In October 2018, Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training released Prakas No. 478 concerning the Paid Public Holiday Calendar in 2019. The schedule of holidays applies to all civil servants and workers, and includes a clause which accounts for public holidays falling on a Sunday by allowing for an extra day of on the following Monday.
Cambodia’s public holiday calendar is already one of the busiest in the world - and with the addition of the “Day of Remembrance” (20 May) in 2018, the number of public holidays per year has risen to 28. The frequency and number of Cambodian public holidays notwithstanding, it’s important that employers in Cambodia understand the updated schedule and factor those days into their payroll system.
The 2019 schedule for Cambodian public holidays has been set out as follows:
January
- 01 January - New Year’s Day: 1 day off
- 07 January - Victory Over Genocide Day: Marking the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, 1 day off
- 19 January - Meak Bochea Day: An important Buddhist festival, 1 day off
March
- 08 March - International Women’s Day: 1 day off
April
- 14-16 April - Khmer New Year’s Day: Based on the ancient Khmer Calendar, 3 days off
May
- 01 May - International Labor Day: 1 day off
- 13-15 May - King Norodom Sihamoni’s Birthday: Celebrating the current monarch of Cambodia, 3 days off
- 18 May - Visak Bochea Day: Also known as ‘Buddha Day’, 1 day off
- 20 May - Day of Remembrance: Commemorating the Cambodian genocide of the Khmer Rouge, 1 day off
- 22 May - Royal Plowing Ceremony Day: An ancient rite to mark rice growing season, 1 day off
June
- 1 June - International Children Day: 1 day off
- 18 June - Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk’s Birthday: 1 day off
September
- 24 September - Constitutional Day: Celebrating the signing of the Cambodian Constitution, 1 day off
- 27-29 September - Pchum Ben Day: Cambodian Buddhist religious festival, 3 days off
October
- 15 October - Commemoration Day of Former King Norodom: Commemorating Cambodia’s previous monarch, 1 day off
- 23 October - Paris Peace Accord: Commemorating the 1991 signing of the accords, 1 day off
- 29 October - King Norodom Sihakmoni’s Coronation Day: 1 day off
November
- 09 November - Independence Day: Celebrating Cambodia’s independence from France, 1 day off
- 10-12 November - Water Festival Day: Commemorating the end of the rains season, 3 days
December
- 10 December - International Human Rights Day: 1 day
For more insight and information on the Cambodian business and payroll landscape, explore activpayroll’s global payroll resources.
