Thai Birthdays

[Jasun]

A tradition with Thais I know is to go out for dinner with a group of friends / colleagues, with everyone wearing matching coloured clothes. Pink seems to be a popular choice. Quite embarrassing but it seems to add to the sanuk factor.

[petedk]

How long have you known her? Be careful with the "slap up dinner". Not all Thais have the same idea of a slap up dinner as Westerners.

I was eating at a nice hotel with a friend recently and at the table next to us was a westerner with a Thai girl. He had ordered the lot... Lobster, big juicy steak (2000 baht each) and a bottle of expensive red wine. The girl nibbled at the lobster, didn't touch the steak and didn't touch the wine. Her idea of a slap up meal was probably Gai Yang and Som Tam .

[smokie36]

Her idea is a mountain of fois gras and a bottle of Dom.

No worries there.

[smokie36]

A tradition with Thais I know is to go out for dinner with a group of friends / colleagues, with everyone wearing matching coloured clothes. Pink seems to be a popular choice. Quite embarrassing but it seems to add to the sanuk factor.

Just so long as its not purple.

Or red or yellow.

[benalibina]

My wife's mother did not know her birth date, so I assigned one for her. No one in the family at that time acknowledge the others birthdays that I know of. As I have always looked for a reason to have a party, now in our family we have birthdays. Usually a BBQ and a sit down eat party now all in my family and many of my wife's relatives along with our neighbors celebrate birthdays. I like to think it was my idea. Maybe it was. Cheers: .

You work for an NGO ?

[benalibina]

Her idea is a mountain of fois gras and a bottle of Dom.No worries there.

How is that named in thai ?

[boosta]

Her idea is a mountain of fois gras and a bottle of Dom.No worries there.

How is that named in thai ?

Thais familiar with it use the French - here's google's: หัวตับห่าน

Dom is short for the French champagne brand Dom Perignon.

All snob-code for "my girl is different", probably Chinese-Thai (sorry couldn't resist)

Edited June 14, 2013 by boosta

[kevvy]

And flash a fat wallet.

transam i glad someone got a fat wallet

[smokie36]

Her idea is a mountain of fois gras and a bottle of Dom.No worries there.

How is that named in thai ?

Thais familiar with it use the French - here's google's: หัวตับห่าน

Dom is short for the French champagne brand Dom Perignon.

All snob-code for "my girl is different", probably Chinese-Thai (sorry couldn't resist)

I'm not being snobbish....just honest.

She lukes me to peel her prawns for her too....a job I prefer to do by hand......lip lickin' good.

[cpofc]

In traditional Chinese culture, somewhat prevalent in the LOS, birthdays were/are not generally celebrated in any large degree until the person reaches 60. The Thais have a word for this but I don't know how to spell it phonetically - Sae Yik? (feel free to correct me) Which marks the end of a Life Cycle, and at 61 the beginning of a new one. They are then celebrated every 10 years after the 60th. it was my 60th this week and my family will take me off to the Wat sometime over the next week. This is a must do.

As for gift giving. The traditional Art of gift giving in Japan is quite fascinating. Some gifts have remained unopened for generations, or even in some cases hundreds of years. Some times they are re-used and passed on as a present to another, unopened! it is most uncool to rip it open in front of the giver.

Birthday parties in my Soi and Moo Baan?. Which we have many of. The gift is almost always a bottle of Scotch, or even Hong Thong, which is then placed on the bar by the recipient, after traditionally thanking the giver, exchanging Wais, and then drunk by all at the party.

[MiG16]

Read all the posts, and have to agree with msfarmgirl. The most common factor amongst any economic background of Thais is to go to the temple and make merits on birthday. Apart from/ in addition to the dinner, lunch, party or whatever meal.

Yes, the party might not take place in a rural small town for some. But temple most likely.

If not the temple, then alm offerings to monks.

Me...I'm not too religious or spiritual. So I skip it. In fact I mostly skip everything lol

But mom would always suggest a temple, or some sort of doing a good deed thing

[Chittychangchang]

How about giving a ring and making an honest women of her?

CCC

[benalibina]

How about giving a ring and making an honest women of her?CCC

The moment i gave my misses a ring with the same intention, it went all downhill !!

[petedk]

Her idea is a mountain of fois gras and a bottle of Dom.

No worries there.

Ok you're in the same situation as me. Her favourite dish is Fois Gras.

She also loves a good Italian slap up.

[trainman34014]

I met my wife when she was 44 and up until that time she had never received a birthday card or present from anyone including her first, deceased husband. Her parents didn't even know when their birthdays were until the village loudspeaker announced it at 06.30 on the morning(s) of their birthday's.

Today we have two Niece's, 4 and 1,and the oldest is now alert to her birthday as Uncle bakes her a different cake every year with candles on it. Just my way of changing this family's habits of a lifetime !

[chrisinth]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

[maxme]

Hm, this is a bizarre post even for you Smokie. The easiest way would be to ask your gf how Thai bday's work, wouldn't it? As for the gift, well you know your gf better than anyone.

- Chrisinth, not all Thais follow the Thai date thing religiously.

Write it like we do back in the west and it should be fine, then you don't have to worry about any screw ups.

