Dance is a highly important form of expression in Thailand. It has been practiced for hundreds of years and has largely shaped the country's cultural identity. Although less grand today than it once was in royal courts, dance remains an integral part of Thai heritage. Here's more about the history and the different forms of traditional Thai dances…

Dance in Thai Culture

An ancestral practice, traditional Thai dance was born over 500 years ago during the era of the powerful Kingdom of Siam. Originally, Thai dance was distinguished into two categories: classical dance and folk dance. The first was intended for the royal court and the second for peasants, as this art form told the story of cultivators' daily life. In any case, traditional Thai dances are not performed arbitrarily. They are sequences of movements that each carry meaning and significance. In total, there are six types of dances: khon and lakhon, the two main ones, but also li-khe, ram wong, shadow puppetry, and lakhon lek.

Khon

Khon is the traditional Thai masked dance. Once reserved for the royal court, Khon—despite becoming more widespread—remains one of the most prestigious forms of dance and art in the country. Performances staged across multiple scenes are all accompanied by a Thai piphat orchestra, performers, and narrators. Reserved exclusively for men in its heyday, the practice of Khon features masked characters with strong cultural symbolism such as demons, monkeys, nymphs, and deities. In other words, Khon is a traditional dance whose performances are remarkably reminiscent of musical theater!

Lakhon

Unlike Khon, Lakhon dance is performed primarily by women. It is a dance that engages the upper body since it is performed mainly with the hands, so each movement carries a precise significance. The result is nothing short of graceful and delicate! Through this traditional dance, stories are told and contribute to creating a sort of most folkloric theatrical piece. Not to mention the sumptuous costumes and sets created for each performance that are worth seeing at least once during a trip to Thailand…

Other Traditional Thai Dances

While Khon and Lakhon are the two main traditional Thai dances, discover also the characteristics of other dance forms that contribute to Thailand's cultural identity:

• Ram Wong: in Thai, these words mean 'dancing in a circle'. As its name suggests, this folk dance brings together men and women and invites them to dance in a circular manner. It is one of the most appreciated and popular dances among Thai people.

• Li-khe: it is more of a humorous performance than a dance show. Indeed, Li-khe is performed by dancers and comedians who, in elaborate costumes, tell burlesque stories often with sexual innuendos!

• Shadow Puppets: although increasingly rare, shadow puppets (or nang thalung in Thai) are among the most ancient arts of the country. The performance consists of staging ghost puppets behind a white screen.

• Lakhon Lek: this is also a puppet show but this time, the figurines are no longer hidden and are accompanied throughout by actual actors who interact with them!