Singing a new language is one of the best ways to learn! Songs are catchy and can teach you the rhythm of a language and have you speaking in no time. You’ll quickly become a Thai music lover by listening and singing to some popular Thai songs.
A huge part of Thai culture is actually based on singing. Thai people love, love, LOVE karaoke! They will book out private karaoke rooms and sing their hearts out with their friends to the songs that top the Thai music charts. You’ll also hear them singing popular Thai songs at restaurants and bars.
Doing karaoke is a fun way to make new friends fast in Thailand, and don’t worry! Nobody cares how good (or bad) you are.
So are you ready to dive into a Thai language learning experience with Thai music? Today I will give you great tips to achieve a good language level by listening to the most popular songs!
Let’s begin.
Tips To Learn Thai Through Popular Thai Songs
1. Pick A Song That You Enjoy Listening To
This is important because you will need to listen to the same song or songs on repeat to memorize them truly! Take your time to search and listen to a few popular songs. You may find that you prefer modern styles or 80s or 90s styles.
2. Download And Print The Lyrics
If possible, print off a copy in Thai and a translated English version (or your native tongue). You can then use this as an opportunity to learn to read Thai as well!
3. Translate The Words And The Meanings
Take your time to know what you’re singing about. Chances are it’s one of the popular love songs (Thais are a little obsessed with love.) Keep a notebook and write down what words and phrases mean.
4. Phonetically Break Down The Thai Language
This one is important. Sound out the words and create your own phonetic pronunciation guide.
5. Listen To A Thai Song (That You Like) And Play It On Repeat Until You Can Sing It Perfectly
Doing this will ensure you have Thai pronunciation right, know the lyrics, and hopefully the meaning behind the song you’re singing.
6. Watch The Official Music Video For Your Song
Watching music videos will help you know the story behind the song, which emotions the lyrics are bringing out, and will reveal mouth movements that will help you pronounce and say Thai words properly.
7. Sing The Karaoke Version
Cue the karaoke machine! Book a room on your own or with friends and practice, practice, practice!
8. Go To A Concert
Find out if the Thai singer you’ve been listening to is performing nearby, and definitely grab a ticket. Thai concerts are unique and a place where you get to see Thais let loose. You’ll be singing along with everyone else, having a blast!
9. Repeat The Process With A New Thai Song
Practice makes perfect! Do it all again with a new song.
10. Write Your Own Song
Once you’ve become familiar with Thai script through reading and translating popular Thai songs, you could take the time to write and sing your very own Thai song.
So you see, practicing a new language such as Thai through song can teach you all sorts of communication skills; reading, writing, listening, and singing.
Now it’s time to learn about some songs that Thai music lovers adore.
Popular Thai Songs to Help You Learn Thai
Thanks to music stars such as Lalisa Manobal (Lisa), who is part of the famous Kpop girl group Black Pink, Thai pop music has become more popular across Southeast Asia in the last few years.
Thai Music Genres
Thai music has numerous genres; depending on which generation you speak to, there will be many favorite songs. The most popular genres of music are:
- Carabao (คาราบาว) was originally a band that started an entire genre
- Mor Lam (หมอลำ)
- Thai Pop Music (เพลงป๊อบไทย)
- Indy Pop (อินดี้ป๊อป)
- Thai Rock (ไทยร็อค)
- Luk Thung (ลูกทุ่ง)
- Thai Hip Hop (ไทยฮิปฮอป)
- Pleung Thai Sakon (เพลงไทยสกล)
- Pleung Phuea Chiwit (เพลงเพื่อชีสิต)
- Luk Krung (ลูกกรุง)
The most popular Thai song eras are the 80s and 90s. You’ll see bars everywhere with flashy 80s and 90s signs out front. This is a sign they do karaoke too!
Popular Thai Songs
Extraordinary (ธรรมดาแสนพิเศษ) – ANATOMY RABBIT
This indie band skyrocketed to fame in 2021 with their hit Extraordinary. To date, their music video has been watched over 84 million times! The song is easy to listen to and is slow, so you can learn the words.
Defendant Of Love (จำเลยรัก) – F.HERO Ft. Txrbo
This Thai hip-hop song features the famous rapper Txrbo. Their music video for จำเลยรัก has over 158 million views since its release in late 2020. Rap is a great way to learn Thai as it has rhythm and rhyme.
Son Ga Lin (ซ่อนกลิ่น) – PALMY
Palmy is one of the most popular Thai singers ever! Her real name is Eve Pancharoen, but she is more well-known as Palmy. She has been producing music for over 20 years. This song is a slow love song that you can easily learn fast. It’s a great tune!
Crazy (คลั่งรัก) – First Anuwat
This is a fun love song with a cute and comedic music video. The video also comes with karaoke lyrics so that you can sing along right away!
Want To Shout Out Loud (อยากร้องดังดัง) – PALMY
A classic hit from Palmy, you’ll hear this very popular Thai song all over Thailand pumping out of speakers in bars, restaurants, beaches, and karaoke places. It’s also played regularly on the radio. It’s very catchy and my personal favorite Thai pop song.
What Is Love Like? (รักเป็นเช่นใด) – Sib Lor
Another love song, this time by a male singer, รักเป็นเช่นใด is a beautiful song to sing to, and it’s smooth and easy to listen to. The pace is also quite slow. You can easily keep up with the lyrics.
Rivals (คู่กัด) – Bird Thongchai
Look on any website, and Rivals is always voted the #1 classic Thai song. Its catchy tune will have you dancing even in your chair, and the song is simply fun to sing! It’s a happy song, and the lyrics are simple and easy to learn.
Music Vocabulary In Thai
| English | Thai | Pronunciation |
| Music | ดนตรี | don-dtree |
| Song | เพลง | plaang |
| Sing | ร้องเพลง | rong-plaang |
| Karaoke | คาราโอเกะ | ka-ra-o-kee |
| Music video | มิวสิควิดีโอ | mu-sic-vid-e-o |
Ready To Learn More Thai Vocabulary?!
Are you ready to learn more daily use vocabulary in Thai so you can invite new friends to sing karaoke with you?!
Head over to some of Ling’s other Thai blogs, such as which movies to watch to help you learn Thai, or learn about famous Thai actors and Thai actresses so you can gossip about them with friends.
Why Should You Learn With Ling?
Ling is a really popular language app with over 10 million downloads. It’s an all-encompassing tool and was the first app to feature Thai, just one of over 60 languages offered by Ling.
Ling offers reading practice as well as audio practice. With all of Ling’s audio recorded by native Thai speakers, you’ll be able to pick up on and learn native pronunciation. You’ll also get to practice speaking with our patented chatbot, which uses AI technology to simulate a real-life conversation.
We also offer SRS flashcards, scientifically proven to enhance your vocabulary by transferring short-term memory to long-term. You won’t forget what you learn with Ling!
Finally, Ling also has writing practice. We have an interactive whiteboard that allows you to touch your phone screen and write the letters of the alphabet of the language you’re studying.
Here at Ling, we also strive to make learning fun!
