White thai art stucco wall,Thai temple

Traditional Thai art was heavily influenced by Buddhist and Hindu traditions brought from India and neighboring countries by various empires and ethnic groups. By the mid-thirteenth century, a unique Thai style, which flourished in northern Thailand during the Sukhothai (1238 – 1438) and Ayutthaya (1350 – 1767) periods, had developed. Buddhism was the primary theme of traditional Thai sculpture and painting, and the royal courts provided patronage, erecting temples and other religious shrines as acts of merit or to commemorate important events. Much of the Thai cultural heritage was damaged or destroyed when the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya in 1767, and the first three kings of the Chakri dynasty devoted themselves to salvaging, restoring and reinvigorating the old traditions. In the nineteenth century, Thai art began to show evidence of Western influences. Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern media and techniques, and encompasses some of the most diverse and versatile art in Southeast Asia.