Duai Rak Lae Phuk Phan (ด้วยรักและผูกพัน): meaning and key lines
Bird Thongchai McIntyreเบิร์ด ธงไชย
What the song is about
ด้วยรักและผูกพันdûay rák láe pùuk-pan, “Duai Rak Lae Phuk Phan (Bound by Love)”, is a classic Thai song by Bird Thongchai McIntyre (1985). The first single of Bird Thongchai's career, and the promise every friend wants to hear: if you're ever in trouble, just call, and I'll come at once and stand by your side. Its lines teach to part, in trouble, to get in touch, at once, side by side, to hurry, and true friends.
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Song facts
- Artist
- Bird Thongchai McIntyre
- Released
- 1985
- Style
- Classic
- Level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Mood
- loyal, warm, reassuring
- Views
- about 33M (Oct 2026)
- Video
- GMM GRAMMY OFFICIAL (the label's channel)
- Lyrics
- Key lines quoted; the full song is in the video
Key lines, explained
Tap a line to hear it. Once the video is playing, lines jump to their moment in the song.
- หาก hàakเรา raoต้อง dtâwngจากกัน jàak gan
If we ever have to part
The first words of the song. หากhàak = if, the written ถ้าtâa. ต้องdtâwng = to have to. จากกันjàak gan = to part, to say goodbye (จากjàak = to leave; from): ไม่อยากจากกันmâi yàak jàak gan = I don't want us to part. Whatever the reason, the verse goes on, let's keep the thoughts we share and the good bond between us. - หาก hàakเธอ toeนั้น nánเดือดร้อน dùeat-ráwnใจ jai
If you're ever troubled at heart
The second verse: if one day you run into trouble… เดือดร้อนdùeat-ráwn = in trouble, distressed (literally 'boiling hot'): เดือดร้อนใจdùeat-ráwn jai = troubled at heart; ไม่อยากให้ใครเดือดร้อนmâi yàak hâi krai dùeat-ráwn = I don't want to trouble anyone. นั้นnán (that) after เธอtoe only leans on the word: you, yes you. - ขอ kǎwเพียง piangส่งเสียง sòng sǐangมา maa
Just give me a shout
The pre-chorus: all he asks is that you write, or call. ขอเพียงkǎw piang = all I ask is…, just…: ขอkǎw = to ask for, เพียงpiang = only. ส่งเสียงsòng sǐang = to give a shout, to get in touch, literally 'to send your voice': ส่งsòng = to send, เสียงsǐang = voice, sound. มาmaa after it = (send it) here, to me. Then: I'll come to you. - จะ jàไป bpaiในทันใด nai tan-daiจะ jàไป bpaiยืน yuuenเคียงข้าง kiang-kâangเธอ toe
I'll come at once, I'll come and stand by your side
The chorus. ในทันใดnai tan-dai = at once, in an instant (written); everyday Thai says ทันทีtan-tii. ยืนyuuen = to stand. เคียงข้างkiang-kâang = side by side, at someone's side: อยู่เคียงข้างกันyùu kiang-kâang gan = to stand by each other. Thai uses ไปbpai (go) for 'I'll come to you': you go towards the other person. - ถ้าหาก tâa-hàakเป็น bpenเธอ toeจะ jàรีบ rîipไป bpai
If it's you, I'll hurry over
Near or far, he'll come straight over. ถ้าหากtâa-hàak = if: Bird sings ถ้าหากtâa-hàak here, while the label's lyric sheet writes just หากhàak. ถ้าหากเป็นเธอtâa-hàak bpen toe = if it's you, for you. รีบrîip = to hurry: รีบไปrîip bpai = to hurry over; ไม่ต้องรีบmâi dtâwng rîip = no need to rush. The line ends: so that you can feel at ease. - จะ jàมี miiผู้คน pûu-konกี่ gìiคน konที่ tîiเป็น bpenมิตรแท้ mít-táe
How many people will ever be true friends?
In a life that twists and turns, he asks… ผู้คนpûu-kon = people, a fuller คนkon. กี่คนgìi kon = how many people: กี่gìi + a counting word, here คนkon again. มิตรแท้mít-táe = a true friend: มิตรmít = friend (written; everyday เพื่อนpûean), แท้táe = true, genuine. The song answers its own question: he is one.
Words you'll learn
- จากกัน jàak gan
to part, to split up (from each other)
- เดือดร้อน dùeat-ráwn
in trouble, distressed
- ส่งเสียง sòng sǐang
to give a shout, to get in touch
- ในทันใด nai tan-dai
at once, in an instant (written)
- เคียงข้าง kiang-kâang
side by side; at someone's side
- รีบ rîip
to hurry
- มิตรแท้ mít-táe
a true friend
- ผู้คน pûu-kon
people (in general)
- ยืน yuuen
to stand
- กี่ gìi
how many (+ counting word)
Always followed by a counting word or unit: กี่ลูกgìi lûuk how many (fruit), กี่บาทgìi bàat how many baht.
- ผูกพัน pùuk-pan
to be bound together, to feel close
Grammar in this song
หากhàak, ถ้าtâa, ถ้าหากtâa-hàak all mean 'if': ถ้าtâa is the everyday word, หากhàak belongs to songs and writing, and ถ้าหากtâa-hàak sits in between: ถ้าว่างโทรมานะtâa wâang too maa ná (call me if you're free). จะไปjà bpai + verb = to go and do something: จะไปยืนเคียงข้างเธอjà bpai yuuen kiang-kâang toe, จะไปหาjà bpai hǎa (I'll come and see you).
ขอแค่kǎw kâe / ขอเพียงkǎw piang + verb = all I ask is…: ขอแค่ส่งข่าวมาkǎw kâe sòng kàao maa (just send word). กี่gìi + counting word = how many: กี่คนgìi kon (people), กี่ตัวgìi dtua (animals), กี่ครั้งgìi kráng (times).
The culture behind it
"ด้วยรักและผูกพันdûay rák láe pùuk-pan" was the first single of Bird Thongchai McIntyre's career, released in 1985 from his first album, หาดทรายสายลมสองเราhàat-saai sǎai-lom sǎwng rao ('Sand, Breeze and the Two of Us', 1986), which sold about 600,000 cassettes. Rewat Buddhinan, the co-founder of Grammy Entertainment (today's GMM Grammy), wrote the words and produced it; Jaturon 'Tam' Emsbutr wrote the music and the arrangement. A 1986 film starring Bird has the same title and uses the song, and in 2014 it played in the series Hormones (season 2), in the episode about Mok, whose family has lost their father.
The song is about friendship as much as love. เพื่อนpûean and มิตรmít both mean friend, and a มิตรแท้mít-táe, a true friend, is the one who turns up when you're in trouble. ผูกพันpùuk-pan, in the title, is the bond you feel with people you've shared a life with: family, old friends, a hometown.
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones