Songkran shutdown must cost billions
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I know I will be called a party pooper, but does Thailand really expect the rest of the world to stand still while it celebrates Songkran? (And is it my imagination, or does this holiday get longer every year)?
Each quarter I receive an inter-bank electronic funds-transfer from Australia to my Thai bank account. These transactions normally happen overnight, and on some occasions have taken just hours. The last despatch was five days ago, and I am still awaiting its deposit in my Thai account, but the bank here has been closed for days on end.
Mine is but one, relatively small financial transaction, but has anyone attempted to estimate the cost to Thailand of its banking industry shutting down for so long? It must run into the billions!
David Brown
Rayong
