As many of you are celebrating the New Year and spending quality time with family and loved ones in Thailand, I would love to teach you how to say “Happy New Year!” in Thai. You will also learn some common phrases to wish your Thai friends, colleagues, and family during this joyful time.
Common Thai wishes
In case you’re looking for phrases to say or to write a New Year message in Thai language, here are the three common Thai wishes that Thai locals commonly use.
Happy New Year In Thai
“สวัสดีปีใหม่” (sà-wàd-dee bpii-mài)
It literally translates to “Hello New Year”. This phrase implies the excitement of Thai people to start the year with great joy. Let’s say hi to the New Year.
I wish you happiness.
ขอให้มีความสุข (khǒor-hâi mee kwaam-sùk)
The word ขอให้ (khǒor-hâi) means “I wish you” and it’s usually followed by a wish. มีความสุข (mee kwaam-sùk) means “to have happiness” or “to be happy”. This wish can be used for birthday wishes as well.
I wish you good health.
ขอให้มีสุขภาพแข็งแรง (khǒor-hâi mee sùk-kà-pâab kǎeng-raeng)
Another common wish is the wish for good health. In Thai, the word สุขภาพ (sùk-kà-pâab) means “health” and the word แข็งแรง (kǎeng-raeng) means “strong”. This phrase is commonly used with elders, senior colleagues, and family members.
I wish you experience only great things.
ขอให้พบเจอแต่สิ่งดีๆ (khǒor-hâi pób-jeer dtàe sìng dii-dii)
Many people look at New Year as the time to start doing new things, move on and create their new path of living. The past years might be not so easy, but hopefully, this year is gonna be better. Both words พบ pób and เจอ jeer, mean to meet. พบ pób sounds more formal. But you combine these two words, it means to experience a situation.
Thai wishes for kids
In Thailand, we have special wishes for children. These wishes might sound more like a guideline for them to follow. In case you would like to wish your kids, your students, your nephews, and nieces. Here are the wishes, I would highly recommend using.
I wish you to be a good kid.
ขอให้เป็นเด็กดี (khǒor-hâi bpen dèk-dee)
This phrase is said to support and wish kids to grow up and behave. It might sound funny in English but this is what Thai locals say on New Year and it can be used as a birthday wish as well.
I wish you to be good at school.
เรียนหนังสือเก่งๆ (riian nǎng-sǔe gèng-gèng)
Education is really important for Thai parents. Thai people also have another wish for kids to be great students or to be good at studying at school. เรียนหนังสือ (riian nǎng-sǔe) is “to study at school”. While เก่ง (gèng) means “well”.
Just a tip for you, you can combine many of the wishes you’ve learned above together.
For example, if you want to write a Happy New Year message to your Thai boss, you can say “สวัสดีปีใหม่ ขอให้มีความสุข มีสุขภาพแข็งแรง” (sà-wàd-dee bpii-mài. khǒor-hâi mee kwaam-sùk. mee sùk-kà-pâab kǎeng-raeng) which means “Happy New Year! I wish you happiness and good health”.
I hope you use some of these Thai wishes to celebrate this festive time of the year with your loved ones and the people in your community. Again, Happy New Year 2022, Sawaddee bpii-mai ka!
