Okay, first off happy new year to all. Now I have a question about New Years in Thailand that does bother me and here is where I hope to find the answer.

 

I have a maid who comes in once a week to clean. Besides paying her weekly, I have been tipping her on Western New Years and not Chinese or Thai New Years. According to my BF this is okay, but I wonder if it would not be more appropriate to wait for Thai New Years. Come on, someone help me, when is it Thai's expect their employer to give them a New Years Bonus?

When I moved to Bangkok, I was always told the most important tip was just before Songkran - i.e. prior to people going back home for the holiday. So that's what I do with my maid. I don't tip at Easter, Western New Year, Chinese New Year, Balinese New Year or other similar celebrations. Maybe I'm just mean!

 

WIshing everyone a Happy - and safe - holiday.

Happy Holidays to all. I wish I was in LOS to celebrate with friends and boys. I love Songkran and it is my favorite holiday there.

 

Stuck in Texas and instead of rain, there was a huge wildfire that went on for 24 hours yesterday. All I could think of was "do they have wildfires in Thailand?"

All I could think of was "do they have wildfires in Thailand?"

yes, sometimes, in some areas, but not that many. More annoying are the fires deliberately put on-mainly in the north (to clear the fields of old scraps) that run out of hand and make nasty fogs.

yes, sometimes, in some areas, but not that many. More annoying are the fires deliberately put on-mainly in the north (to clear the fields of old scraps) that run out of hand and make nasty fogs.

 

Actually, this year the air isn't anywhere near as bad as in the past. I'm not sure if they are burning less this winter or if the occasional rains we've had (a lot more than last winter) have done the trick. In any event, the air is passable and not as bad as it normally is in March and April.