days a week.

 

bob.

She wears socks?

[Rampant Rabbit]

5 hours ago, bob smith said:

Whilst I enjoy a good day off I personally think that too many holidays creates a lazy population.

has created Id  say.