Longest Day of the Year 2024 in Tailandia

The Summer Solstice is the first day of astronomical summer, although the more logical metrological summer begins December 1st / June 1st (depending on hemisphere). To add further confusion this time of year is also known as Midsummer, although this is often cited as being on the 24th June.

Solstice sunrise, sunset and day length in Bangkok

For most of us the main feature of the Summer Solstice is that it is the day with the longest period of sunlight - or daylight at least! This officially occurs at the moment when the sun reaches a point directly overhead of the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23.44° north) in the northern hemisphere or over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern. At this point the respective hemisphere will receive sunlight at the most direct angle for that year.

Daylight & night hours for the Summer Solstice

Day length for 2024-11-01

Night	First light: 4:32	Twilight: 5:28	Sunrise: 5:51	Sunset: 18:48	Twilight: 19:11	Last light: 20:07	Night

During the June Solstice the sun will appear at its highest and most in the sky. Whilst this delivers the longest day of the year the actual length of this day will vary according to location. Those in more latitudes will experience markedly longer days than those closer to the Equator. In fact those in the highest latitudes can experience 24 hours of daylight, i.e. the "midnight sun" for which regions above the Arctic Circle are known.

The evenings are already long at this time of year and the solstice is just the peak. So whilst it might seem like a day to celebrate, in fact days now start getting shorter. It is also worth pointing out that the Summer Solstice doesn't actually have the latest sunset - that occurs a few days later.

With the Sun's rays hitting the Earth more directly this is the time of year the sun is strongest with the highest levels of UV. That said because of "seasonal lag" temperatures still have a way to go before they max out in July or August

Summer Solstice Dates

In the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice takes place between June 20 and 22 each year

Dates of longest day of the year in Tailandia

Year	Date	Time (Solstice)
2020	21st June	04:46
2021	21st June	10:35
2022	21st June	16:17
2023	21st June	22:00
2024	21st June	03:54
2025	21st June	09:45
2026	21st June	15:28
2027	21st June	21:14
2028	21st June	03:04
2029	21st June	08:51
2030	21st June	14:34

The word solstice comes from Latin 'solstitium' meaning "the sun stands still". This is because the sun's path north or south stops before reversing direction.

What is the connection to Midsummer?

Although often regarded as interchangeable, Midsummer is actually a separate event to the summer solstice. This year, midsummer falls on June 24th 2024. The day doesn't really mark the middle of the summer by any definition, and in fact it is an ancient, pre-christian festival to maark the mid point of the harvesting season. Midsummer is celebrated in many countries and is often linked to the feast day of St. John the Baptist. However, regardless of location and religion a common theme is bonfires which were originally lit to ward of evil spirits.

Solstice sunrise/sunset times