Public Holiday May 1st - May 5th

[Tywais]

Just a heads up that the 1st (Friday Labor day), 4th (Monday Special Day) & 5th (Tuesday Coronation Day) of May, are public holidays. The 5th is Coronation day but cabinet approved the 4th as an additional special holiday.

Labor day on Friday is not a government holiday but a bank holiday and immigration should be open as normal as are schools.

Immigration is of course closed on the 5th (Tuesday) but with the recent announcement for the 4th, they also may be closed then which means any online reservations may no longer be valid. If anyone has firm information regarding the status of immigration for Monday please post here.

[Don Mega]

Friday the 1st is Labour Day, it too is a public holiday.

[Tywais]

Friday the 1st is Labour Day, it too is a public holiday.

I've updated the topic but Labor day is not a government holiday, but banks (main branches) will be closed (BOT holiday calendar) so immigration should be open as usual.

[JingerBen]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

[Gonzo the Face]

Another Populist vs Realist perk by and from a developing country , that still hasn't learned (and cannot seem to learn) that if you don't produce [aren't productive] you don't eat. It is very difficult to match up populism and productivity , if by chance you are in a lazy trending society.

[maswov]

I was wondering what was up, was trying to set up an bank transfer for my rent on the 1st but it wouldn't credit until the 6th.

[BV70]

I'm assuming, as these aren't religious holidays, that bars will remain open and liquor will continue to be sold at 7/11 etc.?

[northernjohn]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

Excellent post

Farongs live to work Thais work live.

It for the most part is the Farongs who want Thailand to forge ahead drop their culture and be materialistic.

Family ties mean nothing.

[Tywais]

I'm assuming, as these aren't religious holidays, that bars will remain open and liquor will continue to be sold at 7/11 etc.?

Yes.

[Suradit69]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

"...takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living."

Unless you work in agriculture where there are no holidays or in restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, supermarkets, transportation, anything tourist-related, shops, markets, malls... in which case you'll still be working and serving those on holiday including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

Edited April 21, 2015 by Suradit69

[uptheos]

Bet there's going to be a few peed of people on Monday 4th, which was available online until the announcement.

[mancub]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

"...takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living."

Unless you work in agriculture where there are no holidays or in restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, supermarkets, transportation, anything tourist-related, shops, markets, malls... in which case you'll still be working and serving those on holiday including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

Always assuming you can disturb your willing "tourist related" staff from their mobile phones to serve in the first place !

Good that you, begrudgingly, acknowledge that Thais also have holidays....but strange that you feel that very few enjoy their old age .

[smotherb]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

"...takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living."

Unless you work in agriculture where there are no holidays or in restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, supermarkets, transportation, anything tourist-related, shops, markets, malls... in which case you'll still be working and serving those on holiday including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

Oh boo hoo, for those people who have no skills. The fact that benefits are fewer and the pay is lower in those jobs ought to tell you to get into another line of work.

[duanebigsby]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

In the west we get 2 weeks paid vacation, 3 after 5 years in Canada. Many people get more than that. In France closer to six weeks and no where near 40 hours a week..

In Thailand they only get the public holidays, work a 9 hour day for six days a week.

So back home I got 12 days a year public holiday, 3 weeks paid vacation and worked 40 hours a week.

Here it's 54 hours a week and 17 days off total. No pension plan, no unemployment benefit, no retirement at all.

Hardly the enjoyment of life at the expense of work.

[Bcgardener]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

In the west we get 2 weeks paid vacation, 3 after 5 years in Canada. Many people get more than that. In France closer to six weeks and no where near 40 hours a week..

In Thailand they only get the public holidays, work a 9 hour day for six days a week.

So back home I got 12 days a year public holiday, 3 weeks paid vacation and worked 40 hours a week.

Here it's 54 hours a week and 17 days off total. No pension plan, no unemployment benefit, no retirement at all.

Hardly the enjoyment of life at the expense of work.

Suggest you read the Thai labour laws. It's a 48 hour week, 8 hours per day. Annual leave after 1 year of 5 days but a lot of companies give more.... and 30 yes 30 paid days of sick leave per year. I won't go into the generous redundancy payments that must be paid, even after only 6 months of permanent employment.

