Welcome Back Everyone

Welcome to 2026 at Thai Language Tuition UK — I hope you had a gentle, joyful start to the year 🤍🩶

Whether that meant celebrating loudly, resting quietly, or simply taking a moment to breathe and reset. However you stepped into this new year, I wish you good health, peace of mind, and steady progress in everything you’re working towards. A new year always carries that soft feeling of possibility, doesn’t it?

And since we’re starting a brand-new year together, I thought it felt fitting that our first Thai lesson of 2026 would be something practical, light, and immediately useful. So today, let’s begin with a simple but important question: How do you say “Happy….” or “Merry….” in Thai?

From Happy New Year to Happy Birthday and festive greetings throughout the year, this is a phrase you’ll use again and again — and once you understand the pattern, you can apply it to almost any celebration.

Let’s take a look 👇

In Thai, we don’t really use a direct word-for-word equivalent of happy or merry in greetings. Instead, Thai uses a beautiful and very practical pattern: สุขสันต์ (sùk-sǎn) + name of the occasion. The word สุขสันต์ (sùk-sǎn) means joyful, happy, blessed — and it’s mainly used for festive greetings.

Look at the examples below: 👇

สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ (sùk-sǎn wān bpēe ^hmài) = Happy New Year

สุขสันต์วันเกิด (sùk-sǎn wān gèud) = Happy Birthday

สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (sùk-sǎn wān Christmas) = Merry Christmas

สุขสันต์วันวาเลนไทน์ (sùk-sǎn wān Christmas) = Happy Valentine’s Day

สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ (sùk-sǎn wān sǒng-grāan) = Happy Songkran Day

So, here…. สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ค่ะทุกคน (sùk-sǎn wān bpēe ^hmài t^húk-k^hōn) — Happy New Year, everyone!

And if you want to give someone good wishes in Thai — whether for the new year, for the future, or for life in general — we use the verb phrase ขอให้ (k^hǎw hâi) + result you wish for. This phrase is equivalent to “I wish that…” or “May you…” in English. The result clause usually consist of ขอให้ + subject + verb / adjective. The subject is often you, but it’s usually left out because it’s understood.

Look at the examples below: 👇

ขอให้มีความสุขตลอดปี (k^hǎw hâi (k^hūn) mēe k^hwāam-sùk dtà-^hlàwd bpēe) = May you be happy all year.

ขอให้ปีใหม่นี้เป็นปีที่ดี (k^hǎw hâi bpēe ^hmài née bpēn bpēe t^hêe dēe) = May this new year be a good year.

ขอให้สุขภาพแข็งแรง (k^hǎw hâi sùk-k^hà-p^hâab k^hǎeng-rāeng) = Wishing good health.

ขอให้ทุกอย่างเป็นไปด้วยดี (k^hǎw hâi t^húk-^awyàang bpēn-bpāi dûay-dēe) = May everything go well.

So, here…. ขอให้มีความสุขและสุขภาพแข็งแรงตลอดปี (k^hǎw hâi (k^hūn) mēe k^hwāam-sùk láe sùk-k^hà-p^hâab k^hǎeng-rāeng dtà-^hlàwd bpēe) — May you be happy and have good health all year.

So now that you know how to express good wishes in Thai, it’s time to put it into practice. Try using ขอให้ with your Thai friends, language partners, or even in a message or comment online. Don’t worry about getting it perfect — what matters most is the intention behind your words.

A simple, sincere wish can go a long way. Whether you’re wishing someone happiness, good health, or a great year ahead, using Thai in real life helps build confidence and makes the language feel alive. The more you practise, the more natural it will start to feel.

So go ahead — send a New Year message, leave a kind comment, or say it out loud. Your Thai doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful 🩶

About Post Author

Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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