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recentadultburnout · 11 months

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Info for writer in Thai series fandom: some music genres and foreign media in Thai

*Due to Tumblr's limit, this repost has fewer examples than on AO3*

Notes:

This chapter is partially because we have so many main characters who love music—an entire group of music lovers in some cases—so I feel like it would be a good topic, and partially because I wanted to introduce you to some of the songs I like. Did you know that at one point GMM was kind of a monopoly in the Thai (pop?) music industry? Not that they are small now by any means. They own so many copyrights, and they kept remixing and using them in the series. I do enjoy those songs, so I'm not complaining lol.

Let's start with some genres that are probably not known internationally.

เพลงลูกทุ่ง -phleng luk thung-country music

Phleng = music, song, melody, composition

Luk = child

Thung = field

Originated in 2480 B.E./1937 A.D.

Luk Thung is a modernized version of Thai country music. It has quite a distinguishing feature, both in the way people sing it and the instrument itself. It has a sibling called Luk Krung, which, unlike Luk Thung, is not a popular genre any more. Luk thung is a popular genre. There is a time when BlackPink is trending worldwide and at number one on many charts but still loses to a Luk Thung singer, Monkaen Kaenkoon, in terms of view count in Thailand. So, yeah, Luk Thung is popular. It’s not considered trendy, tho. Probably because we have a pretty classist society and Luk Thung's target group isn't, like, the elite or the wealthiest.

What the song's lyrics usually are about -Life, specifically the life of the poor. And love—I'm pretty sure love is the most popular topic in everything, whether it's tragic, funny, or touching.

Dancers - The dancers, specifically their outfits, are one of the highlights of the Lukthung show. It needs to be showy and eye-catching. Glitter and feathers are frequently featured. Even if you don't recognize the music as Lukthung, you would probably recognize an army of dancers clad in a very striking outfit as a part of a Lukthung show.

Example

From series

This one is a cover of Got Jakrapun’s, aka King of Luk Thung's, song.

youtube

เพลงลูกกรุง - phleng luk krung

Phleng = music, song, melody, composition

Luk = child

Krung = city, capital, metropolis

Originated in 2474 B.E./1931 A.D.

As previously mention, Luk krung and Luk thung are kind of sibling terms. But unlike Luk Thung, Luk Krung is not a popular genre any more. Every once in a while, someone will pick an old song to cover, but there isn't much of a new one, if at all.

Well, actually, since the definition of this genre is so vague, a lot of songs would technically count, but when the word Luk Krung is mentioned, people do have a certain expectation in mind, and it's pretty much "when grandma is still young". I doubt this term would ever be used to describe any new song that does not actively go for a retro vibe.

The Suntaraporn Band - Suntaraporn Band is a very old band and has produced many Lukkrung songs. They were the first ones to start producing what is considered Lukkrung music, actually. It was born in 1939 and is still active to this day.

Example

From series "I Will Knock You" - The song in the background is an original version, and this series also uses a rearranged version as an OST.

youtube

This playlist is not from a series but from the novel "I Will Knock You". They are songs that were mentioned in the novel.

youtube

Some singers

Gun Napat

-He also sings many other genres. To be honest, he actually didn’t sing Lukkrung song that much. But he’s great at doing it. You may recognize him as the one who sings A Tale of Thousand Stars OST.

Charin Nuntanakorn

-He has done a lot of things and has a lot of songs, including the one he begged a song writer to write so he could sing it to his now-wife. That song and its background story sounded like peak romance when my mom told them to middle school me.

The song -> https://www.youtube.com/embed/U7XubPfCXtY

เพลงเพื่อชีวิต - phleng phuea chiwit

phleng = music, song, melody, composition

phuea = for

Chiwit = life

Songs in this genre are about the lives of people, especially those of the lower class, and talk about the difficulties of being taken advantage of, as do songs calling for democracy and political satire. Songs are considered to be in this genre based on their lyrics content, not their music style. Many songs in this genre are also Lukthung genre.

Example

Commoner Band

- This band is formed purely to express political opinion, which is mainly disapproval for coups and people who gain from them.

TaitosmitH

-I see some people ask about songs that were played in LOL2023. One of them is Taitosmith's song. It's the one that's played by Ohm, Nanon, Sea, Gemini, Pond, Phuwin, Khaotung, and Joong. It's called ยุติ-ธรรม.

youtube

Caravan Band

- one of the first phuea chiwit band

youtube

This one isn't the band’s original song, but it's quite a symbol. Its lyrics are from Chit Phumisak’s, an activist’s, poem.

Singers who are also actors and have acted in a BL series

Kob Songsit

-Theerapanyakul dad from KinnPorsche

-Botkawee's dad from Be My Favorite

-Older Songpol from 55:15 Never Too Late

-He's done some musicals too, and they're great.

-The song Phupha plays in A Tale of Thousand Stars is his song from a musical he stars in, Thawi Phop(ทวิภพ) The Musical.

Here a full song with English sub

youtube

Nok Sinjai

-Older Jaya Janiya from 55:15 Never Too Late

- She has been in many dramas and musicals. She and Kob Songsit have done some musicals together before.

