Do Thais Celebrate Birthdays?

[khaowong1]

The missus sister gives me a little something on my birthday, sweets or chocolate usually, then eats it herself.

I give her 500 Baht for every year she has been born on her birthday.

I wish somebody would give me 500 Baht for every year I have been born - it is starting to add up to a sizeable amount

I think Thais have leant ro celebrate birthdays if they can see that there is something in for them. It was always fun to staple another 100 Baht note to one of the girls in Pattaya.

Same with the Gregorian New Year - many Thais will not miss an opportunity for another celebration.

I agree with this poster... most Thai's will celebrate anything if there's something in it for them... my girlfriend expects something for her birthday now, although not before she met me. Her mother and dad have no clue when their birthday is.. just the year they were born... maybe... i celebrated a birthday once for an old monk, his 75th, got him a cake with candles, and pretty much shocked everyone at the temple... although he loved it, blessed the cake and shared it with everyone there...I was told, it was the first time anyone could remember that someone celebrated his birthday with him.. I've known him for over 25 years..

[Changian]

For the Thais that do celebrate their birthday i.e. those that aren't farmers. How come they dont have their name in the 'happy birthday' song when people sing to them?

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday,Happy birthday, ( Instead of: Happy birthday dear 'name' )

Happy birthday to you.

That always catches me out

[jackr]

When I lived in Thailand 30 years ago it was a different country to now. Then village people did not celebrate birthdays as it was a dangerous day and they could be vunerable to spirits especially if the spirit could find out their real name.

With a bit of luck, education, common sense and time, people will wake up to this type of thing and their insignificance in the great scheme of things will be revealed

[Birdman]

For the Thais that do celebrate their birthday i.e. those that aren't farmers. How come they dont have their name in the 'happy birthday' song when people sing to them?

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday,Happy birthday, ( Instead of: Happy birthday dear 'name' )

Happy birthday to you.

That always catches me out

That's the Thai way. Also the clapping after that, which everybody does, including the birthday girl.

[Padrino]

Interesting, when i lived in Samui for a while I was invited to 2 birthdays, both had the traditional cake with candles and there was a BBQ with plenty of drink. I guess it depends on the westernisation of the person ? Perhaps......

[tb86]

funny we go to somebodys b day party almost every week here in bkk, always dinner and drinking, or a group trip to hua hin ect. the birthday persons closest friends always pick up the bill. I think 20 and 30 somethings in bkk make a bigger deal about their birthday than we do in the us, sms blasts with birthday details are my favorite,,,only in bangkok

[Birdman]

Most people under 40 celebrate their birthdays in Thailand. Mostly in a mixture of Thai and Western style, Wat in the morning, birthday party with cake, candles...in the evening. Not without a reason bakeries sell bd cakes throughout the country.

[MJo]

Exactly! Birthdays are a big deal in both offices I've worked in also. Cake, sing-a-long, the usual birthday banter.

Go to a nightclub with a Thai live band playing and there's good odds they'll belt out the Happy Birthday number for somebody in the crowd.

When ever my wife's sister's or our nephew's have a birthday there's always a family get-together.

Birthdays seem just as celebrated here compared to the west, if not more so.

Correct, i used to work in a big office maybe couple of hundred staff. The company had to limit birthday parties to one day per month as there was two or three every week and with the food it took couple of hours to get them back to work. Bad for business so monthly "birthday" was annouced and one month worth of birhtdays celebrated in one go. This was copied from the company's offices in Manila where the problem was even bigger, if you did not go to the pantry for the food they always bring you pizza, adobo, sisig, spaghetti, kfc chicken, cake, jello and ice cream and all piled up in one plate so that you have to eat your ice cream with kfc

And talk about thai pubs, i go few times a year to that brewhouse in rama 3 as i and the missus both like the pork very much.... anyways several birthday parties going on every time. The band has special break where they annouce all the parties and they have team of staff going around the tables with happy birthday signs and singing to each bd boy or girl. Occasionally they bring the ATM with them but in most cases it seems they use their own cash or cards.

Edited May 31, 2009 by MJo

[hhgz]

"She replied that Thais don't celebrate birthdays"

I was in a restaurant last night and three different tables had cakes with candles, and people were singing "Happy Birthday". Since Thais don't "celebrate birthday", I'm beginning to wonder what was going on.

[HagenvonTronje]

I've always thought Birthdays and xmas were just for kids.

I guess some people just never grow up

I guess some people have no sense of fun.

"There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven." Dave Barry

[IanForbes]

I think celebrating birthdays is only important if someone enjoys it. Personally, I don't celebrate birthdays of anyone unless I know it is special to them. I don't celebrate my grown kids birthdays, or even my siblings birthdays, but I'll visit my grandkids when they are having a birthday party.

That said however, my Thai friends at the O HO bar in Chiang Mai gave me a cake and a free beer on my 69th birthday last November. And, I was very touched that they remembered. So, I guess Thais will celibrate if they think someone they respect enjoys it.

[harrry]

When I lived in Thailand 30 years ago it was a different country to now. Then village people did not celebrate birthdays as it was a dangerous day and they could be vunerable to spirits especially if the spirit could find out their real name.

With a bit of luck, education, common sense and time, people will wake up to this type of thing and their insignificance in the great scheme of things will be revealed

Or maybe they may wake up and realize they weremore right then than now.

[Livinginexile]

I think celebrating birthdays is only important if someone enjoys it. Personally, I don't celebrate birthdays of anyone unless I know it is special to them. I don't celebrate my grown kids birthdays, or even my siblings birthdays, but I'll visit my grandkids when they are having a birthday party.

That said however, my Thai friends at the O HO bar in Chiang Mai gave me a cake and a free beer on my 69th birthday last November. And, I was very touched that they remembered. So, I guess Thais will celibrate if they think someone they respect enjoys it.

Fantastic!!

What a great shot

You look like the cat that got the cream

[Livinginexile]

"She replied that Thais don't celebrate birthdays"

I was in a restaurant last night and three different tables had cakes with candles, and people were singing "Happy Birthday". Since Thais don't "celebrate birthday", I'm beginning to wonder what was going on.

Was this in Bangkok?

I think birthday partys are celibrated more and more in the cities these days.

But birthday celibrations in the western style is not a Thai tradition.

[Mosha]

My wife and I have just 2 day between our birthdays. We generally have a part on whoevers b/day is nearest the weekend. We have been to a few in the village, usually a feeble excuse for a gambling session.

Also at Christmas, we combine the Western and Thai traditions of exchanging gifts, with another party. It has always gone down well.

[Moonrakers]

I'm not a birthday person and neither is my wife. Hers is the day before mine however and so we tend to make the most of it. Just an excuse for a night out really.

[hammered]

Hey this is Thailand. Any opportunity for a party is taken. And what a wonderful thing that is.

Birthdays are celebrated a lot more now than a couple of decades ago.