Songkran Ramwong (รำวงวันสงกรานต์): meaning and key lines
Suntaraporn Bandวงสุนทราภรณ์
What the song is about
รำวงวันสงกรานต์ram-wong wan sǒng-graan, “Songkran Day Ramwong”, is a Thai festival song by Suntaraporn Band. A classic Suntaraporn song played every April, and a sweet picture of a traditional Songkran day: merit-making in the morning, games in the afternoon. It is ideal for learners because it walks through the day with simple time words (today, in the morning, in the afternoon).
Free, no sign-up: learn the key lines and words with audio, then sing along.
Song facts
- Artist
- Suntaraporn Band (lyrics: Kaew Atchariyakul; music: Wes Sunthornjamorn)
- Style
- Festival song
- Level
- A2 (elementary)
- Mood
- cheerful, wholesome, festive
- Views
- about 43K (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.
- วันนี้ wan-níiเป็น bpenวัน wanสงกรานต์ sǒng-graan
Today is Songkran Day.
วันนี้wan-níi = today (พรุ่งนี้prûng-níi tomorrow, เมื่อวานmûea-waan yesterday). เป็นbpen links two nouns: 'is'. Songkran is the Thai New Year, 13-15 April. - ตอนเช้า dtawn-cháaoทำบุญ tam-bunทำบุญ tam-bunตักบาตร dtàk-bàat
In the morning we make merit, we give alms to the monks.
ตอนเช้าdtawn-cháao = in the morning. ทำบุญtam-bun = to make merit. ตักบาตรdtàk-bàat = to put food into a monk's alms bowl (บาตรbàat) on his morning round. - ตอนบ่าย dtawn-bàaiเรา raoเริง roengกีฬา gii-laa
In the afternoon we enjoy games.
ตอนบ่ายdtawn-bàai = in the afternoon (ตอนเย็นdtawn-yen = in the evening). เริงroeng = to have fun (poetic; in speech you'd say เล่นlên). กีฬาgii-laa = sports, games.
Words you'll learn
- สงกรานต์ sǒng-graan
Songkran, the Thai New Year (13-15 April)
เล่นสงกรานต์lên sǒng-graan (to play Songkran) means joining the water fight.
- วันนี้ wan-níi
today
- วัน wan
day
- เป็น bpen
to be (a nationality, a job, a role)
Only for what someone is, never before adjectives: 'I'm fine' is just สบายดีsà-baai dii.
- ตอนเช้า dtawn-cháao
in the morning
- ตอนบ่าย dtawn-bàai
in the afternoon
- ทำบุญ tam-bun
to make merit (do good deeds, give at a temple)
Giving food to monks, donating to a temple or helping someone in need are all ทำบุญtam-bun: good deeds that bring good fortune.
- ตักบาตร dtàk-bàat
to give food to monks on their morning alms round
Monks walk past at dawn; you stand or kneel barefoot, put rice and food in the bowl, and receive their blessing.
- เรา rao
we, us
Friends also use it casually to mean 'I'.
- กีฬา gii-laa
sport
Grammar in this song
The song walks through the day with time words at the start of the sentence: ตอนเช้าdtawn-cháao (in the morning), ตอนบ่ายdtawn-bàai (in the afternoon); add ตอนเย็นdtawn-yen (in the evening) and ตอนกลางคืนdtawn glaang-kuuen (at night) and you can describe any day.
เป็นbpen links two nouns (วันนี้เป็นวันสงกรานต์wan-níi bpen wan sǒng-graan, "today is Songkran day"), but never an adjective: "it's hot" is just ร้อนráwn. ทำบุญtam-bun (to make merit) is a verb you will hear all the time: people make merit at temples, on birthdays and at New Year, and ทำบุญตักบาตรtam-bun dtàk-bàat means making merit by giving alms.
The culture behind it
Songkran (13-15 April) is the traditional Thai New Year, timed by the sun entering Aries. Today it is famous as a giant nationwide water fight, from Bangkok's Silom Road to the moat around Chiang Mai's Old City, but this song shows its older, gentler side. In the morning families go to the temple to make merit and give alms (ทำบุญตักบาตรtam-bun dtàk-bàat), then gently pour scented water over Buddha images (สรงน้ำพระsǒng-náam prá) and over the hands of grandparents and elders to ask for their blessing (รดน้ำดำหัวrót-náam-dam-hǔa). In the afternoon there were traditional games such as มอญซ่อนผ้าmawn-sâwn-pâa (a drop-the-handkerchief circle game) and สะบ้าsà-bâa, and at night everyone danced the ramwong.
Songkran is also when millions of people travel back to their home provinces, so Bangkok empties out for a few days. In 2023 UNESCO added "Songkran in Thailand" to its list of the world's intangible cultural heritage.
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones