Which country has the most public holidays?

[webfact]

Which country has the most public holidays?
The Straits Times/ANN



BANGKOK: -- Just to make you green with envy, here's data from travel search website Wego, which reveals the countries around the world with the most public holidays.

5 things to note:

1. India has the most number of public holidays, at around 21 days each year, even more depending on which state you live in.

2. Singapore does not fare too well with only 11. Luckily, with seven of those 11 falling either on Friday, Sunday or Monday, Singaporeans still get to enjoy a bumper crop of seven long weekends this year, the most since 2009.

3. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines has the second-most public holidays with 18, followed by China and Hong Kong (17), Thailand (16), Malaysia and Vietnam (15), Indonesia (14), Taiwan and South Korea (12), Singapore (11) and Australia and New Zealand (10).

4. Europeans don’t fare too badly, with Sweden and Lithuania offering the most at 15, followed by Slovakia (14), Austria, Belgium and Norway (13), Finland and Russia (12). Spain and the United Kingdom are not so holiday minded, with only eight holidays.

5. Mexico has the lowest in the world with only seven public holidays each year, although the government permits a few more "optional" public holidays, at the employer’s discretion.

Wego has also developed a downloadable public holiday calendar for Asia-Pacific, India and the United Arab Emirates so travellers can plan ahead and, by having something to look forward to, ease back into a brand new working year.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Which-country-has-the-most-public-holidays-30251954.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-15

[NE1]

Employees in Austria have a total of 38 holidays, including 25 statutory holidays and 13 public holidays.

I also remember when I was in Russia , it felt like there were 2 a month.

Edited January 15, 2015 by NE1

[canardo]

Nepal must be at least on par with India...

[NextStationBangkok]

This is not a good comparison. Most Asians don't have paid annual holidays to travel with their families like in European and American countries. Probably Sri Lanka has most holidays, because every full moon is a public holidays in Sri Lanka, and then for all major religious festivals. India has most number of holidays, because they offer holidays for every religion, and they have to offer for 6 major religions in the world. It makes sense to give holidays for most religion in their country, so that people will be happy to celebrate every holidays, so that everyone happy feel respected, probably world be better tolerant and peaceful than ever.

[Jasun]

Those Asian countries with a lot of public holidays have the least amount of annual leave. It all balances out.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JOC]

Those Asian countries with a lot of public holidays have the least amount of annual leave. It all balances out.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In Thailand "annual leave" is something staff reward themselves!!

At Songkran my staff go home for "a couple of days", if I am lucky, they return after a couple of weeks like nothing has happened!!

Worst thing is: You get used to it..................................

[WhizBang]

I find it hard to believe that Thailand has only 16. It seems that every time I turn around Thailand has another holiday. Or is that just Thai productivity?

[MrTee]

Those Asian countries with a lot of public holidays have the least amount of annual leave. It all balances out.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In Thailand "annual leave" is something staff reward themselves!!

At Songkran my staff go home for "a couple of days", if I am lucky, they return after a couple of weeks like nothing has happened!!

Worst thing is: You get used to it..................................

do they still get paid?

[Prbkk]

I find it hard to believe that Thailand has only 16. It seems that every time I turn around Thailand has another holiday. Or is that just Thai productivity?

Wait for the announcement of another: Returning Happiness to The People Day

[mikemac]

Those Asian countries with a lot of public holidays have the least amount of annual leave. It all balances out.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

In Thailand "annual leave" is something staff reward themselves!!

At Songkran my staff go home for "a couple of days", if I am lucky, they return after a couple of weeks like nothing has happened!!

Worst thing is: You get used to it..................................

Well, they have a point, nothing has happened .

[oldsailor35]

I think that Australia has more than 10. Also they get a few days off sick on full pay. Aussies are always "taking a sickie" Unlike England, which does not, Australia actually get a "Queens birthday" holiday

[CantSpell]

Cambodia not a country or in SE Asia then?

27 PH for Cambodia

[Commerce]

Who cares? If you are not fully committed to work, in order to earn your retirement, what is a single day ON or OFF?

Who really has their thoughts off work, even when on holiday, if they are committed to it?

I think we need a Thai astrologer to answer my latter Q., AND SEE if such an astrologer turns off his phone when on holiday.

[willyumiii]

I find it hard to believe that Thailand has only 16. It seems that every time I turn around Thailand has another holiday. Or is that just Thai productivity?

Wait for the announcement of another: Returning Happiness to The People Day

[chooka]

I think that Australia has more than 10. Also they get a few days off sick on full pay. Aussies are always "taking a sickie" Unlike England, which does not, Australia actually get a "Queens birthday" holiday

Let's not forget the RDO's one day off every month

[Torrens54]

For many years my PR Company in Australia represented a particular Thai Government Office. We had a total of 26 Public Holidays per year.

10 Australian and 16 Thai. My staff thought it was a great idea.

[bendejo]

When I lived in Brazil it felt like there was a holiday every other week.

