Puangroi Abhayavongsa

Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong (December 28, 1914 – August 17, 2000; ) was a Thai composer, thought to be the first woman composer in Thailand. Her song "Bua Kao" ("White Lotus") is a widely recognized classic in Thailand.

Biography Thanpuying Puangroi Apaiwong was born Mom Luang Puangroi Sanitwong in Bangkok in 1914. As a young girl, she learned to play guitar and piano. gaining prominence for her work in the Phleng Thai sakon genre, which combined Western notation and instruments with traditional Thai musical styles. The song went on to become a widely recognized classic in Thailand, and UNESCO honored it as a "Song of Asia" in 1979.

As a composer, Apaiwong wrote songs for plays and later film soundtracks. In addition to her composing, she taught Western classical music.

She died in 2000, at age 85.