During the Ayuthaya period, Thailand developed a classical poetic tradition based on five types of verse - chan, kap, khlong, khlon, and rai. Each of these forms uses a complex set of strict rules to regulate metre, rhyming patterns and number of syllables. Although all of these poetic systems use the Thai language, chan and kap are derived from Sanskrit verse forms from India while khlong, khlon and rai are native forms.

          The Indian forms have all but disappeared from 20th century use. During the political upheavals of the 1970s, several Thai newspaper editors, most notably Kukrit Pramoj, composed lightly, disguised political commentary in khlon verse. Modern Thai poets seldom use the classical forms, preferring to compose in blank verse or with song-style rhyming.

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