Most tourists visiting Thailand for the first time are surprised: after all, time in this country is very different. For example, we recently met in Russia in 2019, and the inhabitants of this eastern country are expecting the advance of the year 2562. It is easy to calculate that the difference between the dates is already 543 years.
Let's try to figure out what the chronology is in Thailand and why it is so different from what we are used to. And is it difficult for an ordinary tourist from a European country to understand the time of Thais?
Year of Buddha's transition to nirvana
The usual Gregorian calendar is counting from the birth of Christ. In Thailand, most residents practice Buddhism. Therefore, their years are counted from another significant event: the date of Buddha's immersion in nirvana. The difference between them is 543 years. Therefore, it will not be difficult to determine which year is going on in the country. And you have to take it: almost all official documents, dates on tickets for local transport, and even expiration dates of products are indicated in this country according to the Buddhist calendar.
A few decades ago, government agencies, along with the traditional reckoning in Thailand, began to duplicate dates in accordance with the usual international calendar. However, all internal documents of residents are still governed by local traditions. For example, in the internal passport of the citizen there will be one date, and in the foreign one two: according to the calendar of Gregorian and Thai.
Monks Counting Time
Until the middle of the last century, more precisely, until 1940, it was much more difficult to calculate the event according to local time. The fact is that the dates of Buddhist holidays are tied to the lunar calendar, which is almost a month shorter than the solar, familiar to us.
Therefore, only competent monks could deal with everything. They had to consider a different number of days in months, the presence of leap years and many other nuances. There were even special tables, at least slightly facilitating the work of trained monks.
Now the reckoning in Thailand is much simpler. In 1040, the current king Rama VIII carried out a reform of the calendar, simplifying it as much as possible. Now, in order to determine the current date, guests of the country only need to make a simple calculation, and not look for temple attendants.
Songkran National Day
If you choose a tour to Thailand in the spring, you can get to the celebration of the national Thai New Year, which falls on April 13. This event is also tied to a special way of reckoning in a given country. The symbol of the holiday among Thais is water. Many residents of the country prepare in advance by installing containers with liquid and flower petals in their homes.
The main ritual of the Thai New Year is the washing of a Buddha statue: either a huge one near the temple, or a small figure that is in the home of every Buddhist.
And after the official part, the holiday begins. Children and adults get water pistols, buckets and everything from which to douse or spray neighbors. It is believed that water washes away everything bad and makes room for a prosperous future. Therefore, everyone is trying to get under the stream as often as possible.
This holiday does not affect the transition of the year in Thailand. This is just a great time to have fun and have fun.
