00:00Why did Thailand have only 9 months in 1940?
00:03It wasn't a natural disaster or a political crisis, but a change in the calendar system.
00:08Before 1940, Thailand's official year began on April 1 following a traditional Thai calendar.
00:14So for example, the year 2483 in the Buddhist era started on April 1, 1940.
00:20But in December that year, the government decided to modernize the calendar.
00:24They wanted the official year to begin on January 1, like in most other countries.
00:29So a new law was passed. The year 2483 would end early on December 31 in 1940.
00:37That means it lasted only 9 months from April to December.
00:40From January 1, 1941 onwards, Thailand started the new year 2484 under the new system.
00:47This also made it easier to coordinate with international partners.
00:51So that's why Thailand had only 9 months in 1940,
00:55an adjustment to shift the start of the year from April to January.
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