Colors in Thailand have an interesting connection with culture. For some countries, the color of the flag is synonymous with the country itself. But for Thailand, it goes even deeper than that. For that reason, it’s important to further learn about the connotations of the colors in Thai culture. At the same time, you should also learn some essential vocabulary to communicate correctly with the locals. This blog post will help you understand the language and mindset of the Thai people a little bit better.
How To Name The Colors Names In Thai
| English | Transliteration | Thai |
| Red | sii deng | สีแดง |
| Blue | sii nam-ngurn | สีน้ำเงิน |
| Yellow | sii luang | สีเหลือง |
| Green | sii kiao | สีเขียว |
| Orange | sii som | สีส้ม |
| Purple | sii muang | สีม่วง |
| Brown | sii nam-dtaan | สีน้ำตาล |
| Pink | sii chom puu | สีชมพู |
| Black | sii dam | สีดำ |
| White | sii kao | สีขาว |
As you make notice, the word ‘sii’ (สี) is usually placed before a color name. It actually means color and is used as a classifier of sorts that is placed before the name.
If you want to say light or dark when talking about a color, you would say ‘orn’ (อ่อน) for light and ‘khem’(เข้ม) for dark. You place these after the color name, so dark blue, for example, would be ‘sii nam-ngurn khem’ (สีน้ำเงินเข้ม).
The Meanings Of Colors In Thai Culture
As I spoke about before, there is some significance for the colors in the culture. Each day is assigned one or more lucky and unlucky colors. The reasoning behind this system is due to the Thai names for the days of the week. Each name corresponds to a planet or star in the solar system, which in turn corresponds with certain gods who are said to protect that day. These gods have an associated color which is used as the lucky color for that day.
| Day | Lucky Color | Unlucky Color |
| Monday | Yellow | Red |
| Tuesday | Pink | Yellow or White |
| Wednesday (Daytime) | Green | Pink |
| Wednesday (Nighttime) | Gray | Orange-Red |
| Thursday | Orange or Brown | Purple |
| Friday | Light Blue | Dark Blue or black |
| Saturday | Purple or Black | Green |
| Sunday | Red | Blue |
While this is an ancient custom, some people still follow this system. Of course, it is not strictly followed every day. It is more often relegated to special occasions, holidays, or certain superstitious dates and religious events. You will probably find that people do follow the ‘unlucky color’ schedule to an extent. It is better to be safe than sorry, after all.
Then there are people’s birth colors. These are considered the luckiest of all for the individual, so people may choose to wear their color when they want luck to be on their side. Yellow is heavily associated with the royal family for this reason.
Otherwise, it is questionable how many people actually still believe in this. It might be worth learning, even if just to impress people with your knowledge of the ancient tradition.
The Deep Meaning Of Thai Colors
So there you go, the somewhat complicated back story of the significance of colors in Thailand. I hope that knowing this now motivates you to learn the colors in Thai and possibly even consider following the system. I know I have started doing so, even if subconsciously. Next time you walk around the country, look at the colors people are wearing to see how many people actually follow this system. It could make for a great way to practice the new vocabulary too.
The Ling Thai app is another excellent way to practice your Thai skills. Try out the tests and strengthen your knowledge of the Thai language.
Download Ling from App Store or Google Play and start learning today!
