Phuket Prepares For the Extended Holiday Weekend

The 71st birthday of His Majesty The King will be celebrated next Friday (July 28), and the country will witness two major Buddhist religious holidays, Asarnha Bucha Day and Khao Phansa (Buddhist Lent), on August 1-2.  Authorities encourage the public to benefit from the five-day holidays over six days next weekend.

Phuket Immigration has already announced that its offices and all government offices will be closed on Friday (July 28) to commemorate the King’s Birthday national public holiday.

Also, on the following Friday, the bank’s main offices will be closed, while some bank branches in retail centers will stay open.

The Thailand Post branches and mall kiosks will stay open as usual. In contrast, hospitals will offer only emergency and ongoing regular treatment, and ancillary services, including weight loss and skin care, will be unavailable.

There will be no closures of Royal Thai Police or Tourist Police stations, and some consulates will stay open to assist their respective citizens.

However, government offices will reopen on Monday (July 31), which is not a holiday, before closing again for two additional days, Asarnha Bucha and Khao Phansa, on August 1 and 2.

As both Asarnha Bucha and Khao Phansa are significant religious holidays, it is illegal to sell alcohol throughout the country on both days. Therefore, the alcohol prohibition will begin at 12:01 a.m. on August 1 and end at midnight on August 2 (23:59 p.m., August 2).

The prohibition does not apply to duty-free stores in international terminals.

The Bank of Thailand has not declared Khao Pansa a bank holiday this year due to the impact of so many holidays appearing simultaneously.

SOURCE: Phuket News

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