The Chakri dynasty is the current ruling royal house of the Kingdom of Thailand, while the Head of the house is the monarch. The dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Rattanakosin Era and the city of Bangkok in 1782 following the end of King Taksin of Thonburi's reign, when the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok. The royal house was founded by King Rama I, an Ayutthayan military leader of Sino-Mon descent.
Prior to the founding of the dynasty, King Rama I held for years the title Chakri, the title of the civil chancellor. In founding the dynasty, King Rama I himself chose "Chakri" as the name for the dynasty. The emblem of the dynasty is composed of the discus (Chakra) and the trident (Trisula), the celestial weapons of god Vishnu and Shiva, whom the Thai sovereign is seen as an incarnation.
The current head of the house is King Maha Vajiralongkorn who was proclaimed king on 1 December 2016, but has actually reigned with retroactive effect since 13 October 2016 after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The house's current dynastic seat is the Grand Palace in Bangkok.