Date and time notation in Thailand
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| Full date | 22 พฤศจิกายน 2567 |
|---|---|
| All-numeric date | 22/11/2567 |
| Time | 13:33 |
Thailand has adopted ISO 8601 under national standard: TIS 1111:2535 in 1992. However, Thai date and time notation reflects the country’s cultural development through the years used. The formal date format is D/M/YYYY format (1/6/25), nowadays using the Buddhist Era (BE). The full date format is day-month-year format which is written in Thai (๑ มิถุนายน ๒๕๖๘). While a 24-hour system is common for official use, colloquially, a 12-hour format with terms like “morning” (Thai :เช้า, pronounced [Chêā]) and “night”(Thai :ค่ำ, pronounced [Kh̀ả]) or a modified 6-hour format is used.
Date
[edit]Thailand uses the Thai solar calendar as the official calendar, in which the calendar's epochal date (Year zero) was the year in which the Buddha attained parinibbāna. This places the current year at 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. The year 2024 AD is indicated as 2567 BE in Thailand. Despite adopting ISO 8601, Thai official date is still written in D/M/YYYY formats, such as 30 January 2567 BE (2024 AD) or 30/1/2567.[1] Anno Domini may be used in unofficial context, and is written in the same format (D/M/YYYY).
In full date format, the year is marked with "พ.ศ." (Buddhist era) or "ค.ศ." (lit. Anno Domini) to avoid confusion. As each calendar is 543 years apart, there is very little confusion in the contemporary context.
Day in thai
[edit]Day in a week(Thai : สัปดาห์, pronounced [S̄ạpdāh̄̒]) according to the ISO 8601 international standard, Monday is designated as the first day of the week, while Sunday is considered as the last day. Meanwhile, in Thailand, Sunday was considered the start of the week, which ended on Saturday.
| Day in English | Day in Thai | Thai pronuciation | Thai Abbr. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | วันอาทิตย์ | wan aa-thit | อา. |
| Monday | วันจันทร์ | wan jan | จ. |
| Tuesday | วันอังคาร | wan ang-kaan | อ. |
| Wednesday | วันพุธ | wan phut | พ. |
| Thursday | วันพฤหัส | wan pha-rue-hat | พฤ. |
| Friday | วันศุกร์ | wan suk | ศ. |
| Saturday | วันเสาร์ | wan sao | ส. |
Month in thai
[edit]In Thai, the names of months can be categorized based on the number of days they contain. Months with 30 days typically end with the suffix -yon(Thai : -ยน), while those with 31 days end with -khom(Thai : -คม). An exception is February, which is designated with the suffix -phan(Thai : -พันธ์) and has either 28 or 29 days depending on whether it is a leap year, as determined by the solar leap year system, referred to as Athikasuratin(Thai : ปีอธิกสุรทิน) .
| Number of month | Month in English | Month in Thai | Thai pronunciation | Abbr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January | มกราคม | Mkrākhm | ม.ค. |
| 2 | February | กุมภาพันธ์ | Kump̣hāphạnṭh̒ | ก.พ. |
| 3 | March | มีนาคม | mīnākhm | มี.ค. |
| 4 | April | เมษายน | mes̄ʹāyn | เม.ย. |
| 5 | May | พฤษภาคม | phvs̄ʹp̣hākhm | พ.ค. |
| 6 | June | มิถุนายน | mit̄hunāyn | มิ.ย. |
| 7 | July | กรกฎาคม | krkḍākhm | ก.ค. |
| 8 | August | สิงหาคม | s̄ingh̄ākhm | ส.ค. |
| 9 | September | กันยายน | kạnyāyn | ก.ย. |
| 10 | October | ตุลาคม | tulākhm | ต.ค. |
| 11 | November | พฤศจิกายน | phvṣ̄cikāyn | พ.ย. |
| 12 | December | ธันวาคม | ṭhạnwākhm | ธ.ค. |
Year in thai
[edit]The Thai calendar has evolved significantly throughout the nation's history, from their culture and tradition. Each era has been used to mark the passage of time, reflecting the historical and religious influences of the era.
