---
node: ramkhamhaeng
type: person
slug: ram_khamhaeng
title: "Ram Khamhaeng"
lead: "Ram Khamhaeng (r. c. 1279–1298) was the third king of Sukhothai, under whom the kingdom reached its widest reach, and tradition credits him with creating the Thai script in 1283. He is honored as Ram Khamhaeng the Great."
published: 2026-07-10
updated: 2026-07-10
---

## Who they were

Ram Khamhaeng was the third king of Sukhothai, reigning from about 1279 to 1298. He was a son of the kingdom's founder, Si Inthrathit. His death is commonly placed around 1298.

## What they did

Under Ram Khamhaeng, Sukhothai reached its widest reach: the inscription of 1292 claims a large tributary network for his realm. Tradition credits him with creating the Thai script (traditionally dated 1283). He patronized Sri Lankan-school Theravada Buddhism, and the inscription paints an image of accessible, paternal kingship — a bell at the gate that any subject could ring. He also maintained relations with Yuan-dynasty China through missions; chronicle tradition further links Chinese potters to Sangkhalok ceramics.

## Legacy

Ram Khamhaeng is revered as a culture hero and the "father of the Thai script," honored as Ram Khamhaeng the Great; Ramkhamhaeng University bears his name. The debate over the authenticity of the 1292 inscription — questioned by some scholars since the late 1980s, upheld by mainstream Thai scholarship — colors modern scholarship about his reign.