Setting holidays in compliance with Thai labor laws is crucial for organizations to ensure employees receive their rightful benefits and to avoid legal violations. When determining holidays, the following requirements must be considered:

        1.Weekly holidays

The law requires employers to provide employees with at least one weekly holiday, typically on Sunday. However, it can be arranged for another day by mutual agreement with the employee. In any case, there must be a consistent weekly holiday.

       2.Annual Holidays (Traditional Holidays)

Employers must provide at least 13 traditional holidays per year, including significant holidays such as New Year’s Day, Songkran, and National Labor Day. If a public holiday falls on a weekly holiday, the employer must arrange a substitute holiday on the next working day. Annual holidays should align with local culture and appropriateness, such as adding holidays during local festivals.

       3.Annual Leave (Vacation Days)

Employees who have completed one year of service are entitled to a minimum of six working days of annual leave. The employer and employee can agree on when this leave will be taken. For employees who have not completed a full year of service, the employer may grant leave on a pro-rata basis according to the length of employment.

       4.Special Leave

In addition to the legally mandated holidays, organizations can set additional special leave days, such as holidays for Outing Trips, organizational activities, or holidays during festivals when the organization wants employees to rest. Special leave should be clearly announced in advance and must not conflict with the minimum legal benefits.

       5.Flexible Holiday Management Guidelines

Some organizations may adopt a flexible holiday management approach, such as allowing employees to swap holidays or choose their own days off in certain cases. However, this should not affect work performance and must be clearly agreed upon with employees. The organization should announce holidays in advance and consider the appropriateness of the arrangement based on the nature of work in each department.

        Precautions

The setting of holidays must not cause employees to lose the benefits they are entitled to and should strictly comply with labor laws. If there is any change to the holidays, it should be communicated to employees in advance for transparency and mutual understanding. Properly setting holidays in accordance with the law helps ensure employee confidence and contributes to building an organization's credibility, as well as maintaining good relationships with employees.