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Bangkok

Bangkok,[a] officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon[b] and colloquially as Krung Thep,[c] is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10.539 million as of 2020, 15.3 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy.

Bangkok
กรุงเทพมหานคร
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
From top, left to right: Wat Benchamabophit, Chao Phraya River skyline, Grand Palace, Giant Swing, traffic on a road in Watthana District, Democracy Monument, and Wat Arun
Location within Thailand
Coordinates: 13°45′09″N 100°29′39″E / 13.75250°N 100.49417°E / 13.75250; 100.49417Coordinates: 13°45′09″N 100°29′39″E / 13.75250°N 100.49417°E / 13.75250; 100.49417[1]
CountryThailand
RegionCentral Thailand
Settledc. 15th century
Founded as capital21 April 1782
Re-incorporated13 December 1972
Founded byKing Rama I
Governing bodyBangkok Metropolitan Administration
Government
 • TypeSpecial administrative area
 • GovernorChadchart Sittipunt (Indp.)
Area
 • City1,568.737 km2 (605.693 sq mi)
 • Metro7,761.6 km2 (2,996.8 sq mi)
Elevation1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Population
 (2010 census)[4]
 • City8,305,218
 • Estimate 
(2020)[5]
10,539,000
 • Density5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
 • Metro
14,626,225
 • Metro density1,900/km2 (4,900/sq mi)
DemonymBangkokian
Time zoneUTC+07:00 (ICT)
Postal code
10###
Area code02
ISO 3166 codeTH-10
Websitemain.bangkok.go.th

Bangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, which eventually grew and became the site of two capital cities, Thonburi in 1768 and Rattanakosin in 1782. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, during the late-19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city was at the centre of Thailand's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings. The city, incorporated as a special administrative area under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 1972, grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.

The Asian investment boom in the 1980s and 1990s led many multinational corporations to locate their regional headquarters in Bangkok. The city is now a regional force in finance and business. It is an international hub for transport and health care, and has emerged as a centre for the arts, fashion, and entertainment. The city is known for its street life and cultural landmarks, as well as its red-light districts. The Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes of Khaosan Road and Patpong. Bangkok is among the world's top tourist destinations, and has been named the world's most visited city consistently in several international rankings.

Bangkok's rapid growth coupled with little urban planning has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure. Despite an extensive expressway network, an inadequate road network and substantial private car usage have led to chronic and crippling traffic congestion, which caused severe air pollution in the 1990s. The city has since turned to public transport in an attempt to solve the problem, operating eight urban rail lines and building other public transit, but congestion still remains a prevalent issue. The city faces long-term environmental threats such as sea level rise due to climate change.

History

 
Map of 17th-century Bangkok, from Simon de la Loubère's Du Royaume de Siam

The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century, to when it was a village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, under the rule of Ayutthaya.[9] Because of its strategic location near the mouth of the river, the town gradually increased in importance. Bangkok initially served as a customs outpost with forts on both sides of the river, and was the site of a siege in 1688 in which the French were expelled from Siam. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767, the newly crowned King Taksin established his capital at the town, which became the base of the Thonburi Kingdom. In 1782, King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern bank's Rattanakosin Island, thus founding the Rattanakosin Kingdom. The City Pillar was erected on 21 April 1782, which is regarded as the date of foundation of Bangkok as the capital.[10]

Bangkok's economy gradually expanded through international trade, first with China, then with Western merchants returning in the early-to-mid 19th century. As the capital, Bangkok was the centre of Siam's modernization as it faced pressure from Western powers in the late-19th century. The reigns of Kings Mongkut (Rama IV, r. 1851–68) and Chulalongkorn (Rama V, r. 1868–1910) saw the introduction of the steam engine, printing press, rail transport and utilities infrastructure in the city, as well as formal education and healthcare. Bangkok became the centre stage for power struggles between the military and political elite as the country abolished absolute monarchy in 1932.[11]

 
Engraving of the city from British diplomat John Crawfurd's embassy in 1822

As Thailand allied with Japan in World War II, Bangkok was subjected to Allied bombing, but rapidly grew in the post-war period as a result of US aid and government-sponsored investment. Bangkok's role as a US military R&R destination boosted its tourism industry as well as firmly establishing it as a sex tourism destination. Disproportionate urban development led to increasing income inequalities and migration from rural areas into Bangkok; its population surged from 1.8 million to 3 million in the 1960s.[11]

Following the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973, Japanese businesses took over as leaders in investment, and the expansion of export-oriented manufacturing led to growth of the financial market in Bangkok.[11] Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s, until it was stalled by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. By then, many public and social issues had emerged, among them the strain on infrastructure reflected in the city's notorious traffic jams. Bangkok's role as the nation's political stage continues to be seen in strings of popular protests, from the student uprisings in 1973 and 1976, anti-military demonstrations in 1992, and frequent street protests since 2006, including those by groups opposing and supporting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 2006 to 2013, and a renewed student-led movement in 2020.[12]

Administration of the city was first formalized by King Chulalongkorn in 1906, with the establishment of Monthon Krung Thep Phra Maha Nakhon (มณฑลกรุงเทพพระมหานคร) as a national subdivision. In 1915, the monthon was split into several provinces, the administrative boundaries of which have since further changed. The city in its current form was created in 1972 with the formation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), following the merger of Phra Nakhon province on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya and Thonburi province on the west during the previous year.[10]

Name

The origin of the name Bangkok (บางกอก, pronounced in Thai as [bāːŋ kɔ̀ːk] ( listen)) is unclear. Bang บาง is a Thai word meaning 'a village on a stream',[13] and the name might have been derived from Bang Ko (บางเกาะ), ko เกาะ meaning 'island', stemming from the city's watery landscape.[9] Another theory suggests that it is shortened from Bang Makok (บางมะกอก), makok มะกอก being the name of Elaeocarpus hygrophilus, a plant bearing olive-like fruit.[d] This is supported by the former name of Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, that used to be called Wat Makok.[14] The Romanization "Bangkok" comes from French.[citation needed]

Officially, the town was known as Thonburi Si Mahasamut (ธนบุรีศรีมหาสมุทร, from Pali and Sanskrit, literally 'city of treasures gracing the ocean') or Thonburi, according to the Ayutthaya Chronicles.[15] Bangkok was likely a colloquial name, albeit one widely adopted by foreign visitors, who continued to use it to refer to the city even after the new capital's establishment.

When King Rama I established his new capital on the river's eastern bank, the city inherited Ayutthaya's ceremonial name, of which there were many variants, including Krung Thep Thawarawadi Si Ayutthaya (กรุงเทพทวารวดีศรีอยุธยา) and Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (กรุงเทพมหานครศรีอยุธยา).[16] Edmund Roberts, visiting the city as envoy of the United States in 1833, noted that the city, since becoming capital, was known as Sia-Yut'hia, and this is the name used in international treaties of the period.[17]

Today, the city is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร) or simply Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ), a shortening of the ceremonial name which came into use during the reign of King Mongkut. The full name reads as follows:[e][10]

Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit[f]
กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์

The name, composed of Pali and Sanskrit root words, translates as:

City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest.[18]

The name is listed in Guinness World Records as the world's longest place name, at 168 letters.[19][g] Many Thais who recall the full name do so because of its use in the 1989 song "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" by Thai rock band Asanee–Wasan, the lyrics of which consist entirely of the city's full name, repeated throughout the song.[20]

The city is now officially known in Thai by a shortened form of the full ceremonial name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, which is colloquially further shortened to Krung Thep (city of gods). Krung, กรุง is a Thai word of Mon–Khmer origin, meaning 'capital, king',[21][verification needed] while thep, เทพ is from Pali/Sanskrit, meaning 'deity' or 'god' and corresponding to deva.

Government

 
The city's ceremonial name is displayed in front of Bangkok City Hall.

The city of Bangkok is locally governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Although its boundaries are at the provincial (changwat) level, unlike the other 76 provinces Bangkok is a special administrative area whose governor is directly elected to serve a four-year term. The governor, together with four appointed deputies, form the executive body, who implement policies through the BMA civil service headed by the Permanent Secretary for the BMA. In separate elections, each district elects one or more city councillors, who form the Bangkok Metropolitan Council. The council is the BMA's legislative body, and has power over municipal ordinances and the city's budget.[22] The latest gubernatorial election took place on 22 May 2022 after an extended lapse following the 2014 Thai coup d'état, and was won by Chadchart Sittipunt.[23]

Bangkok is divided into fifty districts (khet, equivalent to amphoe in the other provinces), which are further subdivided into 180 sub-districts (khwaeng, equivalent to tambon). Each district is managed by a district director appointed by the governor. District councils, elected to four-year terms, serve as advisory bodies to their respective district directors.

The BMA is divided into sixteen departments, each overseeing different aspects of the administration's responsibilities. Most of these responsibilities concern the city's infrastructure, and include city planning, building control, transportation, drainage, waste management and city beautification, as well as education, medical and rescue services.[24] Many of these services are provided jointly with other agencies. The BMA has the authority to implement local ordinances, although civil law enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

The seal of the city shows Hindu god Indra riding in the clouds on Airavata, a divine white elephant known in Thai as Erawan. In his hand Indra holds his weapon, the vajra.[25] The seal is based on a painting done by Prince Naris. The tree symbol of Bangkok is Ficus benjamina.[26] The official city slogan, adopted in 2012, reads:

As built by deities, the administrative centre, dazzling palaces and temples, the capital of Thailand
กรุงเทพฯ ดุจเทพสร้าง เมืองศูนย์กลางการปกครอง วัดวังงามเรืองรอง เมืองหลวงของประเทศไทย[27]

As the capital of Thailand, Bangkok is the seat of all branches of the national government. The Government House, Parliament House and Supreme, Administrative and Constitutional Courts are all in the city. Bangkok is the site of the Grand Palace and Dusit Palace, respectively the official and de facto residence of the king. Most government ministries also have headquarters and offices in the capital.

Geography

 
The city of Bangkok is highlighted in this satellite image of the lower Chao Phraya delta. The built-up urban area extends northward and southward into Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.

Bangkok covers an area of 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi), ranking 69th among the other 76 provinces of Thailand. Of this, about 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) form the built-up urban area.[1] It is ranked 73rd in the world in terms of land area.[28] The city's urban sprawl reaches into parts of the six other provinces that it borders, namely, in clockwise order from northwest: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Nakhon Pathom. With the exception of Chachoengsao, these provinces, together with Bangkok, form the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region.[2]

Topography

Bangkok is situated in the Chao Phraya River delta in Thailand's central plain. The river meanders through the city in a southerly direction, emptying into the Gulf of Thailand approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of city centre. The area is flat and low-lying, with an average elevation of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level.[3][h] Most of the area was originally swampland, which was gradually drained and irrigated for agriculture by the construction of canals (khlong) which took place from the 16th to 19th centuries. The course of the river as it flows through Bangkok has been modified by the construction of several shortcut canals.

 
Bangkok's major canals are shown in this map, detailing the original course of the river and its shortcut canals.

The city's waterway network served as the primary means of transport until the late 19th century, when modern roads began to be built. Up until then, most people lived near or on the water, leading the city to be known during the 19th century as the "Venice of the East".[29] Many of these canals have since been filled in or paved over, but others still criss-cross the city, serving as major drainage channels and transport routes. Most canals are now badly polluted, although the BMA has committed to the treatment and cleaning up of several canals.[30]

The geology of the Bangkok area is characterized by a top layer of soft marine clay, known as "Bangkok clay", averaging 15 metres (49 ft) in thickness, which overlies an aquifer system consisting of eight known units. This feature has contributed to the effects of subsidence caused by extensive groundwater pumping. First recognized in the 1970s, subsidence soon became a critical issue, reaching a rate of 120 millimetres (4.7 in) per year in 1981. Ground water management and mitigation measures have since lessened the severity of the situation, and the rate of subsidence decreased to 10 to 30 millimetres (0.39 to 1.18 in) per year in the early 2000s, though parts of the city are now 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) below sea level.[31]

Subsidence has resulted in increased flood risk, as Bangkok is already prone to flooding due to its low elevation and an inadequate drainage infrastructure,[32][33] often compounded by blockage from rubbish pollution (especially plastic waste).[34] The city now relies on flood barriers and augmenting drainage from canals by pumping and building drain tunnels, but parts of Bangkok and its suburbs are still regularly inundated. Heavy downpours resulting in urban runoff overwhelming drainage systems, and runoff discharge from upstream areas, are major triggering factors.[35] Severe flooding affecting much of the city occurred in 1995 and 2011. In 2011, most of Bangkok's northern, eastern and western districts were flooded, in some places for over two months.

 
Bangkok population density and low elevation coastal zones. Bangkok is especially vulnerable to sea level rise.

