Clocks going back in Thailand

Post by **HHTel** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:14 am

On August 14th I saw an article stating that at 0830 on 23rd August 2008 Thailand was moving the clocks back 30 mins. It was initially assumed that this was a hoax.

Guess what? It's just been confirmed on Thai TV that at 0830 on Saturday, the time will be reset to 0800!!

Can anyone think of any benefit this may bring?

Several years ago, Thaksin wanted to move the clocks on one hour to fall in line with Malaysia and Singapore. There was some sense in that. But retarding the clocks 30 mins. Why?

Post by **HHTel** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:19 am

The original article for those that can read Thai. Maybe someone will translate it verbatum.

ไทยปรับเวลาใหม่ ให้ตรงกันทั่วประเทศ บังคับใช้ 23 ส.ค.

จากความเหลื่อมล้ำทางเวลาของไทย จนทำให้ไม่เป็นมาตรฐาน สถาบันมาตรวิทยากระทรวงวิทยาศาสตร์ และเทคโนโลยี จึงดำเนินการปรับเปลี่ยนเวลาของไทยใหม่ทั่วประเทศ เพื่อให้ถูกต้องแม่นยำตามหลักสากล

ทั้งนี้ เมื่อวันที่ 5 สิงหาคม พล.อ.ต.ดร.เพียร โตท่าโรง ผู้อำนวยการสถาบันมาตรวิทยาแห่งชาติ เปิดเผยว่า ขณะนี้สถาบันมาตรวิทยาฯ จะดำเนินการปรับเปลี่ยนเวลาของประเทศ ไทยใหม่ทั่วประเทศ เพื่อให้ถูกต้องแม่นยำตามหลักสากล เพราะที่ผ่านมามาตรฐานเวลาของไทยไม่เคยตรงกัน ซึ่งจะเป็นไปตามประกาศกระทรวงเทคโนโลยีสารสนเทศและการสื่อสาร ( ไอซีที) เรื่องหลักเกณฑ์การเก็บรักษาข้อมูลจราจร ทางคอมพิวเตอร์ของผู้ให้บริการ พ.ศ. 2550 ถูกต้องแม่นยำตามหลักสากล ซึ่งจะมีพระราชบัญญัติ ว่าด้วยการกระทำความผิด

โดยจะทำการปรับเวลาประเทศไทยให้เร็วกว่าเวลาปัจจุบัน 30 นาที ตัวอย ่าง ปัจจุบันเวลา 8 :30 น.จะต้องปรับเป็น 8:00 น. เพราะฉะนั้นประชาชนชาวไทยทั้งประเทศจะต้องตื่นเร็วกว่าปกติ 30 นาที เพื่อรักษาสภาพการดำเนินชีวิตให้เหมือนเดิมปกติ ก่อนที่จะมีการปรับเวลา โดยมีผลบังคับใช้ในวันที่ 23 สิงหาคมนี้

Post by **Wanderlust** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:24 am

HHTel,
According to http://whatismatt.com/thailands-time-zo ... 0-minutes/ it is definitely a hoax, and that was my first thought. However the link to the National Institute Of Meteorology on that webpage does not work for me so I can't say 100%. I think it might be that someone is playing on the minor time change that is due to occur soon though - there was a thread about that on here recently.

Post by **HHTel** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:38 am

Well they've just been discussing it at length on Channel 3!!

Post by **Winkie** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:24 am

Here is the English announcement from the NIMT Website.

Thailand standard time remains the same!
We have learnt that there is a rumour spreading that the Thailand standard time or Thai official time will be changed.
We would like to announce that
"Thailand standard time or Thai official time remains the same at 7 hours ahead of the time in UTC Scale:"
Thailand standard time = Time in UTC + 7 hours

Post by **HHTel** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:32 am

Thanks Winkie,

Seems like a whole TV station has been duped. My wife and her Thai friends already believe it. The topic of conversation today!!

Saturday should be fun with all the Thais altering their time and the rest of us laughing through...

Post by **Winkie** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:40 am

Same in my office.........

Post by **Guess** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:45 am

Firstly. Has anybody seen the film 23. It is a big hit in Thailand. The film revolves around the number 23 and all its implications in a paranormal world and relationships with the devil. E.G. What is 2 divided by 3. Answer = .666. There are 100 like this usually involving the number 6.

This looks like a hoax spurred by the recent revelation that Thailand does not actually own an official clock. Their time is loosely based on UST+7. With the expanding use of electronic communication that is not acceptable. The Thai government have had to address it if they wish to make real time transactions with the outside world.

As for the precise reversing of time by 30 minutes is concerned it is almost certainly a hoax. If Network 3 are discussing it then it's because they have nothing else to talk about or they have been duped themselves. Thai TV channels are fair game for that. TOC get it all the time.

Thailand is a little off center with midday in Bangkok being at about 12:20m I think (I need to check). It's easy to work out with a map, (Google or Encarta). So putting the clock back 30 minutes would put Thailand in line with Myanmar and would off center the other way. No sense in that.

Putting the clocks forward one hour puts Thailand in line with Malaysia, Singapore, Much of China including Beijing & Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Western Australia so makes a great deal of sense. The farmers getting up at a certain time and kids going to school arguments are complete bollocks. You adjust those to the real midday/midnight times which cannot be changed by man (yet). Midnight and Midday are constant throughout the year across the whole globe.

The Thai writing above says that the clocks will be put back at 08:30 on 23/08/2551 to 08:00. It is part of the hoax.

http://www.nimt.or.th/nimt/Announcement ... &NewsId=78

And for other more serious events of the day after tomorrow in Thailand:

http://www.pattayaghost.com/2008/08/14/ ... mment-1144

Of course I could be wrong and Thailand are actually planning to invade Myanmar in the next few days.

It's all a good larf tho.

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:25 pm

I was a bit curious about this, so I asked a Thai colleague (university teacher) if it was true. "Yes," she said, "Saturday 23rd." When I asked the reason, she replied, "I'm not sure. Half an hour seems a long time anyway, I think it will probably be just a few minutes."

Once again in this fascinating but puzzling country, I think I've taken a step forward in understanding how things work, then discover I've been shoved back two steps...

Post by **lomuamart** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:27 pm

Try this?
http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/re ... t9948.html

Post by **BaaBaa.** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:29 pm

lomuamart wrote:Does the topic have anything to with this?
http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/re ... t9948.html

Thats what I was thinking.

Was starting to think I'd imagined reading about that.

Post by **Guess** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:42 pm

BaaBaa. wrote:
lomuamart wrote:Does the topic have anything to with this?
http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/re ... t9948.html
Thats what I was thinking.
Was starting to think I'd imagined reading about that.

That is exactly what I was referring to below.

Guess wrote:.................recent revelation that Thailand does not actually own an official clock. Their time is loosely based on UST+7. With the expanding use of electronic communication that is not acceptable

And in the sites linked by myself and Wanderlust.

dtaai-maai wrote: ......so I asked a Thai colleague (university teacher) if it was true. "Yes," she said, "Saturday 23rd." When I asked the reason, she replied, "I'm not sure. Half an hour seems a long time anyway, I think it will probably be just a few minutes."

Is yet another reference. She is right of course, adjustments will be more like 30 seconds than 30 minutes. Some institutions will move forward and some back.

If anybody wants to check this you can easily check it. There are at least two Thai breakfast channels that display the time down to seconds. They are not in sync. The National Anthem will be started according to their own clocks which could be up to one minute different. On Sunday or the next day that they broadcast they should show the same time or face a 100,000 - 250,000 baht fine.

Check it out. I don't get those channels down here.