The Present Chedi
During the early 1800s, Buddhist monks came to reside in the ruined Phra Pathom Chedi. The present chedi owes its existence to King Mongkut, who then a monk visited the ruined chedi several times and was deeply saddened to see it in ruins. He understood the significance of the site as the oldest Buddhist monument in Thailand and the spot where Buddhism first arrived in Thailand. Thus he was determined to restore it. On his accession to the throne, King Mongkut began a restoration process by building an enormous chedi over the ruined prang. The first attempt collapsed in bad weather. King Mongkut did not live to see the completion of the chedi. However, in due course this was achieved and in 1870, the spire was raised during the reign of King Chulalongkorn.