Bangkok's coastal location makes it particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels due to global warming and climate change. A study by the OECD has estimated that 5.138 million people in Bangkok may be exposed to coastal flooding by 2070, the seventh highest figure among the world's port cities.[36]: 8  There are fears that the city may be submerged by 2030.[37][38][39] A study published in October 2019 in Nature Communications corrected earlier models of coastal elevations[40] and concluded that up to 12 million Thais—mostly in the greater Bangkok metropolitan area—face the prospect of annual flooding events.[41][42] This is compounded by coastal erosion, which is an issue in the gulf coastal area, a small length of which lies within Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian District. Tidal flat ecosystems existed on the coast, however, many have been reclaimed for agriculture, aquaculture, and salt works.[43]

There are no mountains in Bangkok. The closest mountain range is the Khao Khiao Massif, about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the city. Phu Khao Thong, the only hill in the metropolitan area, originated with a very large chedi that King Rama III (1787–1851) built at Wat Saket. The chedi collapsed during construction because the soft soil could not support its weight. Over the next few decades, the abandoned mud-and-brick structure acquired the shape of a natural hill and became overgrown with weeds. The locals called it phu khao (ภูเขา), as if it were a natural feature.[44] In the 1940s, enclosing concrete walls were added to stop the hill from eroding.[45]

Climate

Like most of Thailand, Bangkok has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen climate classification and is under the influence of the South Asian monsoon system. The city experiences three seasons: hot, rainy, and cool, although temperatures are fairly hot year-round, ranging from an average low of 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in December to an average high of 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) in April. The rainy season begins with the arrival of the southwest monsoon around mid-May. September is the wettest month, with an average rainfall of 334.3 millimetres (13.16 in). The rainy season lasts until October, when the dry and cool northeast monsoon takes over until February. The hot season is generally dry, but also sees occasional summer storms.[46] The surface magnitude of Bangkok's urban heat island has been measured at 2.5 °C (4.5 °F) during the day and 8.0 °C (14 °F) at night.[47] The highest recorded temperature of Bangkok metropolis was 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) in March 2013,[48] and the lowest recorded temperature was 9.9 °C (49.8 °F) in January 1955.[49]

The Climate Impact Group at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies projected severe weather impacts on Bangkok caused by climate change. It found that Bangkok in 1960 had 193 days at or above 32 °C. In 2018, Bangkok can expect 276 days at or above 32 °C. The group forecasts a rise by 2100 to, on average, 297 to 344 days at or above 32 °C.[50]

Climate data for Bangkok Metropolis (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 37.6
(99.7)
38.8
(101.8)
38.1
(100.6)
39.7
(103.5)
39.7
(103.5)
37.9
(100.2)
37.9
(100.2)
37.0
(98.6)
37.2
(99.0)
37.9
(100.2)
38.8
(101.8)
36.7
(98.1)
39.7
(103.5)
Average high °C (°F) 32.5
(90.5)
33.3
(91.9)
34.3
(93.7)
35.4
(95.7)
34.4
(93.9)
33.6
(92.5)
33.2
(91.8)
32.9
(91.2)
32.8
(91.0)
32.6
(90.7)
32.4
(90.3)
31.7
(89.1)
33.3
(91.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 27.0
(80.6)
28.3
(82.9)
29.5
(85.1)
30.5
(86.9)
29.9
(85.8)
29.5
(85.1)
29.0
(84.2)
28.8
(83.8)
28.3
(82.9)
28.1
(82.6)
27.8
(82.0)
26.5
(79.7)
28.6
(83.5)
Average low °C (°F) 22.6
(72.7)
24.4
(75.9)
25.9
(78.6)
26.9
(80.4)
26.3
(79.3)
26.1
(79.0)
25.7
(78.3)
25.5
(77.9)
25.0
(77.0)
24.8
(76.6)
23.9
(75.0)
22.0
(71.6)
24.9
(76.8)
Record low °C (°F) 13.9
(57.0)
13.9
(57.0)
15.7
(60.3)
21.9
(71.4)
22.3
(72.1)
21.1
(70.0)
22.1
(71.8)
21.6
(70.9)
21.5
(70.7)
18.3
(64.9)
15.8
(60.4)
12.0
(53.6)
12.0
(53.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 13.3
(0.52)
20.0
(0.79)
42.1
(1.66)
91.4
(3.60)
247.7
(9.75)
157.1
(6.19)
175.1
(6.89)
219.3
(8.63)
334.3
(13.16)
292.1
(11.50)
49.5
(1.95)
6.3
(0.25)
1,648.2
(64.89)
Average rainy days 1.8 2.4 3.6 6.6 16.4 16.3 17.4 19.6 21.2 17.7 5.8 1.1 129.9
Average relative humidity (%) 68 72 72 72 75 74 75 76 79 78 70 66 73
Average dew point °C (°F) 20
(68)
23
(73)
24
(75)
25
(77)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
24
(75)
25
(77)
24
(75)
22
(72)
20
(68)
23
(74)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 272.5 249.9 269.0 256.7 216.4 178.0 171.8 160.3 154.9 198.1 234.2 262.0 2,623.8
Percent possible sunshine 78 75 73 68 55 45 43 42 43 56 71 76 60
Average ultraviolet index 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 10 9 11
Source 1: Thai Meteorological Department,[51] humidity (1981–2010): RID;[52] Rainfall (1981–2010): RID[53]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV),[54] Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015),[55] NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)[56]

Districts

 
Map showing the 50 districts of Bangkok (labelled version showing subdistricts)

Bangkok's fifty districts serve as administrative subdivisions under the authority of the BMA. Thirty-five of these districts lie to the east of the Chao Phraya, while fifteen are on the western bank, known as the Thonburi side of the city. The fifty districts, arranged by district code, are:[57]

Cityscape

 
View of the Chao Phraya River as it passes through Bang Kho Laem and Khlong San districts

Bangkok's districts often do not accurately represent the functional divisions of its neighbourhoods or land usage. Although urban planning policies date back to the commission of the "Litchfield Plan" in 1960, which set out strategies for land use, transportation and general infrastructure improvements, zoning regulations were not fully implemented until 1992. As a result, the city grew organically throughout the period of its rapid expansion, both horizontally as ribbon developments extended along newly built roads, and vertically, with increasing numbers of high rises and skyscrapers being built in commercial areas.[58]

The city has grown from its original centre along the river into a sprawling metropolis surrounded by swaths of suburban residential development extending north and south into neighbouring provinces. The highly populated and growing cities of Nonthaburi, Pak Kret, Rangsit and Samut Prakan are effectively now suburbs of Bangkok. Nevertheless, large agricultural areas remain within the city proper at its eastern and western fringes, and a small number of forest area is found within the city limits: 3,887 rai (6.2 km2; 2.4 sq mi), amounting to 0.4 percent of city area.[59] Land use in the city consists of 23 percent residential use, 24 percent agriculture, and 30 percent used for commerce, industry, and government.[1] The BMA's City Planning Department (CPD) is responsible for planning and shaping further development. It published master plan updates in 1999 and 2006, and a third revision is undergoing public hearings in 2012.[60]

 
The Royal Plaza in Dusit District was inspired by King Chulalongkorn's visits to Europe.

Bangkok's historic centre remains the Rattanakosin Island in Phra Nakhon District.[61] It is the site of the Grand Palace and the City Pillar Shrine, primary symbols of the city's founding, as well as important Buddhist temples. Phra Nakhon, along with the neighbouring Pom Prap Sattru Phai and Samphanthawong Districts, formed what was the city proper in the late 19th century. Many traditional neighbourhoods and markets are found here, including the Chinese settlement of Sampheng.[61] The city was expanded toward Dusit District in the early 19th century, following King Chulalongkorn's relocation of the royal household to the new Dusit Palace. The buildings of the palace, including the neoclassical Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, as well as the Royal Plaza and Ratchadamnoen Avenue which leads to it from the Grand Palace, reflect the heavy influence of European architecture at the time. Major government offices line the avenue, as does the Democracy Monument. The area is the site of the country's seat of power as well as the city's most popular tourist landmarks.[61]

 
The Sukhumvit area appears as a sea of high-rise buildings from Baiyoke Tower II, the third-tallest building in Bangkok.

In contrast with the low-rise historic areas, the business district on Si Lom and Sathon Roads in Bang Rak and Sathon Districts teems with skyscrapers. It is the site of many of the country's major corporate headquarters, but also of some of the city's red-light districts. The Siam and Ratchaprasong areas in Pathum Wan are home to some of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia. Numerous retail outlets and hotels also stretch along Sukhumvit Road leading southeast through Watthana and Khlong Toei Districts. More office towers line the streets branching off Sukhumvit, especially Asok Montri, while upmarket housing is found in many of its sois ('alley' or 'lane').

Bangkok lacks a single distinct central business district. Instead, the areas of Siam and Ratchaprasong serve as a "central shopping district" containing many of the bigger malls and commercial areas in the city, as well as Siam Station, the only transfer point between the city's two elevated train lines.[62] The Victory Monument in Ratchathewi District is among its most important road junctions, serving over 100 bus lines as well as an elevated train station. From the monument, Phahonyothin and Ratchawithi / Din Daeng Roads respectively run north and east linking to major residential areas. Most of the high-density development areas are within the 113-square-kilometre (44 sq mi) area encircled by the Ratchadaphisek inner ring road. Ratchadaphisek is lined with businesses and retail outlets, and office buildings also cluster around Ratchayothin Intersection in Chatuchak District to the north. Farther from the city centre, most areas are primarily mid- or low-density residential. The Thonburi side of the city is less developed, with fewer high rises. With the exception of a few secondary urban centres, Thonburi, in the same manner as the outlying eastern districts, consists mostly of residential and rural areas.

While most of Bangkok's streets are fronted by vernacular shophouses, the largely unrestricted building euphoria of the 1980s has transformed the city into an urban area of skyscrapers and high rises of contrasting and clashing styles.[63] There are 581 skyscrapers over 90 metres (300 feet) tall in the city. Bangkok was ranked as the world's eighth tallest city in 2016.[64] As a result of persistent economic disparity, many slums have emerged in the city. In 2000 there were over one million people living in about 800 informal settlements.[65] Some settlements are squatted such as the large slums in Khlong Toei District. In total there were 125 squatted areas.[65]

 
Skyscrapers of Ratchadamri and Sukhumvit at night, viewed across Lumphini Park from the Si LomSathon business district

Parks and green zones

 
Lumphini Park, an oasis amid the skyscrapers of Ratchadamri and Sukhumvit

Bangkok has several parks, although these amount to a per capita total park area of only 1.82 square metres (19.6 sq ft) in the city proper. Total green space for the entire city is moderate, at 11.8 square metres (127 sq ft) per person. In the more densely built-up areas of the city these numbers are as low as 1.73 and 0.72 square metres (18.6 and 7.8 sq ft) per person.[66] More recent numbers claim that there is 3.3 square metres (36 sq ft) of green space per person,[67] compared to an average of 39 square metres (420 sq ft) in other cities across Asia. In Europe, London has 33.4 m2 of green space per head.[68] Bangkokians thus have 10 times less green space than is standard in the region's urban areas.[69] Green belt areas include about 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) of rice paddies and orchards on the eastern and western edges of the city, although their primary purpose is to serve as flood detention basins rather than to limit urban expansion.[70] Bang Kachao, a 20-square-kilometre (7.7 sq mi) conservation area on an oxbow of the Chao Phraya, lies just across the southern riverbank districts, in Samut Prakan province. A master development plan has been proposed to increase total park area to 4 square metres (43 sq ft) per person.[66]

Bangkok's largest parks include the centrally located Lumphini Park near the Si Lom–Sathon business district with an area of 57.6 hectares (142 acres), the 80-hectare (200-acre) Suanluang Rama IX in the east of the city, and the ChatuchakQueen SirikitWachirabenchathat park complex in northern Bangkok, which has a combined area of 92 hectares (230 acres).[71] More parks are expected to be created through the Green Bangkok 2030 project, which aims to leave the city with 10 square metres (110 sq ft) of green space per person, including 30% of the city having tree cover.[72]

Demography

Historical census populations
YearPop.
1919 437,294
1929 713,384
1937 890,453
1947 1,178,881
1960 2,136,435
1970 3,077,361
1980 4,697,071
1990 5,882,411
2000 6,355,144
2010 8,305,218
Source: National Statistical Office (1919–2000,[73] 2010[4])

The city of Bangkok has a population of 8,305,218 according to the 2010 census, or 12.6 percent of the national population,[4] while 2020 estimates place the figure at 10.539 million (15.3 percent).[5] Roughly half are internal migrants from other Thai provinces;[48] population registry statistics recorded 5,676,648 residents belonging to 2,959,524 households in 2018.[74] Much of Bangkok's daytime population commutes from surrounding provinces in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, the total population of which is 14,626,225 (2010 census).[4] Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city; the census showed that it is home to 567,120 expatriates from Asian countries (including 71,024 Chinese and 63,069 Japanese nationals), 88,177 from Europe, 32,241 from the Americas, 5,856 from Oceania and 5,758 from Africa. Migrants from neighbouring countries include 216,528 Burmese, 72,934 Cambodians and 52,498 Lao.[75] In 2018, numbers show that there are 370,000 international migrants registered with the Department of Employment, more than half of them migrants from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.[48]

Following its establishment as capital city in 1782, Bangkok grew only slightly throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries. British diplomat John Crawfurd, visiting in 1822, estimated its population at no more than 50,000.[76] As a result of Western medicine brought by missionaries as well as increased immigration from both within Siam and overseas, Bangkok's population gradually increased as the city modernized in the late 19th century. This growth became even more pronounced in the 1930s, following the discovery of antibiotics. Although family planning and birth control were introduced in the 1960s, the lowered birth rate was more than offset by increased migration from the provinces as economic expansion accelerated. Only in the 1990s have Bangkok's population growth rates decreased, following the national rate. Thailand had long since become highly centralized around the capital. In 1980, Bangkok's population was fifty-one times that of Hat Yai and Songkhla, the second-largest urban centre at the time, making it the world's most prominent primate city.[77][78]

 
Yaowarat Road, the centre of Bangkok's Chinatown. Chinese immigrants historically formed the majority of the city's population.

