The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings (Wat Phra Kaew, Dusit Phra, and the Chakri Mahaprasad Hall) in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand, Kind Rama IX, however, resides at the Chitralada Palace.

The Palace became the centre of the Rattanakosin government and royal court for most of the early Chakri Dynasty until the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) who preferred to stay at the Dusit Palace, but still used the Grand Palace as an office and primary place of residence. This practice was followed by his sons (Rama VI and Rama VII) who preferred thier own palaces. King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) moved into the Palace full time after his return from abroad in 1945. However after his mysterious death a year later in one of the palaces inside the complex, his brother King Bhumibol Adulvadej (Rama IX) who succeeded him decided to move permanently to the Chitralada Palace.

Source: Wikipedia

Labels: Thailand