Public Holidays

     In Thailand most workers do not receive the generous holiday/vacation leave allowances people do in the west, although this is offset by the greater number of public holidays Thais enjoy. Many public holidays are based around festivals. Clearly, Thai people want to make the most of these holidays by taking a break or visiting relatives at home in a different province. They are very often periods of significant increase in domestic tourism and travel. During some of the Thai public holidays, you might find hotels and resorts fully booked and it might not be possible to get transportation to the places you want to visit. Clearly a bit of planning is in order.

The festivals that often take place during public holidays are great times to see aspects of ‘real’ Thailand and to feel more involved than you usually might. This is especially true of the Songkran festival. They can though be periods of frustration if travel plans do not go right. Reserve hotels and buy tickets at least a few weeks in advance. In addition, avoid the hassles getting back to Bangkok on the last day a holiday by staying a couple of extra days out of town.

List of Thailand’s Public Holidays During 2011

Monday	January 3, 2011	New Year's Day (Substitution: Sat Jan 1)
Friday	February 18, 2011	Makha Bucha Day
Wednesday	April 6, 2011	Chakri Day
Wednesday-Friday	April 13-15, 2011	Songkran Festival Day
Monday	May 2, 2011	National Labor Day (Substitution: Sun May 1)
Thursday	May 5, 2011	Coronation Day
Tuesday	May 17, 2011	Visakha Bucha Day
Friday	July 15, 2011	Buddhist Lent Day
Friday	August 12, 2011	H.M. The Queen's Birthday
Monday	October 24, 2011	Chulalongkorn Day (Substitution: Sun Oct 23)
Monday	December 5, 2011	H.M. The King’s Birthday
Monday	December 12, 2011	Constitution Day (Substitution: Sat Dec 10)
Monday	January 2, 2012	New Year’s Eve (Substitution: Sat Dec 31)

Special Thanks Info : www.discoverythailand.com