s under the ruler Jayavarman VII. He ruled from 1181 to 1220. While Mon kingdoms were predominantly of Buddhist influence, Khmer civilization--which found its expression in the great temple at Angkor--was heavily influenced by the Hindu people of India. Tai contacts with the Khmer led to many Hindu elements entering Tai culture, particularly in royal ceremonies or classical dance and literature. Many of these aspects are still found in modern Thai culture today.
             By the beginning of the 13th century, the Thai were starting to put pressure on both the Mon and Khmer empires. The Thai lived and worked throughout the Chao Phraya basin, and a Thai ruler was established as far south as the great city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, on the Malay Peninsula. Through Nakhon Si Thammarat, a new form of Buddhism--Theravada--had emerged in mainland Southeast Asia from Sri Lanka. Monks brought Theravada Buddhism not only to areas under Mon or Khmer rule but also to the new Thai cities that were beginning to emerge. Sukhothai and Lan Na (Lanna), the first major Tai kingdoms in Thai history, were Theravada Buddhist.
             King Ramkhamhaeng made Sukhothai one of the greatest kingdoms in Thai history. King Ramkhamhaeng started his rule during the 13th century AD. During his rule, King Ramkhamhaeng invented a Thai script, or form of writing, very similar to the form that is used today
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