Bangkok Information and Travel Tourism Guide

Bangkok, officially known as Krung Thep and always used in Thai (กรุงเทพฯ ), is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 2000 census population of 6,355,144. Bangkok is located at 13°45′N 100°31′E, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.

Krung Thep has been the proper name of the city for more than two centuries. Nonetheless, the city's original name of Bangkok, which now is used locally to refer only to a district of the city, is the name by which most foreigners know the city. (See History and Full Name below.)

Bangkok is the wealthiest and most populated city in Thailand as well as the 22nd most populated city in the world. Although Bangkok now has roughly 7 million registered inhabitants, the actual population is much higher, and including commuters from the surrounding areas, may reach an estimated 15 million people during the day time, making the city one of the most densely populated in the world. Recently, the value of Bangkok's economic output has matched that of Singapore, making Bangkok a major economic and financial center in Southeast Asia. Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings.

The World Meteorological Organization has dubbed Bangkok the world's hottest large city. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

History

Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community, called Bang Makok, or "place of olive plums" (the genus of this fruit is Spondias), serving Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the nation (then known as Siam) until it fell to Burma in 1767. However, this theory on the origin of the name has been disputed. A new capital was then established at Thonburi (now part of Bangkok) on the west side of the river, before King Rama I built his palace on the east bank in 1782 and renamed the city Krung Thep, meaning the "City of Angels". The name Bangkok (บางกอก) now refers only to an old district on the Thonburi side of the river, but continues to be used to refer to the entire city by most foreigners. The city has gone through a number of changes under the Chakri Dynasty. It has long been a gateway to Thailand because of its route which leads to the Gulf of Thailand.

Full Name

Krung Thep, or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon , (กรุงเทพมหานคร ) is the abbreviation of the city's full ceremonial name Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit (กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลกภพ นพรัตน์ราชธานี บุรีรมย์อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์),). This ceremonial name is composed in combination of two ancient Indian languages, Pali and Sanskrit. According to the romanisation of these languages, it can actually be written as "Krung-dēvamahānagara amararatanakosindra mahindrayudhyā mahātilakabhava navaratanarājadhānī purīrāmasya utamarājanivēsana mahāsthāna amaravimāna avatārasthitya shakrasdattiya vishnukarmaprasiddhi". It means "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam".

Local school children are taught the full name, although few can explain its meaning because many of the words are archaic. Most Thais who do recall the full name do so as a result of its use in a popular song (กรุงเทพมหานคร/Krung Thep Mahanakhon by อัสนี-วสันต์ โชติกุล/Asanee-Wasan Chotikul 1989) and will often recount it by recalling the song at the same time, much in the same way that English speakers might sing the alphabet song while reciting the English alphabet.

Topography and Climate

Bangkok province covers 1,568.7 km², making it the 68th largest province in Thailand. Much of the area is considered the city of Bangkok therefore making it one of the largest cities in the world. The Chao Phraya River which stretches 372 km is its main geographical feature along with being Thailands longest river. The Chao Phraya River basin, the area surrounding Bangkok and nearby provinces are the series of plains and river deltas that lead into the Bay of Bangkok about 30km south of Bangkok City Center. This has given rise to Bangkok's name as 'Venice of the East' due to the number of canals and passages that divide the area into separate patches of land. The city once used these canals which were so plentiful within Bangkok itself as divisions for city districts, however as the city grew in the second half of the 20th century to enormous extents, the plan was abandoned and a different division was uptaken.

Bangkok lies about 2m above sea level. This low ground level causes problems for the protection of the city against floods during monsoon season. Often after a downpour, water in canals and the river overflow the banks, resulting in massive floods. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has recently installed higher planks alongside some canals to keep water levels from reaching street level. The Khlong Saen Saeb is perhaps one of the cities most notorious canals, the largest and most useful especially for commuting into the city. There are however some downsides for Bangkok's extensive canal routes, the city is rumored to be sinking an average of 2 inches a year as it lies entirely on a swamp.

Bangkok has a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification system. Bangkok is said to have the highest average temperature of any city in the world.

Economy

Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand, dominating the country's economy and dwarfing other urban centers. In 2005, it produced a GDP (PPP) of about USD 220 billion, which accounts for 43 percent of the country's GDP. Its GDP (PPP) per capita is roughly USD 20,000, one of the highest in Southeast Asia. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is located in Bangkok with over 400 listed companies and combined market capitalization of about 5 trillion Baht (USD 120 billion) as of 5 January 2006. Due to the large amount of foreign representation, Thailand has for several years been a mainstay of the Southeast Asian economy and a key center in Asian business. In the recent Black Tuesday, the SET lost over Bt 800 billion and USD 25 billion, as markets in the Asia-Pacific falling and causing a global impact on December 17, 2006. The loss of market valuation evoked fears of a repeat of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.

Bangkok is home to the headquarters of all Thailand's large commercial banks and financial institutions; 18 financial institutions hold at least USD 1 billion in total assets. Their bank deposits totaled approximately 7 trillion Baht (USD 177 billion) at the end of the third quarter in 2005. Many transnational companies operate regional headquarters in Bangkok because the cost of operation in the city is less than in most rival cities in Asia. Thirteen Bangkok-based companies are on the Forbes 2000 list, including the largest Thai bank, Bangkok Bank, and the country's largest oil/petroleum producer PTT.

Tourism is a significant contributor to Thailand's economy, providing about 5 percent of GDP. Bangkok is Thailand's principal international gateway, the major transit point, and a destination in its own right.

Income inequality of Bangkok's residents is significant, especially between relatively unskilled lower-income immigrants from rural provinces in Thailand and neighboring countries and wealthier government officials, middle class professionals, business elite, and retired foreigners. About 7 percent of Bangkok's population (excluding illegal immigrants who constitute about 5-8 percent of population) lives below the poverty line compared to the national average of 9 percent.

Top Destinations

Bangkok | Phuket | Koh Samui | Krabi | Khao Lak, Phang-Nga | Trang | Hatyai, Songkhla| Pattaya | Hua Hin | Cha Am | Chiang Mai | Chiang Rai | Mea Hong Son | Kanchanaburi

The Islands

Koh Phi Phi | Koh Lanta | Koh Tao | Koh Phangan | Koh Ngai | Koh Yao | Koh Chang | Koh Samet, Rayong

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