Sukhothai and Ayutthaya Periods
[edit]The lunar calendar (Thai : ปฏิทินจันทรคติ, pronounced [Pt̩ithin cạnthrkhti]) system is based on the cycles of the moon. A lunar month lasts about 291/2 days, and the year consists of 12 months with the occasional insertion of an extra month (13th month) to keep the lunar and solar years aligned. Each month is divided into two phases the waxing moon ( Thai : ขึ้น, pronounced [K̄hụ̂n] ) and the waning moon (Thai : แรม, pronounced [Ræm]).
The traditional Thai lunar calendar follows the Buddhist Era (Thai :พุทธศักราช, pronouced [Phuthṭhṣ̄ạkrāch] ), which is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar.
Important dates on the Thai calendar were often connected to Buddhism, such as Visakha Bucha Day (Thai :วันวิสาขบูชา, pronounced [Wạn wis̄āk̄hbūchā]), which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. These holidays are determined by the lunar calendar.
Maha Sakarat
[edit]Maha Sakarat[2] (Thai : มหาศักราช, pronouced [maha sakarat ] ) is widely used in historical evidence such as stone inscriptions and chronicles from both the Sukhothai and early Ayutthaya periods. Maha Sakarat was established by King Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty, the ruler of India, beginning after the Buddhist Era 622 (Maha Sakarat corresponds to 622 CE).
Chula Sakarat
[edit]Chula Sakarat [3](Thai : จุลศักราช, pronounced [chula sakarat] ) is an era influenced by Burma. The King of Pagan first started using it in Burma in 1182 CE and it spread to the Lanna Kingdom starting after 1181 CE. Thais like to use Chula Sakarat in astrological calculations and to indicate the year in inscriptions, legends, records, and chronicles until the time of King Rama V when he announced its abolition and used Rattanakosin Era (R.S.) instead.
Rattanakosin Period
[edit]The Ratanakosin Era (Thai : รัตนโกสินทร์ศก, pronouced [Rạtnkos̄inthr̒ ṣ̄k]) was initially instituted in B.E. 2325 by King Chulalongkorn (Thai : พระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว), commencing with the year when Bangkok was designated as the capital as R.S. 1. It was declared to be canceled during the early reign of Maha Chakri VI king Vajiravudh (Thai : พระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว).
Gregorian year
[edit]The Buddhist calendar(Thai : พุทธศักราช, pronounced [Phuthṭhṣ̄ạkrāch]) is widely used in Southeast Asian countries that follow the Theravada school of Buddhism, particularly in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. In Thailand, it was formally adopted in B.E. 2455 (1912 CE), during the reign of King Rama VI, replacing the Rattanakosin Era. Although it has been in use since the Ayutthaya period, it continues to be used today. The Buddhist Era (B.E.) starts one year after the Buddha's parinirvana, making the Buddhist calendar 543 years ahead of the Western Gregorian calendar.
Year calculation
[edit]B.E. = A.D. + 543
B.E. = M.S. + 621
B.E. = C.E. + 1181
B.E. = R.S. + 2324
Date colloquialism in Thailand
[edit]The time points of days in the past, present, and future, which are found in the Thai language, are expressed using various words, including
- Past: “เมื่อวาน” (pronounced [Meụ̄̀x wān] ) refers to Yesterday or one day before today, “เมื่อวานซืน” (pronounced [Meụ̄̀x wānsụ̄n] ) refers to the day before yesterday or two days before today
- Present: “วันนี้” (pronounced [Wạn nī̂] ) refers to today
- Future: “พรุ่งนี้” (pronounced [Phrùng nī̂] )refers to Tomorrow or one day after today, “มะรืนนี้”(pronounced [Marụ̄n nī̂] ) refers to The day after tomorrow or two days after today, and “มะเรื่อง”(pronounced [Ma reụ̄̀xng] ) refers to Three days after today.
