The main traditional Lao instrument is the flute-like khene (kaen) which is made of bamboo. The khene (also spelled khaen; kaen and khen) is a mouth organ of Lao origin whose pipes; which are usually made of bamboo; are connected with a small; hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown; creating a sound similar to that of the violin.

Today associated with the Lao of Laos and Northeast Thailand; similar instruments date back to the Bronze Age of Southeast Asia. In Cambodia; it is used among the ethnic Lao population of the province of Stung Treng and is used in lakhon ken; a Cambodian dance drama genre that features the khene as the premiere instrument.