.After the destruction of the former capital Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767, King Taksin the Great established Thonburi on the West bank of the Chao Phraya river as the new capital. The area where the Wat Arun stands, which is almost directly opposite of the Grand Palace on the other side of the river, was chosen as the location for the new capital of the Thonburi Kingdom. The temple that was originally named Wat Jaeng was build on the remains of an older temple named Wat Makok dating back to the Ayutthaya era.
With the death of King Taksin in 1782 came the end of the Thonburi Kingdom and the start of the Rattanakosin Kingdom, that established Bangkok on the other side of the Chao Phraya river as the new capital. During the reign of King Rama II the temple was renovated and renamed Wat Arun Rajwararam or Wat Arun for short.