I hope you'll forgive my question being a little off-topic. I am a linguist working with linguistic tone systems in the languages of East and Southeast Asia. Music comes up again and again as a tangent to my research, especially in terms of how lexical tone appears in song. I have a couple questions that relate to this more than the political history. I'll bold the question that I'm actually trying to ask so it doesn't get lost in exposition.

I'm curious about to what extent do we see the regional dialectal variations reflected in the music. For example heading further north across the border, there are cases where a group of related languages may share a common song style, and in this style they also tend to use a more common shared language (but not one that any of them actually use in speaking). In Luk Thung, what sort of regional identity is encoded in the way it's sung, either melodically or dialectally, and do we have a sense of how this has or hasn't changed over time? For example, How much of Luk Thung is in Isan vs Standard Thai vs some other Tai variety?

Also, I don't know how much linguistic training or interest you have, especially in terms of regional variations in the tone system, but I'd love to hear anything you can say about how spoken tone manifests itself in the music, and if you could address how this also might have changed over time. For example we've seen a loss of spoken tone in sung forms of certain languages of China as things have shifted more toward a "Western" popular music aesthetic.

What exactly did "popular" mean for an artist at the time? Would a luk thung artist be filling stadiums? Getting recognized on the street? Or was popularity more a relative term, with the genre itself being more "recognizable" than any given artist?

Did the 'Luk Thung' have any sort of interplay with the folk and protest movement in western music of the '60s, and if so, how did it influence the development?

And that aside, was the movement similarly influenced by the geo-political situation going on in Vietnam, and if so, in what ways?

Hi! I'm currently living in Bangkok and love luk thung and moh lam music. I've gone to studio lam which is a great cool venue which plays a huge variety ie Isaan dancehall, Ainu folk but focuses on luk thung based and moh lam based music.

The place is always packed. Some Thais are there. But not as many as you would think. Mostly a hipster/artsy group.

Why is it not so popular with young Thai people. Do you think places like studio lam are changing this? Is it more popular outside of Bangkok with young people? Is it listened to in Laos as well?

Ps. Where are some great places to catch some music in Khon Kaen?

What's your favorite luk thung song? Is song the right word to use?

When you were writing the book what was the ethnographic process like? Did you interview through a translator?

Why was "mee Panda" so popular? I mean, I love it, and I still sing it to myself at Thai restaurants, but it really took off back in 2005-2006.

I dont know much about Luk Thung as I think it is nothing but about love and capitalism these days. Like, one of the most famous Luk thung song when I was younger is about the woman who wants to take other woman's husband or things like that. It used to be beautiful and the words were way better back then (like 30 years ago or more)

Any idea why? Also, is there any decent song that you can recommend?

and damn, feel bad that I am a bit late for this!

What are your thoughts on plaeng phua cheewit? When I first moved to Thailand in the 90s a friend took me to a favourite music spot of his and I heard a band there playing an acoustic set in this genre. It was amazing and totally different to anything I had heard in Thailand up to that point. Eventually that pub closed to make way for a mall (at Siam Square) and I never heard anything like it again.

I lived in Khon Kaen for a year working as an English teacher. It was a huge shock for me when I arrived, but now I miss it a lot and I am grateful that I ended up in an "off the beaten path" part of Thailand, at least tourist wise.

I was not explicitly aware of luk thung when I lived in Khon Kaen, but just listening to some of the links you posted here... this is definitely the type of music I heard playing all the time! So what cities in Isan were the original hot spots for luk thung? Is luk thung still grassroots or is it now mainstream produced? Where are the best places in Isan to hear live luk thung music? Thanks!

I would love to hear some examples that show Luk Thung's political statements. Your explanation of Mee Panda above is very interesting given the political climate over the last 20 years.

How is luk thung sung by someone from Isaan different from morlam?

Are youa ware of any modern electronic luk thung?

Hello and thank you for doing this AMA. I absolutely can not wait to read your book! Unfortunately I am a few days late to this AMA but maybe you are still answering questions. I have been a huge fan of luk tung and mor lum for more than 20 years. There is not a lot of reading material in available on the subject and am hoping you can recommend some books in addition to yours. I can read some Thai so Thai sources are fine but English would be great too. Many years ago I remember seeing an academic book written in English that discussed the musical structure of mor lum, I really really wish I could find that book now, but unfortunately do not remember the title and google has not been much help. But any books touching on mor lum and or luk tung you could suggest would be great.

The poster Zeegogo mentioned Sod See Promseksun สดศรี พรหมเสกสรร earlier. I realize it is a long shot but I am very curious if you have any information about her? She sang mostly mor lum and luk tung Isan but she also had an early Guntrum hit (in the late 70's early 80's I am guessing) with Sao Guntrum, which is probably her most famous song. I know there have been a few somewhat popular covers of her music over the years, including a whole album of her songs by Wong Dern Chamaipon วงเดือน ชไมพร. I do know that Sod See was most popular in Surin. The only Thai people I have met who remember her are usually older and from Surin. I realize it is a long shot but do you have any more information about her? She has been one of my all time favorite musicians but unfortunately she is not that well known even in Thailand.

Thanks again and I will be ordering your book!