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16 songs, explained

Learn Thai with songs

Famous Thai songs, from nursery classics to T-pop, Thai rap and luk thung. Watch the official video, then learn the best lines word by word.

The short answer

The best Thai songs for learners are slow, clear and repetitive: start with the children's classic ช้าง ช้าง ช้างcháang cháang cháang or the festival song for Loy Krathong, then move on to pop, rap and luk thung. On every song page you get the official video, what the song is about, its key lines in Thai, romanization and English, and the vocabulary with audio.

All songs

16 of 16

Song collections

How to learn Thai with a song

  1. 1 Watch it once, just for funPlay the official video and enjoy it. You are training your ear to the rhythm of Thai before you worry about words.
  2. 2 Learn the key linesRead each line in Thai and romanization, listen to it, and read the notes: they explain the grammar, slang and wordplay that make the line work.
  3. 3 Learn the wordsEvery song has a vocabulary list with audio. Add the song to your songs and its words join your daily reviews.
  4. 4 Sing alongPractise the lines with gap-fill exercises, then play the video again. You will understand far more the second time.

Questions people ask

What are the most famous Thai songs?

Every Thai knows Chang Chang Chang (ช้าง ช้าง ช้างcháang cháang cháang), Loy Krathong Song (รำวงลอยกระทงram-wong lawy grà-tong), The Thai National Anthem (เพลงชาติไทยpleeng châat tai) and Khu Khong (คู่คองkûu-kawng). For modern hits, start with the T-pop, Thai rap and luk thung collections below: every song links to its official video.

Can you really learn Thai from songs?

Songs won't replace a course, but they are one of the best ways to train your ear, remember words and pick up natural, casual Thai. The trick is to learn a few key lines properly (meaning, words and tones) rather than to sing along to everything. Each song page does exactly that, and the free course covers the basics.

Do you show the full lyrics?

No. Most Thai songs are under copyright, so we quote a few short key lines and explain them, and you watch and listen to the full song in the official video on the same page.

Do tones matter when Thai people sing?

Less than in speech. Traditional songwriters fit the melody to the tones of the words, but in modern pop the melody often wins, so sung words don't always follow their spoken tones, and many singers pronounce ฉันchǎn as "chán". Learn the spoken tones from the audio on each page, then enjoy the song.