The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has added Aug 11 to the list of public holidays this year to create an extra long weekend to boost the domestic tourism sector.
NCPO spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong said NCPO members agreed on the move at a meeting yesterday.
The additional day makes for a four-day-long weekend from Aug 9 to 12.
Aug 9 and 10 fall on Saturday and Sunday and Aug 12 is the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, a national holiday.
The decision was made to promote tourism and help revitalise the economy. It was proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on Monday in talks with Adm Narong Pipattansai, the NCPO deputy chairman and navy commander.
The tourism sector is in a slump due to the People's Democratic Reform Committee's street rallies which stretched over six months, followed by enforcement of martial law and the coup.
Despite the end to the nationwide curfew, martial law remains in force. Its enforcement since May 22 has prompted many nations to advise against visiting Thailand.
The political unrest here has prompted tourism authorities to scale down foreign visitor projections from 28 million to 26 million this year.