'Bike for Dad' day may be declared national holiday

[webfact]

'Bike for Dad' day may be declared national holiday
Nantida Puangthong
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday considered whether it should declare December 11 a national holiday. This is the day when "Bike for Dad" events will be held nationwide, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said after the Cabinet's weekly meeting.

However, a final decision on the proposal has not been finalised yet, he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha handed yellow shirts to ministers at the meeting, and they will all wear these shirts for next week's Cabinet meeting, Kobkarn said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bike-for-Dad-day-may-be-declared-national-holiday-30273194.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-18

[rkidlad]

I definitely think it should be a holiday.

No better way for us all to show our respect.

[NongKhaiKid]

I think ' may be ' will read ' has been ' very soon

By the way has the Sports and Tourism Minister had a sex change as she is now quoted as a HE ?

[saakura]

I definitely think it should be a holiday.

No better way for us all to show our respect.

Agreed. And they should instruct all private companies also to declare a holiday. It is not fair that only govt employees can show respect.

[15Peter20]

"Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha handed yellow shirts to ministers at the meeting"

At last. Secure in his dominance, the big guy finally shows his hand unashamedly in a way he wouldn't have dared a year or so ago. I wonder if this would make Suthep smile?

[Bluespunk]

He handed out yellow shirts?

Why?

[NongKhaiKid]

"Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha handed yellow shirts to ministers at the meeting"

At last. Secure in his dominance, the big guy finally shows his hand unashamedly in a way he wouldn't have dared a year or so ago. I wonder if this would make Suthep smile?

Isn't yellow the colour of the King ?

Given all considerations though should some discretion not have been applied ?

[pedro01]

He handed out yellow shirts?

Yellow has and always will be a color associated with the King. Each day has a color. Yellow is the color for Monday. The King was born on a Monday. Hence yellow flags, yellow shirts etc have always been used to show respect to the King.

That predates all the political issues of the past decade.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Rimmer

[taony]

Just do it already. How boring to be hearing about this for weeks. Are they going to wait until the 9th to decide?

[JAG]

"Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha handed yellow shirts to ministers at the meeting"

At last. Secure in his dominance, the big guy finally shows his hand unashamedly in a way he wouldn't have dared a year or so ago. I wonder if this would make Suthep smile?

Isn't yellow the colour of the King ?

Given all considerations though should some discretion not have been applied ?

Ah but that was the whole point of PAD/PDRC/The gargantuan mass of all the people ( or whatever Suthep calls it this week), by adopting yellow they took a genuine respect for the monarch and made it into a political statement. If you're not yellow you're not loyal.

[kingalfred]

Another public holiday. Ahh so all of the wealthy can have another day off, but the poor who need to work to survive have to keep going. dec 5 is enough

[waldroj]

Cabinet considered whether it should declare December 11 a national holiday. However, a final decision on the proposal has not been finalised yet.

Sounds like no one had a coin!

[smutcakes]

The only reason i presume this has not already been called a National holiday is that they are worried if they do, with Thursday also being a National holiday that everyone wil bugger off out of BKK for a long weekend, making the turnout not so great.

That is the only reason i can think why they are umming and ahhing about this given the normal ease they annouce public holidays if proper ones fall on Thursdays or Tuesdays.

[Ace of Pop]

Selling Bikes

[MESmith]

Selling Bikes

Selling shirts, more like,

Do the proceeds for all those unofficial shirts go to good causes?

[CelticBhoy]

We have been told this morning that it is.

Nice four day break, thank you very much.

[OneZero]

I thought that was what the holiday around 5th of December was for. Why didn't they organize bike for dad on that day?

Exactly. Are Friday 04Dec & Mon 07Dec already going to be holidays? Is this a propaganda pitch / populist move (give away another holiday) to gain support for the new kids on the block?

[Assurancetourix]

Maybe ..for new yellow shirts and surely for more dead people on the roads .

I'm looking at the calendar ;

saturday 5/12, sunday 6/12 and monday 7/12 are holidays ;

tuesday and wednesday 8/12 & 9/12 are working days

thursday 10/12 is a "Bouddha" day, I think; it's also red on my calendar so another holiday day

If friday 11/12 is a new holiday day; we have saturday 12/12 and sunday13/12 as holidays again..

Prepare to have a 9 day free for banks and civil servant offices and correlatively 9 beautiful days for killing other people on the thai roads .