[Anthony5]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

"...takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living."

Unless you work in agriculture where there are no holidays or in restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, supermarkets, transportation, anything tourist-related, shops, markets, malls... in which case you'll still be working and serving those on holiday including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

If I hadn't worked hard in earlier life, like 15 hours a day 7 days a week, I would also not be able to retire.

[Don Mega]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

In the west we get 2 weeks paid vacation, 3 after 5 years in Canada. Many people get more than that. In France closer to six weeks and no where near 40 hours a week..

In Thailand they only get the public holidays, work a 9 hour day for six days a week.

So back home I got 12 days a year public holiday, 3 weeks paid vacation and worked 40 hours a week.

Here it's 54 hours a week and 17 days off total. No pension plan, no unemployment benefit, no retirement at all.

Hardly the enjoyment of life at the expense of work.

Suggest you read the Thai labour laws. It's a 48 hour week, 8 hours per day. Annual leave after 1 year of 5 days but a lot of companies give more.... and 30 yes 30 paid days of sick leave per year. I won't go into the generous redundancy payments that must be paid, even after only 6 months of permanent employment.

I thought it was 12 days annual leave..... not 5.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Don Mega

[Wadan]

Good post Duanebigsby.very informative. It is good to read constructive thought for a change.

[Bcgardener]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

In the west we get 2 weeks paid vacation, 3 after 5 years in Canada. Many people get more than that. In France closer to six weeks and no where near 40 hours a week..

In Thailand they only get the public holidays, work a 9 hour day for six days a week.

So back home I got 12 days a year public holiday, 3 weeks paid vacation and worked 40 hours a week.

Here it's 54 hours a week and 17 days off total. No pension plan, no unemployment benefit, no retirement at all.

Hardly the enjoyment of life at the expense of work.

Suggest you read the Thai labour laws. It's a 48 hour week, 8 hours per day. Annual leave after 1 year of 5 days but a lot of companies give more.... and 30 yes 30 paid days of sick leave per year. I won't go into the generous redundancy payments that must be paid, even after only 6 months of permanent employment.

I thought it was 12 days annual leave..... not 5.

By law it's 5 days after 12 months continuous employment but as I said a lot of companies give more. We give 7 days per year and another 3 days personal leave for things like renew ID cards or parents day at school. So, in effect it is 10 paid days off work. For the public holidays you must give a minimum of 13 of them as paid paid holidays but I think there are actually about 17 in a normal year.

[Tywais]

By law it's 5 days after 12 months continuous employment but as I said a lot of companies give more. We give 7 days per year and another 3 days personal leave for things like renew ID cards or parents day at school. So, in effect it is 10 paid days off work. For the public holidays you must give a minimum of 13 of them as paid paid holidays but I think there are actually about 17 in a normal year.

Labor Protection Act (1998) and from Tilleke & Gibbins Law Firm - http://www.tilleke.com/resources/annual-leave-thailand

Employees are entitled to no fewer than 13 national holidays a year, and a minimum of six days of annual vacation after working consecutively for one full year.

[jacko45k]

Another Populist vs Realist perk by and from a developing country , that still hasn't learned (and cannot seem to learn) that if you don't produce [aren't productive] you don't eat. It is very difficult to match up populism and productivity , if by chance you are in a lazy trending society.

But Thailand does seem to produce!

Watching the BBC I learned that most of the 'Fresh' chicken in a sandwich in the UK comes from Thailand.

From an American style 'Subway' to a Gregg's butty!

Seafood, rice, wives etc all supplied to the overseas market. Hard working people need a break during the heat.

[Farang99]

Another one of the frequent multi-day holidays in a wonderful country where the enjoyment of life takes precedence over the drudgery of having to work for a living.

Enjoy.

There are still fewer holidays here than in Malaysia when I lived there. All the major religious holidays were recognised - Muslim, Buddhist, Christian and Hindu - and I knew some people (my then gardener, a Tamil, Hindu, was one of them) who changed their religion to accord with the major holidays.

[beau thai]

I really dont understand why some posters kick lumps off thai for having national holidays.. Surely most of us are here because we enjoy the lifestyle.

