Bangkok: A recent claim by some Cambodians that the Thai alphabet originated from the Khmer script has prompted a response from Mr. Jirayu Huangtrakul, spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office in Thailand. He advised those making such claims to study the ancient history of Southeast Asia and directed them to trace the roots of the script back to the Pallava people, who lived thousands of years ago.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Jirayu emphasized that the history of the region's scripts is extensive, dating back thousands of years. He pointed out that the Pallava script served as the prototype for the scripts used in many Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, and Laos. The Pallava script originated in ancient India and influenced the development of scripts across the region.
Historians have noted that the Thai script, along with the scripts of other Southeast Asian countries, has its roots in the Pallava inscriptions. This influence spread throughout the region during a time when modern national boundaries did not exist, and the area was a collection of cities and towns with shared cultural and linguistic characteristics. The Pallava script laid the foundation for the development of various scripts, including the Khmer, Siamese, and Laotian scripts.
Mr. Jirayu expressed concern that reviving claims about the Khmer script without acknowledging the shared historical roots of Southeast Asian languages could lead to unnecessary conflict with other countries in the region. He highlighted the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of linguistic history in Asia and urged against actions that might disregard this shared heritage.