Department of History

Primary V
History of Thailand
Worksheet-3

Name: ______________________ Section: ___ Date: _____________

I. Reade the passage.

King Ramkhamhaeng the Great

One of the most important figures in Thai history, King Ramkhamhaeng (Rama
the Brave) ruled the ancient Sukhothai kingdom from 1278-1298. He was the third ruler of Sukhothai
and regarded as a wise ruler. One of his major achievements was the compilation of a system of
writing and a new Thai alphabet which he adapted from the various forms of Khmer script that were
previously used. The alphabet King Ramkhamhaeng the Great devised in 1283 is essentially the
same as that which is used today in Thailand and he is sometimes referred to as the ‘Father of
the Thai language’. He has also been credited as the most important figure in establishing
Theravada Buddhism in Thailand. The name Sukhothai translates as ‘Dawn of Happiness‘ and
one of the most famous quotes from the stone inscription tells of a prosperous and free land:
 The Bell of King Ramkhamhaeng

King Ramkhamhaeng instructed that a bell be hung from one of the gates to
Sukhothai. Any commoner with a grievance was free to ring the bell. The king himself would speak
to the man and after examining all of the issues the king would make a balanced judgement.

Statues of the King

Statues of King Ramkhamhaeng will often show him holding the stone tablet and
because of his association with education, students and teachers alike may pay their respects.

I. Describe the following word.

1. regarded

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2. alphabet

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3. prosperous

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4. grievance

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5. translate

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II. Answer the questions.

1. How do you understand Dawn of Happiness?

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2. Why was King Ramkhamhaeng referred to as the ‘Father of the Thai language’?

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3. If you were King Ramkahmhaeng, what would you create in order to develop your kingdom?

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