Songkran To Be Extended Until Friday April 17

[meelousee]

16 and 17 April is now confirmed as Public Holiday.

YEA Eeeeeehaww

That gives me 2 more days to form my new movement the "Red Flip Flops" I will wear them everywhere!

Wana join up just go buy some red flip flops and your in just like that our meetings will be on the train, sky train and the subway. You can tell who your friends are by the Red Flip Flops

[mackayae]

Songkran Day starring Bill Murray.

[colino]

Noooooooooooooo

Please please no more enough is enough

[imjustagirl]

Great - lets all celebrate the riots and chaos, Asearn summit collapse and shameful displays on worldwide television with two extra public holidays messing up import/export, banking, immigration etc..... i give up!

[h90]

16 and 17 April is now confirmed as Public Holiday.

YEA Eeeeeehaww

That gives me 2 more days to form my new movement the "Red Flip Flops" I will wear them everywhere!

Wana join up just go buy some red flip flops and your in just like that our meetings will be on the train, sky train and the subway. You can tell who your friends are by the Red Flip Flops

till you get fight by my group of zebra TShirts

[samgrowth]

16 and 17 April is now confirmed as Public Holiday.

Many Red miss 13 & 14. So government is offering 16 & 17 to make up.

Just like, if holiday fall on a Sunday, the following Monday is a holiday.

[keestha]

16 and 17 April is now confirmed as Public Holiday.

Does this apply for all of Thailand, or only for the Bangkok area?

[george]

16 and 17 April is now confirmed as Public Holiday.

Does this apply for all of Thailand, or only for the Bangkok area?

All of Thailand.

[Meridian007]

Operation centre seeks extension of Songkran holiday

EDIT: THIS has just now been confirmed by Govt. Spokesman.

Cool, thanks for the update George! Do you have a link to the Nation that shows the update? I want to send it to my boss so I can leave town!

***Edit***

Yay! Thanks for the pointers to Bangkok Post! I've sent them off, now to wait on an answer...

Edited April 14, 2009 by Meridian007

[sheff_mick]

Govt extends Songkran holiday

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 14/04/2009 at 02:58 PM

An important part quote to compliment Georges posts

" Government on Tuesday announced extension of Songkran holiday for two more days through Friday, government spokesman

The decision is aimed at restoring sites affected by the unrest in the capital and to maintain security for the people, he said.

Stock exchange head said minutes after the announcement that the Stock Exchange of Thailand and banks will open Thursday and Friday. "

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...ongkran-holiday

Edited April 14, 2009 by sheff_mick

[TEFLMike]

Without appearing sadist>>>>

Do we not normally have an ongoing 'casualties and deaths figures', as regards to road accidents, during Songkran on TV?

If I remember correctly, we have had a running total this last two years or so.

EDIT: It is OK, I have located the thread as per above. Sorry about that.

Edited April 14, 2009 by TEFLMike

[gregchambers]

Surely there is a big difference between extending public holidays for a couple of days to help sort out the mess and extending the actual water battles the same amount... there is no need to extend the latter at all, which anyway take places at different times throughout the country. I was just goiing to buy an air ticket to come back to Bkk Friday; if the water battles are on I will buy one to Cebu instead!

[Mai Krap]

How many more people will be killed in alcohol fueled idiotic accidents because they have extended this holiday?

[keestha]

On the Bangkok Post website it says:

"Government on Tuesday announced extension of Songkran holiday for two more days through Friday, government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn said in nationalised television broadcast.

Mr Panithan said state enterprises, financial institutions and private firms can decide whether to apply the holiday."

Would the electricity company and the TOT (telephone company) classify as state enterprises?

It would mess up my planning a little bit if thursday or friday I couldn't carry out dealings with the aforementioned institutions. Oh well, you have to take it as it comes, I guess.

[hammered]

This may also help small businesses that make money over Songkhran particuallrly those in and near Bangkok. It has been quiet for the first couple of days. This may help/

[jimflan]

just about to go into Bangkok for a few days - what;s the situation re bars etc ? all closed ?

[Kered]

Perhaps it is time that someone congratulated the Prime Minister and the Government with the support of the Police and Army for handling a very difficult situation with the minimum of injury and death. Let us hope that the Prime Minister now gets some support to put the country back on its feet.

[Prempoutine]

Perhaps it is time that someone congratulated the Prime Minister and the Government with the support of the Police and Army for handling a very difficult situation with the minimum of injury and death. Let us hope that the Prime Minister now gets some support to put the country back on its feet.

Ain't gonna happen .

[Callanbkk]

Why all the moans and groans about this - TIT things change instantly - So go with the flow and enjoy an extra couple of days holidays, beer, sun, cute girls in wet T-shirts, what more could you ask for.

Speak to your friends back home ask them what they'd prefer beer and sun or work !!

Right I'm off the protesters are going home, I'm gonna go get wet

Enjoy

HaHa! I like your post! A nice positive outlook on life!

[Oberkommando]

Another holiday?

This won't help already struggling businesses or the ailing economy.

Farce.

[TheChiefJustice]

The SET and banks will be open. This is only for civil servants. Private companies need to make their own decisions based on whether they consider it appropriate to close for an extra two days.

[helvetian]

Immigration: Open or closed?

Banks: Open or closed?

Post office: Open or closed?

[Oberkommando]

The SET and banks will be open. This is only for civil servants. Private companies need to make their own decisions based on whether they consider it appropriate to close for an extra two days.

And those businesses that require the services of government offices on Thursday/Friday now can no longer use them.

Thailand needs to be upping productivity and not be taking more and more days off on the spur of the moment as a populist measure to try and win over Somchai public.

Thailand #3 on the World's Gloomiest Economies.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/01/01...ectations/4.htm

[john b good]

I really do not get it here. First you force an extra holiday on employers and banks on Friday, than instead of using riot police you use the army to shoot in full view of hundreds of millions of TV viewers worldwide, killing the tourist industry and discouraging companies from settling or even staying in Thailand. Than you extent that holiday again! great! Who is going to pay for it? Although I understand that something had to be done on the violent protests it seems again that this government has lost the plot completely.

So what exactly are you attempting to say "than (then) instead of using riot police you use the army"

What's the <deleted> difference

[bdenner]

I don't intend to read all the posts on this subject: My view it's -- effen bulllshit -- An extra day in front because of the governments mismanagement of the ASEAN meeting security now this -- SPARE ME DAYS -- Not LOS but the land of the long week end!

HOW THE FU2K do businesses survive amongst this bulllshit.

[george]

Channel 3 just reported that Phuket Immigration office will be open. No mention of other Imm. offices though.

[TEFLMike]

Maybe the Government want the extra two days to tidy the city up, where it was affected and to check that everything is ok? Personally, I believe that it makes sense to ensure that everything is returned to normal before the masses return to work.

Edited April 14, 2009 by TEFLMike

[BangkokHank]

Well, that screws up my plans. I need urgently to go abroad on Monday to a country for which I need a visa. I was going to apply for the visa on Thursday. If Thursday and Friday are public holidays, the embassy will be closed as well - until Monday. This makes it impossible for me to travel on Monday and I will therefore miss an important meeting on Tuesday.

I don't expect the world to revolve around my plans. But the fact is that these sort of ad hoc holidays can have very serious negative effects on some people.

[George4]

To those whom think this is silly, stupid or in some way not appropriate

This gesture is to appease the people who were robbed of a very precious holiday.

This governamentis at least trying tyo do something constructive and people like you who slag them haven't got a scoobie.

The message is "We are on your side". What's wrong with that?

So come on you smarty pants give us your version of what should be done or are you dumber than the Thai people you are out to condemn.

Geez there are some idiots on here

Edited April 14, 2009 by George4

[James3212]

Thanks for the banking update, its good to know that they will be open