Amy | 🌻🍑

In Thai, the word "thum" (ทุ่ม), which is used to tell time in the evening and at night, originates from the sound of drums being beaten at night. In ancient Thailand, before clocks became widely available, government officials or the royal palace would use musical instruments to signal the time to the public. The day was divided into two main periods: 🌝 Daytime (7:00 AM – 6:00 PM): A gong was struck to announce the time. The sound of the gong (ฆ้อง) was described as "mong... mong..." (โมง), which is why the word "mong" became part of the Thai system of telling time during the day. 🌛 Nighttime (7:00 PM – 12:00 AM): Drums were beaten to announce the time. The deep, low sound of the drum was described as "thum... thum..." (ทุ่ม). The word is also associated with the action of striking the drum with a drumstick. This is why "thum" became the term used for evening and nighttime hours. However, there is one interesting exception! At midnight (12:00 AM), we don't say "hok thum" (หกทุ่ม), which would literally mean "six thum." Instead, we say "thiang khuen" (เที่ยงคืน), which means "midnight." 🌤️ Early Morning (1:00 AM – 5:00 AM): In traditional Thai timekeeping, the hours after midnight are expressed using the word "tee" (ตี), which literally means "to strike" or "to beat." The term comes from the traditional practice of striking a drum to announce the hours during the early morning. For example: 1:00 AM = Tee nueng (ตีหนึ่ง) 2:00 AM = Tee song (ตีสอง) 3:00 AM = Tee sam (ตีสาม) 4:00 AM = Tee see (ตีสี่) 5:00 AM = Tee ha (ตีห้า) At 6:00 AM, we say "hok mong chao" (หกโมงเช้า), marking the beginning of the daytime timekeeping system. So, the traditional Thai way of telling time is closely connected to the sounds of gongs and drums, reflecting how people measured time long before modern clocks became common. This is one of the fascinating ways in which Thai language, history, and traditional timekeeping are connected.

Atom wrote, "2 ทุ่ม" (song thum), which means 8:00 PM, not 2:00 PM. In Thailand, we have a unique way of telling time. We use the word "ทุ่ม" (thum) for evening hours, starting at 7:00 PM. Here's how it works: 1 ทุ่ม (nueng thum) = 7:00 PM 2 ทุ่ม (song thum) = 8:00 PM 3 ทุ่ม (sam thum) = 9:00 PM 4 ทุ่ม (si thum) = 10:00 PM 5 ทุ่ม (ha thum) = 11:00 PM So, when Atom says "2 ทุ่ม", she means 8:00 PM. This is part of the traditional Thai time-telling system, which is still widely used in everyday conversations in Thailand. #AtomPariya