[David48]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

I have not heard that one.

So, a lady who we would call say 34 is indeed, through Thai eyes as 33?

.

[boosta]

The Thais with exposure to international ways know to count their birthdays the way we do.

Upcountry youngsters will use the old way until their first round of confusion with a foreigner, then they learn to adapt.

For those who haven't come across this, just add a year, as if they're one when they're born, turn two on what we would call their first birthday.

Can cause issue with the age of consent "laws", need to sight their ID card and do the calculation yourself if you've any doubt. Get a copy done while you're at it, or have the front desk do it for you automatically every time.

[chrisinth]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

I have not heard that one.

So, a lady who we would call say 34 is indeed, through Thai eyes as 33?

.

Other way round. Someone who turned 34 years old, they would call it their 35th birthday. They count the day of birth as the first birthday. We classify the first birthday when they are one year old. Thais therefore are correct as far as birthdays go.

Westerners base this on age instead of birthdays.........

@ maxme, yes I agree that not all of them follow this, but in my experience more do than don't.

Edit: Changed some wording for clarity

Edited June 15, 2013 by chrisinth

[cardholder]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

I have not heard that one.

So, a lady who we would call say 34 is indeed, through Thai eyes as 33?

.

Other way round. Someone who turned 34 years old, they would call it their 35th birthday. They count the day of birth as the first birthday. We classify the first birthday when they are one year old. Thais therefore are correct as far as birthdays go.

Westerners base this on age instead of birthdays.........

@ maxme, yes I agree that not all of them follow this, but in my experience more do than don't.

Edit: Changed some wording for clarity

Agree.

My better half referred to herself today as being 38. She will not actually be 38 until August.

[krisb]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

 

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

That's not true. Anyone else care to comment?

[chrisinth]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

That's not true. Anyone else care to comment?

Krisb, after rereading what I wrote, you are correct.

It should have read........."Don't forget Thais start the birthday count (and not the age count) on their birth day"

Thanks for pointing that out............

In the West when a child is one years old, it is regarded as their first birthday. Yes or No?

[smokie36]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

 

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

That's not true. Anyone else care to comment?

I'll just put 21.

Win win all round.

[David48]

Big tip Smokie, make sure you get her age right! Don't forget that Thais start the age count on their birth day (ie, when they are born its one) and not on their first birthday as we do in the west.

Embarrassing if you have that on a cake and its wrong, screws up the whole day...................

That's not true. Anyone else care to comment?

I'll just put 21.

Win win all round.

You old smoothie smokie36 (emphasis on smoothie ... not old).

No wonder you get the pretty girls ...

.

[boosta]

In the West when a child is one years old, it is regarded as their first birthday. Yes or No?

-

Bit of a tautology there, the first birthday could be considered the one on your birth certificate.

I was born on April 1 1970. As we all know in the west I turned one on April 1 1971.

A country rural Thai without exposure to western ways will say "he's two years old" from then until April 1 1972 - at least in theory as I mentioned early, the precise date is often not important, celebrated or even remembered.

This is why many web sites will advise punters to only take girls that are 19 if there's money involved - but again my advice is to get the ID card and actually do the calculation yourself.

[chrisinth]

In the West when a child is one years old, it is regarded as their first birthday. Yes or No?

-

Bit of a tautology there, the first birthday could be considered the one on your birth certificate.

I was born on April 1 1970. As we all know in the west I turned one on April 1 1971.

A country rural Thai without exposure to western ways will say "he's two years old" from then until April 1 1972 - at least in theory as I mentioned early, the precise date is often not important, celebrated or even remembered.

This is why many web sites will advise punters to only take girls that are 19 if there's money involved - but again my advice is to get the ID card and actually do the calculation yourself.

That's true, its not about how many 'birthdays' you have had, but how old you are.......................

[Kitsune]

chinese count the 9 months in the womb

[Bagwan]

Many upcountry poor families don't acknowledge each others' birthdays in any way.

They may be aware of the usual western-based ritual of cake and song and prezzies from media, but it's often still a completely foreign concept, to the point that many elder Thais won't have any idea of what their birthday even is if you inquire they have to fetch their ID card to look it up. Coupled with the fact, young or old many don't keep track of their exact age either - not to be confused with the interesting way of counting years from conception rather than exiting the womb.

However with the younger ones once they get clued into the fact that you as a farang are likely to give them a little something on that special day, then of course it becomes a very important part of their culture 8-)

Not saying anything bad of course, only human nature, but just thought I'd explain in case others have had similar experiences and were puzzled by them. Bottom line with upcountry rural folk without exposure to western ways, don't expect it to be a big deal, anymore than Christmas.

My gf is sufficiently clued up on Western culture for a lack of a birthday gift to land me sleeping in a box outside and barking at the local cats.

Really I would like to add something of Asian flavour to the celebration.

One word. GOLD.

[joeaverage]

OK, another. A Thai friend, big noise in Thailand's sporting history, his birthday. Hmmmm, I thought. I am a farang so I will give him something from England as well as a present. I have a wee collection of Royal Crown coins. So I gave him one. Tossed aside. Will learn my lesson one day. Oh, I have now.

sounds like you give things that have meaning to you without thinking about what the receiver would appreciate