Fun with YouTube: 80s Thai music videos

Only a few short years ago, the wealth of media from the 1980s was trapped in cultural limbo, in the post-cassette, post-VHS, pre-YouTube world.

Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, we can all enjoy music videos like the 1982 classic ประตูใจ ("door of the heart"), from the album of the same name, by the pop trio สาว สาว สาว (Sao Sao Sao). You may remember it from the adorable 2003 film แฟนฉัน Fan Chan.



Other titans of this era include the duo อัสนี-วสันต์ (Asanee-Wasan) -- formed in 1986 by brothers Asanee and Wasan Chotikul. From their 1989 alum ฟักทอง ("pumpkin"), here is ได้อย่างเสียอย่าง:



ไมโคร (Micro) is another of the most well-known 80s Thai musical acts. Their debut album, ร็อก เล็ก เล็ก ("little rock"), produced by Asanee Chotikul, begins with the classic track อย่าดีกว่า ("don't"):



See also my personal favorite of theirs, ใจโทรมๆ, from their 1989 album หมื่นฟาเรนไฮต์ ("10,000 degrees Fahrenheit"). Honestly, though, not being an original Micro fan I prefer the Zeal cover, from 2003's Little Rock Project. Embarrassing but true: When I heard this cover all over the radio, I didn't know who sang it, but I wanted the album, so I had to resort to singing it to the clerk at the record store. She pointed me to the right album, though.

Now, no 1980s music video retrospective would be complete without something from "Bird" Thongchai McIntyre. From his 1986 debut album หาดทราย สายลม สองเรา ("the beach, the breeze, the two of us"), comes ด้วยรักและผูกพัน ("with love and fondness"), also from the 1986 film of the same name (now available on DVD from Happy Time):



But, of course, no one compares with Carabao, the most popular and lasting Thai band of all time, and probably the most prolific. Though they had their start in the 70s, they hit the big time with their 1984 album "Made in Thailand". The title track from that album:



And with that, you've now scratched the surface of 1980s Thai pop/rock. If you watched them all, you officially passed the crash course.

What's your favorite band from this era?