Thai Country Music: Wondrous, Melancholy Luk Thung

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Thai Country Music
Wondrous, Melancholy Luk Thung

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Generally described as Thai country music, luk thung is a style of music that has become quite popular in Thailand since the 1960’s. It is generally slow paced (although there is a livelier variety), and the lyrics often deal with the plight of poor people in rural areas. In this way it is somewhat similar to American blues music. Luk thung singing is very melodramatic and emotional.

Luk thung in the local language:
Thai: ลูกทุ่ง
English variants: plen luk thung; luuk thung; loog thung; look thung; luk tung

Luk thung actually began in the early parts of the 1900’s, although it didn’t establish itself as a genre until the 1960’s. It is an amalgam of different international styles, most notably old-style American country music (although today it more closely resembles pop than country). Thai luk-thung performers warble, yodel and emote in a very unique style which has become one of the biggest-selling genres in the country today.

See also: Ranad ek and ranad thum: The xylophones of Thailand

The Other Thai Country Music: Mor Lam

Luk thung and another Lao pop form, mor lam, are very close in spirit and increasingly indistinguishable. Generally speaking, mor lam is faster, more traditional sounding, and sung in Lao rather than Thai, although none of these are strict rules.

Releases of Thai country music are often the result of a cookie-cutter Tin Pan Alley-type of industry. Lyricists are hired, melody-writers are hired, singers and bands are rented, and cassettes and CD’s are produced by the truckload in the hopes that one title will capture the popular imagination.

Concerts are legion as well, since half of the money made from luk thung is from live shows. Many performers have contracts with a particular company and are paid a salary.

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The Changing Face of Thai Country Music

Several stars have achieved enough success to have more conventional musical careers. They command bigger fees for live shows. Pumpuan Dongjon, who died in 1992, was one of Thai country music’s top female singers. Mike Piromporn is a popular male singer (although the genre seems to have been taken over by women).

Having arisen as a rural response to music that was popular in the cities, luk thung has now itself become popular among urbanites, and has inevitably changed to reflect this. Lyrics have been updated to fit the times, and are often about city life.

The overall effect of luk thung is melancholy and soothing, if at times humorless and professional. It is worth checking out, if only to get a taste of one of Southeast Asia’s most popular types of music. Not quite folk music, Thai country music has a unique position in the cultural landscape of the Land of Smiles. 

Luk thung music for sale

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New Luk Thung

Seller: MovieMars-CDs ★★★★★★★★★★ 97% (9,327 ratings)
Location: United States

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Various – หย่าว คัก..คัก 1 - เมดเล่ย์อีสาน CD Taiwanese Luk Thung

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Luk Thung

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Thailand Cassette Tape Molam Luk Thung Soi48 Em Records 4T

Seller: vvkitayama ★★★★★★★★★★ 98.8% (687 ratings)
Location: Japan

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New Luk Thung

Seller: Amazon.com Services LLC

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Namphueng Boribun lot of 3 Luk Thung 78rpm Thai vinyl Meuang Luang

Seller: simmo-wendy ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (500 ratings)
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Thai? Dai! - The Heavier Side of the Luk Thung Underground

Seller: Further Records ★★★★★★★★★★ 96.6% (30 ratings)
Location: United States

$29.95

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Luk Thung Thailand 78Rpm Sp Record Compilation

Seller: thrush39 ★★★★★★★★★★ 96.8% (711 ratings)
Location: Japan

$42.11

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The Sound Of Siam Volume 2: Molam & Luk Thung Isan From North-East Thailand 1970 - 1982

Seller: Amazon.com ★★★★★★★★★★ 93.6% (385 ratings)

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Saengsuree Rungorj Wedding Procession Set CD Rare Thailand Luk Thung แสงสุรีย์

Seller: edflistings ★★★★★★★★★★ 99.6% (1,368 ratings)
Location: United States

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