Someone from Argentina told me they were trying to come up with more holidays so that there will be at least one 3-day weekend per month. Great for productivity, "hey, don't work so hard, it's a short week."

The US has holidays that are always on Sunday (Father's Day, Mother's Day, Easter), so they would fall off this count.

[robertthebruce]

I think ''France'' would be up there too..

if its not a public holiday its the usual ''Strike''...

[halloween]

Who cares? If you are not fully committed to work, in order to earn your retirement, what is a single day ON or OFF?

Who really has their thoughts off work, even when on holiday, if they are committed to it?

I think we need a Thai astrologer to answer my latter Q., AND SEE if such an astrologer turns off his phone when on holiday.

Doh! everybody knows you can fool all of the people ALL of the time.

[gomangosteen]

holidays and holidays - within Thailand I've found the observance/recognition of these days varies.

Ms O'Steen is an accountant for a private/commercial co, think she would get about half those claimed 16 days as holidays, more likely to be working on days when schools/banks/gov't agencies have the day off; getting Songkran, the 2 Royal birthdays and a few of the major Buddhist festivals only. Unsure, maybe it's made up for in her annual leave entitlement.

****

This site lists the following - 14, what are the other two?

The 4 provinces Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun get the first Day of Chinese New Year also, as well as 2 Muslim hols in ? December

List of National and Public holidays in Thailand for the year 2015

• New Year’s Day is on Thursday, January 01, 2015
• Makha Bucha Day is on Monday, March 02, 2015
• Chakri Day is on Monday, April 06, 2015
• Songkran (Thai New Year) is on Monday, April 13, 2015

• Labour Day is on Friday, May 01, 2015
• Coronation Day is on Tuesday, May 05, 2015
• Mid Year Bank Holiday is on Wednesday, July 01, 2015
• Asarnha Bucha Day is on Thursday, July 30, 2015

• Visakha Bucha Day is on Thursday, July 30, 2015
• HM The Queen’s Birthday Thailand is on Wednesday, August 12, 2015
• Chulalongkorn Day is on Friday, October 23, 2015

• HM The King’s Birthday is on Saturday, December 05, 2015
• Constitution Day Thailand is on Thursday, December 10, 2015
• New Year’s Eve is on Thursday, December 31, 2015

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Well at least Thailand is the leader or Hub when it comes to how many silly "can not serve alcohol days in restaurants and bars per year" due to all kinds of unimportant local elections and Buddha days.

[xen]

I think that Australia has more than 10. Also they get a few days off sick on full pay. Aussies are always "taking a sickie" Unlike England, which does not, Australia actually get a "Queens birthday" holiday

Let's not forget the RDO's one day off every month

I don't know if it is across all industries but most RDOs are paid for by working an extra 2 hours per week to make up the 8 hours you take off once a month so in theory it should cost the employer nothing and it certainly is not a gift from the goodness of the employer's hearts. Whether it boosts productivity would depend on the industry and many other factors but originally when RDOs were introduced in the seventies they were designed to give workers a day off to conduct business ( appointments etc) or do whatever they would have taken a sickie off for. Sickies did fall for a while but they are still abused no doubt .

[godden]

I'm not getting involved as every day is a holiday for me

[Borzandy]

I believe it's Thailand, the international school, in Hua Hin, where my kids are trying to study has at least 35 days off a year. (non included the school holidays)

[Don Aleman]

I believe this list is not current and does not include the Thai extension of the last Christmas/New Year's holidays to get more tourist dollars in the till. It is rumored that Thailand will extend Songkran by 5 days and start 2015 Christmas

[lewy67]

I get all public holidays in Oz. 55 days annual leave. 10 weeks long service leave pro rata after 7 years service. 15 days a year paid sick leave that accumulates - 5 without certificate and 10 with certificate. So I don't begrudge the poor buggers who work in the third world a few more public holidays.

[sprq]

Another misleading list, because these are national public holidays, whereas many countries also have regional and local public holidays. In this list Spain, for example, is given 8 holidays, when in fact everybody gets at least 10 when you add in the others.

Edited January 16, 2015 by sprq

[boomerangutang]

How about "which country has the most lady-boys per sq.M?" You get one guess on the answer.

[Eric Loh]

In Malaysia, you need also to add those weird holidays given by the country and states for winning the Thomas Cup or the FA Cuo respectively.

[Farang99]

This is not a good comparison. Most Asians don't have paid annual holidays to travel with their families like in European and American countries. Probably Sri Lanka has most holidays, because every full moon is a public holidays in Sri Lanka, and then for all major religious festivals. India has most number of holidays, because they offer holidays for every religion, and they have to offer for 6 major religions in the world. It makes sense to give holidays for most religion in their country, so that people will be happy to celebrate every holidays, so that everyone happy feel respected, probably world be better tolerant and peaceful than ever.

Malaysia also used to celebrate the festivals of every major religion, and, judging by the number of holidays it would appear that they still do. When I lived there my gardener would "change his religion" four or five times a year to take advantage of the most holidays.