Morning to Midday

Learn how to tell the time in Thai from early morning through to noon in this Easy Thai lesson. Practise saying times such as 6:30, 7:15 and 9:45, and learn how to say how many minutes are left until the next hour.

Find out how people in Thailand told the time before clocks existed: by watching the sun and shadows, and by listening for the sound of a gong. You’ll discover how the gong gave its name to โมง, and why Thai people have two different ways of saying the same morning hours. The lesson finishes with practice so you can test yourself on both.

Thai Vocabulary:
เช้า (cháo) – Morning
เที่ยง (thîang) – Noon
โมง (moong) – O’clock (hour)
นาที (naa-thii) – Minute
นาฬิกา (naa-lí-gaa) – Clock
ฆ้อง (khɔ́ng) – Gong
เงา (ngao) – Shadow

Beginner Clock Culture History Morning Numbers Time

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Midday to Evening

In this Easy Thai lesson, you’ll learn how to tell the time in Thai from midday through to the evening. Before clocks, people in Thailand told the time by watching the sun, looking at shadows and listening for the gong, and you’ll hear how the number of gong strikes marked each hour of the afternoon. The lesson works through every hour from noon to 6 pm, including 5 minutes past, 15 minutes past and half past. Then you’ll practise reading the times and saying them yourself. Thai Vocabulary: เที่ยง (thîang) – Noon / Midday บ่ายโมง (bàai moong) – 1 pm ห้าโมงเย็น (hâa moong yen) – 5 pm ครึ่ง (khrʉ̂ng) – Half (past) ตรง (trong) – Exactly / o’clock ฆ้อง (khóng) – Gong Keep practising, and soon you’ll be telling the time in Thai without needing to think about it!

Morning to Midday

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