The majority of Bangkok's population identify as Thai,[i] although details on the city's ethnic make-up are unavailable, as the national census does not document race.[j] Bangkok's cultural pluralism dates back to the early days of its founding: several ethnic communities were formed by immigrants and forced settlers including the Khmer, northern Thai, Lao, Vietnamese, Mon and Malay.[10] Most prominent were the Chinese, who played major roles in the city's trade and became the majority of Bangkok's population—estimates include up to three-fourths in 1828 and almost half in the 1950s.[82][k] Chinese immigration was restricted from the 1930s and effectively ceased after the Chinese Revolution in 1949. Their prominence subsequently declined as younger generations of Thai Chinese integrated and adopted a Thai identity. Bangkok is still nevertheless home to a large Chinese community, with the greatest concentration in Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown.

Religion in Bangkok

  Buddhism (92.54%)
  Islam (4.6%)
  Christianity (1.89%)
  Hinduism (0.27%)
  Sikhism (0.08%)
  Confucianism (0.08%)
  Not Religious and Unknown (0.2%)
  Other (0.29%)

The majority (93 percent) of the city's population is Buddhist, according to the 2010 census. Other religions include Islam (4.6 percent), Christianity (1.9 percent), Hinduism (0.3 percent), Sikhism (0.1 percent) and Confucianism (0.1 percent).[84]

Apart from Yaowarat, Bangkok also has several other distinct ethnic neighbourhoods. The Indian community is centred in Phahurat, where the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, founded in 1933, is located. Ban Khrua on Saen Saep Canal is home to descendants of the Cham who settled in the late 18th century. Although the Portuguese who settled during the Thonburi period have ceased to exist as a distinct community, their past is reflected in Santa Cruz Church, on the west bank of the river. Likewise, Assumption Cathedral on Charoen Krung Road is among many European-style buildings in the Old Farang Quarter, where European diplomats and merchants lived in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Nearby, the Haroon Mosque is the centre of a Muslim community. Newer expatriate communities exist along Sukhumvit Road, including the Japanese community near Soi Phrom Phong and Soi Thong Lo, and the Arab and North African neighbourhood along Soi Nana. Sukhumvit Plaza, a mall on Soi Sukhumvit 12, is popularly known as Korea Town.

Economy

 
MahaNakhon, the city's tallest building from 2016 to 2018, stands among the skyscrapers of Sathon Road, one of Bangkok's main financial districts.

Bangkok is the economic centre of Thailand, and the heart of the country's investment and development. In 2010, the city had an economic output of 3.142 trillion baht (US$98.34 billion), contributing 29.1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This amounted to a per-capita GDP value of 456,911 baht ($14,301), almost three times the national average of 160,556 baht ($5,025). The Bangkok Metropolitan Region had a combined output of 4.773 trillion baht ($149.39 billion), or 44.2 percent of GDP.[85] Bangkok's economy ranked as the sixth among Asian cities in terms of per-capita GDP, after Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka–Kobe and Seoul, as of 2010.[86][needs update]

Wholesale and retail trade is the largest sector in the city's economy, contributing 24 percent of Bangkok's gross provincial product. It is followed by manufacturing (14.3 percent); real estate, renting and business activities (12.4 percent); transport and communications (11.6 percent); and financial intermediation (11.1 percent). Bangkok alone accounts for 48.4 percent of Thailand's service sector, which in turn constitutes 49 percent of GDP. When the Bangkok Metropolitan Region is considered, manufacturing is the most significant contributor at 28.2 percent of the gross regional product, reflecting the density of industry in the Bangkok's neighbouring provinces.[87] The automotive industry based around Greater Bangkok is the largest production hub in Southeast Asia.[88] Tourism is also a significant contributor to Bangkok's economy, generating 427.5 billion baht ($13.38 billion) in revenue in 2010.[89]

 
The Siam area is home to multiple shopping centres catering to both the middle and upper classes and tourists.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is on Ratchadaphisek Road in inner Bangkok. The SET, together with the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) has 648 listed companies as of the end of 2011, with a combined market capitalization of 8.485 trillion baht ($267.64 billion).[90] Due to the large amount of foreign representation, Thailand has for several years been a mainstay of the Southeast Asian economy and a centre of Asian business. The Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranks Bangkok as an "Alpha -" world city, and it is ranked 59th in Z/Yen's Global Financial Centres Index 11.[91][92]

Bangkok is home to the headquarters of all of Thailand's major commercial banks and financial institutions, as well as the country's largest companies. Many multinational corporations base their regional headquarters in Bangkok due to the lower cost of labour and operations relative to other major Asian business centres. Seventeen Thai companies are listed on the Forbes 2000, all of which are based in the capital,[93] including PTT, the only Fortune Global 500 company in Thailand.[94]

Income inequality is a major issue in Bangkok, especially between relatively unskilled lower-income immigrants from rural provinces and neighbouring countries, and middle-class professionals and business elites. Although absolute poverty rates are low—only 0.64 percent of Bangkok's registered residents were living under the poverty line in 2010, compared to a national average of 7.75 percent—economic disparity is still substantial.[95] The city has a Gini coefficient of 0.48, indicating a high level of inequality.[96]

Tourism

 
Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace is among Bangkok's major tourist attractions.

Bangkok is one of the world's top tourist destinations. Of 162 cities worldwide, MasterCard ranked Bangkok as the top destination city by international visitor arrivals in its Global Destination Cities Index 2018, ahead of London, with just over 20 million overnight visitors in 2017.[97] This was a repeat of its 2017 ranking (for 2016).[98][99] Euromonitor International ranked Bangkok fourth in its Top City Destinations Ranking for 2016.[100] Bangkok was also named "World's Best City" by Travel + Leisure magazine's survey of its readers for four consecutive years, from 2010 to 2013.[101] As the main gateway through which visitors arrive in Thailand, Bangkok is visited by the majority of international tourists to the country. Domestic tourism is also prominent. The Department of Tourism recorded 26,861,095 Thai and 11,361,808 foreign visitors to Bangkok in 2010. Lodgings were made by 15,031,244 guests, who occupied 49.9 percent of the city's 86,687 hotel rooms.[89] Bangkok also topped the list as the world's most popular tourist destinations in 2017 rankings.[102][103][104][105]

Bangkok's multi-faceted sights, attractions and city life appeal to diverse groups of tourists. Royal palaces and temples as well as several museums constitute its major historical and cultural tourist attractions. Shopping and dining experiences offer a wide range of choices and prices. The city is also famous for its dynamic nightlife. Although Bangkok's sex tourism scene is well known to foreigners, it is usually not openly acknowledged by locals or the government.

 
Khao San Road is lined by budget accommodation, shops and bars catering to tourists.

Among Bangkok's well-known sights are the Grand Palace and major Buddhist temples, including Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. The Giant Swing and Erawan Shrine demonstrate Hinduism's deep-rooted influence in Thai culture. Vimanmek Mansion in Dusit Palace is famous as the world's largest teak building, while the Jim Thompson House provides an example of traditional Thai architecture. Other major museums include the Bangkok National Museum and the Royal Barge National Museum. Cruises and boat trips on the Chao Phraya and the canals of Thonburi offer views of some of the city's traditional architecture and ways of life on the waterfront.[106]

Shopping venues, many of which are popular with both tourists and locals, range from the shopping centres and department stores concentrated in Siam and Ratchaprasong to the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market. Taling Chan Floating Market is among the few such markets in Bangkok. Yaowarat is known for its shops as well as street-side food stalls and restaurants, which are also found throughout the city. Khao San Road has long been famous as a destination for backpacker tourism, with its budget accommodation, shops and bars attracting visitors from all over the world.

Bangkok has a reputation overseas as a major destination in the sex industry. Although prostitution is technically illegal and is rarely openly discussed in Thailand, it commonly takes place among massage parlours, saunas and hourly hotels, serving foreign tourists as well as locals. Bangkok has acquired the nickname "Sin City of Asia" for its level of sex tourism.[107]

Issues often encountered by foreign tourists include scams, overcharging and dual pricing. In a survey of 616 tourists visiting Thailand, 7.79 percent reported encountering a scam, the most common of which was the gem scam, in which tourists are tricked into buying overpriced jewellery.[108]

Culture

 
Temporary art display at Siam Discovery during the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018

The culture of Bangkok reflects its position as Thailand's centre of wealth and modernisation. The city has long been the portal of entry of Western concepts and material goods, which have been adopted and blended with Thai values to various degrees by its residents. This is most evident in the lifestyles of the expanding middle class. Conspicuous consumption serves as a display of economic and social status, and shopping centres are popular weekend hangouts.[109] Ownership of electronics and consumer products such as mobile phones is ubiquitous. This has been accompanied by a degree of secularism, as religion's role in everyday life has rather diminished. Although such trends have spread to other urban centres, and, to a degree, the countryside, Bangkok remains at the forefront of social change.

A distinct feature of Bangkok is the ubiquity of street vendors selling goods ranging from food items to clothing and accessories. It has been estimated that the city may have over 100,000 hawkers. While the BMA has authorised the practice in 287 sites, the majority of activity in another 407 sites takes place illegally. Although they take up pavement space and block pedestrian traffic, many of the city's residents depend on these vendors for their meals, and the BMA's efforts to curb their numbers have largely been unsuccessful.[110]

In 2015, however, the BMA, with support from the National Council for Peace and Order (Thailand's ruling military junta), began cracking down on street vendors in a bid to reclaim public space. Many famous market neighbourhoods were affected, including Khlong Thom, Saphan Lek, and the flower market at Pak Khlong Talat. Nearly 15,000 vendors were evicted from 39 public areas in 2016.[111] While some applauded the efforts to focus on pedestrian rights, others have expressed concern that gentrification would lead to the loss of the city's character and adverse changes to people's way of life.[112][113]

Festivals and events

 
Ratchadamnoen Avenue is annually decorated with lights and displays in celebration of King Bhumibol's birthday.

The residents of Bangkok celebrate many of Thailand's annual festivals. During Songkran on 13–15 April, traditional rituals as well as water fights take place throughout the city. Loi Krathong, usually in November, is accompanied by the Golden Mount Fair. New Year celebrations take place at many venues, the most prominent being the plaza in front of CentralWorld. Observances related to the royal family are held primarily in Bangkok. Wreaths are laid at King Chulalongkorn's equestrian statue in the Royal Plaza on 23 October, which is King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day. The present king's and queen's birthdays, respectively on 5 December and 12 August, are marked as Thailand's national Father's Day and national Mother's Day. These national holidays are celebrated by royal audiences on the day's eve, in which the king or queen gives a speech, and public gatherings on the day of the observance. The king's birthday is also marked by the Royal Guards' parade.