Many hot countries in Southern Europe enjoy many holidays. In France L'weekend is sacrosanct. So some want to enjoy life.

If you want relentless work, maybe New York is the place to love. But I have never seen on an epitaph 'I wish I spent more days at the office'

When I worked for a Minnesota based company in the uk, the US bosses moaned about 'all' of our public holidays. And then we totted up the US extras-Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day, President's Day etc

Personally I like to live in a country where people dont feel guilty about enjoying a few days off

[Gonzo the Face]

Perks or good things , done for the good of the people , presents no problems. As example consider welfare or dole, .... done for the benefit of those who truly need it is very good, but for those who abuse the system, but for those who play the loopholes, that is not a good thing for society... such as having more babies to get larger welfare checks and/or more food stamps. Those that have , and are able to offer some to the less fortunate, and do so is a good thing......But lets talk about facts here...... We see too much , everyday , whereby programs are put into place that are GOOD for those making the laws , read politicans with unlimited greed, passing laws solely for the benefit of getting votes. Read what the 30 baht health care program has done to hospitals around the country, and the flak coming down on the heads ofr the administrators of those hospitals. ....... Populist program , the manner of which was done for the sole reason to garner votes.

Sure people everywhere like to get something for nothing or very little effort, but if you wish to be part of a true working society , the funding has to be able to be there. People should not be taken advantage of because of not knowing the consequences of their action, like a vote for.

Thailand has a large amount of very, very good people, and I am happy to know many, but unfortunately also a very very large amount of greedy and self interested individuals.

JMHO

PS another vote getter..... doubling the minimum wage..... good for those who now get the pay, bad for those who loose their job, because the workplace is no longer there..... but, but, but it sure got the votes and the blame for failure goes to someone else.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Gonzo the Face

[duanebigsby]

ok, I was totally ignorant about the labour laws. I was simply saying what my Thai friends tell me about their working life.

My friends tell me they work 9 hours a day for 6 days. No holidays except public ones.

If it's against the labour laws, then I suspect many companies don't follow the rules.

We live in a country where you are not supposed to able to buy alcohol on a holiday and helmets are mandatory for motorbikes. Never seen those rules broken, have we?

[Tywais]

Just popping this reminder back up.

[Tywais]

And verification that 4th, Monday, immigration will be closed but the 1st, Friday, it will be open. Which means those who had queue number for Monday will be out of luck.

[CMMCB]

Very useful Tywais ^ - just saved me a useless trip to the PO. Will try again Weds!

Edited May 1, 2015 by CMMCB

[Konini]

including all the farang who seem to be perpetually on holiday (or enjoying retirement, something few Thais will ever experience).

If I hadn't worked hard in earlier life, like 15 hours a day 7 days a week, I would also not be able to retire.

This. It's been 8 years now so people don't look at us so surprised anymore, but we were 43 and 44 respectively when we retired. Officially 37.5 hours a week, but most weeks double that, sometimes more, occasionally much more. Saturday and Sunday are great times to be in the office with no phone calls and nobody around to talk to bother you. We both worked our backsides off, long hours, no spending, but it was worth it when we turned 43 and 44. Nobody called us lucky when we were at work, in fact they called us crazy and said we'd kill ourselves. Now though, we're lucky; they've forgotten the hard work bit.

I always tell younger people to do it whilst you're young enough to physically cope with it - I still sit behind a computer screen all day, and programming wouldn't really tax me any more than the philosophy course that I'm unofficially doing, but my husband was a tradie, and at 52 he's been out of the workforce long enough for him to be unlikely to be able get back into the physical side, long hours and call outs again.

[grin]

I saw some mention of religious holidays earlier in this topic but nothing specific. My extended family seems to be celebrating something religious this weekend, long outings to see monks at some temples, etc, both today and tomorrow.

Googling around it seems that today May 2 is a Full Moon Day but not sure who observes that.

On another site I found that May 3 is celebrated by Theravada Buddhism as Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment and Demise Anniversary.

So it looks like May starts with 5 straight holidays of various types, maybe?

Anyone know anything more specific about this weekend? When my wife and kids return I will see what I can find out.

Grin