Which Thai king moved the traditional New Year from Songkran to January 1 in 1941?

King Ananda Mahidol moved Thailand’s official New Year from Songkran to January 1 in 1941.

The change aligned Thailand’s civil calendar with the international Gregorian-calendar convention. King Ananda Mahidol, also known as Rama VIII, was monarch when the official date was changed, although the broader calendar reform reflected state administration and international standardization rather than a replacement of Songkran’s cultural role.

Songkran continued as Thailand’s traditional New Year festival after the change. Families still use it for religious observance, reunions, merit-making, elder blessings, and community celebrations, while January 1 serves as the country’s modern civil New Year.

This history is sometimes confused with the date of the holiday itself. Changing the official civil New Year did not eliminate Songkran or move its traditional April customs to January.