Queens Birthday?

[NHkidCudi]

I understand that the queens birthday is a holiday but I have several questions about it.

This is my first time in Thailand so I have never experienced a holiday here. Will everything be closed like banks and stores?

I am just wondering because I remember reading somewhere that the queen and king want Thai people to have normal days and keep everything normal so they try to not celebrate as much. Let me know.

[metisdead]

Shopping centers and the restaurants will be packed tomorrow.

[NHkidCudi]

Is that sarcasm or legitimate answer? Let me know.

[Slip]

But banks and government offices/ schools will be closed.

[NancyL]

No really, shopping centers and restaurants will be packed tomorrow. It's much like Mother's Day in the U.S. -- families take Mom out for a good time and usually that involves shopping centers and restaurants, especially if the "kids" are adults and don't see Mom very often. Government offices, banks and schools will be closed tomorrow. Hubby tutors English at a school here in Chiang Mai and he was told today that there will be no classes both tomorrow and Friday.

[metisdead]

Is that sarcasm or legitimate answer? Let me know.

Not sarcastic in the least. It's a big day out tomorrow for the Thais.

[mrjohn]

It's a "bank holiday" as we would call it in the UK.

In most countries this would mean that MOST people have a day off. Here the banks,govt offices and schools are closed whilst factories and shops are open as usual.

In other words the moneyed classes will be swanning around keeping the working classes in work.

[dsprtliving]

Yeah...don't count on getting a seat tomorrow at a restaurant and the shopping centers will be absolutely crammed tomorrow!

[cardholder]

Don't count on getting a drink either.

[davyboy]

Don't count on getting a drink either.

Why? I shall be enjoying a few outside our local mom & pop store this evening with a few of the locals!

[metisdead]

Yeah...don't count on getting a seat tomorrow at a restaurant and the shopping centers will be absolutely crammed tomorrow!

We went to our local shopping center soon after it opened today, got into the restaurant before the queues started. By midday, the queues were quite long at all the popular restaurants. Got out of there by 12:30 and saw that the tailback to get into the shopping center was really backed up.

[chickenslegs]

Don't count on getting a drink either.

Why? I shall be enjoying a few outside our local mom & pop store this evening with a few of the locals!

You don't buy into Mothers Day?

[powderpuff]

As a Thai version of a stimulus plan it worked spectacularly well. We were lucky to get the last table at MK for lunch & the Seafood place out front was mobbed all afternoon. A stimulus plan that cost the taxpayers nothing.