Thai Solar Calendar vs Gregorian Calendar

Thailand has used the Thai Solar Calendar, also known as the Buddhist calendar, ever since it was adopted for use by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in AD 1888. It is the legal calendar in Thailand,

For other countries, the Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar or Christian calendar, is more widely used. 

Difference Between the Two Calendars – Counting Years

The Thai calendar differs from the Western calendar when counting years. Years in the Thai calendar are 543 years greater than those in the Western calendar.

So when you are converting a year from the:

• Western to Thai calendar: add 543
• Thai to Western calendar: subtract 543

For example, the Thai year 2559 is equivalent to the Western year 2016.

Why Should You Know This

This is important as Thais may use either the Thai or Western in various situations. For example, the Thai calendar is often in official documents and news reports while the Western calendar is used more in everyday situations.

However, there is no confusion over the calendars as Thais are well aware that of the use of both types. 

This knowledge is also essential to everyday encounters. For example, older Thais are more familiar with the Thai calendar and usually will refer to it when referring to dates.

Another example involves the manufacturing/expiry dates of the products that you buy. These can be indicated according to the Western or Thai calendar. So do not be startled if you see a year of expiry is in 59!

This expiry date is in the Western calendar format. 

This expiry date is in the Western calendar format. 

This expiry date is in the Thai calendar format. 

Women Labourers & Construction Workers

I remember I was really surprised the first time I saw women working as labourers and construction workers in Chiangmai. This was because these jobs are only done by men in Singapore and women are usually employed in less physically demanding work. I later learnt that these women labourers are mostly either indigenous tribal people (known as khon doi in Thai) from the mountains in Chiangmai or from Myanmar. Both had come to Thailand in search of better economic opportunities. Many Myanmar workers are currently working illegally in Thailand.

These women labourers basically do the same work as men; pouring cement, plastering walls, laying bricks, installing electrical wiring etc. The work can be dangerous for them as they often receive little training and have little or no safety equipment.

Toiling under the blistering sun from about eight in the morning until six in the evening, seven days a week, their daily wage is about 300 baht (about SGD 7.50). To beat the heat, they will usually cover themselves up fully by wearing long sleeved shirts and pants. Some even go to the extent of covering their faces with a piece of cloth with just holes cut for the eyes.

Their accommodation is usually at the worksite or at small rented rooms. These rooms are cheap (can be as cheap as SGD 60 per month) and typically come in a size of about 4 metres by 3 metres.

This is real hard work for so little pay. At this rate, when are they ever going to be able to fulfil their hopes and dreams?

Women in the Men's Room

In Thailand, it is common to encounter toilet cleaners who are female. While there are females toilet cleaners in Singapore as well, what is different in Thailand is that the cleaners here do their cleaning even when there are men around.

In Singapore, the cleaner will usually knock on the toilet door first and ask loudly if there was anyone inside. Only when the toilet was vacant would they enter and start cleaning. And even so, they would display a sign outside the toilet informing everyone that cleaning was in progress. Users who needed to go would have to find another toilet. In Thailand, the cleaner will do their cleaning – wiping the sinks, moping the floor, changing the paper towels etc even as men are walking in and out of the toilet or lining up at the urinals taking their leaks.

I remember the time when I was in the middle of a leak in a toilet in Thailand and the cleaning lady walked in with no prior warning. The other guys around me did not bat an eyelid but I was freaking out as I did not know what I should do then – should I continue or stop and finish the business in one of the stalls? As for her, she basically ignored everyone while she went about her job. She was there to do her job and after being exposed to this sort of scene everyday (I am sure there are pervs around who expose themselves intentionally as well), I suppose she had probably become desensitized to all of it as well.

But today, even after several years in Thailand, I simply cannot take a leak at a urinal when the cleaning lady is around. I can only do so in a stall. If the stalls were full, I would rather hold it in and wait or come back at a later time.

Love for King & Country

Thais have a lot of love and affection for their King and country and this can be seen in ways such as:

Standing Up at the Cinema

Before the start of every movie in Thai cinemas, a video that pays homage to the King will be shown. On seeing this, everyone will rise to their feet. While the song ‘San Sern Pra Baramee’ (which translates to ‘Bless the King’) plays, the video will show images of the King and his accomplishments over the course of his life. Everyone is to remain standing throughout the video as a mark of respect – also, avoid talking, eating, or fidgeting. Only when the video ends can everyone relax and sit down.

It is very disrespectful if you do not stand up so do not do this. If you do not stand, you run the risk of getting into trouble with the other Thais there.

Standing in Public

The Thai national anthem is played daily, at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., throughout the country via loudspeakers in public and via the television and radio as well. If you are at a public location where you can hear this, you will see everyone standing still while the anthem plays, even in a crowded place such as a shopping mall or bus/train station.

If you are not sure what to do when this happens, just take your cue from the Thais around you and follow their lead.

Showing Respect

Thais are very tolerant and forgiving towards foreigners so do not worry if you unintentionally make a blunder or cause offence. Make an effort to show respect for the local customs and cultural practices and your actions will be appreciated.

Car Parking in Thailand

In Thailand, especially in the cities, parking spaces can be difficult to find due to the large number of cars here, so much so that you can see indiscriminate parking practically everywhere. Because of this, many people have the impression that there are no parking regulations in Thailand. However, the fact is, there are parking regulations here, just that as they are seldom enforced, many people think they do not exist.

Parking Regulations

To know whether you can park at a certain spot, take note of the painted markings on the kerb or on the road:

• A kerb painted with red and white markings means no parking at all times (see pic).
• A kerb painted with yellow and white markings means no parking is allowed but you can stop for a while to load/unload goods or to pick up/drop off passengers.
• White rectangles painted on the road indicate designated parking spots (see pic), subject to time constraints indicated on signs nearby (note: these signs may not be in English).
• Smaller white rectangles painted on the road indicate designated parking spots for motorcycles (see pic), again, subject to time constraints indicated on the signs.

Be careful when parking outside shops and businesses as many Thais do not take kindly to non-customers parking there, even though the area outside is often common property. Be prepared to get a stink eye from the owner of the establishment if you choose to do so.

Penalties

If you park in the wrong place or exceed the time allowed, you may get fined with a parking ticket. You will need to pay the fine at the police station. Take note that the police have been known to wheel clamp illegally parked vehicles. Only when the fine is paid will the police remove the clamp.

Parking Charges

One great thing about Thailand is that many places, including shopping centres, offer free parking. Contrast this to Singapore, where roadside parking costs about SGD 1.00 (about 25 baht) per hour and a typical shopping centre may charge about SGD 1.20 (about 30 baht) per hour for daytime parking and SGD 2.14 (about 53 baht) per entry after 6pm.

Some places, such as private property spaces converted into parking areas, may charge a small fee for parking, from 10 to 20 baht or more. They are usually located near busy places such as nightspots and markets and are indicated using simple signs painted in Thai or English. The charge can be on a flat fee or time based basis. For flat fee parking, the payment will usually be collected from you when you alight from your car. For time based parking, instead of collecting payment upfront, they will give you a slip with your entry time written on it and you will have to make payment just before you leave.

Special Parking

Cars are usually ‘double parked’ (i.e. side by side) in Thailand. However, when the lots allotted for double parking are full, motorists that come after will usually parallel park in front of the double parked ones so as to maximise space. These parallel parked cars will have their gear stick in neutral so that the driver of a double parked car can then push the parallel parked ones in front of his car out of the way when he wants to exit the lot.

This system only works on flat land, not on slopes. And though it might seem rather chaotic and dangerous to some, it is actually rather efficient and works well as everyone knows what they are doing.