Construction of the Royal Palace began in 1782 and
was completed in time for the coronation of Rama I. The original living
quarters were temporary and made of wood and thatch and the walls
surrounding the palace were made of wood palisades. After the coronation
the King moved into a mansion built of permanent materials. The only
other building of permanent material at the time was Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram
(Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and the forts along the walls.
The plan of this new Royal Palace follow that of the Ayutthaya period.
Only the central building seen today was missing until constructed
as the Chakri Maha Prasat during the reign of King Rama V. The area
of the original palace was about 51 acres. King Rama II expanded the
area to todays size of about 60 acres.
The Royal Palace contains a number of halls, residences, and other
buildings constructed by King Rama I. Later monarchs altered some
and renovated others while still others were enlarged or torn down
to make way for newer buildings.
All the buildings are not listed here but the most important ones
are. The buildings are listed in groups according to their location
inside the palace walls. A trip to Bangkok would not be complete without
visiting the Royal Grand Palace.
