> Just start reading, and although you will probably be a slow
>reader in the beginning, you will soon see that you get accustomed to the
>script.

I haven't learned Thai script, but I have learned Devanagari and am
presently struggling with Sinhalese.

I'd like to add some tips that I've found helpful. June mentioned not
being able to even scan a page and find a word like 'tathagata'. This
is a very good observation which describes exactly what it's like
when starting out. This leads to the first tip. I think it can be
helpful with a new script to start with a few lines from a text which
you are already very familiar with in the Roman characters. That way
you can making a special point of looking at words like 'tathagatha'
and seeing the word-picture (how the word appears when written) as it
appears in the new script. Soon that word-picture, and many others
will become very familiar.

The second tip is that even if you only plan to read the script and
not write it, it helps to practice writing it at the beginning. This
makes it easier to read. I'm not sure why, but that's been my
experience.

Take about five characters at a time, and practice writing and
recognizing them until you've gone throught the whole basic alphabet.
Then work the some way with the forms with marked vowels, and
important conjunct consonents. Then take a few very familiar lines,
like the first verse of the Dhammapada, to read. Keep at it a little
bit every day, and anyone can do it.

best regards,

/Rett