Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ (help·info)), is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 2000 census population of 6,355,144. Bangkok is located 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. However, the city's original name of Bangkok, which now is used locally to refer only to a district of the city, persists in being used by most foreigners. (See History and Full Name below.)

Bangkok is considered as one of the world's 22 megacities. Today it has one of the fastest rates of construction of high rise buildings. In 2006 emporis made a survey to count every 90 meter building and above in every city in the world. In first place was Hong Kong, followed by New York, then Tokyo, then Shanghai, and in fifth position was Bangkok. Bangkok has a current population of around 7 million people and 12 million people in Metro. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Currently Bangkok's economy has caught up with Singapore's and it is predicted that Bangkok will soon take its position as the economic and financial center of southeast Asia. Currently it is the most densely populated city in SEA and the city with the most high rise buildings of 90 meters and above.

Bangkok is a fast growing, economically and culturally dynamic city in Southeast Asia. The World Meteorological Organization has dubbed Bangkok the world's hottest large city. Moreover, it is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Bangkok is the wealthiest and most populated city in Thailand. The city is ranked as the 22nd most populated city in the world

History
Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community, called Bang Makok ("place of olive plums"), serving Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the nation (then known as Siam) until it fell to Burma in 1767. 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 his city Krung Thep, meaning the "City of Angels". The name Bangkok (บางกอก (help·info)) 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 change 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 (IPA: [kruŋtʰeːp mahaːnakʰon], กรุงเทพมหานคร (help·info)) 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), (listen (help·info)). 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.

The full name of the city is listed by Guinness Book of Records as the world's longest place name.

Economy
Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand, and dwarfs anything in the country, so much so that other cities seem quite neglected. In 2005, it produced a GDP(PPP) of about USD 220 billion, which accounts for about 43% of the country's GDP. Its GDP(PPP) per capita is roughly USD 20,000. 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.

Bangkok is home to all the headquarters of Thailand's large commercial banks and financial institutions. Its bank deposits totaled approximately 7 trillion Baht (USD 177 billion) at the end of the third quarter in 2005. There are 18 financial institutions with at least USD 1 billion in total assets. Many transnational Japanese companies own large offices in Thailand because it is prohibitively expensive to do so in other nations.

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

The income disparity of Bangkok's residents is significant, especially among lower-income immigrant workers (from other provinces and neighboring countries) and between government officials, middle class professionals, business elite, and retired foreigners. The poverty rate stands at 7% of the population (excluding illegal immigrants who constitute about 5-8% of population) compared to the national average of 9%.

Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 6,355,144 registered residents in the city. However, this figure does not take account of the many unregistered residents and daytime visitors from the surrounding metropolitan area. More than 50% of Bangkokians have some Chinese ancestry. Recently, Bangkok has experienced a large influx of foreign immigrants, long-term residents, and expatriates. The number of expatriate executives stood at 65,000 as of Nov, 2005 and additional number is increase in an average of more than 1,800 permits per month. Long-term foreign residents include 250,000 Chinese (citizens of China), 30,000 Japanese (the largest community in any Asian city outside of Japan), 100,000 Indians (35,000 Sikh) of whom more than 80% have Thai citizenship, 6,000 Americans, 45,000 Europeans (the second largest number in any Asian city after Singapore), 15,000 Taiwanese (mostly Han Chinese), 7,000 South Koreans, 6,000 Nigerians, 8,000 people of Arabic speaking countries, 20,000 Malaysians, and 4,000 Singaporeans. There are approximately 400,000 - 600,000 illegal immigrants from Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, China, and other countries. 92% of the population are Buddhist. The rest are Muslim (6%), Christian (1%), Jewish (300 residents), Hindu/Sikh (0.6%), and others. There are some 400 Buddhist temples, 55 mosques, 10 churches, 2 Hindu Temples, 2 synagogues and 1 Sikh gurudwara in Bangkok.

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

Administration
Bangkok is one of two special administrative areas in Thailand (the other being Pattaya) in which citizens vote to choose their Governor, unlike in Thailand's 75 other provinces (changwat). In the 2004 governatorial election Apirak Kosayothin was elected Governor.

The urban sprawl of the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area extends beyond the borders of Bangkok province, spilling into the neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon. The province as it is today was created in 1972 when the previous Bangkok province - changwat Phra Nakhon - merged with Thonburi province.

The seal of the city shows the god Indra riding in the clouds on Erawan, a mythological elephant-shaped creature (sometimes portrayed with three heads). In his hand Indra holds a lightning bolt, which is his weapon to drive away drought. The seal is based upon a painting done by Prince Naris. The tree symbol of Bangkok is Ficus benjamina.

Bangkok is subdivided into 50 districts (khet, also sometimes called amphoe as in the other provinces), which are further subdivided into 154 kwaeng (แขวง, equivalent to tambon in other provinces). Each district is managed by a district chief, appointed by the governor. District councils, elected to four-year terms, serve as advisory bodies to their respective district chiefs.

There is also an elected Bangkok Metropolitan Council, which has power over municipal ordinances and the city's budget. The last elections for local councils in Bangkok were held on 23 July 2006. For details, please see: Thailand local elections, 2006.

Higher education
There are a large number of both private and public universities located in Bangkok area. The oldest universities in Thailand are Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Mahidol University, and Kasetsart University.

Tourism
Bangkok is considered to be one of the world's top tourist hotspots and is currently Asia's top tourist destination - the third in the world according to Travel and Leisure magazine. The city boasts some of the country's most magnificent historical venues such as the Grand Palace. There are numerous projects to maintain Bangkok's historic sites such as the Rattanakosin area. Bangkok is Thailand's major tourist gateway and one of the largest in South East Asia. Bangkok has been a city that has lured tourists for a visit and this has resulted in an unbelievable number foreigners setting up permanent residence in Bangkok. Many of these Bangkok expatriates have found jobs and have opened businesses in the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand. Many more have retired here and live a life of ease and enjoymnet. Countless male foreigners claim that they have found a new lease on life.

Wats and Palaces
The Bangkok Metropolitan area is home to two capitals, the present, Krung Thep and the short Thon Buri reign before 1782. There are numerous historical sites on both banks of the Chao Phraya River which has been the main means of transportation for pre-motor vehicles. The river connects to Wat Arun Wat Pho is home to the reclining Buddha, a marvel of historical sculpture, a Buddha 46m in length and 15m in height and made of pure gold.

There are 3 Palaces in Bangkok, the current one which houses the Royal Family is Chitralada Palace. It is a phenomenal landscaping and design piece due to the wonderfully crafted exterior fencing and a 5m moat around the 1km sq. compound. The King's very own dairy farm and environmental tests are carried within the confines- his extensive work has helped Thailand's farmers battle hard rains and long droughts and other environmental issues.

Shopping
Thailand has a variety of shopping experiences from street markets to malls. Tourists have historically always preferred markets and bazaars to the other forms of shopping. The Chatuchak weekend market is one of the largest shopping destinations in Bangkok. Water markets are gradually disappearing but remain strong tourist attractions as many tours are offered through the canals the market is located on. The huge new shopping complex known as Siam Paragon in Bangkok's city center is one of the biggest and most luxurious malls in south east Asia; it truly is a Asian marvel. Bangkok also includes over 15 world class malls situated around Bangkok including Fashion Island Rangsit and Future Park.

Transportation
An elaborate network of canals, known as ' khlongs ', gave the city the nickname "Venice of the East" at a time when most transportation was done by boat. Today nearly all of the canals have been filled in and converted into traffic-filled streets. However, many khlongs do still exist with people living along them and markets often being operated along the banks as well. However most of the khlongs are severely polluted with sewage and nearly everything else. [2] A notable khlong market is the floating market in Taling Chan district. Through downtown Bangkok runs the Khlong Saen Saeb, which has a canal-boat service, the most extensive of which is the Chao Phraya Express boat run by the Chao Phraya Express Boat Co.,Ltd. There are as many as 30 stops along the both banks of the Saen Saeb khlong. However there are limitations as the further north the boat gets the farther apart are the stations and this impedes the ability of this water taxi to work as a true mass transit system.

Roads
Several elevated highways, newly rebuilt intersections, and many partially-finished road and rail projects dot the landscape around Greater Bangkok, but have done little to overcome the notorious traffic jams on Bangkok's surface roads as private vehicle usage continues to outstrip infrastructure development. Many city residents complain they spend more than half their waking day on the dusty streets on a open-air city bus. Bangkok could be known as one of the worst traffic cities in the world but it has built an expressway or second level road on almost every road in the city center, and there continues to be plans for new expressways monthly. The government has also tried many times to improve the state of the traffic in the city center, sometimes taking 1 hour just to move 1 meter.

Rail Systems
In 1999 an elevated two-line 'Skytrain' (officially called BTS) metro system was opened. The remains of a failed elevated railroad project (the Hopewell project) can still be seen all the way from the main railroad station out towards the Don Mueang airport. Due to the Asian financial crisis the construction was halted and the concrete pillars were left unused. Locals call them "Hopehenge," Hopeless, or Stonehenge.

After much reluctance and commotion of being unable to deal with possible floods and damp soil, the subway was finally opened for use in July 2004. The MRT subway system connected the northern train station of Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong central railway station near the city center, while also going through the eastern part of the city. It connects to the BTS system at BTS Stations Mo Chit, Asok, and Sala Daeng. Many stations have various designs and concepts with many to install retail shops to draw more commuters, the Hua Lampong station under the Central Rail Station also houses the Rail Museum of Thailand.

Political bickering and profiteering also has stalled many promised and planned urban rail projects including Skytrain and subway extensions, and projects that are completed often are very much delayed.

A new high-speed elevated railroad called the Suvarnabhumi Express, currently under construction, will link the city with the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. The announced opening date is late 2007, but it is expected this will be delayed. The Airport Express railway is to be operated by The State Railway of Thailand. It will provide a 28.5 km link between the new airport and the City Air Terminal (CAT) at Makkasan with connections to the BTS at Phaya Thai and MRT at Petchburi. There are plans to extend the line to Don Mueang and Rangsit.

Due to completion within the early stages of 2007, the BTS Silom line extension to Wongwian Yai as well as the Sukhumvit line to Sumrong. Plans have already been approved for a further extension from Wong Wian Yai to Bangwah (4.5km), Sumrong to Samut Prakarn (8km), Mochit to Saphan Mai (11.9 km) and the National Stadium to Phran Nok (7.7km) extension of the Silom line which will include 5 underground stations in the Rattanakosin area. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) have also been given the green light to complete the Dark Red and Light Green lines. Alongside, MRT have also begun construction on 2 new lines, the Purple line from Bang Yai to Bang Sue, the blue line from Hua Lampong to Bang Khae and Ta Pra. Much of this is in a government effort to reduce Bangkokians from relying on personal vehicles and the hope of linking the city within 10 years by a ring road of rail systems.

For intercity travel by train, most passengers begin their trips at Hua Lamphong at the southern end of the Metro. Here, trains connect Bangkok to Malaysia to the south, Chiang Mai and beyond to the north, and Nong Khai and beyond to the northeast.

Bus Service
Virtually all cities and provinces are easily reached by bus from Bangkok. For destinations in the southwest and the west, buses leave from the Southern Bus Terminal, west of the city. For destinations in the southeast, such as Pattaya, Ko Samet and Ko Chang, buses leave from the Eastern Bus Terminal, at Ekkamai, the third-eastern-most stop on the Skytrain. For all destinations north and northeast, the Northern Bus Terminal at Mo Chit, which can be reached by both the Skytrain and Metro, is the place to start. Long distance bus service has become safer as drivers are changed and most no longer take methamphetamines including Ya Baa to stay awake, which often caused excessive speeding and passing on dangerous undivided roads.

Airports
Bangkok is one of Asia's most important air transport hubs, as of 2005 more than 80 airlines served Don Mueang International Airport (IATA: DMK; ICAO: VTBD) and over 38,000,000 passengers, 160,000 flights and 700,000 tons of cargo were handled at this airport per year. It was the 18th busiest airport in the world and 2nd busiest in Asia by passenger volume and the 9th busiest in the world and 4th busiest Asia in international passenger volume. Don Mueang consistently ranked 19th in the world in cargo traffic, and 7th in the Asia-Pacific region. Don Mueang is considered to be one of the world's oldest international airports opening in March 1914, making it almost 20 years older than Heathrow. It has 3 terminals and is located about 30km north from the heart of Bangkok.

