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Public holidays play a crucial role in shaping a company’s culture. These designated days off represent more than just breaks from the regular work routine; they are important in fostering a balanced and inclusive workplace.
Recognizing and appropriately managing public holidays is an essential part of HR functions, contributing to employee well-being, morale and legal compliance. As we welcome the new year, HR professionals need to keep track of the Thailand public holidays 2025, as it affects work schedules, payroll, leave management, and overall business productivity.
This comprehensive Thailand public holiday guide will provide you with important information on Thailand’s regular and special public holidays, employee entitlements and managing public holiday pay during these dates.
How many public holidays in Thailand?
Understanding Thailand public holidays 2025 is essential to conducting business and ensuring proper workforce planning. It is worth noting that many Thailand public holidays are rooted in Buddhist traditions, meaning the dates can vary from year to year based on the lunar calendar. Thailand also deeply reveres its monarchy, and numerous holidays commemorate royal birthdays and significant events.
Here is the list of Thailand public holidays 2025:
- New Year’s Day - 1 January 2025
- Makha Bucha Day - 12 February 2025
- Chakri Memorial Day - 6 & 7 April 2025
- Songkran Festival - 13-16 April 2025
- Labour Day - 1 May 2025
- Coronation Day - 4 & 5 May 2025
- Visakha Bucha Day - 11 & 12 May 2025
- Bridge Day (New Holiday) - 2 June 2025
- Queen Suthida's Birthday - 3 June 2025
- Asarnha Bucha Day - 10 July 2025
- Khao Phansa Day - 11 July 2025
- King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday - 28 July 2025
- The Queen's Mother's Birthday - 11 & 12 August 2025
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej Memorial Day - 13 October 2025
- Chulalongkorn Memorial Day - 23 October 2025
- King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Birthday - 5 December 2025
- Constitution Day - 10 December 2025
- New Year’s Eve - 31 December 2025
Omni note: Bridge days are introduced by the government to create a longer weekend. This is done to encourage domestic tourism and boost the economy. The two notable bridge days in Thailand public holidays 2025 are the day before Queen Suthida’s birthday and the day before the Queen’s Mother’s Birthday.
Navigating Public Holiday Thailand 2025 Pay
To ensure compliance with public holiday pay, it’s important to understand the provisions of the Thai Labor Protection Act.
What are the key principles for public holidays?
Paid holidays
Under Section 56 of the Labor Protection Act, employees in Thailand are entitled to paid public holidays according to the announcement of the employer. This means that they should receive their regular daily wage, even if they don’t work.
Working on public holidays
Section 62 of the Labor Protection Act states that if an employer requires an employee to work on holiday, they are entitled to additional compensation. The key part of this is the compensation rate. It is mandated that the employee must receive at least double their regular hourly wage. Note that employers have the choice to pay more, but they cannot pay less than this legal minimum.
Example 1: New Year’s Day falls on a Monday, and Somsri is scheduled to work.
- Daily salary: THB 800
- Hourly wage: THB 800/8 hours = THB 100 per hour
- Holiday work pay: THB 100/hour x 2 = THB 200/hour
- Total holiday work pay for 8 hours: THB 200 x 8 hours = THB 1,600
- Outcome: Somsri receives THB 2,400 (THB 800 + THB 1,600) for working 8 hours on New Year’s Day.
Omni note: Somsri will receive THB 800 just for the holiday itself under the Labor Protection Act, as employees are entitled to their daily salary regardless of whether they are working on that day or not.
Overtime on public holidays
Section 63 of the Act states that overtime on public holidays must be paid at triple the normal hourly wage.
Example 2: Same scenario as above, Somsri is scheduled to work 2 hours overtime.
- Daily salary: THB 800
- Hourly wage: THB 800/8 hours = THB 100 per hour
- Holiday overtime pay: THB 100/hour x 3 = THB 300/hour
- Total holiday overtime pay for 2 hours: THB 300 x 2 hours = THB 600
- Outcome: Somsri receives THB 600 for working 2 hours overtime on New Year’s Day.
To summarize, Somsri is entitled to THB 3,000 for working 8 hours and 2 hours overtime on New Year’s Day:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are all Thailand public holidays observed nationwide?
Most are, but some regional variations may exist, particularly in southern Thailand, where Islamic holidays are also observed. It is suggested to refer to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thai government’s official websites for the latest news.
2. How many public holidays in Thailand?
The number of Thailand public holidays can vary slightly from year to year. For 2025, Thailand will observe 20 public holidays with 2 bridge days for a long weekend.
3. Is Christmas a public holiday in Thailand?
As Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, Christmas is not included in its official public holidays. However, it is still widely recognized and celebrated, and many shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants in major cities like Bangkok will feature Christmas decorations and events.
4. What happens if a Thailand public holiday falls on a weekend?
If a public holiday falls on a weekend, a compensatory holiday will often be observed on the following Monday.
5. Are banks and government offices closed on public holidays?
Yes, banks and government offices are generally closed on official public holidays.
6. Do foreign workers have the same rights regarding Thailand public holiday pay?
Yes, the Thai Labor Protection Act applies to all employees working in Thailand, regardless of nationality. Hence, the Thailand public holiday pay applies to foreign workers as well.
7. If I am on a monthly salary, how is my daily rate calculated for Thailand public holiday pay?
Typically, your monthly salary is divided by the average number of working days in a month to determine your daily rate. Refer to examples above for a detailed calculation of your Thailand public holiday pay.
Managing Leave and Public Holiday Pay with Omni
Managing leave and Thailand public holidays 2025 is crucial at the workplace. Employers should communicate holiday schedules early, ensuring enough coverage during peak employee absence periods. Clear rules on holiday pay and time-off requests, especially during festive times, contribute to fair time off management and payroll practices.
Omni’s time off management capabilities empower managers and HR teams to swiftly navigate employee leave applications. Our platform allows you to approve leave applications on the go and keep track of who’s in and out of the office with at-a-glance scheduling.
Our employee self-service portal enables employees to submit their time off requests, which automatically route to the appropriate manager thanks to customizable approval workflows. Automated calculations offer real-time leave balance visibility without the need for HR intervention.
Check out our employee time-off request form template!
For public holiday entitlements, Omni’s comprehensive payroll solution integrates seamlessly with leave management. Supporting THB and offering automated public holiday pay, tax calculations, and managed contributions, Omni simplifies payroll processing while ensuring compliance.
Choose Omni to effortlessly manage your Thailand public holidays 2025 leave and entitlements, tailored to meet your evolving business needs. Book a demo with our team today to learn more.
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