The history and the development of conversation practice in Thailand can be divided into three phases: the period before the modernization of the country in the nineteenth century; the transition period; and the period after the establishment of the Department of Fine Arts. The distinctions between the three periods are characterized by the different attitudes towards the historic monuments, and the different conversation philosophy and practice as a result of the social, political, and economic changes. This article will examine those factors that determine the development of the conversation process and its problems.