The Pin Pia is an ancient folk Pin which has been handed down for generations in the Lanna area. It was developed from the Pin Thanu. The principles for producing sounds and playing the instrument are similar to the principles of the Pin Namtao (which is also a string Pin). The sound box of the Pin Pia is made of half of a coconut shell which is attached to the neck of the Pin at the position of two-third from the end. Originally, it had 2 strings. Later it has been developed to have 3, 4 and up to 7 strings at present. The neck is made of hard wood. The strings were formerly made of ordinary metal wire, but later brass wire is used.
         The neck (Kan Pia) is made of hard wood for durability and beautiful sound. The wood is turned into a long cylindrical shape, about 75-90 centimeters, with one tapering end and one large end. The larger end of the neck is about 2-3 centimeters in diameter, in good proportion with the head part. Holes are pierced for inserting the tuning pegs at the positions about 12-15 centimeters from the larger end of the neck. The tapering end is about 1-1.5 centimeters in diameter and it is attached with the head part made of molded bronze in the shape of a head of a mythical bird named Hadsadeeling (หัสดีลิงค์—a bird having long nose like elephant’s trunk, with tusks and wings), about 14-15 centimeters long. The head is the position for tying the strings and lining up to the tuning pegs.
         In former time, the Pia was played in the royal Lanna court only. Later it was played among the groups of ordinary well-to-do people with music skill because the head part which was the important part was difficult to obtain and expensive. Besides, the Pia is a difficult instrument to play. It produces very beautiful musical sounds. Those who could play the instrument were specially admired. Therefore young Lanna men in the old times tried to obtain the instrument to play because it was superior to other instruments when playing to woo young girls at night time.
         To play the Pia is similar to other kinds of Pin. The player presses his left hand on the strings, holds the neck slanted across the body and plucks the strings with his right hand with a special technique called Pok (ป๊อก) in order to produce a sharp clear, bright resonant and constantly loud, longer than ordinary sound. This is the special character of the Pia’s musical sound. Besides, it has a special structure of sound system. That is, it is specially created to produce the harmonic sounds. To play the Pia, the musician may use various techniques such as plucking, swiping, scraping the strings, etc.
         While playing the instrument, the open part of the sound box is pressed against the chest of the musician and is moved on and off the chest to change the resonance of the sound as desired, in the same way as playing the Pin Nam Tao. Though men can play the instrument more comfortably than women, women may also play it by pressing the sound box against the stomach instead of the chest.
         To play the Pia in an ensemble, at present the preference is to play as the Pia Jum (a set of Pia), by playing the Pia with 2 to 7 strings together in an ensemble. Sometimes the Pia is played in an ensemble with other kinds of instruments that produce soft sounds such as the Seung, the Salaw or the Klui.
         At present there are very few musicians who play the Pia and the performance of this instrument has almost disappeared from the way of life of the Lanna people over the last 50 years. Therefore, people of present period have very little opportunity to experience or to see the performance of this kind of instrument. However, historical records such as documents, ancient monuments, antiquities and oral literature give us information about the various occasions when the Pia was used in the former times, such as in performing the religious rites, for entertainment, for presenting the financial and social status and for wooing a marriage partner, etc.