The Thai solar calendar, Suriyakati (Thai: สุริยคติ: Suriya plus kati : way) was adopted by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1888 as the Siamese version of the Gregorian calendar. It is the official calendar in Thailand, though Thai lunar calendar dates continue in use. Years are counted in the Buddhist Era (póota sàk-gà-râat พุทธศักราช พ.ศ.) that is 543 years greater than the Christian Era (krít sàk-gà-râat คริสต์ศักราช ค.ศ.) As a convenience, calendars typically include the Christian Era (AD) in both Chinese and Arabic numerals.

August 2004: ๒๕๔๗ = 2547 BE in Thai numerals, 二〇〇四年 = 2004 Year in Chinese

August 2004/2547BE

Calendar

• 
  Red numerals mark Sundays and public holidays in Thailand.
• Red Buddha images mark Thai Sabbaths, Wan Phra (วันพระ.)
• Red tablets with white Chinese characters mark the New and Full Moons of the Chinese calendar, which typically differ by one day from those of the Thai.
• Scrawled blue figures mark dates of national lottery drawings (for example, 078 on the 15th, 538 on the 19th and 2576 on the 31st of August 2004.)
• Thai lunar calendar dates appear below the solar calendar date.

Birthdays

Thai birth certificates record the date, month, year and time of birth, followed by the day of the week, lunar date, and the 12 Zodiac animal signs. Thai traditionally reckon their ages by the 12-year animal-cycle names, with the twelfth and sixtieth anniversaries being of special significance; but the official calendar determines age at law.

For instance, August 12, 2004 was observed without regard to the lunar date as Queen Sirikit's birthday, a public holiday also observed as Thai Mothers' Day. Her zodiacal animal is the monkey and her traditionally significant sixtieth anniversary year was 1992. Born on a Friday, her auspicious birthday colour is blue. Thai auspicious colours of the day are given in the table of weekdays, followed below it by a link to the Buddha images for each day of the week.

Years

Rattanakosin Era

The Rattanakosin Era (RE) (รัตนโกสินทรศก Rattanakosin Sok) Year 1 began April 6, 1782, with the accession of Rama I, the foundation of the Chakri Dynasty and the founding of Bangkok as capital (Rattanakosin). King Chulalongkorn decreed this as the epoch (reference date) for the counting of years in 106 RE, AD 1888.

Buddhist Era

In Thailand the Buddhist Era is reckoned to have an epochal year 0 from 11 March 545 BC, believed to be the date of the death of Gautama Buddha. King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) changed year counting to this Buddhist Era (BE) and moved the start of the year back to April 1 in 2455 BE, AD 1912.

New year

In 1941, Prime Minister Phibunsongkhram decreed January 1 as the start of the year 2484 BE, so year 2483 BE had only nine months. To convert dates from January 1 to March 31 prior to that year, the number to add or subtract is 542; otherwise, it is 543. Example:

Today, both the Common Era New Year's Day (January 1) and the traditional Thai New Year (สงกรานต์ Songkran) celebrations (April 13-15) are public holidays in Thailand.

In the traditional Thai calendar, the change to the next Chinese zodiacal animal occurs at Songkhran (April 13).¹ For Thai Chinese communities in Thailand, however, the Chinese calendar determines the day that a Chinese New Year begins, and assumes the name of the next animal in the twelve-year animal cycle.

Holidays

Buddhist feasts that are public holidays are calculated according to the lunar calendar, so their dates change with respect to the solar calendar every year; as do Chinese New Year and other feasts observed by Thai Chinese.

Months

Names of the months derive from Hindu names of the signs of the zodiac. Thirty-day-month names end in -ayon (-อายน), from Sanskrit root -āyana : the arrival of; 31-day-month names end in -akhom (-อาคม), from Sanskrit -āgama that also means the arrival of.

February's name ends in -phan (-พันธ์), from Sanskrit bandha : "fettered" or "bound". The day added to February in a solar leap year is Athikasuratin (อธิกสุรทิน, respelled to aid pronunciation (อะทิกะสุระทิน from Sanskrit adhika : additional; sura : move).²)

Weeks

A week (สัปดาห์ sàb-da or สัปดาหะ sàb-da-hà from Sanskrit "seven") is a 7-day period beginning on Sunday and ending Saturday.³

Days of the week are named after the Sun and Moon, and Sanskrit names of the five classical planets.

Note: The colours are those considered auspicious for the given days of the week. There are also Buddha images for each day of the week, with three options for Monday; and a different image for Wednesday day (colour green) and Wednesday night (colour light green.) ⁴

Notes

See also

• Buddhist calendar
• Public holidays in Thailand
• Thai lunar calendar
• Time in Thailand
• Thai 6-hour clock

References

• Eade, John Christopher. 1995. The Calendrical Systems of Mainland South-East Asia. Handbuch der Orientalistik: Dritte Abteilung, Südostasien 9. Leiden and New York: E. J. Brill. ISBN 90-04-10437-2
• na Nakorn, Bleung (comp.). [1971]. นายเปลื้อง ณ นคร ผู้รวบรวม ปทานุกรมนักเรียน ไทยวัฒนาพานิช กทม. Student's Handbook. Bangkok: Thai Wattana Panit, 2514.
• Sethaputra, So. 1999. New Model English - Thai Dictionary. [Krung Thep Maha Nakhon?: Thai Watthana Phanit?]. ISBN 974-08-3253-9
• Thai calendar for August 2004.
• Web dictionary Thai-English English-Thai

External links

• Thai Time by Anthony Diller
• Thai Buddha Images for the Days of the Week