Longer New Year holiday proposed - Tourism Council of Thailand

[happynthailand]

I sure would like some of the stuff that the TCT is using

don't know were they come up with such BS

just my "50 stang worth"

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand. The only country in the world where they believe a holiday is more productive than working.....

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Hope the TCT ran this past the TAT

The TiT for Tat ran it past the TCT who rang TOT, a spokes-Person for the MFW (Ministry of Funny Walks) has asked the NCP to order everybody to just walk , that will cancel out all the road deaths.

[loong]

I wonder if there is another country that has more public holidays than Thailand?

As already mentioned, the Thai new year is sonkran. There is no need for ANY holiday around the western new year!

What's next - Christmas?

Well that's a great idea, and as it's so close to new year, why not make it an eleven day holiday?

[monkeycountry]

TCT math. Tourism will increase, all other production will decrease, which likely means more tourism revenue, but lower GDP. Great plan as always.

[statman78]

Thai holidays 2014, 34 days Holiday

All we need now are more.

1 January (Wednesday) New Year's Day

11 January (Saturday) National Children's Day

16 January (Thursday) Teacher's Day

31 January (Friday) Chinese Lunar New Year

1 February (Saturday) Second Day Chinese New Year

2 February (Sunday) Third Day Chinese New Year

14 February (Friday) Makha Bucha Day

14 February (Friday) Valentine's Day

20 March (Thursday) March equinox

6 April (Sunday) Chakri Day

7 April (Monday) Chakri Day Substitution

13 April (Sunday) Songkran

14 April (Monday) Songkran

15 April (Tuesday) Songkran

16 April (Wednesday) Songkran Substitution Day

1 May (Thursday) Labor Day

5 May (Monday) Coronation Day

13 May (Tuesday) Wisakha Bucha Day

21 June (Saturday) June Solstice

1 July (Tuesday) Mid Year Bank Holiday (Auditing)

11 July (Friday) Asalha Bucha

12 July (Saturday) Wan Khao Phansa

14 July (Monday) Wan Khao Phansa Substitution Day

11 August (Monday) Extra Day for The Queen's Birthday

12 August (Tuesday) The Queen's Birthday (Mother's Day)

23 September (Tuesday) Septmber equinox

23 October (Thursday) Chulalongkorn Day

6-8 November (Thursday-Saturday) Loi Krathong

5 December (Friday) The King's Birthday (Father's Day)

10 December (Wednesday) Constitution Day

21 December (Sunday) December Solstice

24 December (Wednesday) Christmas Eve

25 December (Thursday) Christmas Day

31 December (Wednesday) New Year's Eve

Unfortunately the company I work for does not celebrate all of these. We get off about 12-14 holidays per year.

[smutcakes]

Thai holidays 2014, 34 days Holiday

All we need now are more.

1 January (Wednesday) New Year's Day

11 January (Saturday) National Children's Day

16 January (Thursday) Teacher's Day

31 January (Friday) Chinese Lunar New Year

1 February (Saturday) Second Day Chinese New Year

2 February (Sunday) Third Day Chinese New Year

14 February (Friday) Makha Bucha Day

14 February (Friday) Valentine's Day

20 March (Thursday) March equinox

6 April (Sunday) Chakri Day

7 April (Monday) Chakri Day Substitution

13 April (Sunday) Songkran

14 April (Monday) Songkran

15 April (Tuesday) Songkran

16 April (Wednesday) Songkran Substitution Day

1 May (Thursday) Labor Day

5 May (Monday) Coronation Day

13 May (Tuesday) Wisakha Bucha Day

21 June (Saturday) June Solstice

1 July (Tuesday) Mid Year Bank Holiday (Auditing)

11 July (Friday) Asalha Bucha

12 July (Saturday) Wan Khao Phansa

14 July (Monday) Wan Khao Phansa Substitution Day

11 August (Monday) Extra Day for The Queen's Birthday

12 August (Tuesday) The Queen's Birthday (Mother's Day)

23 September (Tuesday) Septmber equinox

23 October (Thursday) Chulalongkorn Day

6-8 November (Thursday-Saturday) Loi Krathong

5 December (Friday) The King's Birthday (Father's Day)

10 December (Wednesday) Constitution Day

21 December (Sunday) December Solstice

24 December (Wednesday) Christmas Eve

25 December (Thursday) Christmas Day

31 December (Wednesday) New Year's Eve

Unfortunately the company I work for does not celebrate all of these. We get off about 12-14 holidays per year.

Same, we get 15. I am all in favor of this

The financial year is not won or lost in the first few days, the way the calender falls this year, i expect many people would have the Thursday 1st off anyway, so in affect its the Friday 2nd one day extra holiday.

Regardless of officially having it off, most people will anyway.

[wabothai]

Money, money, and more money, sickening attitude.

