This two-stringed long neck lute is is typical for many equal models which we can find all over Souteheast Asia.

The Thinh belongs to the Thai ("Tau"), Tay and Nung people living mostly in Northern Vietnam, and it is commonly used solo, to accompagny singing and dancing and for little improvisations.

Some instruments are tuned in a fifth, others in a fourth, depending on which piece is about to be performed. 

The playing of this fretless lute knows a rich oral tradition of pieces and regional and local  playing styles,  thus the narrative music also functions as a musical support for sung and recited fairy tells and stories.

Playing is not as easy as presumed from the primitve structure, mainly the left hand knows various techniques for slidings, ornamentatioans and bendings.

The first octave of the instruments two octave range is getting used more often than notes of the second octave, as latter tones sound a bit dull due to the short range of the (actually) Nylon stringes in this range.