Draft:Tham Lao

The Tham Lao alphabet (Lao Tham; also known as Dhamma Lao, Thamma Lao, Dharma Lao, Lan Xang Tham) (Lao: ທຳລາວ) is a writing system historically used in Laos and the northern and Isan regions of Thailand. Its origins lie in the Tai Tham script, also known as the Lanna alphabet, and it therefore bears a strong resemblance to it in form. However, it differs in some consonant and vowel markings and has a more rounded, simplified appearance. The Tham Lao alphabet was used primarily for writing sacred texts of Theravāda Buddhism, as well as medical and legal texts. It is particularly well-suited for writing Pali texts completely and was also usable for the Lao language^[1]. The alphabet contains different letters and signs to suit the needs of these two languages. The oldest known Tham Lao manuscripts were found in Luang Prabang, Laos, and date back to the 16th century. These texts generally contain sections of the Buddhist canon (e.g., Parivāra). However, it is generally accepted that the origins of the writing system are older than this date.

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• Comment: Lacks any inline citations - see WP:REFB. Dan arndt (talk) 06:18, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Aikhut (talk) 15:30, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

The texts were mostly written on dried palm leaves, and it is believed that most of these manuscripts are now kept in monastic archives. Estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of Tham Lao manuscripts exist, but only a small fraction have been translated into modern languages. Today, the Tham Lao alphabet is not widely used and is endangered. Those who can read the script are generally limited to elderly monks. While it continues to be used to a limited extent in some Buddhist institutions in Laos, in Thailand the same writing system is known locally as "Isan Tham script." The decline in the use of the alphabet is due to its complex glyph structure, the difficulty of the combined characters, and its difficulty in learning compared to modern writing systems.