How to say, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Thai

Hi everybody!

In this lesson, we will learn how to wish someone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

These festivals have been adopted by the Thais who love an excuse for a party. The majority of Thais are Buddhist and not Christian so celebrating Xmas might seem a little strange but the Thais are happy to engage in any happy festivity and Xmas in particular with its present giving, dressing up, Santa Claus, Christmas trees and Xmas food fit the bill perfectly.

New Year is another example of Thai’s adopting a western festival. The official New Year in Thailand is in mid-April according to the Buddhist calendar – Songkran but the standard western New Year has been adopted at both a government and individual level so now Thailand has two New Years to celebrate. What a wonderful country :-).

To say “Merry Christmas” in Thai is:

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส /sùk-sǎn wan krít-mâat/

The word “สุขสันต์ /sùk-sǎn/” is like “happy” and “วันคริสต์มาส /wan krít-mâat/” is like Christmas day. Then สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส /sùk-sǎn wan krít-mâat/ means “Happy Christmas”.

Also if you would like to wish someone  “Happy New Year”, in Thai we say:

สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ /sùk-sǎn wan bpii mài/

The word “ปี /bpii/” means “year” and “ใหม่” /mài/ is “new” so สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ /sùk-sǎn wan bpii mài/ means “Happy New Year”.

Another way to say Happy New Year is สวัสดีปีใหม่ /sà-wàt-dii bpii mài/.

I hope you all have a wonderful time, สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส /sùk-sǎn wan krít-mâat/ and สวัสดีปีใหม่ /sà-wàt-dii bpii mài/ kâ!!!

คำศัพท์ Vocabulary

ปีใหม่ /bpii mài/ = New Year

คริสต์มาส /krít-mâat/ = Christmas

ต้นคริสต์มาส /dtôn krít-mâat/ = Christmas tree

ของขวัญ /kᴐ̌ᴐng-kwǎn/ = gift, present

อวยพร /uai-pᴐᴐn/ = to wish (someone) well

สุขสันต์ /sùk-sǎn/ = happy

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส /sùk-sǎn wan krít-mâat/ = Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas

สวัสดีปีใหม่ /sà-wàt-dii bpii mài/ = Happy New Year

งานเลี้ยง /ngaan-líang/ = party

ปาร์ตี้ /bpaa-dtîi/ = party

Jang
Thai Language Teacher