ABSTRACT
Thai is written in a unique script. This has evolved from a script which originated in South India and was introduced into mainland South-East Asia during the fourth or fifth century AD. The neighbouring Lao and Cambodian scripts bear some close similarities to Thai. The first recorded example of Thai writing is widely believed to be a stone inscription found by the future King Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851-68) at Sukhothai in 1833, and dated 1283 AD. In this inscription, the author, King Ramkhamhaeng, records that he actually devised the script. In recent years there has been lively debate in academic circles about its authenticity; much of this can be found in Chamberlain (1991).
