Veterans Day

Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans, that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.

History

On November 11, 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issued a message to his countrymen on the first Armistice Day in which he expressed what he felt the day meant to Americans:

Armed Forces Day (United Kingdom)

Armed Forces Day (formerly Veterans' Day) in the United Kingdom is an annual event celebrated in late June to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces. Veterans' Day was first observed in 2006. Although an official event, it is not a public holiday in the UK. The name was changed to Armed Forces Day in 2009. Armed Forces Day has so far been observed on the last Saturday of June.

Origins

Plans for a Veterans' Day were announced in February 2006 by then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, who said the aim was to ensure the contribution of veterans was never forgotten. The day is marked across the UK by local ceremonies and the presentation of medals to living ex-servicemen and women. The date of 27 June was chosen as it came the day after the anniversary of the first investiture of the Victoria Cross, in Hyde Park, London in 1857.

Veterans Day was created as a permanent extension of Veterans' Awareness Week first held in 2005. Armed Forces Day generally focuses on celebrating living current/ex servicemen & women, whereas Remembrance Day focuses on honouring the dead. Although it used to be called Veteran's Day in the UK, it is not the same as the United States' Veterans Day which is more similar to Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth.

Public holidays in Thailand

Public holidays in Thailand are regulated by the government, and most are observed by both the public and private sectors. There are usually 16 public holidays in a year, but more may be declared by the cabinet. The actual number of holidays for the individual is determined by the nature of the organization for which they work, i.e., public, private, institutions governed by the Bank of Thailand, or state-owned enterprises (excluding financial institutions).

On average, workers in the first three groups are entitled to 14 holidays, while state-owned enterprise workers enjoy up to 15 holidays (or more). If a holiday falls on a weekend, one following workday is observed as a compensatory holiday. The Bank of Thailand regulates bank holidays, which differ slightly from those observed by the government. Other observances, both official and non-official, local and international, are observed to varying degrees throughout the country.

Public holidays