Built in commemoration of Bangkok’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 1932, the monument is at the foot of the Great Memorial Bridge on the Bangkok side. King Rama I was the first king in the Royal House of Chakri and founder of Bangkok as the capital of the Kingdom of Siam, as Thailand was formerly known. He was born in Ayutthaya, one of Thailand’s former capitals, on 20 March 1736. He ascended to the throne on 6 April 1782 and passed away 27 years later.