Sanam Luang is the site of the Thai Kite, Sport and Music Festival, usually held in March, and the Royal Ploughing Ceremony which takes place in May. The Red Cross Fair at the beginning of April is held at Suan Amporn and the Royal Plaza, and features numerous booths offering goods, games and exhibits. The Chinese New Year (January–February) and Vegetarian Festival (September–October) are celebrated widely by the Chinese community, especially in Yaowarat.[114]

Bangkok was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2013 by UNESCO.[115]

Bangkok's first Thai International Gay Pride Festival took place on October 31, 1999.[116] Pride Parades have also been held in Bangkok, with the first official parade held in 2022 under the name "Bangkok Naruemit Pride Parade". Pride Parades were announced to be a part of Bangkok's "12 monthly festivals" in 2022.[117]

Media

Bangkok is the centre of Thailand's media industry. All national newspapers, broadcast media and major publishers are based in the capital. Its 21 national newspapers had a combined daily circulation of about two million in 2002. These include the mass-oriented Thai Rath, Khao Sod and Daily News, the first of which currently prints a million copies per day,[118] as well as the less sensational Matichon and Krungthep Thurakij. The Bangkok Post and The Nation are the two national English language dailies. Foreign publications including The Asian Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Straits Times and the Yomiuri Shimbun also have operations in Bangkok.[119] The large majority of Thailand's more than 200 magazines are published in the capital, and include news magazines as well as lifestyle, entertainment, gossip and fashion-related publications.

Bangkok is also the hub of Thailand's broadcast television. All six national terrestrial channels, Channels 3, 5 and 7, Modernine, NBT and Thai PBS, have headquarters and main studios in the capital. GMM Grammy is Thailand's largest mass-media conglomerate is also headquartered in Bangkok as well. With the exception of local news segments broadcast by the NBT, all programming is done in Bangkok and repeated throughout the provinces. However, this centralised model is weakening with the rise of cable television, which has many local providers. There are numerous cable and satellite channels based in Bangkok. TrueVisions is the major subscription television provider in Bangkok and Thailand, and it also carries international programming. Bangkok was home to 40 of Thailand's 311 FM radio stations and 38 of its 212 AM stations in 2002.[119] Broadcast media reform stipulated by the 1997 Constitution has been progressing slowly, although many community radio stations have emerged in the city.

Likewise, Bangkok has dominated the Thai film industry since its inception. Although film settings normally feature locations throughout the country, the city is home to all major film studios in Thailand such as GDH 559 (GMM Grammy's film production subsidiary), Sahamongkol Film International and Five Star Production. Bangkok has dozens of cinemas and multiplexes, and the city hosts two major film festivals annually, the Bangkok International Film Festival and the World Film Festival of Bangkok.

Art

 
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the city's major public contemporary art venue, was opened in 2008 after many delays.

Traditional Thai art, long developed within religious and royal contexts, continues to be sponsored by various government agencies in Bangkok, including the Department of Fine Arts' Office of Traditional Arts. The SUPPORT Foundation in Chitralada Palace sponsors traditional and folk handicrafts. Various communities throughout the city still practice their traditional crafts, including the production of khon masks, alms bowls, and classical musical instruments. The National Gallery hosts permanent collection of traditional and modern art, with temporary contemporary exhibits. Bangkok's contemporary art scene has slowly grown from relative obscurity into the public sphere over the past two decades. Private galleries gradually emerged to provide exposure for new artists, including the Patravadi Theatre and H Gallery. The centrally located Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, opened in 2008 following a fifteen-year lobbying campaign, is now the largest public exhibition space in the city.[120] There are also many other art galleries and museums, including the privately owned Museum of Contemporary Art.

The city's performing arts scene features traditional theatre and dance as well as Western-style plays. Khon and other traditional dances are regularly performed at the National Theatre and Salachalermkrung Royal Theatre, while the Thailand Cultural Centre is a newer multi-purpose venue which also hosts musicals, orchestras and other events. Numerous venues regularly feature a variety of performances throughout the city.

Sport

As is the national trend, association football and Muay Thai dominate Bangkok's spectator sport scene.[121] Muangthong United, Bangkok United, BG Pathum United, Port and Police Tero are major Thai League clubs based in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region,[122][123] while the Rajadamnern and Lumpini stadiums are the main kickboxing venues.

While sepak takraw can be seen played in open spaces throughout the city, football and other modern sports are now the norm. Western sports introduced during the reign of King Chulalongkorn were originally only available to the privileged, and such status is still associated with certain sports. Golf is popular among the upwardly mobile, and there are several courses in Bangkok. Horse racing, highly popular at the mid-20th century, still takes place at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

There are many public sporting facilities located throughout Bangkok. The two main centres are the National Stadium complex, which dates to 1938, and the newer Hua Mak Sports Complex, which was built for the 1998 Asian Games. Bangkok had also hosted the games in 1966, 1970 and 1978; the most of any city. The city was the host of the inaugural Southeast Asian Games in 1959, the 2007 Summer Universiade and the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Transport

 
Streetlamps and headlights illuminate the Makkasan Interchange of the expressway. The system sees a traffic of over 1.5 million vehicles per day.[124]

Although Bangkok's canals historically served as a major mode of transport, they have long since been surpassed in importance by land traffic. Charoen Krung Road, the first to be built by Western techniques, was completed in 1864. Since then, the road network has vastly expanded to accommodate the sprawling city. A complex elevated expressway network and Don Mueang Tollway helps bring traffic into and out of the city centre, but Bangkok's rapid growth has put a large strain on infrastructure, and traffic jams have plagued the city since the 1990s. Although rail transport was introduced in 1893 and trams served the city from 1888 to 1968, it was only in 1999 that Bangkok's first rapid transit system began operation. Older public transport systems include an extensive bus network and boat services which still operate on the Chao Phraya and two canals. Taxis appear in the form of cars, motorcycles, and "tuk-tuk" auto rickshaws.

Bangkok is connected to the rest of the country through the national highway and rail networks, as well as by domestic flights to and from the city's two international airports. Its centuries-old maritime transport of goods is still conducted through Khlong Toei Port.

The BMA is largely responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the road network and transport systems through its Public Works Department and Traffic and Transportation Department. However, many separate government agencies are also in charge of the individual systems, and much of transport-related policy planning and funding is contributed to by the national government.

Roads

Road-based transport is the primary mode of travel in Bangkok. Due to the city's organic development, its streets do not follow an organized grid structure. Forty-eight major roads link the different areas of the city, branching into smaller streets and lanes (soi) which serve local neighbourhoods. Eleven bridges over the Chao Phraya link the two sides of the city, while several expressway and motorway routes bring traffic into and out of the city centre and link with nearby provinces.

 
Traffic jams, seen here on Sukhumwit Road, are common in Bangkok.

Bangkok's rapid growth in the 1980s resulted in sharp increases in vehicle ownership and traffic demand, which have since continued—in 2006 there were 3,943,211 in-use vehicles in Bangkok, of which 37.6 percent were private cars and 32.9 percent were motorcycles.[125] These increases, in the face of limited carrying capacity, caused severe traffic congestion evident by the early 1990s. The extent of the problem is such that the Thai Traffic Police has a unit of officers trained in basic midwifery in order to assist deliveries which do not reach hospital in time.[126] While Bangkok's limited road surface area (8 percent, compared to 20–30 percent in most Western cities) is often cited as a major cause of its traffic jams, other factors, including high vehicle ownership rate relative to income level, inadequate public transport systems, and lack of transportation demand management, also play a role.[127] Efforts to alleviate the problem have included the construction of intersection bypasses and an extensive system of elevated highways, as well as the creation of several new rapid transit systems. The city's overall traffic conditions, however, remain poor.

Traffic has been the main source of air pollution in Bangkok, which reached serious levels in the 1990s. But efforts to improve air quality by improving fuel quality and enforcing emission standards, among others, had visibly ameliorated the problem by the 2000s. Atmospheric particulate matter levels dropped from 81 micrograms per cubic metre in 1997 to 43 in 2007.[128] However, increasing vehicle numbers and a lack of continued pollution-control efforts threatens a reversal of the past success.[129] In January–February 2018, weather conditions caused bouts of haze to cover the city, with particulate matter under 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) rising to unhealthy levels for several days on end.[130][131]

Although the BMA has created thirty signed bicycle routes along several roads totalling 230 kilometres (140 mi),[132] cycling is still largely impractical, especially in the city centre. Most of these bicycle lanes share the pavement with pedestrians. Poor surface maintenance, encroachment by hawkers and street vendors, and a hostile environment for cyclists and pedestrians, make cycling and walking unpopular methods of getting around in Bangkok.

Buses and taxis

 
Many buses, minibuses and taxis share the streets with private vehicles at Victory Monument, a major public transport hub.

Bangkok has an extensive bus network providing local transit services within the Greater Bangkok area. The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) operates a monopoly on bus services, with substantial concessions granted to private operators. Buses, minibus vans, and song thaeo operate on a total of 470 routes throughout the region.[133] A separate bus rapid transit system owned by the BMA has been in operation since 2010. Known simply as the BRT, the system currently consists of a single line running from the business district at Sathon to Ratchaphruek on the western side of the city. The Transport Co., Ltd. is the BMTA's long-distance counterpart, with services to all provinces operating out of Bangkok.

Taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok, and are a popular form of transport. As of August 2012, there are 106,050 cars, 58,276 motorcycles and 8,996 tuk-tuk motorized tricycles cumulatively registered for use as taxis.[134] Meters have been required for car taxis since 1992, while tuk-tuk fares are usually negotiated. Motorcycle taxis operate from regulated ranks, with either fixed or negotiable fares, and are usually employed for relatively short journeys.

Despite their popularity, taxis have gained a bad reputation for often refusing passengers when the requested route is not to the driver's convenience.[135] Motorcycle taxis were previously unregulated, and subject to extortion by organized crime gangs. Since 2003, registration has been required for motorcycle taxi ranks, and drivers now wear distinctive numbered vests designating their district of registration and where they are allowed to accept passengers.

Several ride hailing super-apps operate within the city, including Grab (offering car and motorbike options),[136] and AirAsia in 2022.[137][138] The Estonian company Bolt launched airport transfer and ride hailing services in 2020. Ride sharing startup MuvMi launched in 2018, and operates an electric tuk-tuk service in 9 areas across the city.[139][140]

Rail systems

 
A BTS train departs from Ratchadamri station, towards Siam station.

Bangkok is the location of Hua Lamphong Railway Station, the main terminus of the national rail network operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). In addition to long-distance services, the SRT also operates a few daily commuter trains running from and to the outskirts of the city during the rush hour.

Bangkok is served by four rapid transit systems: the BTS Skytrain, the MRT, the SRT Red Lines, and the elevated Airport Rail Link. Although proposals for the development of rapid transit in Bangkok had been made since 1975,[141] it was only in 1999 that the BTS finally began operation.

The BTS consists of two lines, Sukhumvit and Silom, with 59 stations along 68.25 kilometres (42.41 mi).[142] The MRT opened for use in July 2004, and currently consists of two lines, the Blue Line and Purple Line with 53 stations along 70.6 kilometres (43.9 mi). The Airport Rail Link, opened in August 2010, connects the city centre to Suvarnabhumi Airport to the east. Its eight stations span a distance of 28.6 kilometres (17.8 mi). The SRT Red Lines (Commuter) opened in 2021, and consists of two lines, The SRT Dark Red Line and SRT Light Red Line with currently 14 stations along 41 kilometres (25 mi).

Although initial passenger numbers were low and their service area was limited to the inner city until the 2016 opening of the Purple Line, which serves the Nonthaburi area, these systems have become indispensable to many commuters. The BTS reported an average of 600,000 daily trips in 2012,[143] while the MRT had 240,000 passenger trips per day.[144]

As of September 2020, construction work is ongoing to extend the city-wide transit system's reach, including the construction of the Light Red grade-separated commuter rail line. The entire Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region consists of eight main lines and four feeder lines totaling 508 kilometres (316 mi) to be completed by 2029. In addition to rapid transit and heavy rail lines, there have been proposals for several monorail systems.

Water transport

Although much diminished from its past prominence, water-based transport still plays an important role in Bangkok and the immediate upstream and downstream provinces. Several water buses serve commuters daily. The Chao Phraya Express Boat serves thirty-four stops along the river, carrying an average of 35,586 passengers per day in 2010, while the smaller Khlong Saen Saep boat service serves twenty-seven stops on Saen Saep Canal with 57,557 daily passengers. Long-tail boats operate on fifteen regular routes on the Chao Phraya, and passenger ferries at thirty-two river crossings served an average of 136,927 daily passengers in 2010.[145]

Bangkok Port, popularly known by its location as Khlong Toei Port, was Thailand's main international port from its opening in 1947 until it was superseded by the deep-sea Laem Chabang Port in 1991. It is primarily a cargo port, though its inland location limits access to ships of 12,000 deadweight tonnes or less. The port handled 11,936,855 tonnes (13,158,130 tons) of cargo in the first eight months of the 2010 fiscal year, about 22 percent the total of the country's international ports.[146][147]

Airports

 
Suvarnabhumi Airport is home to flag carrier Thai Airways International.

