Tourism Ministry pushes for long weekend in August
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry is proposing that August 11 be declared a public holiday so people get a long weekend and can travel.

"If August 11 is a holiday this year, people will be able to enjoy four consecutive days off, from August 9 to August 12," the ministry's permanent secretary Suwat Sidthilaw said yesterday, adding that this should stimulate tourism.

August 11 is a Monday and the following day is the Queen's birthday, or National Mother's Day, which is a public holiday.

Suwat said he would submit the plan to deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order Admiral Narong Pipattanasai, for him to consider.

-- The Nation 2014-05-31

Will also boost the auto repair, insurance and medical industries.

Public holidays are declared for significant events, Anzac Day, Xmas Easter etc You don't just set up a public holiday for the purpose of revenue raising. Thailand has far to many public holidays as it is.

Will also boost the auto repair, insurance and medical industries.

except all the mechanics etc will be on public holiday

Please no! Living in a beach resort, these weekends are hellish!

Why don't we all work on Wednesdays only....once a month!

Like the Thais need MORE holidays, you see, they're such a hard workers that they

derive MORE holiday, and more death on the roads and more idle days to spend money

they don't have....

If a Thai works is right and takes all available holiday, sick leave, business leave and annual leave they can get away with working just over 200 days per year.

It seems that to some officials holidays automatically equates to travel and spending.

I'm not saying that Thais don't travel but taking my neighbours as an example they certainly don't meet official ' requirements '.

All have good jobs and live comfortably but I have never known any of them to take a trip to the beach / mountains / Bkk etc.

A holiday weekend means visiting family with no hotels involved and I presume most eating will be done at home. If they didn't have their own transport it's unlikely they would go anywhere.

How typical

May as well tack on an all out alcohol ban as well..... The government thinks Thais love those too.

Please no! Living in a beach resort, these weekends are hellish!

Hellish for you or the people that make a living from the tourism business?

According to the Thai labour law, a Thai employee is entitled to 13 holidays per year.

Since most Thai aren't working under contract, but more on a "free-lance" base, their employers offer 1 holiday per month (preferably not in a weekend) and for the rest it is work, work, work if possible 10 hours per day. National holidays or mandatory company-closures will result in salary-cuts.

So, if there is a possibility to have an extended holiday most Thai, working in Bangkok or in one of the many IE's........they will travel home.....upcountry.

Typical Thai civil servant approach forgetting that a good percentage of all Thais can't afford to take any time off. It is staggering how out of touch the administration is with the real people - it's not hard to understand why there's a great need to reduce the inequalities that exist in society to-day.

Public holidays are declared for significant events, Anzac Day, Xmas Easter etc You don't just set up a public holiday for the purpose of revenue raising. Thailand has far to many public holidays as it is.

Christ, some farang will complain about anything. The 12th, a Tuesday this year, already is an important holiday in Thailand. This is just temporarily making the day before a day off so that the weekend will link up to the 12th, letting people have a long weekend, instead of a normal weekend, 1 day of work, and then 1 day off. It isn't creating a permanent holiday on the 11th.

Well, if the next day is a public holiday anyway, why not? ....... I'm all for it.

Lift the ban on booze on the 12th also

Good idea. I love public holiday's. Actually any holidays. The more the better. As long as they don't come with stupid restrictions like " NO Alcohol ".

If a Thai works is right and takes all available holiday, sick leave, business leave and annual leave they can get away with working just over 200 days per year.

And if you add their actual work efficiency during work hours it reduces to 30 days per year!

No matter who is running the country you can always count on TAT to come up with craven money making schemes.

Do those workers in minimum wage jobs actually get paid on these public holidays?

If it's announced as a 4 day weekend, I, for one, will be staying home.

TAT is on holiday

well nothing wrong in this , many European countries already do that , if a holiday is on thursday , many take the friday off ..... nothing wrong in this practice.

In Australia if a public holiday fell on a weekend,the next monday would be a day off,however they certainley dont do make up days off to link with a holiday that may fall on a tuesday or thursday such as anzac day,or the queens birthday,also by this logic,if next year it is on wednesday,will they make mon,and tues days off?

If a Thai works is right and takes all available holiday, sick leave, business leave and annual leave they can get away with working just over 200 days per year.

Similar to our UK politicians then.

How many public holidays, Gov staff, bank holidays etc are there in Thailand ?

I was told that Gov staff get 32 extra days off a year.

They already have too many holidays in Thailand

With all the public holidays and the Gov't always giving extra days

this is not needed

Why don't we all work on Wednesdays only....once a month!

What.....Every Month!!!

Please no! Living in a beach resort, these weekends are hellish!

How rude of the local thai population to infringe on your beach resort during public holidays.

Whatever next.

Tourism Ministry pushes for long weekend in August

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry is proposing that August 11 be declared a public holiday so people get a long weekend and can travel.

"If August 11 is a holiday this year, people will be able to enjoy four consecutive days off, from August 9 to August 12," the ministry's permanent secretary Suwat Sidthilaw said yesterday, adding that this should stimulate tourism.

August 11 is a Monday and the following day is the Queen's birthday, or National Mother's Day, which is a public holiday.

Suwat said he would submit the plan to deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order Admiral Narong Pipattanasai, for him to consider.

-- The Nation 2014-05-31

The same guy who designs the third stage rocket boosters for JPL, came up with this idea. What a brilliant man. Do not address the rampant political dysfunction. Nor the massive problems with law enforcement, corruption, traffic safety, the so called police giving protection to the taxi, tuk tuk, and jet ski mafias. Nor inflationary pricing, or any other real problem here. Just work on hairbrained formulas to extend weekends. Keeping ones head in the sand has always been a great way to address the nation's issues. Keep it up.