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📏 ISLANDERS Insights: Thai Land Measurements – History, Cheat Sheet & Quick Calculations
Planning to buy or lease land in Thailand?
Then you must understand the local measurement system. Forget meters and acres – here, land is measured in Rai, Ngan, and Wah². It may seem confusing at first, but with this guide, you’ll be more knowledgeable than the locals.
📌 Save this post – it includes history, a useful cheat sheet, and quick conversion formulas!
📜 The History of Thai Land Measurements
Thai land measurement units date back centuries and are deeply connected to agriculture and royal land reforms.
🏯 Where did it all begin?
During the Sukhothai era (13th–14th centuries), Thailand’s first kingdom, land was allocated to farmers. They needed a measurement system that fit their agricultural lifestyle:
- Wah² (Square Wah, ตารางวา) – originally defined as the distance between the fingertips of a grown man’s outstretched arms (~2 meters). This made it easy to mark out small plots.
- Ngan (งาน) – roughly the amount of land a person could cultivate by hand in a short period.
- Rai (ไร่) – the area a pair of oxen could plow in a day.
👑 19th Century: Standardization
Until the 19th century, different regions of Thailand had slightly different measurement variations. This changed when King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) introduced a standardized land measurement system. Rai, Ngan, and Wah² became the official units, still used today.
🌏 Why Didn’t Thailand Switch to Meters and Acres?
In the 20th century, there were attempts to introduce the metric system, but tradition and practicality won out. Even today, all land transactions in Thailand are recorded in Rai, Ngan, and Wah², forcing foreigners to adapt.
📌 Fun fact: Even Google Maps in Thailand uses these local units for cadastral boundaries!
📍 Thai Land Measurement Cheat Sheet
🏡 Rai (ไร่) = 1,600 m²
✔ Used for large plots of land.
✔ Approximately 40 × 40 meters.
🏡 Ngan (งาน) = 400 m²
✔ Ideal for smaller land plots.
✔ Conversion: 4 Ngan = 1 Rai.
🏡 Wah² (ตารางวา) = 4 m²
✔ The smallest unit of land measurement.
✔ 1 Rai = 400 Wah² (square measuring 2 × 2 meters).
🔢 How to Calculate Quickly?
📌 Example: A plot of 2 Rai 1 Ngan 50 Wah²
(2 × 1,600) + (1 × 400) + (50 × 4) = 3,000 m²
🌍 Comparison with Global Units
🇺🇸 1 acre ≈ 2.53 Rai (4,047 m²)
🇪🇺 1 hectare ≈ 6.25 Rai (10,000 m²)
Now you not only understand Thai land measurements but also their historical significance!
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