Memorial Bridge, Bangkok

The Memorial Bridge is a type of movable bridge known as a bascule bridge that spans the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. It serves as a connection between the Phra Nakhon and Thonburi districts of the city. This bridge was officially inaugurated on the 6th of April in 1932, during the reign of King Prajadhipok, also known as Rama VII. The construction of the bridge was a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Chakri dynasty and the establishment of Bangkok as the capital of Thailand.

In English, people commonly refer to this bridge as the "Memorial Bridge." However, in the Thai language, it is more commonly known as the "Phra Phutthayotfa Bridge," which is named after King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, also known as Rama I, the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty. It is often abbreviated as the "Phut Bridge" or the "Buddha Bridge."

The construction of the Memorial Bridge began on the 3rd of December in 1929 and was undertaken by Dorman Long, a company based in Middlesbrough, England. Italian technicians from SNOS (Società Nazionale Officine Savignano) supervised the construction process. Initially, the bridge featured a double-leaf bascule-type lifting mechanism, but this mechanism is no longer in use.

During World War II in 1944, the bridge was bombed by B-29 Superfortress bombers as a test of their capabilities before being deployed against Japan. The bombs missed the target, causing disruption to tram lines, destroying a Japanese military hospital, and the Japanese secret police headquarters, but no civilian structures were damaged. Thai authorities only learned in 1947 that the bridge was the intended target. It was later reconstructed by the Allies in 1949.