The Construction of the Throne Hall

The building of the throne hall began in 1908 and was completed in 1915, costing 15 million baht (The currency of Thailand). The hall is approximately 50m high and consists of a large central dome, as well as 6 smaller surrounding domes. The structure is located within the Dusit Palace in Bangkok. It was King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) who commissioned the construction, with the hall being completed 5 years after his death at the age of 57. The intention of the hall was to serve as a place for royal meetings.

The History of the Throne Hall

Translated from Thai, The Ananta Samakhorn Throne Hall means “The place of immense gathering”, it has fulfilled this title by serving as an important place of royal meetings. The interior design is based on the Chakri Dynasty, with the domes and walls being decorated by Carlo Riguli and Galileo Chini, the royal artists of the time. The throne hall has been used for several historically significant events; during the 1932 revolution, the hall functioned as headquarters for the Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party). Following this, the hall was used by the legislative branch of parliament, before the new parliament building was established in 1974. After the parliament had moved, the hall became a part of the palace once again, as control was resumed by the royal family.

Modern Usage of the Throne Hall

The Arts of the Kingdom Exhibition was held at the throne hall and open for tourists to view. This exhibition hosted a showcase of important arts and crafts for the nation, however has since been moved away from the hall. The throne hall has been closed to visitors since October 1st 2017. The main current purpose of the throne hall now is for the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament, in which the King of Thailand officially opens each new parliament.

pic By Supanut Arunoprayote – Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80838541