คนสุดท้าย

Phongsi Woranut - Khon sut thai. Available thanks to มนต์รักเพลงไทย.

Lao Damnoen Sai

'Lao Damnoen Sai' by an anonymous Thai ensemble. Available thanks to ghost-capital.


03. ลาวเสี่ยงเทียน (lao siang thian)

Music of the Revolution.

Red-shirt security guards, one wearing body armor stolen from the army, watch over Rama IV Road outside of their fortified enclave at Lumpini Park. (Photo: Kenneth Todd Ruiz / reporterinexile.com)

If you've been paying attention to world news, you know that crap's getting serious in Thailand right now. The country's teetering on the brink of civil war as protesters from the UDD (also known, unironically, as Red Shirts) have occupied central Bangkok and are engaging in deadly firefights with the Thai army. But because this is Thailand, the Land of Smiles, even full-on revolution requires a dance beat. A journalist buddy of mine who is on the ground there has found time in the midst of covering the fighting to post a trio of Red Shirt anthems that are actually kind of groovy.

The songs date from before last week's government crackdown on the protesters, and their joy offers a counterpoint to the horrible scenes of bloodshed coming out of Bangkok now. If only the world's political differences could be settled by dancing instead of shooting...

Zany Thai 'Zilla

I nominate Matching Studio PLC to co-produce the new Godzilla film. The Thai Petrol Company ad gets more laughs in 92 seconds than many Hollywood films get in a 92 minutes.

พิ่ม คล้ายบรรเลง + วงดนตรี สากลผสม มโหรี

Everything's so much better when it's modernized! I like the English translation even better than the squiggly letters, Phoem Khlaibanleng & his International Mixed Mahori Orchestra. Thanks goodness it's mixed Mahori, I don't think I could handle it straight up. The music is slightly off kilter--I like the description on the blog, "Xavier Cugat Goes Gamelan". Better still, some of the horns sound out of tune with the rest of the orchestra, so it sort of wobbles when it cha chas.

pop songs from thailand

preview:

" The Impossibles were the biggest of thailand's western-style pop ('string') groups throughout the "import-substitution" craze of the 1970's. this 45 rpm e.p. collects the band's songs from the 1971 (พ.ศ. 2514) film of the same name, starring sombat methani, phetchara chaowarat and sangthong sisai. the songs run the gamut from smooth, harmonic ballads & wah-funk to a noisy drum-driven finale, featuring friends from the film! lots of fun to be had, in spite of the short runtime. "

available via monrakplengthai
" a collection of great music by thai people; ลูกทุ่ง (luk thung), ลูกกรุง (luk krung), หมอลำ (molam), various folk styles & others. most of these are taken from tapes that i found either in thailand or at home, in america."