Prince of Kamphaengphet Akkarayothin was born on 23 January 1881 as Prince Burachat Chaiyakorn, the 38th son of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) and Chao Chom Manda Wat. He began his education at Phratumnuk Suankularb School in Bangkok.

In 1894, he went to England to study civil engineering at Harrow School, then at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and further specialised in military engineering at Chatham. He also studied dam and canal construction in France and the Netherlands. After becoming a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (M.I.C.E.), he returned to Siam to serve in the military engineering corps. He modernised the military engineering unit, later served as Minister of Commerce and Communications, and became a Privy Councillor.

Around 1928, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) initiated a major construction programme to mark the 150th anniversary of Bangkok and to honour King Rama I. The Prince proposed that alongside building the statue of King Rama I, a bridge should also be built across the Chao Phraya River to connect Phra Nakhon and Thonburi, stating: “Nothing could be better than to build a second bridge over the Chao Phraya River for cars and pedestrians in the city centre, linking Phra Nakhon and Thonburi. This would effectively expand the city by one-third.”

He stressed the benefits of the bridge for transport, trams, water supply, commerce, and town planning. On 26 October 1928, King Rama VII approved the plan to build the Memorial Bridge alongside the King Rama I statue. The King personally contributed initial funding and appointed the Prince to oversee the project. The Prince commissioned the State Railways’ design office to draft the general plan and invited engineering firms from England, France, Italy, Germany, and Denmark to survey the site in December 1928 and submit proposals by June 1929. After review, the British firm Dorman Long was selected.

The bridge was designed in green, the auspicious colour of both King Rama I and King Rama VII’s birthdays. It was a steel structure 229.76 m long and 16.68 m wide, with three spans. The centre span could be electrically opened to allow large ships to go through, a symbol of modern technology at the time. The bridge transformed the area on both riverbanks. On the Phra Nakhon side, bustling markets like Pak Khlong Talat and Pahurat thrived, while the Thonburi side saw the rise of Ban Somdet Chao Phraya and Wongwian Lek areas, which became lively commercial and entertainment districts. Prince of Kamphaengphet Akkarayothin passed away from heart failure in Singapore on 14 September 1936 at the age of 54 years. His vision and leadership in building the Memorial Bridge remain a landmark in Bangkok’s history, symbolising the city’s progress and modernisation.