Thai classical music education and
cultural preservation

I first encountered Thai classical music during my undergraduate studies. I am fortunate to be included in an educational lineage and am thus eligible to conduct research on the music.

My journey into Thai music education research began with a striking critique from a professor:

"Your research topic is sinful. Are you going to criticize our teachers?"

This moment marked the beginning of a path rarely taken by Thai scholars themselves. As a non-Thai researcher writing in English, I explore the traditions and practices of Thai classical music education in ways that aim to fill a noticeable gap in English-language scholarship.

My work is grounded in fieldwork and participant observation. I focus on how Thai musicians understand and transmit their traditions, shedding light on everyday practices that are often taken for granted, but rich with cultural meaning. I strive to present these through fresh analytical angles for both academic and general readers.

Initially, my research focused on pedagogy and teacher-student relationships within university-level Thai classical music programs in both Thailand and the United States. Over time, I expanded my fieldwork to include schools of all levels and in different regions of Thailand, and the connections between the music and Thai people. My major concern is promoting the continuity of Thai classical music, via education, rituals, and invented traditions and practices, in the modern world.

Research fieldwork and timeline:

2015 Kent State University, OH, USA

2016, 2017, 2019 Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

2017, 2019 a few secondary schools in Bangkok

2019 Angthong College of Dramatic Arts (Central Thailand)

2024, 2025 Oral histories interviews with Thai music and dance teachers at the Los Angeles Thai Temple (Wat Thai LA)

2025 Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Dramatic Arts (Southern Thailand)

My research fieldwork in Thailand was supported by the Empowering Network for International Thai Studies Scholarship, the Institute of Thai Studies, at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. I was a Research Fellow of the Center of Excellence for Thai Music and Culture, at Chulalongkorn University (2016-2023).

I have published one article on teacher–student relationships in Thai classical music education. A second manuscript, which examines invented tradition as a strategy for the music’s survival, is currently under review.