Bangkok is one of Asia's busiest air transport hubs. Two commercial airports serve the city, the older Don Mueang International Airport and the newer Suvarnabhumi Airport. Suvarnabhumi, which replaced Don Mueang as Bangkok's main airport after its opening in 2006, served 52,808,013 passengers in 2015,[148] making it the world's 20th busiest airport by passenger volume. This volume exceeded its designed capacity of 45 million passengers. Don Mueang reopened for domestic flights in 2007,[149] and resumed international service focusing on low-cost carriers in October 2012.[150] Suvarnabhumi is undergoing expansion to increase its capacity to 60 million passengers by 2019 and 90 million by 2021.[151]

Health and education

Education

 
The campus of Chulalongkorn University was surrounded by rural fields when it was established in 1917. Pathum Wan District has since become part of the Bangkok city centre.

Bangkok has long been the centre of modern education in Thailand. The first schools in the country were established here in the later 19th century, and there are now 1,351 schools in the city.[152] The city is home to the country's five oldest universities, Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, Kasetsart, Mahidol and Silpakorn, founded between 1917 and 1943. The city has since continued its dominance, especially in higher education; the majority of the country's universities, both public and private, are located in Bangkok or the Metropolitan Region. Chulalongkorn and Mahidol are the only Thai universities to appear in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings.[153] King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, also located in Bangkok, is the only Thai university in the top 400 of the 2012–13 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.[154]

Over the past few decades the general trend of pursuing a university degree has prompted the founding of new universities to meet the needs of Thai students. Bangkok became not only a place where immigrants and provincial Thais go for job opportunities, but also for a chance to receive a university degree. Ramkhamhaeng University emerged in 1971 as Thailand's first open university; it now has the highest enrolment in the country. The demand for higher education has led to the founding of many other universities and colleges, both public and private. While many universities have been established in major provinces, the Greater Bangkok region remains home to the greater majority of institutions, and the city's tertiary education scene remains over-populated with non-Bangkokians. The situation is not limited to higher education, either. In the 1960s, 60 to 70 percent of 10- to 19-year-olds who were in school had migrated to Bangkok for secondary education. This was due to both a lack of secondary schools in the provinces and perceived higher standards of education in the capital.[155] Although this discrepancy has since largely abated, tens of thousands of students still compete for places in Bangkok's leading schools. Education has long been a prime factor in the centralization of Bangkok and will play a vital role in the government's efforts to decentralize the country.

Healthcare

 
Siriraj Hospital, established in 1888, is the oldest hospital in Thailand.

Much of Thailand's medical resources are disproportionately concentrated in the capital. In 2000, Bangkok had 39.6 percent of the country's doctors and a physician-to-population ratio of 1:794, compared to a median of 1:5,667 among all provinces.[156] The city is home to 42 public hospitals, five of which are university hospitals, as well as 98 private hospitals and 4,063 registered clinics.[dead link][157] The BMA operates nine public hospitals through its Medical Service Department, and its Health Department provides primary care through sixty-eight community health centres. Thailand's universal healthcare system is implemented through public hospitals and health centres as well as participating private providers.

Research-oriented medical school affiliates such as Siriraj, King Chulalongkorn Memorial and Ramathibodi Hospitals are among the largest in the country, and act as tertiary care centres, receiving referrals from distant parts of the country. Lately, especially in the private sector, there has been much growth in medical tourism, with hospitals such as Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital, among others, providing services specifically catering to foreigners. An estimated 200,000 medical tourists visited Thailand in 2011, making Bangkok the most popular global destination for medical tourism.[158]

Crime and safety

 
Political violence has at times spilled onto the streets of Bangkok, as seen during the military crackdown on protesters in 2010.

Bangkok has a relatively moderate crime rate when compared to urban counterparts around the world.[159] Traffic accidents are a major hazard[160] while natural disasters are rare. Intermittent episodes of political unrest and occasional terrorist attacks have resulted in losses of life.

Although the crime threat in Bangkok is relatively low, non-confrontational crimes of opportunity such as pick-pocketing, purse-snatching, and credit card fraud occur with frequency.[159] Bangkok's growth since the 1960s has been followed by increasing crime rates partly driven by urbanisation, migration, unemployment and poverty. By the late 1980s, Bangkok's crime rates were about four times that of the rest of the country. The police have long been preoccupied with street crimes ranging from housebreaking to assault and murder.[161] The 1990s saw the emergence of vehicle theft and organized crime, particularly by foreign gangs.[162] Drug trafficking, especially that of ya ba methamphetamine pills, is also chronic.[163][164]

According to police statistics, the most common complaint received by the Metropolitan Police Bureau in 2010 was housebreaking, with 12,347 cases. This was followed by 5,504 cases of motorcycle thefts, 3,694 cases of assault and 2,836 cases of embezzlement. Serious offences included 183 murders, 81 gang robberies, 265 robberies, 1 kidnapping and 9 arson cases. Offences against the state were by far more common, and included 54,068 drug-related cases, 17,239 cases involving prostitution and 8,634 related to gambling.[165] The Thailand Crime Victim Survey conducted by the Office of Justice Affairs of the Ministry of Justice found that 2.7 percent of surveyed households reported a member being victim of a crime in 2007. Of these, 96.1 percent were crimes against property, 2.6 percent were crimes against life and body, and 1.4 percent were information-related crimes.[166]

Political demonstrations and protests are common in Bangkok. The historic uprisings of 1973, 1976 and 1992 are infamously known for the deaths from military suppression. Most events since then have been peaceful, but the series of major protests since 2006 have often turned violent. Demonstrations during March–May 2010 ended in a crackdown in which 92 were killed, including armed and unarmed protesters, security forces, civilians and journalists. Terrorist incidents have also occurred in Bangkok, most notably the bombing in 2015 at the Erawan shrine, which killed 20, and also a series of bombings on the 2006–07 New Year's Eve.

Traffic accidents are a major hazard in Bangkok. There were 37,985 accidents in the city in 2010, resulting in 16,602 injuries and 456 deaths as well as 426.42 million baht in damages. However, the rate of fatal accidents is much lower than in the rest of Thailand. While accidents in Bangkok amounted to 50.9 percent of the entire country, only 6.2 percent of fatalities occurred in the city.[167] Another serious public health hazard comes from Bangkok's stray dogs. Up to 300,000 strays are estimated to roam the city's streets,[168] and dog bites are among the most common injuries treated in the emergency departments of the city's hospitals. Rabies is prevalent among the dog population, and treatment for bites pose a heavy public burden.[l]

Calls to move the capital

Bangkok is faced with multiple problems—including congestion, and especially subsidence and flooding—which have raised the issue of moving the nation's capital elsewhere. The idea is not new: during World War II Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram planned unsuccessfully to relocate the capital to Phetchabun. In the 2000s, the Thaksin Shinawatra administration assigned the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) to formulate a plan to move the capital to Nakhon Nayok province. The 2011 floods revived the idea of moving government functions from Bangkok. In 2017, the military government assigned NESDC to study the possibility of moving government offices from Bangkok to Chachoengsao province in the east.[170][171][172]

International relations

 
Protesters in front of the United Nations Building during the 2009 Bangkok Climate Change Conference. Bangkok is home to several UN offices.

The city's formal international relations are managed by the International Affairs Division of the BMA. Its missions include partnering with other major cities through sister city or friendship agreements, participation and membership in international organizations, and pursuing cooperative activities with the many foreign diplomatic missions based in the city.[173]

International participation

Bangkok is a member of several international organizations and regional city government networks, including the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, the Japan-led Asian-Pacific City Summit, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the ESCAP-sponsored Regional Network of Local Authorities for Management of Human Settlements in Asia and Pacific (CITYNET), Japan's Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, the World Association of the Major Metropolises and Local Governments for Sustainability, among others.[173]

With its location at the heart of mainland Southeast Asia and as one of Asia's hubs of transportation, Bangkok is home to many international and regional organizations. Among others, Bangkok is the seat of the Secretariat of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), as well as the Asia-Pacific regional offices of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).[174]

City partnerships

Bangkok has made sister city or friendship agreements with:[175]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ British English: /bæŋˈkɒk/,[6][7] American English: /ˈbæŋkɒk/[7][8]
  2. ^ กรุงเทพมหานคร, pronounced [krūŋ tʰêːp mahǎː nákʰɔ̄ːn] ( listen), where the phrase "Maha Nakhon" literally translates to "large (or great) city"
  3. ^  Thai pronunciation 
  4. ^ Two plants are known in Thai by the name makok: E. hygrophilus (makok nam, 'water makok') and Spondias pinnata (makok pa, 'jungle makok'). The species that grew in the area was likely makok nam.
  5. ^ While this ceremonial name is generally believed, based on writings by the Somdet Phra Wannarat (Kaeo), to have originally been given by King Rama I and later modified by King Mongkut, it did not come into use until the latter reign.[16]
  6. ^ This ceremonial name uses two ancient Indian languages, Pāli and Sanskrit, prefaced with the only one Thai word, Krung, which means 'capital'. According to the romanisation of these languages, it can actually be written as Krung-dēva mahā nagara amara ratanakosindra mah indr āyudhyā mahā tilaka bhava nava ratana rāja dhānī purī ramya uttama rājanivēsana mah āsthāna amara vimāna avatāra sthitya shakrasdattiya viṣṇu karma prasiddhi (listen) .
  7. ^ In contrast to the 169-letter-long transcription provided above in this article, the form recorded in the Guinness World Records is missing the first letter "h" in Amonphimanawatansathit, resulting in a word 168 letters long.
  8. ^ The BMA gives an elevation figure of 2.31 metres (7 ft 7 in).[1]
  9. ^ Thai ethnicity is rather a question of cultural identity than of genetic origin.[79] Many people in Bangkok who self-identify as Thai have at least some Chinese ancestry.[80]
  10. ^ An introductory publication by the BMA gives a figure of 80 percent Thai, 10 percent Chinese and 10 percent other, although this is likely a rough estimate.[81]
  11. ^ By one recent estimate, at least 60 percent of the city's residents are of Chinese descent.[83]
  12. ^ A 1993 study found dog bites to constitute 5.3 percent of injuries seen at Siriraj Hospital's emergency department.[169]

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General and cited references

  • Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk (2005). A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-01647-6.
  • Hamilton, Annette (2000). "Wonderful, Terrible: Everyday Life in Bangkok". In Bridge, Gary; Vatson, Sophie (eds.). A Companion to the City. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 460–471. ISBN 978-0-631-23578-1.
  • Naudin, Thierry, ed. (2010). (PDF). United Nations Human Settlements Programme. ISBN 978-92-1-132274-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  • Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) (August 2012). . Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board. Archived from the original (ZIP/PDF) on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  • Thavisin, Nathanon; Semson, Pongsak; Padhanarath, Kriengpol, eds. (2006). . Bangkok: International Affairs Division, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. ISBN 978-974-9565-72-8. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013.
  • Traffic and Transportation Department (2011). (PDF). Traffic and Transportation Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.

Further reading

  • Cornwel-Smith, Philip (2020). Very Bangkok; In the City of the Senses (Book review). Bangkok: River Books. ISBN 9786164510432. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  • Ünaldi, Serhat (May 2016). Working Towards the Monarchy; The Politics of Space in Downtown Bangkok (Hardcover ed.). University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 9780824855727. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  • Van Beek, Steve (2018). News from the 90s; Bangkok 1890–1899. Bangkok: ปิยวีร์ รื่นจินดา. ISBN 9786169317104. Retrieved 24 November 2018.

