Thailand’s Carabao Brings Down Curtain

The band was founded in 1980 by Yuenyong, Kirati Promsaka na Sakon Nakhon and Sanit Limsala, who were all studying in Manila at the time. They took the name Carabao, which means ‘water buffalo’ in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, and they took inspiration from folk rock in Manila.

The band’s first album, Lung Khii Maw (The Drunken Old Man), included the title track, which was based on a Filipino folk melody. After a low-key debut, the band gained national prominence with their third album, Wanipok, which established their trademark samcha (Latin) rhythm, created by mixing Thai rock with Latin rhythms and Thai folk melodies from pleng luk thung (Thai country music) and molam (northeast Thai folk music).

In 1984, Carabao shot to national and regional fame with their fifth album, Made in Thailand, which sold five million copies, making it one of the best-selling Thai rock albums of all time. The title track and the final track, 'Bua Looi', about a kind-hearted soldier, remain immensely popular and the album was remastered and re-released in 2005 and 2011.

Carabao released 29 albums over 40 years. Their frontman Aed Carabao is reported to have penned more than 1,000 songs and has announced that he will continue to write and compose after the group disbands.

In 2002, a new Thai ‘energy’ drink, Carabao Dang was launched by Carabao Tawandang Co. Ltd, a venture set up by Aed Carabao and Sathien Settasit, COO of Tawandang Brewery. The energy drink was launched with the slogan: “Carabao Dang: The Fighting Spirit”. Carabao Dang is now Thailand’s second most popular energy drink with an estimated 21 per cent market share. The company sponsors the English Football League's EFL Cup, which was renamed in the 2017 season as the Carabao Cup. In November 2023, The Carabao Group announced the launch of two new beer brands, Carabao Beer and Tawan Dang Beer.