d Thai Music

Thai Music

Thailand to a very great extent retains most of its cultural connections with the two great centers of the Asian civilizations, which are India and China. Thailand has never been colonized by the music from the Western powers.



But pop music and some other forms of European and American music definitely have been extremely influential. Two of the most popular styles in the genre of modern Thai music are mor lam and luk thung.

Apart from these styles there have been other styles that have had very important influences from Laos and other neighboring nations. Apart from the Thai, there have been other minorities such as the Laotians, Lawa, Hmong, Akha, Mien, Lisu, Karen and Lahu peoples who have retained most of the traditional forms of the Thai music.

Existence of a distinctive Thai culture was not noticed until the year 1257. This was the period when the kingdom of Sukhothai was created. Music was an essential part of life during this period.

What has come to be known as Thai classical music today had its origins in the Ayuthaya period. Thai Music flourished during the next few centuries. This development took place in spite of the occasional oppression that came from the monarchs like Rama I.

Pleng luk thung, or the Thai country music had its origin in the early 1950s. The music of this period reflects to a large extent the daily trials and tribulations of the rural Thais. The biggest and most popular stars and artists of this genre of Thai music were Ponsri Woranut and Suraphon Sombatjalern.



These were the artists who played a huge role in helping incorporate influences from countries like Latin America, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and, especially, American film soundtracks and country music.

Most of the most popular pleng luk thung or Thai country music stars have come from the centrally located city of Suphanburi. This list of popular stars includes the name of the megastar Pompuang Duanjan. She was responsible for adapting pleng luk thung to the 1980s string and pop music. He achieved this adaptation by making a dance-ready form called electronic luk thung.