External links

  • Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Official website)
  • by the BMA Culture, Sports and Tourism Department
  • Destination: Bangkok at Tourism Authority of Thailand

bangkok, officially, known, thai, krung, thep, maha, nakhon, colloquially, krung, thep, capital, most, populous, city, thailand, city, occupies, square, kilometres, chao, phraya, river, delta, central, thailand, estimated, population, million, 2020, percent, c. Bangkok a officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon b and colloquially as Krung Thep c is the capital and most populous city of Thailand The city occupies 1 568 7 square kilometres 605 7 sq mi in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10 539 million as of 2020 15 3 percent of the country s population Over 14 million people 22 2 percent lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census making Bangkok an extreme primate city dwarfing Thailand s other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy Bangkok krungethphmhankhr Krung Thep Maha NakhonSpecial administrative areaFrom top left to right Wat Benchamabophit Chao Phraya River skyline Grand Palace Giant Swing traffic on a road in Watthana District Democracy Monument and Wat ArunFlagSealLocation within ThailandCoordinates 13 45 09 N 100 29 39 E 13 75250 N 100 49417 E 13 75250 100 49417 Coordinates 13 45 09 N 100 29 39 E 13 75250 N 100 49417 E 13 75250 100 49417 1 CountryThailandRegionCentral ThailandSettledc 15th centuryFounded as capital21 April 1782Re incorporated13 December 1972Founded byKing Rama IGoverning bodyBangkok Metropolitan AdministrationGovernment TypeSpecial administrative area GovernorChadchart Sittipunt Indp Area 1 City1 568 737 km2 605 693 sq mi Metro 2 7 761 6 km2 2 996 8 sq mi Elevation 3 1 5 m 4 9 ft Population 2010 census 4 City8 305 218 Estimate 2020 5 10 539 000 Density5 300 km2 14 000 sq mi Metro14 626 225 Metro density1 900 km2 4 900 sq mi DemonymBangkokianTime zoneUTC 07 00 ICT Postal code10 Area code02ISO 3166 codeTH 10Websitemain wbr bangkok wbr go wbr thBangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century which eventually grew and became the site of two capital cities Thonburi in 1768 and Rattanakosin in 1782 Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam later renamed Thailand during the late 19th century as the country faced pressures from the West The city was at the centre of Thailand s political struggles throughout the 20th century as the country abolished absolute monarchy adopted constitutional rule and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings The city incorporated as a special administrative area under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 1972 grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand s politics economy education media and modern society The Asian investment boom in the 1980s and 1990s led many multinational corporations to locate their regional headquarters in Bangkok The city is now a regional force in finance and business It is an international hub for transport and health care and has emerged as a centre for the arts fashion and entertainment The city is known for its street life and cultural landmarks as well as its red light districts The Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes of Khaosan Road and Patpong Bangkok is among the world s top tourist destinations and has been named the world s most visited city consistently in several international rankings Bangkok s rapid growth coupled with little urban planning has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure Despite an extensive expressway network an inadequate road network and substantial private car usage have led to chronic and crippling traffic congestion which caused severe air pollution in the 1990s The city has since turned to public transport in an attempt to solve the problem operating eight urban rail lines and building other public transit but congestion still remains a prevalent issue The city faces long term environmental threats such as sea level rise due to climate change Contents 1 History 2 Name 3 Government 4 Geography 4 1 Topography 4 2 Climate 4 3 Districts 4 4 Cityscape 4 5 Parks and green zones 5 Demography 6 Economy 7 Tourism 8 Culture 8 1 Festivals and events 8 2 Media 8 3 Art 9 Sport 10 Transport 10 1 Roads 10 2 Buses and taxis 10 3 Rail systems 10 4 Water transport 10 5 Airports 11 Health and education 11 1 Education 11 2 Healthcare 12 Crime and safety 12 1 Calls to move the capital 13 International relations 13 1 International participation 13 2 City partnerships 14 See also 15 Explanatory notes 16 References 16 1 Citations 16 2 General and cited references 17 Further reading 18 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Bangkok Map of 17th century Bangkok from Simon de la Loubere s Du Royaume de Siam The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century to when it was a village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River under the rule of Ayutthaya 9 Because of its strategic location near the mouth of the river the town gradually increased in importance Bangkok initially served as a customs outpost with forts on both sides of the river and was the site of a siege in 1688 in which the French were expelled from Siam After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767 the newly crowned King Taksin established his capital at the town which became the base of the Thonburi Kingdom In 1782 King Phutthayotfa Chulalok Rama I succeeded Taksin moved the capital to the eastern bank s Rattanakosin Island thus founding the Rattanakosin Kingdom The City Pillar was erected on 21 April 1782 which is regarded as the date of foundation of Bangkok as the capital 10 Bangkok s economy gradually expanded through international trade first with China then with Western merchants returning in the early to mid 19th century As the capital Bangkok was the centre of Siam s modernization as it faced pressure from Western powers in the late 19th century The reigns of Kings Mongkut Rama IV r 1851 68 and Chulalongkorn Rama V r 1868 1910 saw the introduction of the steam engine printing press rail transport and utilities infrastructure in the city as well as formal education and healthcare Bangkok became the centre stage for power struggles between the military and political elite as the country abolished absolute monarchy in 1932 11 Engraving of the city from British diplomat John Crawfurd s embassy in 1822 As Thailand allied with Japan in World War II Bangkok was subjected to Allied bombing but rapidly grew in the post war period as a result of US aid and government sponsored investment Bangkok s role as a US military R amp R destination boosted its tourism industry as well as firmly establishing it as a sex tourism destination Disproportionate urban development led to increasing income inequalities and migration from rural areas into Bangkok its population surged from 1 8 million to 3 million in the 1960s 11 Following the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973 Japanese businesses took over as leaders in investment and the expansion of export oriented manufacturing led to growth of the financial market in Bangkok 11 Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s until it was stalled by the 1997 Asian financial crisis By then many public and social issues had emerged among them the strain on infrastructure reflected in the city s notorious traffic jams Bangkok s role as the nation s political stage continues to be seen in strings of popular protests from the student uprisings in 1973 and 1976 anti military demonstrations in 1992 and frequent street protests since 2006 including those by groups opposing and supporting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 2006 to 2013 and a renewed student led movement in 2020 12 Administration of the city was first formalized by King Chulalongkorn in 1906 with the establishment of Monthon Krung Thep Phra Maha Nakhon mnthlkrungethphphramhankhr as a national subdivision In 1915 the monthon was split into several provinces the administrative boundaries of which have since further changed The city in its current form was created in 1972 with the formation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration BMA following the merger of Phra Nakhon province on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya and Thonburi province on the west during the previous year 10 Name EditThe origin of the name Bangkok bangkxk pronounced in Thai as baːŋ kɔ ːk listen is unclear Bang bang is a Thai word meaning a village on a stream 13 and the name might have been derived from Bang Ko bangekaa ko ekaa meaning island stemming from the city s watery landscape 9 Another theory suggests that it is shortened from Bang Makok bangmakxk makok makxk being the name of Elaeocarpus hygrophilus a plant bearing olive like fruit d This is supported by the former name of Wat Arun a historic temple in the area that used to be called Wat Makok 14 The Romanization Bangkok comes from French citation needed Officially the town was known as Thonburi Si Mahasamut thnburisrimhasmuthr from Pali and Sanskrit literally city of treasures gracing the ocean or Thonburi according to the Ayutthaya Chronicles 15 Bangkok was likely a colloquial name albeit one widely adopted by foreign visitors who continued to use it to refer to the city even after the new capital s establishment When King Rama I established his new capital on the river s eastern bank the city inherited Ayutthaya s ceremonial name of which there were many variants including Krung Thep Thawarawadi Si Ayutthaya krungethphthwarwdisrixyuthya and Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Si Ayutthaya krungethphmhankhrsrixyuthya 16 Edmund Roberts visiting the city as envoy of the United States in 1833 noted that the city since becoming capital was known as Sia Yut hia and this is the name used in international treaties of the period 17 Today the city is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon krungethphmhankhr or simply Krung Thep krungethph a shortening of the ceremonial name which came into use during the reign of King Mongkut The full name reads as follows e 10 Full ceremonial name source source track track Problems playing this file See media help Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit f krungethphmhankhr xmrrtnoksinthr mhinthrayuthya mhadilkphph nphrtnrachthaniburirmy xudmrachniewsnmhasthan xmrphimanxwtarsthit skkathttiywisnukrrmprasiththi The name composed of Pali and Sanskrit root words translates as City of angels great city of immortals magnificent city of the nine gems seat of the king city of royal palaces home of gods incarnate erected by Vishvakarman at Indra s behest 18 The name is listed in Guinness World Records as the world s longest place name at 168 letters 19 g Many Thais who recall the full name do so because of its use in the 1989 song Krung Thep Maha Nakhon by Thai rock band Asanee Wasan the lyrics of which consist entirely of the city s full name repeated throughout the song 20 The city is now officially known in Thai by a shortened form of the full ceremonial name Krung Thep Maha Nakhon which is colloquially further shortened to Krung Thep city of gods Krung krung is a Thai word of Mon Khmer origin meaning capital king 21 verification needed while thep ethph is from Pali Sanskrit meaning deity or god and corresponding to deva Government EditMain article Bangkok Metropolitan Administration The city s ceremonial name is displayed in front of Bangkok City Hall The city of Bangkok is locally governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration BMA Although its boundaries are at the provincial changwat level unlike the other 76 provinces Bangkok is a special administrative area whose governor is directly elected to serve a four year term The governor together with four appointed deputies form the executive body who implement policies through the BMA civil service headed by the Permanent Secretary for the BMA In separate elections each district elects one or more city councillors who form the Bangkok Metropolitan Council The council is the BMA s legislative body and has power over municipal ordinances and the city s budget 22 The latest gubernatorial election took place on 22 May 2022 after an extended lapse following the 2014 Thai coup d etat and was won by Chadchart Sittipunt 23 Bangkok is divided into fifty districts khet equivalent to amphoe in the other provinces which are further subdivided into 180 sub districts khwaeng equivalent to tambon Each district is managed by a district director appointed by the governor District councils elected to four year terms serve as advisory bodies to their respective district directors The BMA is divided into sixteen departments each overseeing different aspects of the administration s responsibilities Most of these responsibilities concern the city s infrastructure and include city planning building control transportation drainage waste management and city beautification as well as education medical and rescue services 24 Many of these services are provided jointly with other agencies The BMA has the authority to implement local ordinances although civil law enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Bureau The seal of the city shows Hindu god Indra riding in the clouds on Airavata a divine white elephant known in Thai as Erawan In his hand Indra holds his weapon the vajra 25 The seal is based on a painting done by Prince Naris The tree symbol of Bangkok is Ficus benjamina 26 The official city slogan adopted in 2012 reads As built by deities the administrative centre dazzling palaces and temples the capital of Thailand krungethph ducethphsrang emuxngsunyklangkarpkkhrxng wdwngngameruxngrxng emuxnghlwngkhxngpraethsithy 27 As the capital of Thailand Bangkok is the seat of all branches of the national government The Government House Parliament House and Supreme Administrative and Constitutional Courts are all in the city Bangkok is the site of the Grand Palace and Dusit Palace respectively the official and de facto residence of the king Most government ministries also have headquarters and offices in the capital Geography Edit The city of Bangkok is highlighted in this satellite image of the lower Chao Phraya delta The built up urban area extends northward and southward into Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces Bangkok covers an area of 1 568 7 square kilometres 605 7 sq mi ranking 69th among the other 76 provinces of Thailand Of this about 700 square kilometres 270 sq mi form the built up urban area 1 It is ranked 73rd in the world in terms of land area 28 The city s urban sprawl reaches into parts of the six other provinces that it borders namely in clockwise order from northwest Nonthaburi Pathum Thani Chachoengsao Samut Prakan Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom With the exception of Chachoengsao these provinces together with Bangkok form the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region 2 Topography Edit Bangkok is situated in the Chao Phraya River delta in Thailand s central plain The river meanders through the city in a southerly direction emptying into the Gulf of Thailand approximately 25 kilometres 16 mi south of city centre The area is flat and low lying with an average elevation of 1 5 metres 4 ft 11 in above sea level 3 h Most of the area was originally swampland which was gradually drained and irrigated for agriculture by the construction of canals khlong which took place from the 16th to 19th centuries The course of the river as it flows through Bangkok has been modified by the construction of several shortcut canals Bangkok s major canals are shown in this map detailing the original course of the river and its shortcut canals The city s waterway network served as the