the construction of the grand palace started in 1782 when the capital of siam was moved from thonburi to bangkok . the palace served as the residence of the kings of Thailand until the mysterious death of king ananda mahidol in 1946. his brother king bhumibol adulyadej who succeeded him moved permanently to the chitralada palace . the grand palace covers a wide range of architectural styles, ranging from a pure ayutthaya style of the temples to a blend of thailand western for later structures. it also includes the wai phra kaew , home to the emerald buddha, one of the oldest and most famous . of the buddha in the world