Bangkok the new capital of Thailand
Bangkok is in the top five most visited cities in the world. However, Bangkok has not always been the capital of Thailand.
When the old capital of the kingdom of Ayutthaya was destroyed in 1767 after the war with Burma, General Taksin made the town of Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River the capital in 1772. Just ten years later, Phra Puttha Yotfa Chulalok (1737 – 1809) later known as Rama 1, moved the residence to the eastern bank and made Bangkok the capital of the kingdom. The area, which was mainly inhabited by Chinese at the time, was high enough not to be threatened by high water levels in the river.
In the eastern part of the new palace, the king had Wat Phra Kaeo built for the Emerald Buddha, which he opened in a festive ceremony on March 22, 1784. It is the most revered image in Thailand. This Buddha statue wears a different piece of clothing in each of the three seasons.
A covered gallery has been designed on the inside of this temple complex and artists from all over the country painted the Ramakien epic consisting of 178 parts on the wall. It originates from the Indian Ramayana - epic in which it is about the blessing of good over evil, the victory of the gods hero Rama over the demon king Thotsakan. This was passed on to the monks in a graphic way at the time.
This beautiful Grand Palace building with its beautiful temples is one of the highlights in Bangkok, which is visited by both Thais and tourists.