His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) presided over the opening ceremony of the bridge on 6 May 1982 on the occasion of Rattanakosin's 200th anniversary.

The bridge was named in honours King Taksin, the founder and ruler of Thonburi Kingdom.

The bridge was designed with a large gap between opposing traffic directions to accommodate the canceled Lavalin Skytrain system.

The disused foundations were eventually adapted for the BTS Skytrain,[1] with train services across the bridge beginning on 5 December 1999.

[2][3][4] The entry ramp on the east side of the river contains the Saphan Taksin BTS Station as well as Sathorn Pier for the Chao Phraya Express Boat.