Learning Thai with Bart: Lesson27 – Hours

Here is a new lesson, this one in partnership with one of our readers, Chaisana (who obviously speaks Thai better than I do )

Hours

Gee Mong = What time is it? (How many hours).

From 1am till 5am, Thai use Tee + the number of hours. I heard that Tee was about the way people used to announce time in the countryside: with a noise that sounded like Tee and that was repeated as much as the number of hours.

1am = Tee Neung.
2am= Tee Song
3am = Tee Saam
4am = Tee See
5am = Tee Haa or Haa Mong Chao

6am = Hok Mong Chao. “Chao” means “Morning”
7am = Djet Mong Chao
8am = Phet Mong Chao
9am = Kao Mong Chao
10am = Sip Mong Chao
11am = Sip èt Mong Chao

12pm = Tien Wan (for noon).

1pm = Bai Mong
2pm = Bai Song Mong
3pm = Bai saam Mong
4pm = Bai see Mong

5pm = Haa Mong Yén (Yen = evening)
6pm = Hok Mong Yén

The evening hours were announced with a drum which made a “Thum!” sound. That’s what they told me.

7pm = Neung Thum (one drum)
8pm = Song Thum (two drums)
9pm = Saam Thum (etc.)
10pm = See Thum
11pm = Haa Thum
12am = Tien Keung (For midnight. Did they stop with the drum then???)

And now, get your watch!

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More Thai lessons here.