Thailand first adopted Indochina Time (ICT) on April 1, 1920, when it replaced local mean time (UTC+07:06:48) linked to the Bangkok meridian. Before this, each region kept its own local time based on astronomical observations. The 1920 change synchronized telegraph and railway operations. In 1941–1945, during WWII, Thailand briefly adopted UTC+09:00 to align with Japan, but reverted to UTC+07:00 after the war. Thailand has never adopted daylight saving time.

Did you know?

Things about Thailand's time.

Fact · 01

Thailand's uniform time zone means 6:00 AM sunrise and 6:00 PM sunset year-round, but sunrise and sunset can vary slightly by a few weeks depending on the season and location. Western regions like Kanchanaburi see sunrise later than eastern Ubon Ratchathani. Despite spanning ~1,700 km east to west, the single zone means Bangkok's clock closely matches solar time but Eastern Thailand gets slightly more morning light while western areas delay until later. Thai dates follow the Buddhist Era (BE) system — currently 2567 BE until April 2026 — which is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, a common source of confusion for travelers booking tickets or filling forms. The national anthem plays at 08:00 and 18:00 ICT daily, functioning as a soft national time signal.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Thailand's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].

What time zone is Thailand in?: Thailand uses Indochina Time (ICT), which is UTC+07:00 year-round. There is no daylight saving time adjustment.
How many time zones does Thailand have?: Thailand has a single time zone covering the entire country — Asia/Bangkok (UTC+07:00).
Does Thailand observe daylight saving time?: No, Thailand has never observed daylight saving time, which makes scheduling simpler for visitors.
What is the Buddhist Era date system?: Thailand uses the Buddhist Era (BE) calendar, which is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. For example, 2025 AD corresponds to 2568 BE. Be careful with dates on documents and reservations.
When is sunrise and sunset in Thailand?: Thailand's equatorial location means sunrise and sunset are fairly consistent year-round, roughly between 6:00–6:30 AM and 6:00–6:30 PM ICT, with slight seasonal variation.
Is it confusing that Thailand has only one time zone?: No — having one uniform time zone throughout the country actually makes travel and scheduling within Thailand very straightforward. The only minor quirk is that sunrise and sunset times can vary slightly between eastern and western regions.

Free · Developer API

Time, as JSON.

Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.

GET /v1/timezones Live

countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.

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// France's time zones, right now

GET /v1/timezones?country=fr

{

"data": [

{

"iana": "Europe/Paris",

"display_name": "Paris",

"current": {

"utc_offset": "+02:00",

"abbreviation": "CEST",

"is_dst": true

}

]

}