Thailand Consider Friday As A Public Holiday

Bangkok, MINA – The head of the Thai government negotiating team, General Wallop Raksanoh, said the government would consider the proposal of the Muslim representatives of Patani to make Friday a public holiday.

General Wallop Raksanoh said Muslim groups in southern Thailand asked the government to declare Friday a holy day for Muslims and a public holiday.

In addition, said Wallop, Muslim Patani also requested that Malay be declared the official language of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces which are Muslim-majority areas in Southern Thailand, thus quoted from Bangkok Post on Tuesday.

Patani is a minority Muslim Malay community in the southern Thailand region bordering Malaysia.

Based on data from the Thai government, the number of Patani Muslims is around 1.4 million.

General Wallop said the request came after attending a meeting in the Nong Chik Pattani district with Patani Muslim representatives from four provinces.

He said the meeting was held to accept suggestions and listen to residents’ aspirations.

At the meeting, the Muslim group also proposed that Muslims be in charge of Hajj, drafting Islamic law for the four provinces and developing the halal industry. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)