Actually, I was using the term Siamese and Thai interchangabally. Siam was renamed Thailand after a military general dictator came to power.
And to answer your question! Yes, in Siam there is a hint of Hindu influence in Buddhism from the early Khmer empire, I believe. Previously, the Khmers were Hindu, but later adopted the Mon Therevada buddhism. Somehow, if I'm not mistaken, the two religeons melded together also in the Khmer empire. If you look at even the chess game they play in Thailand...the thing is always very pointy like the end of the sword handle. I think that's only in Thailand that is widely seen because Thai people are very religeous and superstitious! [laugh!] During the Ayutthaya period, and even during the early Rattanakosin era until today, most of the religeous cermonies were performed by Brahmans.
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