On March 26, 1916, university-level physics instruction began in Thailand, coinciding with the founding of Chulalongkorn University under the royal patronage of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). Initially, physics was taught as a basic subject for pre-medical students under the Faculty of Arts and Science. In 1923, Prince of Songkla, a son of King Chulalongkorn and father of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, secured personnel and financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, which funded the program for five years and continued its support until 1935.

Graduate-level study began even before the official establishment of Chulalongkorn’s Graduate School in 1962. In 1942, the first master’s degree in physics was awarded. The 1943 Chulalongkorn University Act separated the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Arts, with Science comprising only four departments: Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Around 1964, Physics Building 2 was completed; it was later replaced in 1995 by the Mahamakut Building to accommodate the expanding Faculty of Science. The 1979 Chulalongkorn University Act officially changed the name from the “Physics Division” to the “Department of Physics.” In 1982, the doctoral program in physics was approved, completing the department’s full academic pathway from bachelor’s to master’s to doctoral degrees—a tradition that continues to this day.