Thai Buddhist Era Converter (B.E. ↔ A.D.)
Convert dates between the Thai Buddhist Era (พ.ศ.) and the Western calendar (ค.ศ.), including January to March before 1941, when the Thai year still began on 1 April.
Western date (A.D.) → Buddhist Era
Buddhist Era → Western date (A.D.)
Leave the day empty to convert the year only.
When the Thai year began
| Western dates | Buddhist Era year | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 1889 – 31 March 1940 | 2432 – 2482 | Year begins on 1 April: April–December + 543, January–March + 542 |
| 1 April – 31 December 1940 | 2483 (nine months) | + 543; B.E. 2483 had no January to March |
| From 1 January 1941 | 2484 onward | Year begins on 1 January: + 543 on every day |
How the conversion works
- Today the Thai year begins on 1 January, as the Western year does, so B.E. = A.D. + 543: 2026 is พ.ศ. 2569.
- From 1889 (B.E. 2432) until 1940 the Thai year began on 1 April. January to March still belonged to the Buddhist year that had begun the April before, so for those months B.E. = A.D. + 542: 15 January 1939 is in B.E. 2481.
- To move New Year's Day to 1 January, B.E. 2483 was cut to nine months, 1 April to 31 December 1940, and B.E. 2484 began on 1 January 1941.
- Dates are converted from 1 April 1889, when 1 April became New Year's Day. Before that the Thai new year followed the lunar calendar.
- Everything runs in your browser. The dates you enter are not sent to LeedyBox or saved.
Source: หอสมุดแห่งชาติ กรมศิลปากร: ศุภฤกษ์เบิกชัย สวัสดีปีใหม่ · Last checked:
Source: กรมศิลปากร: ขาลนักษัตร · Last checked:
Wrong result? If a date converts wrongly, email us the date you entered and the result you expected, so we can fix it.
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How to use
- To convert a Western date, pick it under "Western date (A.D.) → Buddhist Era". The result shows the Buddhist Era year and the date written the Thai way.
- To convert a Thai date, enter the day, choose the month and enter the B.E. year. Leave the day empty to convert just the year.
- For January to March before 1941 the tool applies the old 1 April new year and says so under the result.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Buddhist Era year to a Western year?
Subtract 543: B.E. 2569 is 2026, B.E. 2500 is 1957. To go the other way, add 543. This holds for every date from 1941 on; for January to March of earlier years the difference is 542.
Why is the difference 542 for some dates before 1941?
From 1889 to 1940 the Thai year began on 1 April. A date in January to March belonged to the Buddhist year that had begun the April before: 15 January 1939 was in B.E. 2481, not 2482.
Why did B.E. 2483 have only nine months?
When Thailand moved New Year's Day from 1 April to 1 January, B.E. 2483 ran from 1 April to 31 December 1940 and B.E. 2484 began on 1 January 1941. A date such as 1 February 2483 never existed.
What do พ.ศ. and ค.ศ. mean?
พ.ศ. (phutthasakkarat) is the Buddhist Era, the year count used for official dates in Thailand. ค.ศ. (khritsakkarat) is the Common Era, the Western year count.
Is the date I enter sent anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser, and the page does not save what you enter.