Have you ever been stopped in the street by someone asking for the date? With mobile phones becoming so popular, it is not so common anymore, but there is no better feeling than helping out a stranger. Now, imagine what happens while you are traveling abroad. That would probably feel even better. The Thai calendar can be pretty confusing at first glance, though. While locals are unlikely to stop to ask you in the streets, there are still many situations where you can help them out.
Carrying on from one of our previous posts where we looked at numbers in Thai, we will look closer at how to give the date in Thailand.
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How Do You Say Date In Thai?
The Thai word for date is wanthîi วันที่ . Meanwhile, if you want to say time in Thai, it’s wela เวลา
On the other hand, if you want to say calendar in Thai, it’s patìthin ปฏิทิน .
Thai Calendar: Saying The Dates In Thai
Saying the date is not much different than saying the numbers. All you’ve got to do is use the phrase wanthîi (วันที่), which literally means “the day that”, and then say the number of the day you’re referring to after it! So if you want to say “1st March”, it would be wanthîi nʉ̀ŋ miinaakhom (วันที่ 1 มีนาคม), which literally means “the day that is 1st, March”.
It’s that simple! And here’s how you’d refer to other days:
| English | Pronunciation | Thai | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| First (Day) | wan thîinʉ̀ŋ | วันที่หนึ่ง | |
| Second (Day) | wanthîi sɔ̌ɔŋ | วันที่สอง | |
| Third (Day) | wanthîi sǎam | วันที่สาม | |
| Fourth (Day) | wanthîi sìi | วันที่สี่ | |
| Fifth (Day) | wanthîi hâa | วันที่ห้า |
All right, let’s test your knowledge: by this logic, what would 30th March be? If your answer is wanthîi sǎam sìp miinaakhom (วันที่ 30 มีนาคม), then you’re on the right track! Thankfully, this isn’t too hard to grasp.
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The Days Of The Week In Thai
Monday
To start, we will look at Monday. The way to say Monday in Thai is ‘wan can’ (วันจันทร์). the ‘wan’ (วัน) part of the word means day, as you will see as we continue down this list. Unlike in English however, the daypart actually goes at the beginning of the name rather than the end. When you break it down like that, it reduces the number of new words you need to learn, which is always helpful.
So, I imagine you are asking whether the other part of the word has any special meaning. Well, actually, it does. Each day of the week is named after something. In this case, ‘can’ (จันทร์) is actually named after the Moon. Interesting, right?
Tuesday
Next up is Tuesday. To say Tuesday in Thai, you use ‘wan aŋkhaan’ (วันอังคาร). If it helps to remember, the second (2nd) day of the week has two (2) syllables -‘aŋ’ and ‘khaan’. To note on Thai pronunciation, it doesn’t quite rhyme with Monday as the ‘kaan’ part is extended a bit more when spoken.
The second day of the week follows the same pattern as before when it comes to the translation. That is because ‘aŋkhaann’ (อังคาร) is the name for Mars. Now you start to see that the days of the week in Thai are named after planets. More specifically, they are named after the zodiac signs.
Wednesday
Now on to Wednesday, which in Thai is ‘wan phút’ (วันพุธ). So far, we have had the Moon and Mars. So what is up next? Well the ‘phút’ (พุธ) part of the name is named after Mercury.
Thursday
Now Thursday is the odd one out here. Not only is the word significantly longer, it is also given a less formal shortened version too. Thursday in Thai is ‘wan pharʉ́hàtsabɔɔdii‘ (วันพฤหัสบดี). Obviously, that is quite a mouthful, which is why you will more commonly hear it referred to as ‘wan pharʉ́hàt’ (วันพฤหัส) which is much easier to say.
The meaning of ‘pharʉ́hàtsabɔɔdii’ (พฤหัสบดี) is Jupiter. As the biggest planet, it is natural that it has the biggest name, I guess.
Friday
Friday in Thai is ‘wan sùk’ (วันศุกร์). The word ‘sùk’ (ศุกร์) actually means Venus and is yet again from the zodiac.
