Top 5 Songs to Make you Think of Thailand

[BigHewer]

This is debatable, but here is my list. Do you agree or have I missed something? What would you add?

5. Hotel California (Live version, Hell Freezes Over Tour, 1994)

In the late 90s and most of the 2000s, there was a trend in a lot of Thai towns for wild west-type beer bars and beer gardens. A lot of the big ones have closed in the times since, but I do remember sipping a cold one and listening to this a few times. Bang Saen in Chonburi province had 10 or 15 of these establishments and one in particular called "Take it Easy Bar", sadly closed now but they had an Eagles tribute band playing there three nights a week.

 

 

4. I Gotta Feeling (The Black Eyed Peas) 

Released in 2009. This is the ultimate "getting ready" song before heading out in Soi Bangla, Nana or Loi Kroh Road. And it usually was "a good night". Can't help but feel positive vibes with this track.

 

 

 

3. Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

This is an older song from 1969. When I first went to Thailand in the 90s, this song was played every time I went to a bar. Popular in the Vietnam War days and with poignant themes, this was a hit with the Thailand expat crowd (and still is to this day).

 

 

2. Pure Shores (All Saints)

This was the first single from "The Beach", a film mostly set in Maya Bay and released in 2000. This movie inspired many a visitor to Thailand, especially the south, in the decade that followed. I was in Thailand when the song was released (and before the hordes arrived), so this song holds special memories for me.

 

 

 

1. One Night in Bangkok (Murray Head, from CHESS)

1984. In this list (and in any other), the ultimate Thailand-themed song in western pop culture. Lots of Thailand references in the lyrics for insiders. An absolute classic.

 

 

[Pinetree]

I'm not a big music fan, but what turns me on to Thailand is the mixed smell of Jasmine and Champi, particularly at BKK, if you add the soft music of a mandolin or harp, then that's  Thailand for me.  

[SnapDragon]

Only six I can think of at the mo'.

Last Farewell - Roger Whittaker

Get it right next time - Gerry Rafferty

The first one reminds me how beautiful Thailand is. The second one comes into play after I'd been here 15 years.

Trains remind me of travel. Done a fair bit. Time to rest up now.

Makes me miss my home County of Essex. Don't ask me why.

Love is the sweetest thing - composed in1932 by British band leader and singer Ray Noble. Been covered by hundreds of singers. Peter Skellern is my pick.

Just one more. An instrumental. A great piece of modern classical music to calm me down when I'm hearing about the atrocities around the world.

 

 

[rkhguy]

Zombie, Wish You Were Here.

[BigHewer]

10 hours ago, Sticky said:

Makes me miss my home County of Essex. Don't ask me why.

 

Future Islands… good call. They play some great stuff.

A bit of an aside, but I read an interesting story about Everton and Future Islands some years ago. Apparently Leighton Baines is a super fan and got some the other players on board. Sam T. Herring got wind of it (in Baltimore) and started wearing an Everton jersey, even on stage. From there it just blew up.

So we have a group of toffees diehards in Maryland, and a Future Islands fan group on the Mersey. Funny old world we live in.

 

[BigHewer]

10 hours ago, rkhguy said:

Zombie, Wish You Were Here.

Good call. When I first went to Khao San Road, every bar was playing it. Without Me by Eminem had a run like that as well. 

Wish you were here, Hotel California, No Woman No Cry these are the beer bar classics 

[Ikariotiko]

If you went down Soi Bangla in the 1990s, all the bars were playing this piece of Thai music

 

[rkhguy]

On my first trip to BKK in 2000 this song was everywhere.

AT that time in Gogos the dancers wore only shoes, now that is entertainment.

I can almost see them when I listen to this song.

 

[BigHewer]

30 minutes ago, Ikariotiko said:

If you went down Soi Bangla in the 1990s, all the bars were playing this piece of Thai music

That's quite a catchy tune. I'm trying to remember. My first visit to Soi Bangla was in the 90s, but my first sober visit was probably mid 2000s, which may be why I can't remember.

[BigHewer]

9 minutes ago, rkhguy said:

AT that time in Gogos the dancers wore only shoes, now that is entertainment.

I couldn't agree more

[SnapDragon]

2 hours ago, BigHewer said:

Future Islands… good call. They play some great stuff.

A bit of an aside, but I read an interesting story about Everton and Future Islands some years ago. Apparently Leighton Baines is a super fan and got some the other players on board. Sam T. Herring got wind of it (in Baltimore) and started wearing an Everton jersey, even on stage. From there it just blew up.

So we have a group of toffees diehards in Maryland, and a Future Islands fan group on the Mersey. Funny old world we live in.

I just had to look it up.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53431020

Good account on how the Future Islands' singer/growler chose his team. And it happened to be Everton.

[BigHewer]

12 minutes ago, Sticky said:

I just had to look it up.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53431020

Good account on how the Future Islands' singer/growler chose his team. And it happened to be Everton.

Wow, nice one. I hadn't seen that before.

[23RD]

This is always a classic in Pattaya. 

And another go to Thailand song.

 

 

[Vigo]

One of the reasons I would fly Thai International is that as soon as I stepped on the aircraft, I felt I was back and I could immediately relax.  The Thai language version of this song  is more appealing than the English version. It used to get played  alot 15 or so years ago. It was replaced by the  Smooth as Silk song. The excitement that seeing Thai curry on the menu, combined with watching the farang pax waiing the  cabin attendants as they boarded  gave me a thrill. There were  3-4 ad versions tailored for specific  markets. This is one of the better ones.

 

[SnapDragon]

Love song.

Sebastian Daws.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WceO3t7UFSk

[ThaiFoodGuy]

This song played absolutely everywhere on my first trip to Thailand in 2007, but at the time I couldn't read Thai and had only a rudimentary ability to speak Thai so could never find the name of the song. Never heard it again on any subsequent trips until one night at a seafood restaurant off Yaowarat, I heard the song playing in the distance, and I jumped from the table to Shazam the song. Couldn't believe it actually recognized it!
 

 

[Mamachigawa]

In first I thought of this one.

Played in a ｂar、 ”a go go”

[BigHewer]

4 hours ago, ThaiFoodGuy said:

until one night at a seafood restaurant off Yaowarat

Yes! I remember that one too.. They used to blare it out at some of those huge beer garden venues along Yaowarat Road in Phuket Town.. Not sure if that is the Yaowarat you are referring to

[ThaiFoodGuy]

9 hours ago, BigHewer said:

Not sure if that is the Yaowarat you are referring to

Bangkok Chinatown actually but I do like Phuket Town, never knew there was a Yaowarat there! 

[QECE]

 

[BigHewer]

13 hours ago, ThaiFoodGuy said:

Bangkok Chinatown actually but I do like Phuket Town, never knew there was a Yaowarat there! 

Ah.. okay, fair enough. There are a few of them. Thought there might be an off chance...

I was there on a work trip, about 5 weeks or so. It's a long road, with a Chinese temple and some Chinese restaurants/shops at the end nearer to Phuket Town. My apartment was further out, but I did wander into "Chinatown" from time to time.

[Marc26]

Tata Young, one of the 1st Lueng Krueng stars

 

This song was eveywhrre

 

 

 

 

English songs 

 

Akon

Black Eyed Peas

 

California Dreaming....Tpac and Dr Dre