Thailand Gets Extra Holiday For Songkran

[webfact]

Cabinet approves extra holiday for Songkran, making it six-day holidays

Deputy government spokesman Phumin Leetheeraprasert said the Cabinet Tuesday approved one additional holiday for the Songkran holidays and the National Mother's Day period. As a result, Songkran would be for six days from April 13-18, and Mother's Day would be for four days from August 12-15.

The Cabinet also approved three days off in lieu of the Makha Puja Day on March 1, the Chulalongkorn Day on October 25, and National Father's Day on December 6, he said.

-- The Nation 2009/12/15

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[gotlost]

One more day for the water wars, just what the farangs need and the Thais for drinking.

[neverdie]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

[bangkok blue]

assuming as this is a government decree schools will have to close too?

[Credo]

Schools are closed during April, usually. Unless you are working at a school that has a summer session.

[PhilHarries]

Well I guess some bright spark has thought that if we make the holiday longer the death toll will be spread over a longer period and thus won't look so bad.

Just a minute, wasn't it this year they were talking about SHORTENING Songkhran?

Flip flop brains, flip flop government, flip flop country.

How long before they change their minds and retract this one?

[kevc]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

Go home if you don't like it!.

[Hardback]

Great, another day for me to be confined to my apartment.

[TAWP]

Are there any workdays left of the year still?

And I would still prefer that they removed all of these public holidays and I had the ability to allocate the days as normal vacation days when I needed them instead...

[sinbin]

For all those with short memories, SongKran was extended in 2009. Maybe it's just forward thinking that the Thai government forecast trouble at the same time next year ? And this time they're prepared ?

[ovenman]

I don't recollect the powers-that-be ever adding an extra holiday to the calendar so far in advance. It seems like they usually wait until the last possible moment to do so.

[Tywais]

These three are normal in that if the holiday is on a weekend the following Monday is a substitution day. Been that way for several years so not sure if they are just extending approval for those holidays. It's (those 3 substitution days) been on several web site calendars for several weeks actually.

The Cabinet also approved three days off in lieu of the Makha Puja Day on March 1, the Chulalongkorn Day on October 25, and National Father's Day on December 6, he said.

[toptuan]

Great, another day for me to be confined to my apartment.

Great time to book a ticket to Europe or N. America!

[geriatrickid]

Great, another day for me to be confined to my apartment.

Or to take refuge in another country. Book now to avoid disappointment. Airports are a nightmare as wise people flee.

[jontom]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

Go home if you don't like it!.

Kev C how long did it take you to think of that one? You live in another country obviously everything is perfect . Is it wrong to say what is not right? Or have you become as brainwashed as the Thais? Talk to them and see how much of the constant propoganda they actually believe.....perhaps all of it! Glad to see a Farang also cant think outside of the box, soon you will be drinking LowCow have 3 gigs have stopped working and knock your Mrs around then you will really blend in!

[Thaihog]

As if the Thais don't have enough days to party already... this will put the death toll for Songkran up no doubt beyond the 500 mark... incredible how many lives are lost every year and the Thais or any other govt. for that matter doesn't bat an eye lid...

Mai Mee Ben Ha...

[infernalman7]

May be they are just trying to stimulate the economy

[brahmburgers]

The 13th of April is a Tuesday, so does this mean there is only one day, Monday, as a work day for that week? If most working Thais get the previous weekend off of work, then it's a block of 9 days with one working day (Monday the 12th) inserted in there. Why not just declare the whole 9 days a holiday?

So, banks, post offices, government offices will all be non-functional for those stretch of days. Well, government offices taking days off is somewhat of an oxymoron, because they don't do a heck of a lot (97% 'busy work') when they're open.

Thai politicians give this long stretch of days for water throwing in order to try and gain favor with the their constituents. Thais associated Songkran with happiness, because it brings back joyful memories. It would be like Uncle Sam declaring an extra day for Halloween, thereby having Americans think, "oh boy, another day to go around getting free candy from neighbors!" ....or the the more childlike Americans, anyway.

Great, another day for me to be confined to my apartment.

Or to take refuge in another country. Book now to avoid disappointment. Airports are a nightmare as wise people flee.

2 years ago, I went to Shan State Burma right after Songkran ended in Thailand. Mistake. Burmese were still throwing water, and I got thoroughly sopped to the accompaniment of riotous laughter from onlookers.

[jonclark]

Extra Holidays - Fantastic, please remember that the average working man (factory staff, bus drivers etc.) only get about 1 week a year paid holiday, so this is likely to be a big bonus for them.

Why are there so many moaners complaining about this, not the same group who write complaining letters about too much Christmas music in the letters section of the Bkk Post by any chance.

Wish the British governemnt would be so generous with adding on extra holidays. If your reading Mr. Brown an extra three days this new year would be much appreciated.

[moskito]

Great, another day for me to be confined to my apartment.

Or to take refuge in another country. Book now to avoid disappointment. Airports are a nightmare as wise people flee.

i have not really counted yet, but is Thailand not anyway the country with the most hollidays in the world?

[doomster]

Best news i have had since i jammed my thumb in the door

[neverdie]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

Go home if you don't like it!.

No!

[sunsamourai]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

go home if I don't like it !

[kevc]

[Kev C how long did it take you to think of that one? You live in another country obviously everything is perfect . Is it wrong to say what is not right? Or have you become as brainwashed as the Thais? Talk to them and see how much of the constant propoganda they actually believe.....perhaps all of it! Glad to see a Farang also cant think outside of the box, soon you will be drinking LowCow have 3 gigs have stopped working and knock your Mrs around then you will really blend in!

Whats all that about, wheres the propaganda fit in with extending the biggest holiday of the Thai year, should it all come to a stop because you don't like it. When you came to live here (I take it you do live here) you must known what to expect and if "thinking outside the box" turns me into a grumbling know better than everyone else expat like a lot of people on here I think I'll stay inside my nice'n'cosy box thankyou. By the way whats 3 gigs?.

[PhilHarries]

Wish the British governemnt would be so generous with adding on extra holidays. If your reading Mr. Brown an extra three days this new year would be much appreciated.

Don't worry about Gordon giving you extra holidays, right now he's in Copenhagen selling your ass or, more likely, giving it away.

I never understood why in Britain they insist on having the longest break in the middle of winter. Make Xmas and new year normal working days and give people extra holidays to take when they like.

It must have been last year then that they were talking about shortening Songkhran. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?

Brahmburgers, you know what happens when there's a Monday or Friday work day between the weekend and a holiday. 90% of the staff go sick. Songkhran is getting like Tet here, you may as well shut down for a month.

[jonclark]

Wish the British governemnt would be so generous with adding on extra holidays. If your reading Mr. Brown an extra three days this new year would be much appreciated.

I never understood why in Britain they insist on having the longest break in the middle of winter. Make Xmas and new year normal working days and give people extra holidays to take when they like.

It's because the weather in winter is so similar to summer, it actually makes no difference. But seriously it's because we are / were a traditionally Christian country, hence the christmas break.

Why are so many people against water throwing? Yes, it is sheer madness, i agree but let your hair down, get wet and have some fun.

If you don't like it, well tough nuts, be miserable on your own.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Credit where credit is due, here's a move I LIKE a LOT!! It makes a lot of sense because April 16th is a Friday. So you create a larger holiday period.

( AND they managed to announce it in advance, instead of like the evening of the 15th to announce that 16th is a holiday. )

I enjoy Songkran a lot, too. BTW, a longer holiday period you can actually fill in as just that, an extended trip to Phuket or somewhere else where people don't celebrate for more than an afternoon or so.

Why all the negativity? Are you (you in general, you know who you are) really so depressed to not want to see others having a longer holiday?? Please.

Edited December 16, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Reasonableman]

Are there any workdays left of the year still?

And I would still prefer that they removed all of these public holidays and I had the ability to allocate the days as normal vacation days when I needed them instead...

[bannork]

Usually extra holidays are announced at the last minute so this time the government wanted people to be able to plan their holidays ahead and of course boost tourism.

What a miserable bunch some farangs are on this thread. Thais get few holidays, most certainly can't take 2 weeks in a row.

[PoorSucker]

Yes my thoughts exactly, another day of idiocy....stand by, chime in time for those will be in shortly to flame me by telling me to go home if I don't like it

Your wife called me and she wants you to stop drinking and come home.