Loy Krathong Song (รำวงลอยกระทง): meaning and key lines
Suntaraporn Bandวงสุนทราภรณ์
What the song is about
รำวงลอยกระทงram-wong lawy grà-tong, “The Loy Krathong Ramwong (Loy Krathong Song)”, is a Thai festival song by Suntaraporn Band (1950). This is the song of Loy Krathong: every November it plays at every temple fair, riverbank and school in Thailand, and every Thai can sing it. Its key lines teach festival words (full moon, the twelfth month, riverbank) and a polite invitation pattern.
Free, no sign-up: learn the key lines and words with audio, then sing along.
Song facts
- Artist
- Suntaraporn Band (music: Eua Sunthornsanan; lyrics: Kaew Atchariyakul)
- Released
- 1950
- Style
- Festival song
- Level
- A2 (elementary)
- Mood
- joyful, festive, gently swinging
- Views
- about 420K (Oct 2026)
- Video
- Metro Records (original Suntaraporn master recording)
- 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.
- วันเพ็ญ wan-penเดือน dueanสิบสอง sìp-sǎwngน้ำ náamก็ gâwนอง nawngเต็ม dtemตลิ่ง dtà-lìng
On the full-moon night of the twelfth month, the water fills the riverbanks.
วันเพ็ญwan-pen = full-moon day. เดือนสิบสองduean sìp-sǎwng = the 12th month of the old Thai lunar calendar, usually November. ก็gâw here just smooths the rhythm. เต็มdtem = full; นองnawng = to brim over. - ขอ kǎwเชิญ choenน้อง náwngแก้ว gâewออกมา àwk-maaรำวง ram-wong
Come on out, my dear Kaew, and join the ramwong dance.
ขอเชิญkǎw choen + verb = a polite invitation ('please come and…'). แก้วgâew (crystal, jewel) is a sweet name for a girl you like. ออกมาàwk-maa = come out.
Words you'll learn
- วันเพ็ญ wan-pen
full-moon day
- เดือน duean
month
Long-stay rooms are rented by the month: เดือนละduean lá per month.
- สิบสอง sìp-sǎwng
twelve
- น้ำ náam
water
- เต็ม dtem
full
Also 'fully booked': เต็มแล้วdtem láew.
- ตลิ่ง dtà-lìng
riverbank
- ลอย lawy
to float
ลอยกระทงlawy grà-tong is what you do on the night, and the name of the festival.
- กระทง grà-tong
krathong, a small float of banana leaves, flowers and a candle
Traditionally a slice of banana trunk wrapped in banana leaves, with flowers, a candle and three incense sticks. Choose one made of natural materials, never foam.
- ลอยกระทง lawy grà-tong
to float a krathong; the Loy Krathong festival
- เชิญ choen
please, go ahead (inviting someone in or to sit)
Said with an open hand: come in, have a seat, after you, or please start eating.
- ออกมา àwk-maa
to come out
- รำวง ram-wong
ramwong, Thai circle dance
Grammar in this song
ขอเชิญkǎw choen + verb is a polite, slightly formal invitation: ขอเชิญน้องแก้วออกมารำวงkǎw choen náwng gâew àwk-maa ram-wong, "please come out and dance". On its own, เชิญchoen (+ ค่ะkâ / ครับkráp) is what a host says when inviting you to come in, sit down or start eating.
Dates in Thai go from small to big: วันเพ็ญwan-pen (the day) + เดือนสิบสองduean sìp-sǎwng (the month), just like วันที่ 5 เดือนพฤศจิกายนwan-tîi hâa duean prúet-sà-jì-gaa-yon, 5 November.
The culture behind it
Loy Krathong falls on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, usually in November. After dark people float krathongs on rivers, canals and ponds to thank and apologise to the water goddess Phra Mae Khongkha (พระแม่คงคาprá-mâe kong-kaa) and to let their bad luck drift away; many add a coin, a lock of hair or a fingernail clipping. Couples float their krathongs together, and if the two drift side by side, the love will last. In Chiang Mai the festival meets Yi Peng (ยี่เป็งyîi-bpeng), and the sky fills with paper lanterns (โคมลอยkoom-lawy).
The song was written on Loy Krathong night around 1949-50, when the Suntaraporn band played at Thammasat University on the Chao Phraya river and the organisers asked for a new song. Eua Sunthornsanan whistled a tune and Kaew Atchariyakul wrote the words; it took them less than 30 minutes, and the band played it that same night. Tip: choose krathongs made of bread or banana trunk, never foam.
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
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