Quote[/b] ]The Thai alphabet is probably derived from the Old Khmer (อักขระเขมร) script, which is a southern Brahmic script of the Indic family. According to tradition it was created in 1283 by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great (พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช).
Quote[/b] ]At the time of this migration, about 100 A.D., the area was controlled by Mon and Khmer kingdoms. The Mon and Khmer also originated in South China but migrated into the area several centuries before the Tai peoples. The Tai people accepted the overlordship of the Khmer Empire and served as their military allies. The name Siam comes from the Khmer reference to the Tai as the syam, the dark-brown people. In 1238 a Tai clan threw off the overlordship of the Khmer and established a kingdom at Sukhotai in what is now north central Thailand. At that time they adopted the name Thai, meaning free. The difference in the pronunciation of Thai and Tai is that the t in Thai is an aspirated or hard t whereas the t in Tai is a soft or unaspirated t.
Quote[/b] ]In several places along the Menam River Thai mercenaries revolted, setting up independent muang or city-states in place of Khmer rule.