Telling Thai Time by the Numbers

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I’ve been studying hard and learning a lot in my Thai language classes at PRO Language. The teacher has made the class very interesting and we are learning a lot. Most questions asked of us are in Thai and our responses are in Thai as well. Sometimes we get it right but there are times when we get words in the wrong order or pronunciation is a little off and we are corrected. Often times the teacher deviates some from the lesson giving us new words or reasoning’s as to why certain combination’s of words are used or no longer used.

Yesterday we spent a good amount of time on numbers and telling time. I know the numbers well up to the thousand mark but I didn’t know beyond, which was great because now I do. I figured telling time in Thai would be very straight forward and it was for the most part until I got to the evening hours. Maybe I should back up and give you all a little lesson on Thai time so you can follow where my confusion came in.

First thing you have to realize is that the Thai’s work on a 6 hour clock and each 6 hours has a different classifier and even some hours within those hours have yet another classifier. It might also help if I list some words associated with time. Keep in mind I am using a phonetic spelling of the Thai words as I am not confident enough yet to use proper Thai script.

Ton Nai – Which part of the day

Ton Klan One – Daytime

Ton Klanng Khun – Night time

Mong – O’Clock

Chua Mong – Hour

Natii – Minute

Vi Natii – Second

Ton Chao – 6am – 9am or morning

Ton Saay – 10am – 11:59am or late morning

Ton Thiang – 12pm Noon

Ton Baai – 1pm – 4:59pm

Ton Yen – 5pm – 6:59pm

Ton Duk – 10pm – 11:59pm

Thiang Khuen – Midnight

For each part of the day there is a classifier so there is no doubt as to which time is being spoken:

5am – 11:59am -  The classifier is Mong Chao although many Thai people drop the Chao and just use Mong.

12 Noon – The classifier is Thiang or as some Thai people say Thiang Wan.

1pm – 4:59pm – The classifier is Bai.

5pm – 6:59pm – The classifier is Mong Yen. Some people count 4 pm into this classifier as well.

7pm – 11:59 -  The classifier is Thum.

Midnight – The classifier is Thiang Kheun

1am – 4:59am – The classifier is Ti.

5am – 11:59 am is very straight forward. The morning hours are known as Mong  Chao so you would tell the time as #+ Mong  Chao ergo 5am becomes ha Mong Chao  and 11:21 would be sip et Mong Chao ye sip et.

While this is all pretty straight forward we got to a point where the teacher asked me “Khun Tim please tell me the time 10:21pm in Thai” I confidently said ” Sip Thum Ye Sip Et” [ Buzzer sound ] Wrong! But how can that be? It was then explained to me that 7pm – 11pm are not known by their normal number names they are known as 1 – 5 or neung, song, sam, si and ha. Confused yet? I was very confused by this and about to ask why when an impromptu discussion broke out on daylight savings time and then the answer hit me.

You see, Thailand doesn’t have daylight savings time so sunset falls in the 6pm hour every day of the year. If you think about it with a little Thai logic then you will have the answer also. 7pm is the first hour after sunset, 8pm the second, 9pm the third and so on. So, instead of saying 7pm as djet Thum and 8pm as bat Thum you would say 7pm as neung Thum and 8pm song Thum. And now you know.

The Thai’s also use the 24 hour clock or Military time for those of you less inclined to learn the Thai time.

Thai time by the numbers

Midnight - thiang kheun

1am - tii neung

2am – tii song

3am - tii sam

4am - tii si

5am - tii ha

6am - hok mong chao

7am - djet mong chao

8am - bat mong chao

9am - gao mong chao

10am – sip mong chao

11am – sip-et mong chao

12.00 (noon) – thiang

1pm - bai mong

2pm - bai song mong

3pm - bai sam mong

4pm - bai si mong

5pm - bai ha mong yen

6pm - hok mong yen

7pm - neung thum

8pm - song thum

9pm - sam thum

10pm - si thum

11 pm - ha thum