Thai Classical dance dates back more than 500 hundred years when the area of of present day Thailand, Cambodia and Laos was ruled by various kingdoms, one of the most notable being the Kingdom of Siam. With little tradition of spoken theatre, dance was the main dramatic art form in the whole area. Classical dancers were coveted members of the royal courts and treated with prestige. Their costumes were extravagant and unbelievably expensive. Performances interpreted the folk stories and religious epics of that era, mainly the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana.