8 Thai pop and rock bands
If you have read our listicle of Thai singers, we hope you have enjoyed their music so far and found your favourite Thai artists. Besides those great soloists, there are also many Thai bands and groups with enjoyable tracks to boost your mood in your leisure time.
Read on to find out about eight leading Thai pop and rock bands and groups that are worth your attention.
– Thai pop and rock bands –
1. POLYCAT – 80s-style synth-pop band that’ll take you back to the 80s
POLYCAT will take you back to the ’80s with their synth-pop genre. They are recognised for their distinctive style of music that they’ve been playing since 2011, as their synth-pop music gives listeners nostalgic feelings with their catchy melodies produced by the synthesizer.
Composing songs with themes of unconditional love, longing and yearning, as well as heartbreak, they were inspired by 80s Japanese music. For those who cherish old-school pop music, do give this band a try.
Popular songs to listen to:
2. Paper Planes – pop-punk duo who went viral among kids
Paper Planes is a pop-punk and alternative-rock band that debuted in 2017, perhaps best known for their recent song “ทรงอย่างแบด (Bad Boy)” that went viral, especially among kindergarten kids, due to its energetic tempo and catchy hooks. On Thailand’s previous Children’s Day, the song was played so frequently in many kindergarten schools.
Its pop-punk music is a throwback to the early 2000s and rare in the music scene these days, with songs around the themes of love and heartbreak.
The band’s main vocalist HYE also performs as a soloist with touching pop songs, from “เพื่อนสัมพันธ์” to “ระยะเพื่อน”, about having a secret romantic relationship with a friend and having a secret feeling for a friend.
Popular songs to listen to:
- เสแสร้ง (Pretend)
- ทรงอย่างแบด (Bad Boy)
- ด้วยรักและฟัคยู (With Love & F*ck U) – solo song
- ระยะเพื่อน (Socia; Distancing) – solo song
3. Potato – all-time famous band since the 2000s
Image credit: @potatoband
Formed in 2000, Potato has produced nine albums and many great singles that made them popular among teens and adults growing up in the 2000s.
The band has gone through many ups and downs, such as losing their original main vocalist Pee (Peechanit Oan-Aaree) in 2002 because of his demise in an accident before the present lead vocalist – Pup aka Patchai Pukdesusook – filled the position afterwards. Pee and the band released the first album with some famous songs that made them widely known: “เร็วมาก” and “ทำนองที่หายไป”
As an alternative rock band, their music isn’t heavy and can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. They offer romantic, happy, and sad songs – including “รักแท้ดูแลไม่ได้” that can be considered this band’s hit song for the broken-hearted.
Popular songs to listen to:
- รักเธอไปทุกวัน (Love You Every Day)
- ทนพิษบาดแผลไม่ไหว (Too Hurt)
- แชร์ (Share)
- ไม่รู้จะอธิบายยังไง (Can’t Explain)
4. LIPTA – two cheerful guys with relaxing and lovely songs
Image credit: @cutto
If you’re a fan of joyful music, LIPTA (active since 2005) is made up of a cheerful duo Cutto and Tan with fun songs to listen to. Both guys have been in the music industry for 18 years, and now they’re also the owners of Kicks Records.
As a skilful keyboardist in the band, Tan (Taron Liptapallop) is also good at singing and writing songs. He has helped write songs for other artists, for example, “ลบไม่ได้ช่วยให้ลืม” – Ink Waruntorn’s single – was co-composed by him. After gaining experience in music for years, he and Cutto started their own music label in 2021.
Cutto (Arom Phoharnrattanakul) has been interested in music since he was a kid, but his dad didn’t support his passion. However, he persisted in singing and became a successful singer in LIPTA.
Not only is he a well-known singer, but he’s also the owner of a FB page called cuttO where he posts inspirational quotes to inspire and comfort people. The page has over 2 million followers.
Popular songs to listen to:
- ทักครับ (Hi)
- อยากมีแฟนแล้ว (Want Someone To Love)
- ลมหายใจของเมื่อวาน (Never Forget)
- หมอกร้าย (Bad Fog)
5. The Parkinson – pop-soul band with an iconic high-pitched singing style
Originally started as a bar band in 2012, The Parkinson offers pop-soul music – a rare genre in Thailand – with an iconic high-pitched singing style from the lead singer, Kan Niphat Kamjornpreecha.
Kan said to a day magazine that he’s not confident in writing songs, and the fact that his pop-soul genre got people’s attention surpassed his expectations. He also expressed that he gains inspiration from other people’s stories when composing songs.
The Parkinson’s songs are melodic and catchy. You should give them a try yourself.
Popular songs to listen to:
- เพื่อนรัก (Dear Friend)
- อยากบอกเธอว่ารัก (Tell Her That I love)
- บอกลาสักคำ (Say Goodbye)
- หมดแก้ว (Delete)
6. Whatcharawalee – easy-listening songs ideal for road trips
Whatcharawalee, founded in 2009, is a retro-pop-soul band that offers many soft songs worth listening to if you’re taking a road trip or chilling out at a cafe. They are made up of Pam (Monchai Satyathep), the lead singer; Milk (Sanchai Kanchanarat), the guitarist; and Jub (Sarawut Wuntikul), the drummer.
The band released their first single “ลูกอม”, a love song, in 2009 as a gift for their friend’s bride, and the band is named after the bride’s first name.
Their music is inspired by the themes of love and positive thinking, so if you want romantic or positive vibes, you should explore their tracks.
Popular songs to listen to:
– Thai boy bands and girl groups –
7. Trinity – 3 cool & handsome guys with talented dancing and singing skills
Thanks to their talent in dancing and singing, as well as stylish dressing, Trinity is a noteworthy Thai boy band you should get to know. They have produced many dance songs with bouncy beats that you can dance along to, and have performed in big concerts such as TRINITY PREMIERE SHOWCASE.
The group initially consisted of four members: Third, Porche, Jackie, and James. After James left the group in 2021, they continued with the remaining members.
You can try listening to some of their songs below.
Popular songs to listen to:
8. 4EVE – electronic pop girl group with 7 chic members
Being the first music group under XOXO Entertainment – a record label, 4EVE is a lively girl group with seven members. The members were selected through a competition on “4EVE Girl Group Star” – a TV program which aimed to find the members to form the band.
The girl group stands out with their tight harmonies and upbeat dance tracks, with energetic dance moves in their music videos and live performances.
Popular songs to listen to:
Explore and enjoy these Thai bands and groups’ music
We hope this listicle will give you new favourite bands and songs to play on repeat on your playlist. You can let us know which is your favourite band, or you can share your other beloved Thai bands with us in the Facebook comments section.
Other articles to enjoy reading on The Smart Local Thailand:
- 10 Chiang Mai forest glamping spots
- 8 Thai singers that’ll make you fall in love with T-pop
- 7 scariest places in Thailand filled with mysterious accidents & unexplained deaths
Cover image adapted from: @polycatband, @cutto, @karn_theparkinson, and @4eve_official