On September 28, 2006 Bangkok officially opened Suvarnabhumi Airport (IATA: BKK; ICAO: VTBS) (pronounced RTGS Suwannaphum, or loosely Su-wan-na-poom), in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan Province. Suvarnabhumi has been one of the most, if not the most anticipated, mega-project in Thai history. The progress of Suvarnabhumi Airport dates back to the early 1970's when a large plot of land (8,000 acres, 20,000 rai) was bought. A student uprising in October of the same year prevented further progress with the development when the military government of Thanom Kittikachom was subsequently overthrown. After several military coups and the Asian financial crisis of 1997, construction finally began in 2002, after 5 years of clearing the cobra swamp.

Suvarnabhumi Airport has been dubbed the 'Pride of Thailand' due to its architecture. Its 2 parallel runways are connected by the 5 concourses of the main terminal building which is the world's second-largest passenger building after Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok. The airport features a 134 meter-tall control tower, the tallest in the world and one meter taller than Kuala Lumpur International Airport control tower. Moreover, the Airports of Thailand Plc. (AoT) have announced another terminal within the airport for low-cost airlines to accompany 15 million passengers for the growing use of low-cost airliners. This will be encompassed by phase 2 of the Suvarnabhumi Airport which is expected to begin construction in 3-5 years. In total, the airport hopes to handle as many as 100 million passengers per year.

Don Mueang is now the base of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTaF) and is only used for chartered flights. Today Suvarnabhumi international airport has won many world records including, the most beautiful airport in the world, the highest control tower in the world, the largest airport in Asia, the world's largest single terminal building. By the completion of the second phase it will earn its title as the most efficient airport in the world, the biggest in the world and probably the busiest airport in south east Asia. Built for many reasons including to serve the ever increasing air traffic coming into the city and to try to regain the cities title as southeast Asia financial and economic center. It has indeed succeeded halfway and Bangkok and Singapore are now competing for the spot as the financial and economic heart of SEA.

Crime
Foreign residents and tourists alike complain of widespread scams and blatant price gouging. Elaborate gem store scams involving earning the trust of a Westerner who is in cooperation with locals have robbed tourists of thousands of dollars, but overcharging is more of a daily (or hourly) occurrence. Commission based profiteering is common for restaurants, hotels, and just about anything. Often petty theft accompanies prostitution and other crime, with many reports of laptops, mobile phones, cash, and other items of value stolen, and the lack of rule of law and police and business complicity complicate matters, as well as ubiquitous pawn shops where thieves can sell stolen goods with anonymity. Armed robbery and violence against tourists is rare but is common among university students, but murder cases involving tourists and long term foreign residents do occur.

Current Issues
Bangkok has long been notorious for its massive traffic jams, which are still a serious problem. The recent construction of the elevated second-level expressways and of Bangkok Mass Transit System's (BTS) SkyTrains have eased the problem a little.

Environmental issues such as air pollution, a large part of which is caused by the traffic and dirt left on streets from construction projects, is also a major problem. Industrial pollution has also contributed to poor air and water quality. Though sulfur dioxide and ozone levels have fallen substantially, PM (particulate matter) is still exceeds health standards. There have been efforts to clean up Bangkok's canals, many of which are dangerously polluted, through biological means - using water hyacinths, a plant commonly found in the waterways, to cleanse the water of pollutants. [1] However, the large volume of trash in the canals must be cleaned out by other means. Mold growth is ubiquitous in Bangkok, as the tropical wet climate makes it grow, and many residents simply ignore it. Rats and cockroaches are extremely common sightings in Bangkok as trash is not properly put in bins and raw food is dumped onto ever wet sidewalks all over the city.

As in many other Asian cities, the sale of illegally copied copyright-protected material, mostly software and DVD movies, is also widespread in Bangkok, but technically illegal. One of the most popular locations in Bangkok for purchasing unauthorized copies of software is Pantip Plaza. Although many "go through the motions" attempts have been made at cracking down on illegal copying over the years, as with the sex industry, police corruption and cooperation have made it largely ineffective and illegal copying of copyrighted material is still a booming business.