Saturday And Sunday
Now, we move on to the weekend, where we can explore Thai drinking culture! Just kidding! But, if you want to say Saturday in Thai, you would use wan sǎw (วันเสาร์). ‘Sǎw’ (เสาร์) is the word meaning Saturn.
For Sunday, you would use wanaathít (วันอาทิตย์). Interestingly, as you will discover below, aathít is actually one of the words that means week in Thai. This may be linked to the fact that aathít (อาทิตย์) actually means Sun.
Thai Week Vocabulary In Thai
Seven days is equal to a week, which in Thai is aathít (อาทิตย์) or, more formally, sàpdaa (สัปดาห์). Similarly, to say next week, you can use either aathít nâa (อาทิตย์หน้า) or sàpdaa nâa (สัปดาห์หน้า). However, when you want to say weekend, only sùtsàpdaa (สุดสัปดาห์) would be used. Finally, there is a weekday, which is completely different. Weekday in Thai is wan thammadaa (วันธรรมดา).
What Are The Thai Months?
So then, what about the months in Thai? Or as they say in Thai, duen (เดือน). Let’s check these Thai months vocabulary:
Did you notice any pattern here? At first glance, it does seem to appear quite random, but if you look closer you should see how the naming works.
The pattern is that all the months that have 31 days end with khom (คม) and those with 30 days end with yon (ยน). Then there is February, which is the odd one out and ends in phan (พันธ์). It is worth mentioning that the months are named after the Zodiac signs. August is named after a lion or Leo, for example.
Abbreviations may be used as the month names can be quite long. Having a shorthand way of Thai writing can help keep things brief.
Finally, there is the year in Thai. Let’s learn more about Thai vocabulary with the Thai calendar system.
The Thai Calendar System
One thing that can be particularly confusing when in Thailand is seeing the year written as 2562. First of all, don’t worry. You did not travel to the future. In Thailand, they often use the solar calendar in official contexts. In the West and other countries, it is the lunar calendar that is generally used. I all comes down to some maths when working out what each should be.
Ultimately, to figure out the ‘Gregorian calendar’ date, it is just a case of 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. That is all it takes.
Pretty much everyone will recognize either system, so there is little need to worry about adjusting how you write it unless you are told otherwise. As for saying the year in Thai, it is just a case of using the regular number system.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Thai Calendar
How Does The Thai Calendar Work?
As mentioned earlier, the Thai calendar is based on the Thai solar calendar. It started its count when Buddha attained parinibbāna. Hence, its date is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. This system is also called the Buddhist calendar system. Most of the Thai calendar nowadays is still used in printed calendars and some Thai birth certificates. However, Thailand uses two main calendar systems, the Gregorian and Thai Solar Calendar. So, anyone can opt to choose the Gregorian calendar system if needed.
What Year Is It In Thailand Now?
Today, it is the year 2567 BE in Thailand. The Thai calendar works by adding 543 years to the current Gregorian calendar. But don’t worry, if you’re working in Thailand or want to spend the New Year and greet your Thai friends a Happy New Year, you can still say that on January 1.
When Is Thailand’s New Year?
Did you know that Thailand celebrates a different time for the new year than the Georgian calendar? For Thailand, the New Year happens during Songkran. This special holiday is the most celebrated Thai calendar event. So don’t miss out on this opportunity if you plan to visit Thailand soon!
The Ability To Give Details. Let Ling Help You Memorize Thai!
Date and time are both very important concepts. It really helps to build context about things you are talking about and add more detail. Also, there are situations where it can be very helpful to understand vocabulary relating to date and time in Thai. Maybe if someone is telling you when and where you will be meeting or the time for an appointment at immigration. Thankfully, there is little extra to learn hereafter learning the numbers, it is just a case of not mixing these up.
Another great way to practice your ability to tell the time and the date in Thai is with the Ling app. Use visuals and audio to help cement this vocabulary in your mind. Soon, you will be able to read your watch while thinking in your new language.
Updated by: Gwyn