[smutcakes]

Money, money, and more money, sickening attitude.

to be fair its more of a soundbite than anything, for most people its one extra day that many would already be on holiday for anyway.

Out of interest, do you work here?

[bangon04]

that's weird, most asian places celebrate chinese new years instead of the western new year

Thailand does both.

So for the sake of national happiness, it would make sense for Thailand to start the holiday from the Loy Kratong Festival week in November, continue it through the King's birthday holiday at the start of December, continue it through the foreigners' New year holiday at the start of January, and connect it with the Chinese New Year at the end of January.

The only problem then would be the gap until Songkran and the long period of work from May to October.

At least they can keep the schools closed for most of the year...

[Tonawatchee]

Longer New Year holiday proposed

Songkran has enough deaths...... why extend it?

Dec 31st to 4th Jan is not Thai new year. About time Thailand decided which exact year it lives in!

The TCT could visualize a grander scheme if the New Year holidays were extended from Dec 15 through Jan 15. Billions of baht to be made! Milk the tourists to the max! Thai Big Business fixation, of course, still obilivous to the human cost in terms increased traffic accidents and alcohol intoxication.

[cooked]

In Buriram the Christmas decorations are still up from last year. Anyway, this just means that I have to buy in enough beer for a week, no way am I going to be on the roads on these days.

[wangsuda]

42 posts of nothing but complaints. You people would complain if you were hung with a new rope. All the proposed five-day holiday does is include the Friday that falls after the official Wednesday and Thursday holiday. It is not the end of the world. It is not the end of your precious alcohol supply. It is simply just one added day for one holiday.

[ChrisY1]

Soon..Thais will only work on Wednesdays...once a month!...........

The cost of all the public holidays must be cripling to some businesses....most western countries are eliminating many public holidays!

[ChrisY1]

42 posts of nothing but complaints. You people would complain if you were hung with a new rope. All the proposed five-day holiday does is include the Friday that falls after the official Wednesday and Thursday holiday. It is not the end of the world. It is not the end of your precious alcohol supply. It is simply just one added day for one holiday.

It's quite obvious that you don't employ anyone!

[wangsuda]

42 posts of nothing but complaints. You people would complain if you were hung with a new rope. All the proposed five-day holiday does is include the Friday that falls after the official Wednesday and Thursday holiday. It is not the end of the world. It is not the end of your precious alcohol supply. It is simply just one added day for one holiday.

It's quite obvious that you don't employ anyone!

And your point? Is it mandatory that only employers can post here?

[DDbkh]

Thai holidays 2014, 34 days Holiday

All we need now are more.

1 January (Wednesday) New Year's Day

11 January (Saturday) National Children's Day

16 January (Thursday) Teacher's Day

31 January (Friday) Chinese Lunar New Year

1 February (Saturday) Second Day Chinese New Year

2 February (Sunday) Third Day Chinese New Year

14 February (Friday) Makha Bucha Day

14 February (Friday) Valentine's Day

20 March (Thursday) March equinox

6 April (Sunday) Chakri Day

7 April (Monday) Chakri Day Substitution

13 April (Sunday) Songkran

14 April (Monday) Songkran

15 April (Tuesday) Songkran

16 April (Wednesday) Songkran Substitution Day

1 May (Thursday) Labor Day

5 May (Monday) Coronation Day

13 May (Tuesday) Wisakha Bucha Day

21 June (Saturday) June Solstice

1 July (Tuesday) Mid Year Bank Holiday (Auditing)

11 July (Friday) Asalha Bucha

12 July (Saturday) Wan Khao Phansa

14 July (Monday) Wan Khao Phansa Substitution Day

11 August (Monday) Extra Day for The Queen's Birthday

12 August (Tuesday) The Queen's Birthday (Mother's Day)

23 September (Tuesday) Septmber equinox

23 October (Thursday) Chulalongkorn Day

6-8 November (Thursday-Saturday) Loi Krathong

5 December (Friday) The King's Birthday (Father's Day)

10 December (Wednesday) Constitution Day

21 December (Sunday) December Solstice

24 December (Wednesday) Christmas Eve

25 December (Thursday) Christmas Day

31 December (Wednesday) New Year's Eve

Fortunately, only the 18 in red are actual days when you have to give staff time off. Still its double the number of UK holidays! This is why we only give staff one week's paid vacation - because they already get nearly 4 weeks as statutory days off.

The Government should try to understand the problems this causes for business in general and particularly for the SME sector. Tourism is not the 'be all and end all' of this nation's economy. For those in business outside the tourist sector its very expensive and counter-productive.

The

[FangFerang]

Well, I have to say this is the first time I saw a thread criticize a concept without exception. None of us seems to think it's a good idea....and the foreign teachers here would hate more paid days off, of course.

