On holiday in Australia, and I rented a Yaris

[cleong]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

I actually wasn't aware that there were Yaris's built in Thailand.

BTW, outside of the US, people seem to call vacations "holidays". So what is a holiday called (such as Christmas, ect.).

The word "holiday" is derived from "Holy Day" which is one designated day reserved for celebration or remembrance of something.

"Vacations" are periods of time we take off from work or school for rest, leasure, fun, ect.

They are two totally different things.

Sorry for the off topic observation. But can someone ouside of the USA explain this?

Different cultures. The origins are correct but the use of the word has changed over time.

Entry from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary.

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/holiday?view=uk