“Sai Fon”, His Majesty’s third composition, was composed in May 1946, prior to his accession to the throne. This waltz, which was His Majesty’s second release following “Yarm Yen”, has become one of His Majesty’s most popular compositions.

The Thai lyrics were composed by H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri, while the English lyrics were composed by Prof.Thanpuying Nopakhyn Thonyai Na Ayudhya.

During a speech granted to the committee of the Musicians Association of Thailand on December 16, 1981, His Majesty referred to this song, revealing its “secrets” and his personal feelings towards the song:

“…One night when I was going to bed, I had the radio turned on, which put me in sort of a happy mood. So I turned the radio off and took out a piece of paper and started to note my thoughts down… The following morning I went to play the piano. The sound was a bit tinny. The quality wasn’t good at all but I kept going for about two hours – composing. I then sent the completed composition to H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri and said “I got the song” H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri sent it to “Khru Eauh” who did the arrangement. The next day it had its first public performance at Ambara Villa”.

“The secret to ‘Sai Fon’ is that I composed four parts…part 1,2,3 and 4. After it was finished I swapped part 3 with part 2. It made the song’s movement very different, which I thought sounded rather pleasing. At first it was 1,2,3,4. Now it’s as it is today”.

In His Majesty’s speech to the Organizing Committee of the King’s Musical Compositions on February 22, 1999 at the Dusidalai Hall, His Majesty spoke of how pleased he was as the writer of ‘Sai Fon’ when he found that the song was very popular amongst the people.

“At that time H.R.H. Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi, Prince of Jainad was at the function organized by the Chicken Breeders’ Promotion Association of Thailand and nodded to me and said that it was good. I was so overwhelmed that Prince of Jainad was pleased with ‘Sai Fon’. He was my relative, my only remaining uncle. We were close. He was adopted by my grandmother when his mother passed away at the time of his birth. My grandmother brought him up like her own son. So we were very close, we went every where together. Prince Rangsit later became the custodian of the throne. I owed him a lot and I knew that he liked music but not the kind of music that I wrote or played. He liked classical music and opera. When he turned round and nodded, I was so pleased. I am very proud of this song because of his approval.

Also you have probably heard the story about H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri. Prince Chakrabandh told me about his visit to Chiang Mai 6 months after ‘Sai Fon’ came out. He was walking into a small alley when he heard someone whistling the ‘Sai Fon’ tune. It was strange because it was so far up in Chiang Mai and in a small alley. Why was someone whistling the tune there? Prince Chakrabandh followed the sound and it turned out to be a Chinese washing clothes, while happily whistling ‘Sai Fon’. Later he told me the story. I was pleased that everyone liked ‘Sai Fon’ and could remember the tune which meant that it must have been a satisfactory song.

When I returned from Switzerland there was a party at Sapathum Palace. Prince of Jainad was there and the band played ‘Sai Fon’. Once again he said that ‘Sai Fon’ was doing as well as the King’s anthem. Wherever you went you could hear this song. He was pleased and I was even more pleased. ‘Sai Fon’ was my own work. It is a significant piece because everybody - the Regent, the laundry person, everyone liked it - this meant a great victory for its composer.”

The Thai lyrics were inspired by Mom Vibha (Vibha Kengradomying, ex-wife of H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri) who verbalised a very poetic phrase in Thai relating to the rain fall, while closing the windows of the palace of H.H. Prince Chakrabandh Pensiri, who was at that time composing the lyrics to this melody.

“Falling Rain” was performed by the N.Q. Tonkunstler Orchestra in the Concert Hall in Vienna on October 3, 1964 and was broadcast on the Austrian national radio network, the event being publicised nationwide.