Thai solar calendar

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

Calendar

Red numerals mark Sundays and public holidays in Thailand.
Buddha images mark Buddhist 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 and it's made for predict number for last 3 digit and 2 digit prize (for example, 078 on the 15th, 538 on the 19th and 2576 on 31 August 2004.)
Thai lunar calendar dates appear below the solar calendar date.

Birthdays

Mundane astrology figures prominently in Thai culture, so modern Thai birth certificates include lunar calendar dates, and the appropriate Chinese calendar zodiacal animal year-name for both Thai Hora ([โหราศาสตร์ โหราสาต ho-ra-sat)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and Chinese astrology. Thai birth certificates record the date, month, year and time of birth, followed by the day of the week, lunar date, and the applicable zodiac animal name. Thai traditionally reckon age 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, 12 August 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] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) Year 1 began 6 April 1782, with the accession of Rama I, the foundation of the Chakri Dynasty and the founding of Bangkok (Rattanakosin) as capital. 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 1 April in 2455 BE, AD 1912.

New year

On 6 September 1940, Prime Minister Phibunsongkhram decreed^[1] 1 January 1941 as the start of the year 2484 BE, so year 2483 BE had only nine months. To convert dates from 1 January to 31 March prior to that year, the number to add or subtract is 542; otherwise, it is 543. Example:

Month	1–3	4–6	7–9	10–12	1–3	4–6	7–9	10–12	1–3	4–6	7–9	10–12	1–3	4–6	7–9	10–12
AD	1939				1940				1941				1942
BE	2481	2482				2483			2484				2485

Today, both the Common Era New Year's Day (1 January) and the traditional Thai New Year ([สงกรานต์ Songkran] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) celebrations (13–15 April) are public holidays in Thailand.

In the traditional Thai calendar, the change to the next Chinese zodiacal animal occurs at Songkhran (13 April).^[2] 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.

Weekends and holidays

Saturdays and Sundays (Template:Lang-th) are observed as legal non-workdays ([วันหยุดราชการ wan yut rachagan] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and are generally shown on calendars in red, as are public holidays. Since 1996 and subject to declaration by the Cabinet of Thailand, public holidays that fall on weekends are followed by Substitution days ([วันชดเชย wan chot choie] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) generally shown in a lighter shade of red, as shown above for Monday, 2 August 2004. Buddhist feasts that are public holidays are calculated according to the Thai lunar calendar, so their dates change every year with respect to the solar calendar. Chinese New Year and other feasts observed by Thai Chinese vary with respect to both, as these are calculated according to the Chinese calendar.

Months

Names of the months derive from Hindu astrology names for the signs of the zodiac. Thirty-day-month names end in -ayon (-ายน), from Sanskrit root āyana : the arrival of; 31-day-month names end in -akhom (-าคม), from Sanskrit āgama (cognate to English "come") 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).^[3]

*Months*
English name	Thai name	Abbr.	Transcription	Sanskrit word	Zodiac sign
January	มกราคม	ม.ค.	makarakhom, mokkarakhom	makara "sea-monster"	Capricorn
February	กุมภาพันธ์	ก.พ.	kumphaphan	kumbha "pitcher, water-pot"	Aquarius
March	มีนาคม	มี.ค.	minakhom	mīna "(a specific kind of) fish"	Pisces
April	เมษายน	เม.ย.	mesayon	meṣa "ram"	Aries
May	พฤษภาคม	พ.ค.	phruetsaphakhom	vṛṣabha "bull"	Taurus
June	มิถุนายน	มิ.ย.	mithunayon	mithuna "a pair"	Gemini
July	กรกฎาคม	ก.ค.	karakadakhom	karkaṭa "crab"	Cancer
August	สิงหาคม	ส.ค.	singhakhom	siṃha "lion"	Leo
September	กันยายน	ก.ย.	kanyayon	kanyā "girl"	Virgo
October	ตุลาคม	ต.ค.	tulakhom	tulā "balance"	Libra
November	พฤศจิกายน	พ.ย.	phruetsachikayon	vṛścika "scorpion"	Scorpio
December	ธันวาคม	ธ.ค.	thanwakhom	dhanu "bow, arc"	Sagittarius

Weeks

A week ([สัปดาห์ sàb-da] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [สัปดาหะ sàb-da-hà] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) from Sanskrit "seven") is a 7-day period beginning on Sunday and ending Saturday.^[4]

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

*Weekdays*
English name	Thai name	Transcription	Color	Sanskrit word	Planet
Sunday	วันอาทิตย์	wan athit	red	Aditya	Sun
Monday	วันจันทร์	wan jan	yellow	Chandra	Moon
Tuesday	วันอังคาร	wan angkhan	pink	Angaraka	Mars
Wednesday	วันพุธ	wan phut	green	Budha	Mercury
Thursday	วันพฤหัสบดี	wan pharuehat (sabodi)	orange	Brihaspati	Jupiter
Friday	วันศุกร์	wan suk	blue	Shukra	Venus
Saturday	วันเสาร์	wan sao	purple	Shani	Saturn

Note: Colours are those considered auspicious for the given days of the week, that of Wednesday day being green and of Wednesday night, light green. Of Buddha images representing episodes (ปาง) from his life, there is one that represents a week and others for each day of the week: Monday has three options that are similar and Wednesday, entirely different ones for day and night.^[5]

Thai representations of the planets in deity form are below:

Phra Athit
Phra Chan
Phra Angkhan
Phra Phut
Phra Rahu
Phra Phareuehat
Phra Suk
Phra Sao

Notes

^ "พระราชบัญญัติปีปฏิทิน พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๓" (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 57 (0 ก): 419. 17 September 1940.
^ J.C. Eade. The calendrical systems of mainland southeast asia. E.J. Brill, Leiden. p. 22. ISBN 90-04-10437-2. According to some scholars including George Coedes the change occurred at the beginning of the 5th lunar month originally, few days before Songkhran.
^ Thai2english.com, dictionary
^ Royal Institute Dictionary 1999
^ "Thai birth day colors and Buddha image". United States Muay Thai Association Inc. 16 October 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2009. An innovation of the Ayutthaya period.

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
Thai Lunar/Solar Calendar (BE.2300-2584) (Thai Language)

[1] "พระราชบัญญัติปีปฏิทิน พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๓" (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 57 (0 ก): 419. 17 September 1940.

[2] J.C. Eade. The calendrical systems of mainland southeast asia. E.J. Brill, Leiden. p. 22. ISBN 90-04-10437-2. According to some scholars including George Coedes the change occurred at the beginning of the 5th lunar month originally, few days before Songkhran.

[3] Thai2english.com, dictionary

[4] Royal Institute Dictionary 1999

[5] "Thai birth day colors and Buddha image". United States Muay Thai Association Inc. 16 October 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2009. An innovation of the Ayutthaya period.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]