primary means of transport until the late 19th century when modern roads began to be built Up until then most people lived near or on the water leading the city to be known during the 19th century as the Venice of the East 29 Many of these canals have since been filled in or paved over but others still criss cross the city serving as major drainage channels and transport routes Most canals are now badly polluted although the BMA has committed to the treatment and cleaning up of several canals 30 The geology of the Bangkok area is characterized by a top layer of soft marine clay known as Bangkok clay averaging 15 metres 49 ft in thickness which overlies an aquifer system consisting of eight known units This feature has contributed to the effects of subsidence caused by extensive groundwater pumping First recognized in the 1970s subsidence soon became a critical issue reaching a rate of 120 millimetres 4 7 in per year in 1981 Ground water management and mitigation measures have since lessened the severity of the situation and the rate of subsidence decreased to 10 to 30 millimetres 0 39 to 1 18 in per year in the early 2000s though parts of the city are now 1 metre 3 ft 3 in below sea level 31 Subsidence has resulted in increased flood risk as Bangkok is already prone to flooding due to its low elevation and an inadequate drainage infrastructure 32 33 often compounded by blockage from rubbish pollution especially plastic waste 34 The city now relies on flood barriers and augmenting drainage from canals by pumping and building drain tunnels but parts of Bangkok and its suburbs are still regularly inundated Heavy downpours resulting in urban runoff overwhelming drainage systems and runoff discharge from upstream areas are major triggering factors 35 Severe flooding affecting much of the city occurred in 1995 and 2011 In 2011 most of Bangkok s northern eastern and western districts were flooded in some places for over two months Bangkok population density and low elevation coastal zones Bangkok is especially vulnerable to sea level rise Bangkok s coastal location makes it particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels due to global warming and climate change A study by the OECD has estimated that 5 138 million people in Bangkok may be exposed to coastal flooding by 2070 the seventh highest figure among the world s port cities 36 8 There are fears that the city may be submerged by 2030 37 38 39 A study published in October 2019 in Nature Communications corrected earlier models of coastal elevations 40 and concluded that up to 12 million Thais mostly in the greater Bangkok metropolitan area face the prospect of annual flooding events 41 42 This is compounded by coastal erosion which is an issue in the gulf coastal area a small length of which lies within Bangkok s Bang Khun Thian District Tidal flat ecosystems existed on the coast however many have been reclaimed for agriculture aquaculture and salt works 43 There are no mountains in Bangkok The closest mountain range is the Khao Khiao Massif about 40 km 25 mi southeast of the city Phu Khao Thong the only hill in the metropolitan area originated with a very large chedi that King Rama III 1787 1851 built at Wat Saket The chedi collapsed during construction because the soft soil could not support its weight Over the next few decades the abandoned mud and brick structure acquired the shape of a natural hill and became overgrown with weeds The locals called it phu khao phuekha as if it were a natural feature 44 In the 1940s enclosing concrete walls were added to stop the hill from eroding 45 Climate Edit Like most of Thailand Bangkok has a tropical savanna climate Aw under the Koppen climate classification and is under the influence of the South Asian monsoon system The city experiences three seasons hot rainy and cool although temperatures are fairly hot year round ranging from an average low of 22 0 C 71 6 F in December to an average high of 35 4 C 95 7 F in April The rainy season begins with the arrival of the southwest monsoon around mid May September is the wettest month with an average rainfall of 334 3 millimetres 13 16 in The rainy season lasts until October when the dry and cool northeast monsoon takes over until February The hot season is generally dry but also sees occasional summer storms 46 The surface magnitude of Bangkok s urban heat island has been measured at 2 5 C 4 5 F during the day and 8 0 C 14 F at night 47 The highest recorded temperature of Bangkok metropolis was 40 1 C 104 2 F in March 2013 48 and the lowest recorded temperature was 9 9 C 49 8 F in January 1955 49 The Climate Impact Group at NASA s Goddard Institute for Space Studies projected severe weather impacts on Bangkok caused by climate change It found that Bangkok in 1960 had 193 days at or above 32 C In 2018 Bangkok can expect 276 days at or above 32 C The group forecasts a rise by 2100 to on average 297 to 344 days at or above 32 C 50 Climate data for Bangkok Metropolis 1981 2010 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 37 6 99 7 38 8 101 8 38 1 100 6 39 7 103 5 39 7 103 5 37 9 100 2 37 9 100 2 37 0 98 6 37 2 99 0 37 9 100 2 38 8 101 8 36 7 98 1 39 7 103 5 Average high C F 32 5 90 5 33 3 91 9 34 3 93 7 35 4 95 7 34 4 93 9 33 6 92 5 33 2 91 8 32 9 91 2 32 8 91 0 32 6 90 7 32 4 90 3 31 7 89 1 33 3 91 9 Daily mean C F 27 0 80 6 28 3 82 9 29 5 85 1 30 5 86 9 29 9 85 8 29 5 85 1 29 0 84 2 28 8 83 8 28 3 82 9 28 1 82 6 27 8 82 0 26 5 79 7 28 6 83 5 Average low C F 22 6 72 7 24 4 75 9 25 9 78 6 26 9 80 4 26 3 79 3 26 1 79 0 25 7 78 3 25 5 77 9 25 0 77 0 24 8 76 6 23 9 75 0 22 0 71 6 24 9 76 8 Record low C F 13 9 57 0 13 9 57 0 15 7 60 3 21 9 71 4 22 3 72 1 21 1 70 0 22 1 71 8 21 6 70 9 21 5 70 7 18 3 64 9 15 8 60 4 12 0 53 6 12 0 53 6 Average rainfall mm inches 13 3 0 52 20 0 0 79 42 1 1 66 91 4 3 60 247 7 9 75 157 1 6 19 175 1 6 89 219 3 8 63 334 3 13 16 292 1 11 50 49 5 1 95 6 3 0 25 1 648 2 64 89 Average rainy days 1 8 2 4 3 6 6 6 16 4 16 3 17 4 19 6 21 2 17 7 5 8 1 1 129 9Average relative humidity 68 72 72 72 75 74 75 76 79 78 70 66 73Average dew point C F 20 68 23 73 24 75 25 77 25 77 25 77 24 75 24 75 25 77 24 75 22 72 20 68 23 74 Mean monthly sunshine hours 272 5 249 9 269 0 256 7 216 4 178 0 171 8 160 3 154 9 198 1 234 2 262 0 2 623 8Percent possible sunshine 78 75 73 68 55 45 43 42 43 56 71 76 60Average ultraviolet index 10 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 10 9 11Source 1 Thai Meteorological Department 51 humidity 1981 2010 RID 52 Rainfall 1981 2010 RID 53 Source 2 Weather Atlas UV 54 Time and Date dewpoints 2005 2015 55 NOAA sun 1961 1990 56 Districts Edit Map showing the 50 districts of Bangkok labelled version showing subdistricts Bangkok s fifty districts serve as administrative subdivisions under the authority of the BMA Thirty five of these districts lie to the east of the Chao Phraya while fifteen are on the western bank known as the Thonburi side of the city The fifty districts arranged by district code are 57 Phra Nakhon district Dusit district Nong Chok district Bang Rak district Bang Khen district Bang Kapi district Pathum Wan district Pom Prap Sattru Phai district Phra Khanong district Min Buri district Lat Krabang district Yan Nawa district Samphanthawong district Phaya Thai district Thon Buri district Bangkok Yai district Huai Khwang district Khlong San district Taling Chan district Bangkok Noi district Bang Khun Thian district Phasi Charoen district Nong Khaem district Rat Burana district Bang Phlat district Din Daeng district Bueng Kum district Sathon district Bang Sue district Chatuchak district Bang Kho Laem district Prawet district Khlong Toei district Suan Luang district Chom Thong district Don Mueang district Ratchathewi district Lat Phrao district Watthana district Bang Khae district Lak Si district Sai Mai district Khan Na Yao district Saphan Sung district Wang Thonglang district Khlong Sam Wa district Bang Na district Thawi Watthana district Thung Khru district Bang Bon district Cityscape Edit View of the Chao Phraya River as it passes through Bang Kho Laem and Khlong San districts Bangkok s districts often do not accurately represent the functional divisions of its neighbourhoods or land usage Although urban planning policies date back to the commission of the Litchfield Plan in 1960 which set out strategies for land use transportation and general infrastructure improvements zoning regulations were not fully implemented until 1992 As a result the city grew organically throughout the period of its rapid expansion both horizontally as ribbon developments extended along newly built roads and vertically with increasing numbers of high rises and skyscrapers being built in commercial areas 58 The city has grown from its original centre along the river into a sprawling metropolis surrounded by swaths of suburban residential development extending north and south into neighbouring provinces The highly populated and growing cities of Nonthaburi Pak Kret Rangsit and Samut Prakan are effectively now suburbs of Bangkok Nevertheless large agricultural areas remain within the city proper at its eastern and western fringes and a small number of forest area is found within the city limits 3 887 rai 6 2 km2 2 4 sq mi amounting to 0 4 percent of city area 59 Land use in the city consists of 23 percent residential use 24 percent agriculture and 30 percent used for commerce industry and government 1 The BMA s City Planning Department CPD is responsible for planning and shaping further development It published master plan updates in 1999 and 2006 and a third revision is undergoing public hearings in 2012 60 The Royal Plaza in Dusit District was inspired by King Chulalongkorn s visits to Europe Bangkok s historic centre remains the Rattanakosin Island in Phra Nakhon District 61 It is the site of the Grand Palace and the City Pillar Shrine primary symbols of the city s founding as well as important Buddhist temples Phra Nakhon along with the neighbouring Pom Prap Sattru Phai and Samphanthawong Districts formed what was the city proper in the late 19th century Many traditional neighbourhoods and markets are found here including the Chinese settlement of Sampheng 61 The city was expanded toward Dusit District in the early 19th century following King Chulalongkorn s relocation of the royal household to the new Dusit Palace The buildings of the palace including the neoclassical Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall as well as the Royal Plaza and Ratchadamnoen Avenue which leads to it from the Grand Palace reflect the heavy influence of European architecture at the time Major government offices line the avenue as does the Democracy Monument The area is the site of the country s seat of power as well as the city s most popular tourist landmarks 61 The Sukhumvit area appears as a sea of high rise buildings from Baiyoke Tower II the third tallest building in Bangkok In contrast with the low rise historic areas the business district on Si Lom and Sathon Roads in Bang Rak and Sathon Districts teems with skyscrapers It is the site of many of the country s major corporate headquarters but also of some of the city s red light districts The Siam and Ratchaprasong areas in Pathum Wan are home to some of the largest shopping malls in Southeast Asia Numerous retail outlets and hotels also stretch along Sukhumvit Road leading southeast through Watthana and Khlong Toei Districts More office towers line the streets branching off Sukhumvit especially Asok Montri while upmarket housing is found in many of its sois alley or lane Bangkok lacks a single distinct central business district Instead the areas of Siam and Ratchaprasong serve as a central shopping district containing many of the bigger malls and commercial areas in the city as well as Siam Station the only transfer point between the city s two elevated train lines 62 The Victory Monument in Ratchathewi District is among its most important road junctions serving over 100 bus lines as well as an elevated train station From the monument Phahonyothin and Ratchawithi Din Daeng Roads respectively run north and east linking to major residential areas Most of the high density development areas are within the 113 square kilometre 44 sq mi area encircled by the Ratchadaphisek inner ring road Ratchadaphisek is lined with businesses and retail outlets and office buildings also cluster around Ratchayothin Intersection in Chatuchak District to the north Farther from the city centre most areas are primarily mid or low density residential The Thonburi side of the city is less developed with fewer high rises With the exception of a few secondary urban centres Thonburi in the same manner as the outlying eastern districts consists mostly of residential and rural areas While most of Bangkok s streets are fronted by vernacular shophouses the largely unrestricted building euphoria of the 1980s has transformed the city into an urban area of skyscrapers and high rises of contrasting and clashing styles 63 There are 581 skyscrapers over 90 metres 300 feet tall in the city Bangkok was ranked as the world s eighth tallest city in 2016 64 As a result of persistent economic disparity many slums have emerged in the city In 2000 there were over one million people living in about 800 informal settlements 65 Some settlements are squatted such as the large slums in Khlong Toei District In total there were 125 squatted areas 65 Skyscrapers of Ratchadamri and Sukhumvit at night viewed across Lumphini Park from the Si Lom Sathon business district Parks and green zones Edit Lumphini Park an oasis amid the skyscrapers of Ratchadamri and Sukhumvit Bangkok has several parks although these amount to a per capita total park area of only 1 82 square metres 19 6 sq ft in the city proper Total green space for the entire city is moderate at 11 8 square metres 127 sq ft per person In the more densely built up areas of the city these numbers are as low as 1 73 and 0 72 square metres 18 6 and 7 8 sq ft per person 66 More recent numbers claim that there is 3 3 square metres 36 sq ft of green space per person 67 compared to an average of 39 square metres 420 sq ft in other cities across Asia In Europe London has 33 4 m2 of green space per head 68 Bangkokians thus have 10 times less green space than is standard in the region s urban areas 69 Green belt areas include about 700 square kilometres 270 sq mi of rice paddies and orchards on the eastern and western edges of the city although their primary purpose is to serve as flood detention basins rather than to limit urban expansion 70 Bang Kachao a 20 square kilometre 7 7 sq mi conservation area on an oxbow of the Chao Phraya lies just across the southern riverbank districts in Samut Prakan province A master development plan has been proposed to increase total park area to 4 square metres 43 sq ft per person 66 Bangkok s largest parks include the centrally located Lumphini Park near the Si Lom Sathon business district with an area of 57 6 hectares 142 acres the 80 hectare 200 acre Suanluang Rama IX in the east of the city and the Chatuchak Queen Sirikit Wachirabenchathat park complex in northern Bangkok which has a combined area of 92 hectares 230 acres 71 More parks are expected to be created through the Green Bangkok 2030 project which aims to leave the city with 10 square metres 110 sq ft of green space per person including 30 of the city having tree cover 72 Demography EditHistorical census populationsYearPop 1919437 2941929713 3841937890 45319471 178 88119602 136 43519703 077 36119804 697 07119905 882 41120006 355 14420108 305 218Source National Statistical Office 1919 2000 73 2010 4 The city of Bangkok has a population of 8 305 218 according to the 2010 census or 12 6 percent of the national population 4 while 2020 estimates place the figure at 10 539 million 15 3 percent 5 Roughly half are internal