Only in Thailand

[Snick]

One thing that always amazes me in Thailand, is the governments ability to make up holidays at the last minute.

In any other country I've been to Holidays are established way in advance, certainly more than a year. Not so in Thailand where extra holidays seem to get added all the time. Right now its an extra day of Songkran, April 17th -- this was decided 2 weeks before the date. And its the Law, you have to give office employees the day off. Last year they added a bunch for the king, the year before that they added almost a week to keep traffic down during the APEC conference.

Only in Thailand.

[bodbatty]

Saudi Arabia too. Arab summit last week, all Saudi's get two days off at last minute due to "road closures". Expats still have to work!

[Bravo]

you don't have to give employees the 17th off. Checked with several clients too and they are staying open. All staff will be working

[Snick]

From The Nation website

Songkran revelries to go on for five days

The Cabinet agreed yesterday to extend this year's Songkran festival, which was originally set down as a four-day break from Friday April 13 until Monday April 16, for an extra day.

The Labour Ministry threatened to punish employers who refused to allow workers a five-day Songkran break after a resolution by the Cabinet to extend the holiday.

The permanent secretary for the PM's Office sought a fifth day off on Tuesday April 17 to give workers a better chance to visit families in their hometowns.

Labour Protection and Welfare Department chief Padungsak Thephasdin na Ayutthaya said he had issued an announcement asking for cooperation from some 350,000 businesses to let their workers celebrate Songkran from April 13 until 17, according to the Cabinet resolution yesterday.

He said if there were complaints to the department about business operators refusing to allow workers the extra day, the department would take action against the employer under the Labour Protection Act.

The Thai New Year falls on April 13 to 15 every year, and according to a Cabinet resolution in May 2001, if the holiday falls on the weekend, the next weekday can be made a holiday in lieu.

An informed source yesterday revealed that the Interior Ministry was planning to transfer many provincial governors in the Northeast after Songkran.

It said the governors of Buri Ram, Surin and Si Sa Ket were likely to be affected in the upcoming reshuffles because they failed to respond to government policies and policies of the Council for National Security.

At 3.30 pm yesterday, a group of Buri Ram activists called on the Interior Ministry's permanent secretary Pongphayom Wasapooti to appoint a new governor for Buri Ram in place of the incumbent Kongkiat Akaraprasertkul.

"The governor has sided with people supporting the ousted regime," Srimuang Wattana-cheep, one if the activists, said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007....071.php

[katoeylover]

(Snick @ Apr. 04 2007,15:02) The Labour Ministry threatened to punish employers who refused to allow workers a five-day Songkran break after a resolution by the Cabinet to extend the holiday.

I'd give em the day off then!

nothing like a promised short spell in the Bangkok Hilton to change your mind!