[marcusd]

Fools; all this will do is give Civil Servants a longer paid holiday, promote more drunkenness and more road deaths. All it will do for me and many others is keep us indoors and away from the madness, we won't be out spending the money they want to attract.

wowser!

[MediaWatcher]

rainman333, on 23 Sept 2014 - 12:14, said:

that's weird, most asian places celebrate chinese new years instead of the western new year

You don't live in Thailand, do you? If you did you would know they have taken on a few western holidays...primarily because money can be made, and girls/boys with farang partners can get more presents/money. Even up here in Mukdahan, Big C and Tesco do their shops up for Christmas, the staff put on Christmas hats and badges....but no one knows what it's all about.

[MediaWatcher]

terryp, on 23 Sept 2014 - 12:23, said:

one of many reasons why thailand is loosing out to other Asean country's ...far too many ridicules holidays here (boost spending my ar_e what about the employers paying for this)

Ridiculous holiday's as well.

[JohnThailandJohn]

More time off / holidays for the masses --- this should really bring out the grumpy old men here.

[Spoonman]

Unfortunately the company I work for does not celebrate all of these. We get off about 12-14 holidays per year.

Same, we get 15. I am all in favor of this

The financial year is not won or lost in the first few days, the way the calender falls this year, i expect many people would have the Thursday 1st off anyway, so in affect its the Friday 2nd one day extra holiday.

Regardless of officially having it off, most people will anyway.

Me too, we get 15.

Thursday the 1st is already a public holiday so this extra one day being considered is just one less annual leave day for me to take (not that I would, more likely use up one of my 30 annual paid sick days instead).

[FangFerang]

42 posts of nothing but complaints. You people would complain if you were hung with a new rope. All the proposed five-day holiday does is include the Friday that falls after the official Wednesday and Thursday holiday. It is not the end of the world. It is not the end of your precious alcohol supply. It is simply just one added day for one holiday.

Of course I would complain, you idolater of insolence -- those new ropes chafe. We all prefer those worn, softer threads....get thee to a nunnery!

[FangFerang]

Expat teachers are the target. Since they are mostly unqualified people not living here illegally and not paying taxes or earning wages, why not let them have an opportunity to spend the baht they never really earned and let the holiday spill over and reduce congestion for Saturday and Sunday returns instead of a gut -wrenching Thursday mass migration? If they were ever really here, of course, which can't and won't be proven.

This twisted logic actually is accurate, and linear as a doughnut the size of the Isle of White, er Wight (ghosts), being dark brown chocolate and consumed by a herd of cats in heat during Lent. But only if Lent was renamed Songhkran.

I actually agree with the TAT on the BS, and hope they run this ASAP past the NCPO for a QT assessment -- if it's OK with TVF posters.

Too much Thainess could make anyone DOA.....

[bkkgooner]

Fools; all this will do is give Civil Servants a longer paid holiday, promote more drunkenness and more road deaths. All it will do for me and many others is keep us indoors and away from the madness, we won't be out spending the money they want to attract.

away from the madness of the new years holiday?

how old are you exactly?

people party all around the world for new years but don't worry too much gramps they will all be sleeping off their hangovers on the 1st and relaxing at home on the 2nd

a holiday on the Friday extends my Christmas holidays so I'm all for it

[planemad]

Excellent, 3 pages of what expats KNOW what is best for Thailand. Assuming many respondents are now retired, how many days off did you refuse when you were working? Consider that most Thais get maybe 5 days off in their first year of contract, whereas Europeans now are required to have 3 weeks (I believe from when I was an employer 15 years ago) paid holiday as law! Sort of balances out really.

Nothing to do with Thailand but, I work in an Arab gulf state, for a full month (Ramadan), working hours are only about 5 hours per day, the following Eid holidays (depending which days of the week they fall) could provide an extra 18 days off plus their regular breaks as well.

During our working lives, time off and wages are (mostly) our main goal, are the Thais any different? So why not let them run their country the way they want. Are we really doing so well in the West that we know all the answers and if so, why are there so many expats over here?

Flame away!

[Krataiboy]

She. . .. also proposed the roadmap to achieve the annual tourism revenue target. . .

No she didn't. She presented plans, or proposals, or a scheme - anything, please, other than this dreadfully overworked "road map" cliche (which should actually be written as two words, not one). Haven't Thai journalists ever heard of the word thesaurus?

[nong38]

Why not make the whole year a holiday, no one works ( as usual ) everyone gets paid, wonderful life, sounds like a winner to me, tourists flying in fromthe four corners of the world to the hub of enligthenment, where Thailand leads the world follows, yeah man!!! Did I get ahead of the game and miss something?

[englishoak]

I remember when i first came i felt sorry for Thais having about a weeks annual holiday, didnt take long to work out why...