Another issue which has given the city a bad reputation is the sex industry, centered on Patpong, where women and men sell themselves, and prostitution, which is also technically illegal, can be found all over Bangkok as vast numbers of massage parlors, saunas, parks, and hourly hotels exist within the city, serving foreign tourists as well as locals. Organized sex work in Bangkok alone involves a minimum of many thousand workers, and possibly in the tens of thousands. Though Bangkok is far more affluent than many areas in Indochina, popular youth culture encourages easy money, paid sex is seen as a means of acquiring the best of capitalism and life has to offer. Vast numbers of locals fly to Europe on extended vacations with generally older men. Although in upcountry Thailand prostitution holds a strong stigma, in Bangkok locals, hotel workers, and officials often turn a blind eye towards such behavior and allow it to continue to flourish.

Media
Bangkok has been heralded for decades for the amount of free press coverage in Asia. For long it has been the breeding ground of American democracy in South East Asia and surely, the statistics show.

There is an average of 4 million readers for more than 25 Bangkok based newspapers. The largest claiming to be Thai Rath one of the most acclaimed papers in Thailand. Bangkok also has a large selection of English newspapers, the Bangkok Post arguably the most famous followed by the Nation, other papers such as the Asian Wall Street Journal and the International Herald Tribune also receive high numbers of distribution. It is however Thai newspapers whom criticize and dig into politics rather than the two Thai based english papers. Namely Thai Rath and Daily News who been around longest have more conservative views towards most governments where as newly established papers after the Thammasat student uprising have more hardline stances. There are also a number of weekly publications normally published on Fridays that deal with political issues. Other publications such as trendy and lifestyle magazines are also plentiful, hundreds lines up in bookshops as people go about their interest in choosing them entitling Thailand as 'readers' country. Magazines has somewhat however taken over the new generation and youth of the past few decades turning to more Westernized publications handling with issues such as fashion, the superstar life and glamour. There are large amounts of Paparazzi magazines and fashion publications especially after the launch of the Bangkok Fashion City project in 2004, since then, the Thai cable operator UBC (United Broadcasting Corporation) has launched a new Thai fashion channel devoted to Thai fashion as well as their Thai edition of E! Entertainment television.

There are also a large amount of television media in Bangkok, 5 television stations operated by the government are based in Bangkok whilst the UBC cable operator also headquarters here. They broadcast a total of 50 channels to viewers with gold edition including many Thai television stations such mtvT, iTV, 6 Sports Channels and Channel V and many more. Above this, there are more than 30 FM radio stations within the Bangkok Metro vicinity and 50 AM channels including international brands as Virgin Radio. Radio stations mainly broadcast in Thai although some stations speak English throughout due to the growing expat population.

There are a variety of ways to enjoy Bangkok through performances, jazzclubs normally line major districts of town, Victory Monument, the entire Sukhumvit line and in Phra Nakorn, the Bangkok Playhouse on Petchburi Rd. is a sight to visit, numerous acts and plays take place there. Chalerm Krung Theater and the National Theater have been in operation since the early 20th century where as the new Thailand Cultural Center hosts a variety of plays and activities of recent.

The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra gradually earning recognition among international critics and regularly host performances international as well as locally. There are also a large amount of cafes which host comedy guests, mainly suited for adults along Rama 9 Rd., many great actors of Thailand have developed from these night time laugh shops.

Nightlife
As with many large cities in developing countries, a large proportion of wealth situated in one area causes that region to develop quickly. In the case of Thailand, this area is Bangkok. Bangkok, like Pattaya, is notorious for its prostitute-ridden streets and a-go-go bars and cafes. There are, however, many places to find a relaxing spot and enjoy one of Asia's most diverse cities. Bangkok offers a widely varied nightlife. There are Westernized clubs and cafes for the rich, and lower-cost bars and pubs that are very popular with the locals. The city's renowned district of Phra Nakhon is home to one of the world's very first international streets–Khao San Rd. A walking street, it allows visitors to see the diversity of the world on one single road where East meets West. Sukhumvit Road boasts some of Asia's most exclusive clubs and restaurants along the 5 km section between Ekamai and Withayu, with a number of activities available for the city's thousands of night owls.

Extracted from Wikipedia: Bangkok

Thanks for the info

great post, lots of good info and points i havent heard before, many thanks!

Good info mate.

I know i love the place, the atmosphere, and the people can't wait to get back.......................lol.

Bangkok becoming the economic and finacial centre of South East Asia. Wow that's quite an impressive achievement when you think that not so many years ago it was a poor developing country. Hope the rural areas reap the benefits of this forthcoming wealth as much as the city dwellers undoubtedly will.