Grand Palace - Middle Court - Phra Maha Prasat Group

Phra Maha Prasat Group

The Phra Maha Prasat (พระมหาปราสาท) group is situated on the westernmost part of the Middle Court. The main buildings within this area dates from the reign of King Rama I and contains some of the oldest existing edifice within the Grand Palace. The entire throne hall group is contained within a walled and paved courtyard. Similarly to the other two groups, the Maha Prasat buildings were built, embellished and refurbished over successive reigns. The building formed a single axis from north to south, with the public throne hall to the front and residential halls behind. Surrounding them are lesser functional halls and pavilion for used by the king and his court.

Initially after the construction of the Grand Palace, King Rama I ordered that on this location a copy of the Phra Thinang Sanphet Maha Prasat (พระที่นั่งสรรเพชญมหาปราสาท) should be built. The ancient throne hall was once located at the old palace in Ayutthaya, which had been destroyed 15 years earlier. This new throne hall was given the name Phra Thinang Amarinthara Pisek Maha Prasat (พระที่นั่งอมรินทราภิเษกมหาปราสาท; RTGS: Phra Thi Nang Amarinthraphisek Maha Prasat). Construction began in 1782 and was finished in 1784. This was the hall where King Rama I celebrated his full coronation ceremony. However in 1789 the entire hall was struck by lighting and burnt to the ground. In its place King Rama I ordered the construction of a new hall, however under a different design and name.

As a result of this disaster King Rama I predicted that the Chakri dynasty would last only 150 years from its foundation. This prophecy was recorded in a diary of a princess of the first reign, after reading it many years later, King Rama V remarked that 150 years was too short and that the princess must have inadvertently dropped a nought. This prophecy was again present in the minds of many people, when only three months after the dynasty's 150th anniversary celebrations the Siamese revolution of 1932 was carried out. The revolution replaced the absolute monarchy of the Chakri monarchs with a constitutional monarchy with Siam's first constitution.

The ceremonial and residential part was divided between two new halls, the Dusit Maha Prasat and the Phiman Rattaya. Ever since then no coronations were held inside the hall. Upon the king's death, the hall was used for his official lying-in-state. It has since become a custom that the remains of kings, queens and other high-ranking members of the royal family are to be placed with the hall for an official mourning period.

The entrance to this building group is through one of the three gates at the northern end of the wall. These gates are decorated with Chinese porcelain in floral patterns. Only the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall is open to the public.