Ancient civilizations of Thailand

Prior to the arrival of the Thai people and culture into what is now Thailand, the region hosted a
number of indigenous Austroasiatic-speaking and Malayo-Sumbawan-speaking civilisations.
However, little is known about Thailand before the 13th century, as the literary and concrete
sources are scarce and most of the knowledge about this period is gleaned from archaeological
evidence. Similar to other regions in Southeast Asia, Thailand was heavily influenced by the culture
and religions of India, starting with the Kingdom of Funan around the first century until the Khmer
Empire.[7] Indian influence on Siamese culture was partly the result of direct contact with Indian
settlers, but mainly it was brought about indirectly via the Indianised kingdoms of Dvaravati,
Srivijaya and the Khmer Empire.[8] E. A. Voretzsch believes that Buddhism must have been flowing
into Thailand from India at the time of the Indian emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire and into
the first millennium after Christ.[8] Later Thailand was influenced by the south Indian Pallava dynasty
and north Indian Gupta Empire.[8]