Nat Sakdatorn

-Kit(Chopper’s dad) from Never Let Me Go

-Sam from Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (2020)

-He is not really known as a professional singer, but he stars in the same musical with Kob Songsit and Nok Sinjai, and I love that musical’s songs.

So, here is the musical I mentioned.

youtube

It's called บัลลังก์เมฆ (banlang mek- cloud throne) the musical. This version is kind of the cut version, so the story line is quite rushed, but the songs are all there.

Nok Sinjai as Panrung, the protagonist Kob Songsit as Kuea, Panrung’s second husband Nat Sakdatorn as Pakon, Panrung’s youngest son

The story is about Panrung, who should have a smooth sailing life, but due to her horrible decision-making and being an asshole and dictator-mom, she ruins her own life and also makes her children's lives a disaster.

The characters consist of Panrung, her two ex-husbands, her current husband, her four children, her ex-friend, who is also her current husband's ex-wife, and their son.

The songs are good. The theme song is iconic. The plot is....

Jeep Wasu

-Older Seksan from 55:15 Never Too Late

-His other nickname is Jeep Ror Dor(จิ๊บ ร.ด.) from his famous song with the same name. Ror Dor-ร.ด.-รักษาดินแดน-Territorial Defense If Thai men do not want to be conscripted, they can choose to apply to be trained while they are still students. Those trainees are called ร.ด.

Lookwa Pijika

-Gun's mom from My School President

Mos Patiparn

-Kiao's friend from Past-Senger

-He also plays a musical

Intira Jaroenpura

-Our favorite BL mom

-She is more actor than singer, but she does sing a bit

-Thun's mother from He's Coming to Me

-Vanika, Thana's Wife, from 3 Will Be Free

-Her movie, Nang Nak(นางนาก 1999), made me relocate a Buddha image to under my pillow to maximize protection.

-Her half sister, Mai, is a big-name singer.

Some more Thai singers and bands

Bird Thongchai

If you watch anything from GMM regularly, then you've heard his song before.

For example, The Gifted 2 uses his song as background music, and the Never Let Me Go pilot trailer uses one of his songs and Our Skyy series name and the theme song are from the song, which was originally his too. Many of the songs that randomly came up in variety shows are his, both the songs the staff edited in and the songs people sing or make jokes with.

He started his career as a singer in 1983 and is still active to this day. He has been a household name since I can remember. His voice is very unique, and he is always open to new things.

youtube

Palmy

-Palmy's songs are never boring, and Palmy herself is also an interesting person.

-Friend Zone movie OST is originally her song.

youtube

-This song plays with the concept of losing Khwan and even has an explanation about a ceremony to call it back at the end of the MV. There is no English subtitle for that, tho.

Tattoo Colour

-This band’s name is a pun! Tattoo in Thai is Sak(สัก) and colour is Si(สี). Together, สักสี sound like ศักดิ์ศรี which means prestige, honor, fame, or honour.

Foreign media in Thai

Music

Thais have a large K-Pop fan base. My best friend has been a fan for more than a decade now, and the fan base seems to have only grown bigger since. J-Pop and C-Pop are not as popular, but I have personally known a few fans, and there is one in my timeline every once in a while, so I assume their popularity is steady.

And there are, of course, those big names: Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, etc.

Animation

There is Japanese anime, of course. Japan is pretty popular in Thailand in general, whether in culture, products, or media. Anime, manga, novels, or even nonfiction books are getting translated all the time and are very easy to find.

China’s animation has started to gain popularity these past few years.

And there are American animation like Cartoon Network and Disney.

Books

Chinese books are always around, I think? In my understanding, (modern?) Wuxia genre market has its peek in Thai around 2500 B.E. or 1957 A.D., not that I would say it not popular anymore, but like, around that time there are some big translator that to this day people will still adopt their translation of idiom from them, so like, they are BIG. In present, Chinese books often has its own section in book store. If you are a Danmei fan like me you might notice before that there are a lot of official translation in Thai, it is a bless really. I would be reading a random unofficial translation on the internet, the translation not even half way, I was dying to know how it gonna be next, and before I know there is an official, complete translation I can get.

Japanese book also often has its own section in book store too. I would say that in a main stream book store the amount of Japanese book are less than Chinese but there are niche book store that sell Japanese books exclusively, and that is something. Those type of store will mostly cater to anime fans, so the book I talk about are usually something that has an anime adaptation or was adapt from anime, it will also have other merch.

Korean books are getting translate to Thai quite often but less than Chinese and Japanese for sure.

Books in English also get translate often too and books in English as it is are usually the biggest section in the books in foreign language(non-translation) category.

Usually if it is a classic or famous enough it likely to be translate at some point, no matter what language its original from.

Tv show- series/verities

US, UK, Korea, Japan, China, and India drama are what I know for the fact that there are a certain amount of avid fans out there. For verities, for Korea and China, I saw fans make a fan sub for their favorite group, but for Japan, there is an official sub and dub for quite a few programs, last I checked. Does that mean Japan verities are more or less popular in Thai?

In conclusion, it's usually the US, UK, Korea, Japan, and China.

Index

#Youtube #thai culture

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