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Why Thailand Is 543 Years in the Future
The Buddhist calendar, and how to read an expiry date on a Thai snack.
พ.ศ.phor sor
From Isan, northeast Thailand
Honest answers about Thailand, from a Thai who lives here.
Not from Bangkok. Not from a travel ad. The small things that confuse visitors, the festivals worth the trip, and daily life as it really is, explained in about a minute.
Photo: nakhon100, CC BY 2.0
- No paid placements
- Exact dates only after an official check
- Written by a local
Answers
Things nobody explains
Newเส้นเล็ก
How to Order Thai Street Food Without Panicking
No English menu? Four Thai words, three questions the auntie will ask, and how spicy "a little" really is.
เอาเหมือนกันao muean ganComing soonFish?
Why Every Thai Has a Nickname
Short nicknames, very long surnames, and why no two families share one.
ชื่อเล่นchue lenComing soon2 ทุ่ม
Thais Tell Time Differently
The spoken six-hour clock, and how not to miss dinner.
ทุ่มthumFestivals
Worth the trip
Many dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year. We show a date only after checking the official announcement.
Usually May · Yasothon
Rocket Festival
บุญบั้งไฟbun bang faiHome-made rockets fired to ask the sky for rain.
Date: to be confirmed
Usually June–July · Dan Sai, Loei
Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival
ผีตาโขนphi ta khonColourful ghost masks parade through a small mountain town.
Date: set locally each year
Usually July, sometimes early August · Ubon Ratchathani
Candle Festival
แห่เทียนพรรษาhae thian phansaGiant carved wax candles at the start of Buddhist Lent.
Date: to be confirmed
Usually November · Sukhothai
Loy Krathong
ลอยกระทงloi krathongFloating small offerings on the water under the full moon.
Date: to be confirmed
Living in Thailand
Daily life, as it really is
Sticky rice by hand, markets that open before dawn, and the small manners nobody tells you about.
Read the guides →
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0
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