Grand Palace

Lore & Background

The Grand Palace was built on a rectangular piece of land on the west side of Rattanakosin Island, between Wat Pho to the south and Wat Mahathat to the north, with the Chao Phraya River on the west. This location was previously occupied by a Chinese community, whom King Rama I ordered to relocate to an area south and outside the city walls, now Bangkok's Chinatown. Initially constructed entirely of wood due to a shortage of materials and funds, the palace was surrounded by a simple log palisade. King Rama I ceremonially crossed the river from Thonburi to take permanent residence on 10 June 1782, and held an abbreviated coronation three days later. Over the following years, wooden structures were replaced with masonry, using bricks salvaged from the old capital of Ayutthaya, which had been destroyed in 1767. Most initial construction was carried out by conscripted or corvée labour, and a full traditional coronation ceremony was held in 1785 after the ceremonial halls were completed.

Reader's Guide

The Grand Palace is a complex of numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around open lawns, gardens, and courtyards, developed organically over 200 years. It is divided into four main courts: the Outer Court (with royal offices and former state ministries), the Middle Court (housing state apartments and throne halls), the Inner Court (reserved for the king's harem), and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (the royal chapel). The palace's layout followed that of the Royal Palace at Ayutthaya in location, organization, and divisions. During the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV), the name 'Phra Boromma Maha Ratcha Wang' or 'Grand Palace' was first used in official documents to distinguish it from the Front Palace of the Second King. From 1782 to 1932, the Grand Palace was both the administrative and religious centre of the country, functioning as a city within a city with its own palace laws. After the abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, all government agencies moved out, and the palace is now partially open to the public as a museum while still hosting royal ceremonies and state functions.

Did You Know?

• The Grand Palace was initially built entirely out of wood and surrounded by a simple log palisade due to a shortage of materials and funds.
• King Rama I ordered his men to dismantle bricks from the old capital of Ayutthaya, destroyed in 1767, to use in constructing the Grand Palace and Bangkok's walls.
• The name 'Grand Palace' (Phra Boromma Maha Ratcha Wang) was first used in official documents during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1851.
• The palace complex covers 218,400 square metres and is surrounded by four walls, with the Chao Phraya River on its west side.
• Over eight million people visit the Grand Palace each year.