AB Level 1.21: The Thai Calendar

How To Say The Date In Thai

• Saying the date is not much different that saying the numbers. It mainly involves placing วันที่ (wan tii) in front of the number.
  • วันแ (wan) ➤ “day.”
  • เดือน (duen) ➤ “month”

Days in Thai

Months in Thai

• The pattern is that all the months that have 31 days end with คม (khom) and those with 30 days end with ยน (yohn).
• February ends with พันธ์ (phan).
• The months are actually named after the Zodiac Signs.

The Thai Calendar System

• When in Thailand, seeing the year written as 2562 can be particularly perplexing.
• In Thailand, the solar calendar is frequently used in official contexts.
• The lunar calendar is widely used in the West and other countries.
• Ultimately, calculating the 'Gregorian calendar' date is as simple as subtracting 543 years from the Thai date.
• For example, the current year according to the Thai calendar system is 2562.
  • 2562 take away 543 would be 2019, the current year according to the Gregorian calendar.
• Unless you are told otherwise, almost everyone will recognize either system, so there is little reason to change how you write it.
• It is simply a matter of using the regular number system to say the year in Thai.