Month Colloquialism
[edit]The time points of months in the past, present and future, which are found in Thai language, are expressed using many words, including
- Past: “เดือนที่ผ่านมา”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn thī̀ p̄h̀ān mā] ) , “เดือนที่แล้ว” (pronounced [Deụ̄xn thī̀ læ̂w] ),and “เดือนก่อน”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn k̀xn] ) refer to previous month or last month and “เดือนที่แล้วมา” (pronounced [Deụ̄xn thī̀ læ̂w mā] ) refers to a month that came before the last month but does not specify an exact time frame.
- Present: “เดือนนี้”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn nī̂] ) refers to this month.
- Future: “เดือนหน้า”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn h̄n̂ā] ) and “เดือนถัดไป”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn t̄hạd pị] ) refer to next month or 1 month after the current month and “เดือนหน้านู้น”(pronounced [Deụ̄xn h̄n̂ā nū̂n] ) refers to the month two months from now, 2 months after the current month or more
Year Colloquialism
[edit]The time points of years in the past, present and future, which are found in Thai language, are expressed using many words, including
- Past: “ปีก่อน”(pronounced [Pī k̀xn] ) or “ปีที่แล้ว”(pronounced [Pī thī̀ læ̂w] ) refers to the year before last or one year before the current year and “ปีกลาย”(pronounced [Pīklāy] ) refers to more than one year before the current year, but it does not specify exactly how many years ago.
- Present: “ปีนี้”(pronounced [Pī nī̂] ) refers to this year.
- Future: “ปีหน้า”(pronounced [Pī h̄n̂ā] ) and “ปีถัดไป”(pronounced [Pī t̄hạd pị] ) refers to next year or one year after the current year.
Time
[edit]There are two systems of telling time in Thailand. Official time follows a 24-hour clock. The 24-hour clock is commonly used in military, aviation, navigation, meteorology, astronomy, computing, logistical, emergency services, and hospital settings, where the ambiguities of the 12-hour clock cannot be tolerated.
In the second, everyday usage, the day is divided into four six-hour periods.[5]: 101 Additional words are used to identify the period specified (similar to a.m. or p.m. for a 12-hour system).
The distinguishing words are:[6]
- 00:00-00:59 = เที่ยงคืน thiang khuen
- 01:00-05:59 = ตี ti
- 06:00-11:59 = โมงเช้า mong chao
- 12:00-12:59 = เที่ยง tiang
- 13:00-15:59 = บ่ายโมง bai mong
- 16:00-18:59 = โมงเย็น mong yen
- 19:00-23:59 = ทุ่ม thum
Thailand is in the UTC+07:00 time zone, which is also known as Indochina Time (ICT) and military time zone Golf.
Thai 6-hour clock
[edit]The thai 6-hour clock divides the day into four distinct 6-hour periods and reflects traditional Thai customs. While modern Thailand primarily uses the 24-hour clock for official purposes, this system remains a cultural heritage from earlier Thai norms. It is still occasionally used in informal settings, especially in rural areas and casual conversation.
Notation of the Thai time system [7]
- The first 6-hour period (1.00 - 6.59 AM)
The time is expressed using the numbers 1 through 6, followed by the phrase "ตี" (pronounced "ti").
- Second 6-hour period (7.00 AM - 12.59 PM) (Noon)
Time is expressed using the numbers 1 through 6, followed by the phrase "โมงเช้า" (mong chao).
- Third 6-hour period (1.00 - 6.59 PM)
Time is expressed using the numbers 1 through 6, followed by the phrase "บ่าย" (bai) or "โมงเย็น" (moong Yen).
- Fourth 6-hour period (7.00 PM - 12.59 AM) (Midnight)
Time is expressed using the numbers 1 through 6, followed by the phrase "ทุ่ม" (thum).
The 24-hour clock in Thai is used similarly to the international system, especially in formal contexts like transportation, news,military and government. By expressing 00.00 - 23.59, followed by the phase “นาฬิกา”(naa-li-gaa)
| 24-hour numerical notation | Time | 6-hour | 24-hour | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thai colloquialism | Thai pronuciation | Thai colloquialism | Thai pronuciation | ||
| 24.00 / 00.00 | midnight | เที่ยงคืน / หกทุ่ม | thiang khuen / hok thum | ยี่สิบสี่ นาฬิกา | yi sip si naa-li-gaa |
| 01.00 | 1 early morning | ตีหนึ่ง | ti nueng | หนึ่ง นาฬิกา | neung naa-li-gaa |
| 02.00 | 2 early morning | ตีสอง | ti song | สอง นาฬิกา | song naa-li-gaa |
| 03.00 | 3 early morning | ตีสาม | ti sam | สาม นาฬิกา | sam naa-li-gaa |
| 04.00 | 4 early morning | ตีสี่ | ti si | สี่ นาฬิกา | si naa-li-gaa |
| 05.00 | 5 early morning | ตีห้า | ti ha | ห้า นาฬิกา | ha naa-li-gaa |
| 06.00 | 6 in the morning | ตีหก | ti hok | หก นาฬิกา | hok naa-li-gaa |
| 07.00 | 7 in the morning | เจ็ดโมงเช้า | chet mong chao | เจ็ด นาฬิกา | chet naa-li-gaa |
| 08.00 | 8 in the morning | แปดโมงเช้า | paet mong chao | แปด นาฬิกา | paet naa-li-gaa |
| 09.00 | 9 in the morning | เก้าโมงเช้า | kao mong chao | เก้า นาฬิกา | kao naa-li-gaa |
| 10.00 | 10 in the morning | สิบโมงเช้า | sip mong chao | สิบ นาฬิกา | sip naa-li-gaa |
| 11.00 | 11 in the morning | สิบเอ็ดโมงเช้า | sip et mong chao | สิบเอ็ด นาฬิกา | sip et naa-li-gaa |
| 12.00 | midday | เที่ยงวัน | thiang wan | สิบสอง นาฬิกา | sip song naa-li-gaa |
| 13.00 | 1 in the afternoon | บ่ายโมง | bai mong | สิบสาม นาฬิกา | sip sam naa-li-gaa |
| 14.00 | 2 in the afternoon | บ่ายสอง | bai song | สิบสี่ นาฬิกา | sip si naa-li-gaa |
| 15.00 | 3 in the afternoon | บ่ายสาม | bai sam | สิบห้า นาฬิกา | sip ha naa-li-gaa |
| 16.00 | 4 in the afternoon | บ่ายสี่ | bai si | สิบหก นาฬิกา | sip hok naa-li-gaa |
| 17.00 | 5 in the afternoon | ห้าโมงเย็น | ha mong yen | สิบเจ็ด นาฬิกา | sip chet naa-li-gaa |
| 18.00 | 6 in the evening | หกโมงเย็น | hok mong yen | สิบแปด นาฬิกา | sip paet naa-li-gaa |
| 19.00 | 1 at night | หนึ่งทุ่ม | nueng thum | สิบเก้า นาฬิกา | sip kao naa-li-gaa |
| 20.00 | 2 at night | สองทุ่ม | song thum | ยี่สิบ นาฬิกา | yi sip naa-li-gaa |
| 21.00 | 3 at night | สามทุ่ม | sam thum | ยี่สิบเอ็ด นาฬิกา | yi sip et naa-li-gaa |
| 22.00 | 4 at night | สี่ทุ่ม | si thum | ยี่สิบสอง นาฬิกา | yi sip song naa-li-gaa |
| 23.00 | 5 at night | ห้าทุ่ม | ha thum | ยี่สิบสาม นาฬิกา | yi sip sam naa-li-gaa |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Buddhist Calendar".
- ^ "มหาศักราช ( Shaka Era )". www.digitalschool.club. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ "จุลศักราช". www.digitalschool.club. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ มิ่งมิตร ศรีประสิทธิ์ (2019). "คำบอกเวลาในภาษาไทยถิ่นกลาง". วรรณวิทัศน์. 19: 104141. doi:10.14456/VANNAVIDAS.2019.13.
- ^ Higbie, James (2011). Essential Thai (2nd ed.). Bangkok: Orchid Press. ISBN 9789745241374.
- ^ "Telling Time". thai-language.com. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ "Thai 6 Hour Clock Explained". Pattaya Unlimited. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
- ^ Cavanagh, Roy (2009-03-04). "Telling the Time Thai Style". Thaizer. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
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