[repldoinfo]

Hi. I'm looking for some info on Thai customs regarding birthdays. In addition to freeing of birds/fish, am I right that Thai's are encouraged to give gifts to others on their birthdays? Sort of a merit/good deed/

i would appreciate all info on birthday customs - especially with children.

thanks

Andy

Hi Andy and all,

My birthday had always been the Thai traditional way by either making merit at the temple or with the monks who collected food in the morning that past our house. And yes...giving presents to kids.(I also give stuff to my old primary school in my village when I visit Thailand.) But my older sister is influenced by the western style she would order some beer etc.. and invite friends to celebrate and to see her get drunk and that I had always been the one that nursed her lol

I didn't celebrate my birthday with the western style until on my 30th birthday - my husband's sister organised this (she was a wonderful lady - she had always been there for us especially me from day 1 since I arrived here in Oz) I some how felt embarrassed because I wasn't used to be in the centre of the crown

My birthday always is organised by my husband and some times by someone else because I don't usually celebrate. If none of them organises I would treat it as just another day...

Cheers
~Lime~

[77Dinaartickire]

This is a little off topic. But since your in-laws didn't have birth certificates and being located on the Cambodian border, how did they manage to get Thai ID cards? (and they are Khmer dialect speakers?). Just out of interest.

That I don't know; I just saw their IDs last year as my wife wanted me to make a big copy of the picture off her mother's ID after she died. The dob said 2472 and father-in-law 2477.

David

[Zarekylin75]

Funny you should say that Stephen, I grew up in Perth Western Australia, and on your Birthday you took your very close friends to the pub and shouted them for the day, it turned out to be was a very good way to remember everybody’s birthday.

[Amerworma]

Even then there is some discussion if it is the correct year, my mother-in-law who died last year claimed to be older than the year on her ID and my father-in-law older than her despite his ID saying he was born 5 years after her.
David

It can be to do with when the birth was registered.Members of my wifes family born years apart were registered at the same time and given the same birth date on the official register.

[L8fGLM4d]

my kids (6-year-olds) always bring a cake to share and some of them hand out presents such as pencils or small toys. most of them do get presents from their parents. (they are mostly Thai, not mixed or westerner.)

[Alice_Medichi34]

Hi. I'm looking for some info on Thai customs regarding birthdays. In addition to freeing of birds/fish, am I right that Thai's are encouraged to give gifts to others on their birthdays? Sort of a merit/good deed/

i would appreciate all info on birthday customs - especially with children.

thanks

Andy

[77Dinaartickire]

My parents-in-law celebrate their birthdays on the King and Queen's birthdays, Mother's Day and Father's Day. Actually they don't even know when their real birthdays are, on both of their identity cards it just gave the year where on other people's IDs it gives a full date. Even then there is some discussion if it is the correct year, my mother-in-law who died last year claimed to be older than the year on her ID and my father-in-law older than her despite his ID saying he was born 5 years after her.

My stepson has had all his classmates around after school on most of his birthdays since I've known his mother.

David

[NumsAmenniams]

My parents-in-law celebrate their birthdays on the King and Queen's birthdays, Mother's Day and Father's Day. Actually they don't even know when their real birthdays are, on both of their identity cards it just gave the year where on other people's IDs it gives a full date. Even then there is some discussion if it is the correct year, my mother-in-law who died last year claimed to be older than the year on her ID and my father-in-law older than her despite his ID saying he was born 5 years after her.

My stepson has had all his classmates around after school on most of his birthdays since I've known his mother.

David

This is a little off topic. But since your in-laws didn't have birth certificates and being located on the Cambodian border, how did they manage to get Thai ID cards? (and they are Khmer dialect speakers?). Just out of interest.

[shanice]

Traditionally, Thai of my generation and that of my wife, do not celebrate birthdays in the Western sense. We were present when our niece celebrated her 20th birthday and it came as a surprise to my wife, having not lived in Thailand for over 30-years. Our niece brought a small cake, cookies and soft-drink. She served the cake and cookies to all of the adults present, starting with her grandmother, then her parents and then us, her oldest aunt and uncle present and then the others. She gave grandmother a small gift and her mother one. We all sang "Happy Birthday", in English, and that was that. We gave her a card and it contained a small amount of money and she was taken aback and did not know how to respond to it. She sought permission to accept it from grandmother.
I guess it all depends upon the family and the circumstance and the environment in which they were raised and what influence the West had on their upbringing. I know that my wife said while growing up she and her family did not celebrate their birthdays other than going to the wat for merit-making.

[fameintatenly]

I remember attending only one birthday party in Thailand. It was for a child. I had never heard English spoken by many of the adults attending, but they all sang 'Happy Birthday to You' in English. I don't know if that was for my benefit or not, but they did all know the words indicating they had sang it before.
It was a very simple party with cake and ice cream. I don't remember about the presents, but I assume (knowing them as I did) there were some given.

[nasdfrdg]

Traditionally, Thai people don't celebrate birthday like in the West. However, due to influence of Western society, more parents these days give presents to their children on their birthdays. But, this is not always the case. Maybe even a cake and a party. For older people, they would make merit at the temple by giving food to monks or releasing birds. They might even have a party for their friends which they would normally pay for. In addition, they may also give out presents to people attending.

[DoterrFor]

But What about one of the big birthdays like a 50 or 100th birthday, I think that must be a big celebration.

[NumsAmenniams]

One thing that is quite a modern b-day custom, in total contrast to in the West, is that the person whose b-day it is pays a small party for everyone else.

That is, the b-day person takes his/her friends out for a meal and drinks or/and nightclub etc... and pays for everything.