Classic Thai Lullabies

In the olden days, the main duty of a Thai housewife was to take care of the house and her children and, as they didn't have to outside the home, they had plenty of time to do this. To help their children go to sleep, most mothers would sing them lullabies, gentle bedtime songs. Mothers usually placed baby in a cloth or rattan cradle and sang lullabies while rocking the baby to sleep. Lullabies are beautiful melodies that help strengthen the bonds of affection between mother and child.

Thai lullabies vary in terms of melodies and lyrics from region to region. Most melodies describe the local lifestyle and a mother's love for her child. Lullabies are learned and passed from generation to generation, and a mother might adapt one or more to suit her way of living. Lyrics and melodies could also be adapted to life at home or in the community.

Today, many Thai woman have to work outside the home and have not much time to sing lullabies. However, as new technology plays and increasingly important role in everyone's daily life, lullabies no longer have to be sung by mothers. They are now available on CD's and MP3 recordings. So, instead of singing lullabies, mothers, in these modern times, often turn on the CD player and let the latest laborsaving device take care of things.