When King Rama I ascended the throne in 1782, he decided to move the capital city from the area on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, where the former Thonburi Palace was located, to the Eastern side of the river. The construction work lasted for three years. The Grand Palace was built then, with a temple or Royal Chapel located within the compound of the palace.The architectural plan of the new Grand Palace is almost identical in every detail to that of the Royal Palace in the former capital of Ayutthaya. It was built close to the river facing north with the river on the left. This palace has an area of 218,400 sq. metres and is surrounded by walls built in 1782. The length of the four walls is 1,900 metres. Within these walls are situated government offices and the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha besides the royal residences.
Rama I moved the centre of administration to this side of the Chao Phraya and, after erecting public monuments such as fortifications and monasteries. The King ordered the palace to be built not only as his residence but also as his offices--the various ministries, only one of which remains in the palace walls. This palace came to be known as the Grand Palace, in which the earliest edifices contemporary with the foundation of Bangkok were the two groups of residences named the Dusit Maha Prasat and the Phra Maha Monthian.
The palace is divided into three sections:
- The Outer Palace (Phra Ratchathan Chan Nok) on the north
- The Middle Palace (Phra Ratchathan Chan Klang) at the east
- The Inner Palace (Phra Ratchathan Chan Nai) to the west
Article taken from bangkok.thailandtoday.com
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