Rama I Founds Bangkok as Siam’s New Capital

On 21 April 1782, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, posthumously known as Rama I, oversaw the raising of the City Pillar on Rattanakosin Island along the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River. This ritual act marked the official founding of a new capital for the kingdom. Siam was recovering from catastrophic disruption following the Burmese capture and destruction of its old royal seat, and the establishment of Rattanakosin laid the foundation for the realm now centered at modern Bangkok.

Bangkok had originated centuries earlier as a small riverside village and customs post under the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Situated near the river mouth, it gained strategic and commercial value as trade expanded. Fortifications guarded both banks, and the settlement witnessed a major siege in 1688 that resulted in the expulsion of French forces from the kingdom. Following the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767, King Taksin established his new base at Thonburi on the western bank of the river.