How to Say Merry Christmas in Thai

Asia

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Thai

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส

Suk san wan khrit-maat

Say it like this: sook sahn wahn KRIT-maht

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Thai, Merry Christmas is สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (Suk san wan khrit-maat), said like sook sahn wahn KRIT-maht.
Happy New Year is สวัสดีปีใหม่ (Sawatdii pii mai).
People say it in Thailand.

What Suk san wan khrit-maat means

'Suk san' means happy or joyful, 'wan' means day, and 'khrit-maat' is Christmas, borrowed from English.

Thai is written in its own script, which has 44 consonant letters and marks for vowels and tones, and there are no spaces between words.

Other ways to say it in Thai

เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส

Moe-rii khrit-maat

Say it like this: MUR-ree KRIT-maht

'Merry Christmas' borrowed directly from English, common among younger people and on shop signs.

Happy New Year

สวัสดีปีใหม่

Sawatdii pii mai

Say it like this: sah-WAHT-dee pee MY

Greetings for the new year: 'sawatdii' is the word for hello and good wishes, and 'pii mai' means new year.

Where people speak Thai

Thailand

Thai (ภาษาไทย) belongs to the Kra-Dai (Tai) language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Bangkok at about 12:33 AM local time, and kids learn to say สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Bangkok →

Christmas traditions where people speak Thai

Mall trees and lights: In Bangkok and tourist islands, shopping malls put up large Christmas trees, fairy lights and Santa figures, even though Christmas is not a Thai public holiday.^[3]
Christmas meals: Restaurants and bars that serve tourists and expats often offer traditional Christmas dinners. Thai Christians, a small community, celebrate with church services and family gatherings.^[3]
A normal business day: Most Thai businesses stay open on December 25, and street food vendors keep cooking, sometimes wearing Santa hats. International schools usually give several weeks of holiday.^[3]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Thai

Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

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Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Thai?

The usual greeting is สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส, romanized 'suk san wan khrit-maat'. Young people and shops also use เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส (Merry Christmas), borrowed from English. Both are friendly and understood everywhere in Thailand, including in tourist areas where Christmas decorations are common.^[1][2]

How do you pronounce สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส?

Say 'sook sahn wahn KRIT-maht'. Thai has five tones: 'suk' is a low, short sound, and 'san' rises. Listening to a native speaker helps a lot. A clear, kind attempt is always welcome, and the borrowed English word 'Christmas' makes the last part easier to say.^[2]

What does สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส mean?

It breaks into 'suk-san' (happy, joyful), 'wan' (day) and 'khrit-maat' (Christmas, borrowed from English). Thai people use the same 'suk-san' wording for birthdays, as in 'suk-san wan geert'. So the phrase means a joyful Christmas Day.^[2]

How do you write and spell it in Thai?

Thai uses its own script, written left to right without spaces between words: สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส. The symbol on the last letter of 'สันต์' means that the letter is silent. If you cannot type Thai, the romanization 'Suk san wan khrit-maat' is fine for a message.^[2]

How do you say Happy New Year in Thai?

Say สวัสดีปีใหม่, 'sawatdii pii mai', pronounced 'sah-WAHT-dee pee MY'. It uses the word for hello plus 'pii mai', meaning new year. Wiktionary lists it as the Thai Happy New Year. Thais also celebrate their traditional New Year, Songkran, in April, so this phrase is the one used for January 1.^[2]

Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?

The greeting is the same for friends and elders. Politeness comes from the particle you add at the end: 'khrap' for men and 'kha' for women. A small bow with palms together, called a wai, is respectful when greeting teachers, grandparents and older people.^[2]

When do people say Merry Christmas in Thailand?

Around December 24 and 25. Only about one percent of Thais are Christian, and most people are Buddhist, so Christmas is a quiet religious day for Christians and a festive, fun season in malls, hotels and tourist areas. Many people enjoy the lights and decorations whatever their religion.^[3]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Neither is a public holiday in Thailand. Thai Christians attend church services and gatherings, and restaurants for tourists and expats serve Christmas meals. December 25 is a normal working day for most people. International schools and some foreign companies close, but most Thai businesses stay open.^[3]

What do Thai people do at Christmas?

Bangkok malls and tourist islands put up big trees, lights and Santa figures. Hotels and restaurants offer Christmas dinners. Street vendors keep working, sometimes in Santa hats. For many Thai families the bigger holidays are Songkran in April and the January 1 New Year.^[3]

How can I teach Thai Christmas words to kids?

Start with the English-borrowed word คริสต์มาส (khrit-maat), which they will recognize, then add 'suk san' meaning happy. Practice saying 'sawatdii pii mai' for New Year. Let children hold their palms together in a wai while they say it, which makes the lesson a little game.^[1][2]

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)