Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute has an interesting and unique history. The death of Momchaoying Banlusirisarn Diskul, caused by rabies in 1911, made one realize the danger of this incurable disease and the necessity of having vaccine against it in Thailand. Rabies Vaccine was not available in Thailand at that time. Her father, HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubharb, the Interior Minister, asked for permission from HM King Vajiravudh to establish a center of vaccine production and vaccination against rabies. With His Majesty’s permission, a building on the royal property at Bamrung Muang Road, near the present Hua Lampong Railway Station, was used as the first center. Medical equipment and facilities needed were purchased by a fund initially donated by the King’ s mother, HM Queen Saovabha and Thai people. This center was officially opened on April 26, 1913 under the name “Pastura Sabha” which was later changed to “Sathan Pasteur” in recognition of Louis Pasteur, the pioneer in rabies vaccine production. With the assistance of the Pasteur Institute of Paris, Dr. Leopold Robert was nominated as director of Sathan Pasteur with a mission to produce vaccines against rabies, smallpox, cholera, typhoid and other infectious diseases. Sathan Pasteur was under the direction of The Ministry of Interior until 1917 when HM King Vajiravudh made the decision to transfer all its activities to the Thai Red Cross Society. Dr. Leopold Robert became the first director of the new organization, named Science Division of the Thai Red Cross Society.

Following the Royal Cremation Ceremony of HM Queen Saovabha on May 24, 1920. HM King Vajiravudh decided to build a permanent building in her memory to be used for research in medical science. He granted the Thai Red Cross Society a big sum of money and a piece of land at the corner of Henry Dunant and Rama IV Road for the main building and as a permanent headquarter of the Science Division of the Thai Red Cross Society. With a donation from Queen Sawangvadhana and the Thai Red Cross Society’s own budget, two additional buildings were erected on both sides of the main building to facilitate the establishment of a self-sufficient scientific institution.

HM King Vajiravudh named this scientific institution after his Mother, “QUEEN SAOVABHA MEMORIAL INSTITUTE” and officiated at an official opening with dedication on December 7, 1922. All activities of the Science Division were transferred from the dissolved Sathan Pasteur to this new institute.