Thailand's musical instruments are classified into four categories: 1. Idiophones include the ranat thum metallophone, khawng wong lek and yai gong circles, and ching chap cymbals. 2. Membranophones such as the taphon drum played with hands, ramana tambourine-like drum, and thon ceramic bowl drum. 3. Chordophones like the jakhae crocodile-shaped string instrument important to Thailand and saw sam sai triangular string instrument made of coconut shells. 4. Aerophones including the pi wind instrument unique to Thailand and khaen bamboo pipe ensemble from North

1. Thailand

2. Classification of Thais Musical Instruments
A. Idiophones
1. Ranat Thum – a box shaped metallophone that is
placed on the floor & played while sitting, has
two and a half octaves that is struck by a
padded mallet

3. 2. Khawng Wong Lek – a set of gong circles with
low pitches that are an octave lower than tha
Khawng wong yai composed of 18 knobbed bronze
pot –gongs placed in a circular wooden frame.

4. 3. Khawng wong yai – also a circle of gongs and is
the largest sets of gongs composed of 16
knobbed bronze pot –gongs placed in a circular
wooden frame.

5. 4. Ching chap - set of percussion instruments like
a pair of cymbals made out of a thick metal
shaped like a tea cup.

6. B. Membranophones
1. Taphon – a drum placed on a stand. It is played
with both hands using the palm and the fingers.

7. 2. Ramana – a shallow drum that looks like a
tambourine without the metallic discs the
diameter of its head is bigger than its body.
3. Thon – a bowl shaped ceramic drum that is used
in the mahori ensemble.

8. C. Chordophones
1. Jakhae or jakhe – is shaped like a crocodile,
body is big and hollow in order to resonate the
sound of the instrument better. Thailand’s most
important stringed instrument with the most
beautiful sound.

9. 3. Saw sam sai – a triangular shape with a spiked
leg. Its body is made of coconut shells and calf
skin, has 3 strings and no frets. The pitch
depends on the size of the coconut shell.

10. D. Aerophones
1. Pi – a wind instrument, the sound it produces
and the blowing technique is unique to Thailand.

11. 2. Khaen – most important folk instrument in
North Thailand. Made up of 14 long thin bamboo
tubes that are 4 ft long, covers 2 octaves of
seven pitches.