And me shutting myself up in the house .

[kotsak]

Maybe ..for new yellow shirts and surely for more dead people on the roads .

I'm looking at the calendar ;

saturday 5/12, sunday 6/12 and monday 7/12 are holidays ;

tuesday and wednesday 8/12 & 9/12 are working days

thursday 10/12 is a "Bouddha" day, I think; it's also red on my calendar so another holiday day

If friday 11/12 is a new holiday day; we have saturday 12/12 and sunday13/12 as holidays again..

Prepare to have a 9 day free for banks and civil servant offices and correlatively 9 beautiful days for killing other people on the thai roads .

And me shutting myself up in the house .

10/12 is Constitution Day, which under the current conditions makes it a joke.

[jalansanitwong]

I'm a dad , so what? if youre silly enough to ride a bike here then do it on a Sunday when its quicker to get to a hospital after getting wiped out by a truck.

There are too many public holidays and long weekends as it is.

Just a cheap idea for giving the garment industry a boost.

[NongKhaiKid]

The only reason i presume this has not already been called a National holiday is that they are worried if they do, with Thursday also being a National holiday that everyone wil bugger off out of BKK for a long weekend, making the turnout not so great.

That is the only reason i can think why they are umming and ahhing about this given the normal ease they annouce public holidays if proper ones fall on Thursdays or Tuesdays.

Decisions, decisions ! Max turn out for the bike event and / or a certain lady will be in there with facts and figures about how many travelled and most importantly how much they spent, supposedly.

[Langsuan Man]

Thailand is number 4 on the list of countries in having the most public holidays

Two more and they will tie with the Philippines and Columbia for the number 2 spot

source: http://gulfbusiness.com/articles/lifestyle/revealed-countries-with-the-most-number-of-public-holidays/

Maybe the hub of holidays is within reach

[smutcakes]

Maybe ..for new yellow shirts and surely for more dead people on the roads .

I'm looking at the calendar ;

saturday 5/12, sunday 6/12 and monday 7/12 are holidays ;

tuesday and wednesday 8/12 & 9/12 are working days

thursday 10/12 is a "Bouddha" day, I think; it's also red on my calendar so another holiday day

If friday 11/12 is a new holiday day; we have saturday 12/12 and sunday13/12 as holidays again..

Prepare to have a 9 day free for banks and civil servant offices and correlatively 9 beautiful days for killing other people on the thai roads .

And me shutting myself up in the house .

the 5th & 6th are not public holidays and neither are the 12th & 13th.

They are weekend days which if you normally have them off, then you will be off, but if you work a weekend normally you will be at work.

There are two official public holidays and they are perhaps going to give one more. So it is 2 or 3 days off.

[huangnon]

Great message to investors and businesses here.. Ad hoc, spontaneous "holidays". That should really spur the economy.

[Assurancetourix]

the 5th & 6th are not public holidays and neither are the 12th & 13th.

They are weekend days which if you normally have them off, then you will be off, but if you work a weekend normally you will be at work.

There are two official public holidays and they are perhaps going to give one more. So it is 2 or 3 days off.

You can play with words; if that friday 11th of december is a new holiday day ; prepare to have a 9 days banks and civil offices shut ;

so more accidents on thai roads .

[Bluespunk]

He handed out yellow shirts?

Why?

Yellow has and always will be a color associated with the King. Each day has a color. Yellow is the color for Monday. The King was born on a Monday. Hence yellow flags, yellow shirts etc have always been used to show respect to the King.

That predates all the political issues of the past decade.

The colour has a completely different connotation in the current political climate and for a man who goes on and on and on and on about unity the PM might have shown a little more common sense.

[JAG]

Selling Bikes

Well, there is certainly a concerted effort to "sell" something!

[newnative]

Not ANOTHER extra holiday! Thailand already has more regular holidays than any other country in the World except one. This year several extra holidays were already declared if memory serves me. Student class time has already been greatly reduced; adding more holidays isn't going to help them learn anything when they are in class so infrequently. But, maybe that's the idea.

[Laughing Gravy]

Another lets not plan ahead and wait to the last minute and inform the people just showing how totally incompetent we are. Way to go! Personifies just how professional and organized you are.

[IAMHERE]

A good idea would be to make the day before and day of the bike ride a no alcohol day. Less drunks on the road probably the better the event.