Thailand UK Time Difference (With Current Times)
It’s important to know the time difference between home and the country you’re visiting before taking a trip.
In this case, the time difference between Thailand and the UK.
Whether it’s for scheduling phone calls with family, knowing what time to text your friend on their birthday, or figuring out what time your bank will be open for customer support, it always helps to know the time back at home.
I’m from the UK and I’ve been to Thailand multiple times, so I’ve put together a complete guide on the time difference between the two countries because it’s not as straightforward as you might think.
Thailand UK Time Difference
The time difference between Thailand and the UK changes throughout the year.
In the summer months, when the UK is in the BST timezone, Thailand is 6 hours ahead of the UK.
This means that when it is 8 am in Thailand, it’s 2 am in the UK.
Whereas in the winter months, when the UK is in the GMT timezone, Thailand is 7 hours ahead of the UK.
This means that whenever it is 3 pm in Thailand, it is 8 am in the UK.
To make it as easy as possible, here is a converter with the current times in the UK and Thailand:
No matter what time of the year it is, Thailand is always ahead of the UK in terms of time zones. For half of the year, there is a 6-hour difference, and for half of the year, there is a 7-hour difference.
Make sure you know which time zone the UK is currently in so you know the difference in time from Thailand.
The exact dates change every year, but on the last Sunday of March, the clocks change in the UK to BST, and on the last Sunday of October, the clocks change to GMT.
When it’s BST, the clocks are 1 hour forward, which is why the time difference is shorter. When it’s GMT, the clocks are 1 hour back, which is why the time difference is longer.
So to summarise, the time difference between Thailand and the UK is different depending on what time of year it is.
Roughly between April and October, there is a 6-hour difference, and roughly between November and March, there is a 7-hour difference.
Is Thailand Ahead Or Behind UK Time?
Thailand is ahead of the UK in terms of time zones. Thailand is in the Indochina time zone, which is 6 or 7 hours ahead of the UK depending on what time of year it is, as I stated above.
The reason why time in Thailand is ahead of the UK is because Thailand is further east from the UK.
GMT is actually the time zone on which all other time zones are based. It stands for “Greenwich Mean Time”, which means the time in any other time zone around the world is either ahead or behind GMT.
Since Greenwich is in England, in other words, the UK, it’s easy to figure out whether countries are ahead or behind the UK in terms of time.
If a country is west of the United Kingdom, then the time there is behind the UK. And on the other hand, if the country is east of the UK, like Thailand is, then the time there is ahead of the UK.
How Many Hours Ahead Is Thailand Than UK?
The number of hours Thailand is ahead of the UK varies throughout the year.
When the UK is in the BST (British Summertime) Timezone, from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October, then Thailand is only 6 hours ahead of the UK.
But when the UK is in the GMT (Greenwich Mean) Timezone, from the last Sunday in October until the last Sunday in March, then Thailand is 7 hours ahead of the UK, an extra hour than in the summer months.
The reason for this change is that when the clocks change in October, they go back one hour, creating a bigger gap between the two times.
What Timezone Is Thailand In?
Thailand is in the Indochina Time timezone, which is UTC +7.
Other countries in this timezone include Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It’s the four countries of the Banana Pancake Trail which make up the Indochina timezone.
There are some other countries which are UTC +7, but they are not in the Indochina timezone.
Do The Clocks Change In Thailand?
There is no daylight saving time in Thailand, so you can expect the time difference to stay consistent throughout the year, making it a bit easier to plan your activities and communicate with friends and family back home.
It can get pretty weird to think that while you’re exploring the vibrant streets of Bangkok in the evening, your folks back home might just be starting their day!
The reason why the clocks change in the UK is because of the concept known as Daylight Saving Time (DST), which is adopted by many countries to make better use of daylight during the evening during the winter months.
Thailand is situated much closer to the equator than the UK and therefore enjoys a relatively consistent amount of daylight throughout the year.
Countries near the equator experience less variation in daylight hours across seasons compared to those further north or south, which is why the UK clocks change, and why Thailand’s do not.
FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions related to the Thailand and UK time difference along with my answers to each question.
No, Thailand only has one time zone. Thailand is in the Indochina Timezone which is UTC +7. Thailand remains in the same time zone throughout the year and does not have daylight saving time.
The time difference between the UK and Thailand in winter is 7 hours. In winter, the UK is in the GMT time zone, which is UTC +0, and Thailand is in the Indochina Timezone which is UTC +7.
Thailand is 6 hours in front of the UK during BST and 7 hours in front of the UK during GMT. Thailand does not change clocks and remains in the same timezone throughout the year.
You cross 6 time zones when you go from the UK to Thailand. Thailand is UTC +7 and the UK is UTC +0 or +1 depending on the time of year, but you will always cross 6 time zones.
When travelling from the UK to Thailand, you usually lose a day. This is because the journey takes so long. If you leave at 8 pm and your flight lasts 14 hours, then you will arrive in Bangkok at 4 pm or 5 pm depending on whether the UK is in BST or GMT.
Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to the time difference between the UK and Thailand.
It’s not as simple as to say Thailand is always X hours ahead, as it changes depending on what clock the UK is using.
Remember, Thailand is 6 hours in front during BST and 7 hours in front during GMT.
Now that you know the time difference, it’s time to start planning your trip. How could you start anywhere other than Bangkok?
Read more about Thailand:
