Bangkok in October: the 16th is a holiday, banks and government offices close for the IMF summit
October 16 is an extra holiday in Bangkok: government offices, immigration and bank branches are closed. October 13 is also a nationwide holiday. Here is which days are off, where to expect traffic and how to plan the week of October 12-18.
Friday, October 16, is an extra holiday in Bangkok. The government declared it for the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank: from October 12 to 18 the capital hosts more than 15,000 delegates from 190 countries. The holiday applies to Bangkok only - in Pattaya, Phuket and other provinces October 16 is a normal working day.
Tuesday, October 13, is a nationwide holiday, King Bhumibol (Rama IX) Memorial Day. On October 12, 14 and 15 Bangkok government offices work from home to take traffic off the roads. So for officials the week of October 12-18 in the capital is almost entirely off.
What is closed in Bangkok on October 16:
1. Government offices - including immigration.
2. Bank branches - the Bank of Thailand declared it a bank holiday for Bangkok.
3. Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) - closed to visitors from October 11 to 18, so no exhibitions or concerts there these days.
Shopping malls, restaurants and private businesses decide for themselves, nobody required them to close.
Bank branches in Bangkok are closed on October 13 and 16, and together with Saturday and Sunday that makes four days out of seven. If you need to open an account, send a transfer or sort something out at a branch, plan it for October 12, 14 or 15.
Do not schedule a visa extension or 90-day report in Bangkok for October 13 or 16: Chaeng Watthana immigration is closed on those days. Jomtien immigration in Pattaya and Phuket Town immigration close only on October 13 and are open on the 16th.
All week from October 12 to 18 the area around QSNCC - Asok, Sukhumvit and Rama IV by Benjakitti Park - will see tight security and heavy traffic. Getting around this area is easier on the MRT and BTS than by taxi.
For Bangkok residents October 16-18 means three days off in a row, a good excuse to head to the sea. If you are going to Pattaya, Hua Hin or Koh Samet on those dates, book your ride in advance: a door-to-door Bangkok - Pattaya transfer starts from 1,300 baht.
Forward this news to friends who will be in Bangkok in mid-October: they won't run into a closed bank or immigration office and will have time to plan a trip to the sea for the long weekend.
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