The Reign of king Buddha Lertla Naphalai, Rama II 1809 - 1824

Under King Buddha Lertla Naphalai, Rama II, Bangkok became a significant center for junk building. It was also in his reign that the Sino-Thai junk trade reached its apex, thereby generating enomous revenue to the country. According to Dr. John Crawford, British ambassador to Thailand who came in 1821, Thai cargo fleet had the annual load capacity of 24,562 tons, requiring labor force of 4,912 Chinese. Besides, his record shows that junks used in the Sino-Thai maritime trade brought with them approximataly 7,000 Chinese immigrants annually. It was in this reign that the Thai government initiated the policy to hire Chinese for jobs requiring physical labor instead of recruiting labor from among the citizens. Simultaneously Chinese immigrants in Thailand began to form a social group rendering one another help like in a combine.

King Rama II, in the meantime, accepted as wife one of the daughters of Phraya Indra Akon(Chao Sua Tao Katha), a wealthy junk trader in Sampheng. The lady, Chao Chom Manda Ampha, born him, among other children, two sons who became the predecessors of the royal Kapittha and Pramoj Families, respectivery.