The Ram Khamhaeng Inscription is the earliest known example of Thai script and the forerunner of the modern Thai alphabet. Inscribed on a black stone stele, it describes the 13th-century kingdom of Sukhothai during the reign of King Ram Khamhaeng.
It was discovered in 1833 by Prince Mongkut, later King Rama IV, who claimed that he found the inscription among the ruins of the old palace at Sukhothai. It was placed in the Wat Phra Kaew – the Temple of the Emerald Buddha – after Mongkut acceded to the throne. The inscription remained at the temple until 1923 and it was moved several times until it was placed in the National Museum in Bangkok, where it remains today.