Captain Samuel Joseph Bird Ames was born on 2 May 1832 in Kent, England. He was originally a merchant sea captain trading in the Atlantic before turning to the Indian Ocean route, working in Ceylon, Burma, and Singapore. In 1853, he arrived in Siam (Thailand) during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) with his wife and two sons. After settling in Siam, he became a contractor.

During this period, Siam had a small force called “Khaoluang Kong Jap” (ข้าหลวงกองจับ), also known as the “Whip Police” (ตำรวจหวาย), who assisted judges in law enforcement. Their effectiveness was limited, prompting reforms. Because Ames had prior experience as assistant police chief in Singapore, King Mongkut appointed him in 1860 to establish a proper Western-style police unit in the capital, under the Ministry of the Interior.

This unit was known as the “Police Constabulary Force”, initially located near Trok Krata (Vanich 1 Road). It was a small group made up of Malays, Indians, and former soldiers who had served with Ames in Singapore. They patrolled areas such as Sampeng and later relocated to Sam Yaek Police Station. In 1869, King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) ordered the expansion of the force, now called the “Police Force”. This force played an important role in handling major disturbances, including riots among Chinese workers of rival rice mills.

Captain Ames also proposed a police uniform modelled after the London Metropolitan Police, which was approved by Prince Naruesuan Ritt, the younger brother of King Chulalongkorn. At the time, he served as Minister of the Interior and was in charge of police affairs. He agreed that Thai police should be granted status equal to other civil servants under the Ministry of the Interior and endorsed the adoption of London-style uniforms. Constables would wear modern trousers, navy-blue shirts, and peaked helmets. Senior officers wore traditional wrapped cloth with newly designed tops. Indian officers were permitted to wear dark blue turbans beneath their regulation hats.

Captain Ames was granted the Thai noble title “Luang Rattayathibaan Banchaa” by King Chulalongkorn and retired in 1892. The establishment of the Police Constabulary Force marked a turning point in Siam’s urban development. It supported the shift from canal-based to road-based transport and helped maintain order in an increasingly multicultural city with growing numbers of Chinese and Western residents. Ames helped lay the foundation for Thailand’s modern police force — shaping structure, duties, patrol routes, uniform standards, and night surveillance systems. His work created a disciplined and visible presence in Bangkok’s streets, reducing crime and forming the basis of today’s Metropolitan Police.