page_title: Luk thung
section_title: Origin
hierarchical_section_title: Luk thung / History / Origin
caption_attribution_description: English: A typical Luk Thung concert
context_page_description: Luk thung, or Phleng luk thung, often known as Thai country music, is an acculturated song genre that emerged after World War II in the central region of Thailand. The genre was derived from phleng Thai sakon, and developed in the early-20th century. Suphan Buri in particular became the center of luk thung music, producing many major artists, including Suraphol Sombatcharoen, and Pumpuang Duangjan. The genre has been prominently popularized in the northeastern region, having from its beginnings drawn upon northeastern mor lam musical traditions and the northeastern Isan language.
  Luk thung songs consist of poetic lyrics that often reflect the rural lifestyle, cultural traits and social patterns in Thailand. The songs
  are typically sung with a distinctive country accent and common use of vibrato, and are harmonized with Western instruments, mostly brass and electronic instruments, alongside Thai traditional instruments such as the khaen and phin. Lyrically, the songs dealt with a range of themes, often based on Thai rural life: rural poverty, romantic love, the beauty of rural scenery, religious beliefs, traditional culture, and political crisis.
context_section_description: Luk thung traces its roots from phleng Thai sakon, which adopted Western instrumental characteristics like the orchestra and electronic instruments in the time of King Rama IV. Phleng Thai sakon continuously evolved throughout the time of King Rama V, and was showcased in numerous films and stage performances. Atiphob Pataradetpisan's, "Waltz Pleumchit" ('Delighted Mind Waltz') in 1903 was recorded to be the first Thai sakon song.
  During Plaek Phibunsongkhram's government (1938-1944), phleng Thai sakon became a form of propaganda for the government to broadcast its political ideology of modernization in Thailand. In 1939, Eua Sunthornsanan formed the first Thai sakon band, called Suntharaporn, using a number of classically trained musicians who had lost their royal appointments following the 1932 coup. Eua Sunthornsanan served the Prime Minister, Plaek Phibunsongkhram, as the head of Thailand's main orchestra, and the music section for Thailand's Public Relations Department. He dominated the music industry by composing over 2,000 songs, leading him to become one of the most influential pioneers of phleng Thai sakon. Some of his notable records were, "Phleng Wattanatum" ('Culture song'), "Phleng Faai" ('Cotton song'), and "Phleng Saang Thai" ('Building Thailand song').
  In 1944 the Romvong dance was introduced by the Phibun government's Fine Arts Department when it issued ten "Ramvong Matrathan" ('standard circle dances') to compete against Western dance music. It is suggested that Phibun and his wife, La-iat, had observed rural "Ramthon" ('Drum Dance') performances while visiting Phetchabun Province and surrounding areas. La-iat noted some of the texts and melodies and these notes formed the basis of the Fine Arts Department's Ramvong Matrathan. This was a critical step in the future formulation of luk thung. Ramvong went on to become a highly successful musical genre in Thailand for a decade after the mid-1940s. It was Ramvong that bought northeastern performers such as Tumthong Chokchana (a.k.a. Benjamin), born in Ubon, and Chaloemchai Sriruecha, born in Roi Et, into the Thai music industry and so paved the way for the heavy northeastern influence on luk thung music when it emerged.
caption: Luk thung concert with Haang Kreuang dancers
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