Abstract:
This article studies the evolution of Samut Prakan City from the creation during Ayutthaya period to King Chulalongkorn’s reign, when the city started to change from a burg to a semi-modern town. The study applied historical method along with the notion of the origin and development of Thai cities. The result indicated that Samut Prakan City was founded as a fortification to protect the capital city of Siam. In the reigns of King Monkut and King Chulalongkorn, Samut Prakan was changed to a “semi-modern town” by the Siamese Kings and the Western private companies.