Rama I Founds Bangkok and the Chakri Dynasty

April 6, 1782

After executing the mad King Taksin in a velvet sack, the general Chao Phraya Chakri was crowned Rama I and moved the Siamese capital across the river to Bangkok. He rebuilt palaces, rewrote law codes, and commissioned a new Ramakien. His dynasty still rules today. The Grand Palace he constructed on the Chao Phraya's eastern bank remains the ceremonial heart of the Thai monarchy.