A gift to the people from King Prajadhipok, Rama VII. Sala Chalermkrung is not just any old movie theatre. Its history is intimately intertwined with the past glory of the City of Bangkok when a cinema represented the apex of national cinematography.
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Bangkok in 1932, King Rama VII commanded the construction of Phra Buddha Yodfa Bridge to link Bangkok to Thon Buri. A statue of the founder of Bangkok and the House of Chakri, King Buddha Yodfa the Great, Rama I, was positioned at the foot of the bridge on the Bangkok side to commemorate the event.
On the same occasion, the king gave 9 million baht from the privy purse towards the construction of the first modern picture theatre where sound films could be shown. The cinema would serve as a show case for progress achieved by modern Siam through the most popular mass entertainment at the time--the motion picture. Besides, the king had been keen on cinematography since his youth. He was an avid film producer himself and would like the people to be entertained and educated at the same time. The cinema was viewed as a conduit for cultural preservation and transfer to the younger generations as well as a faithful recorder of historical events.

http://www.salachalermkrung.com