migrants from other Thai provinces 48 population registry statistics recorded 5 676 648 residents belonging to 2 959 524 households in 2018 74 Much of Bangkok s daytime population commutes from surrounding provinces in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region the total population of which is 14 626 225 2010 census 4 Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city the census showed that it is home to 567 120 expatriates from Asian countries including 71 024 Chinese and 63 069 Japanese nationals 88 177 from Europe 32 241 from the Americas 5 856 from Oceania and 5 758 from Africa Migrants from neighbouring countries include 216 528 Burmese 72 934 Cambodians and 52 498 Lao 75 In 2018 numbers show that there are 370 000 international migrants registered with the Department of Employment more than half of them migrants from Cambodia Laos and Myanmar 48 Following its establishment as capital city in 1782 Bangkok grew only slightly throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries British diplomat John Crawfurd visiting in 1822 estimated its population at no more than 50 000 76 As a result of Western medicine brought by missionaries as well as increased immigration from both within Siam and overseas Bangkok s population gradually increased as the city modernized in the late 19th century This growth became even more pronounced in the 1930s following the discovery of antibiotics Although family planning and birth control were introduced in the 1960s the lowered birth rate was more than offset by increased migration from the provinces as economic expansion accelerated Only in the 1990s have Bangkok s population growth rates decreased following the national rate Thailand had long since become highly centralized around the capital In 1980 Bangkok s population was fifty one times that of Hat Yai and Songkhla the second largest urban centre at the time making it the world s most prominent primate city 77 78 Yaowarat Road the centre of Bangkok s Chinatown Chinese immigrants historically formed the majority of the city s population The majority of Bangkok s population identify as Thai i although details on the city s ethnic make up are unavailable as the national census does not document race j Bangkok s cultural pluralism dates back to the early days of its founding several ethnic communities were formed by immigrants and forced settlers including the Khmer northern Thai Lao Vietnamese Mon and Malay 10 Most prominent were the Chinese who played major roles in the city s trade and became the majority of Bangkok s population estimates include up to three fourths in 1828 and almost half in the 1950s 82 k Chinese immigration was restricted from the 1930s and effectively ceased after the Chinese Revolution in 1949 Their prominence subsequently declined as younger generations of Thai Chinese integrated and adopted a Thai identity Bangkok is still nevertheless home to a large Chinese community with the greatest concentration in Yaowarat Bangkok s Chinatown Religion in Bangkok Buddhism 92 54 Islam 4 6 Christianity 1 89 Hinduism 0 27 Sikhism 0 08 Confucianism 0 08 Not Religious and Unknown 0 2 Other 0 29 The majority 93 percent of the city s population is Buddhist according to the 2010 census Other religions include Islam 4 6 percent Christianity 1 9 percent Hinduism 0 3 percent Sikhism 0 1 percent and Confucianism 0 1 percent 84 Apart from Yaowarat Bangkok also has several other distinct ethnic neighbourhoods The Indian community is centred in Phahurat where the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha founded in 1933 is located Ban Khrua on Saen Saep Canal is home to descendants of the Cham who settled in the late 18th century Although the Portuguese who settled during the Thonburi period have ceased to exist as a distinct community their past is reflected in Santa Cruz Church on the west bank of the river Likewise Assumption Cathedral on Charoen Krung Road is among many European style buildings in the Old Farang Quarter where European diplomats and merchants lived in the late 19th to early 20th centuries Nearby the Haroon Mosque is the centre of a Muslim community Newer expatriate communities exist along Sukhumvit Road including the Japanese community near Soi Phrom Phong and Soi Thong Lo and the Arab and North African neighbourhood along Soi Nana Sukhumvit Plaza a mall on Soi Sukhumvit 12 is popularly known as Korea Town Economy Edit MahaNakhon the city s tallest building from 2016 to 2018 stands among the skyscrapers of Sathon Road one of Bangkok s main financial districts Bangkok is the economic centre of Thailand and the heart of the country s investment and development In 2010 the city had an economic output of 3 142 trillion baht US 98 34 billion contributing 29 1 percent of the gross domestic product GDP This amounted to a per capita GDP value of 456 911 baht 14 301 almost three times the national average of 160 556 baht 5 025 The Bangkok Metropolitan Region had a combined output of 4 773 trillion baht 149 39 billion or 44 2 percent of GDP 85 Bangkok s economy ranked as the sixth among Asian cities in terms of per capita GDP after Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo Osaka Kobe and Seoul as of 2010 86 needs update Wholesale and retail trade is the largest sector in the city s economy contributing 24 percent of Bangkok s gross provincial product It is followed by manufacturing 14 3 percent real estate renting and business activities 12 4 percent transport and communications 11 6 percent and financial intermediation 11 1 percent Bangkok alone accounts for 48 4 percent of Thailand s service sector which in turn constitutes 49 percent of GDP When the Bangkok Metropolitan Region is considered manufacturing is the most significant contributor at 28 2 percent of the gross regional product reflecting the density of industry in the Bangkok s neighbouring provinces 87 The automotive industry based around Greater Bangkok is the largest production hub in Southeast Asia 88 Tourism is also a significant contributor to Bangkok s economy generating 427 5 billion baht 13 38 billion in revenue in 2010 89 The Siam area is home to multiple shopping centres catering to both the middle and upper classes and tourists The Stock Exchange of Thailand SET is on Ratchadaphisek Road in inner Bangkok The SET together with the Market for Alternative Investment MAI has 648 listed companies as of the end of 2011 with a combined market capitalization of 8 485 trillion baht 267 64 billion 90 Due to the large amount of foreign representation Thailand has for several years been a mainstay of the Southeast Asian economy and a centre of Asian business The Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranks Bangkok as an Alpha world city and it is ranked 59th in Z Yen s Global Financial Centres Index 11 91 92 Bangkok is home to the headquarters of all of Thailand s major commercial banks and financial institutions as well as the country s largest companies Many multinational corporations base their regional headquarters in Bangkok due to the lower cost of labour and operations relative to other major Asian business centres Seventeen Thai companies are listed on the Forbes 2000 all of which are based in the capital 93 including PTT the only Fortune Global 500 company in Thailand 94 Income inequality is a major issue in Bangkok especially between relatively unskilled lower income immigrants from rural provinces and neighbouring countries and middle class professionals and business elites Although absolute poverty rates are low only 0 64 percent of Bangkok s registered residents were living under the poverty line in 2010 compared to a national average of 7 75 percent economic disparity is still substantial 95 The city has a Gini coefficient of 0 48 indicating a high level of inequality 96 Tourism EditMain article Tourism in Bangkok Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace is among Bangkok s major tourist attractions Bangkok is one of the world s top tourist destinations Of 162 cities worldwide MasterCard ranked Bangkok as the top destination city by international visitor arrivals in its Global Destination Cities Index 2018 ahead of London with just over 20 million overnight visitors in 2017 97 This was a repeat of its 2017 ranking for 2016 98 99 Euromonitor International ranked Bangkok fourth in its Top City Destinations Ranking for 2016 100 Bangkok was also named World s Best City by Travel Leisure magazine s survey of its readers for four consecutive years from 2010 to 2013 101 As the main gateway through which visitors arrive in Thailand Bangkok is visited by the majority of international tourists to the country Domestic tourism is also prominent The Department of Tourism recorded 26 861 095 Thai and 11 361 808 foreign visitors to Bangkok in 2010 Lodgings were made by 15 031 244 guests who occupied 49 9 percent of the city s 86 687 hotel rooms 89 Bangkok also topped the list as the world s most popular tourist destinations in 2017 rankings 102 103 104 105 Bangkok s multi faceted sights attractions and city life appeal to diverse groups of tourists Royal palaces and temples as well as several museums constitute its major historical and cultural tourist attractions Shopping and dining experiences offer a wide range of choices and prices The city is also famous for its dynamic nightlife Although Bangkok s sex tourism scene is well known to foreigners it is usually not openly acknowledged by locals or the government Khao San Road is lined by budget accommodation shops and bars catering to tourists Among Bangkok s well known sights are the Grand Palace and major Buddhist temples including Wat Phra Kaew Wat Pho and Wat Arun The Giant Swing and Erawan Shrine demonstrate Hinduism s deep rooted influence in Thai culture Vimanmek Mansion in Dusit Palace is famous as the world s largest teak building while the Jim Thompson House provides an example of traditional Thai architecture Other major museums include the Bangkok National Museum and the Royal Barge National Museum Cruises and boat trips on the Chao Phraya and the canals of Thonburi offer views of some of the city s traditional architecture and ways of life on the waterfront 106 Shopping venues many of which are popular with both tourists and locals range from the shopping centres and department stores concentrated in Siam and Ratchaprasong to the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market Taling Chan Floating Market is among the few such markets in Bangkok Yaowarat is known for its shops as well as street side food stalls and restaurants which are also found throughout the city Khao San Road has long been famous as a destination for backpacker tourism with its budget accommodation shops and bars attracting visitors from all over the world Bangkok has a reputation overseas as a major destination in the sex industry Although prostitution is technically illegal and is rarely openly discussed in Thailand it commonly takes place among massage parlours saunas and hourly hotels serving foreign tourists as well as locals Bangkok has acquired the nickname Sin City of Asia for its level of sex tourism 107 Issues often encountered by foreign tourists include scams overcharging and dual pricing In a survey of 616 tourists visiting Thailand 7 79 percent reported encountering a scam the most common of which was the gem scam in which tourists are tricked into buying overpriced jewellery 108 Among Bangkok s well known sights Grand Palace The Giant Swing Wat ArunCulture Edit Temporary art display at Siam Discovery during the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 The culture of Bangkok reflects its position as Thailand s centre of wealth and modernisation The city has long been the portal of entry of Western concepts and material goods which have been adopted and blended with Thai values to various degrees by its residents This is most evident in the lifestyles of the expanding middle class Conspicuous consumption serves as a display of economic and social status and shopping centres are popular weekend hangouts 109 Ownership of electronics and consumer products such as mobile phones is ubiquitous This has been accompanied by a degree of secularism as religion s role in everyday life has rather diminished Although such trends have spread to other urban centres and to a degree the countryside Bangkok remains at the forefront of social change A distinct feature of Bangkok is the ubiquity of street vendors selling goods ranging from food items to clothing and accessories It has been estimated that the city may have over 100 000 hawkers While the BMA has authorised the practice in 287 sites the majority of activity in another 407 sites takes place illegally Although they take up pavement space and block pedestrian traffic many of the city s residents depend on these vendors for their meals and the BMA s efforts to curb their numbers have largely been unsuccessful 110 In 2015 however the BMA with support from the National Council for Peace and Order Thailand s ruling military junta began cracking down on street vendors in a bid to reclaim public space Many famous market neighbourhoods were affected including Khlong Thom Saphan Lek and the flower market at Pak Khlong Talat Nearly 15 000 vendors were evicted from 39 public areas in 2016 111 While some applauded the efforts to focus on pedestrian rights others have expressed concern that gentrification would lead to the loss of the city s character and adverse changes to people s way of life 112 113 Festivals and events Edit Ratchadamnoen Avenue is annually decorated with lights and displays in celebration of King Bhumibol s birthday The residents of Bangkok celebrate many of Thailand s annual festivals During Songkran on 13 15 April traditional rituals as well as water fights take place throughout the city Loi Krathong usually in November is accompanied by the Golden Mount Fair New Year celebrations take place at many venues the most prominent being the plaza in front of CentralWorld Observances related to the royal family are held primarily in Bangkok Wreaths are laid at King Chulalongkorn s equestrian statue in the Royal Plaza on 23 October which is King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day The present king s and queen s birthdays respectively on 5 December and 12 August are marked as Thailand s national Father s Day and national Mother s Day These national holidays are celebrated by royal audiences on the day s eve in which the king or queen gives a speech and public gatherings on the day of the observance The king s birthday is also marked by the Royal Guards parade Sanam Luang is the site of the Thai Kite Sport and Music Festival usually held in March and the Royal Ploughing Ceremony which takes place in May The Red Cross Fair at the beginning of April is held at Suan Amporn and the Royal Plaza and features numerous booths offering goods games and exhibits The Chinese New Year January February and Vegetarian Festival September October are celebrated widely by the Chinese community especially in Yaowarat 114 Bangkok was designated as the World Book Capital for the year 2013 by UNESCO 115 Bangkok s first Thai International Gay Pride Festival took place on October 31 1999 116 Pride Parades have also been held in Bangkok with the first official parade held in 2022 under the name Bangkok Naruemit Pride Parade Pride Parades were announced to be a part of Bangkok s 12 monthly festivals in 2022 117 Media Edit Bangkok is the centre of Thailand s media industry All national newspapers broadcast media and major publishers are based in the capital Its 21 national newspapers had a combined daily circulation of about two million in 2002 These include the mass oriented Thai Rath Khao Sod and Daily News the first of which currently prints a million copies per day 118 as well as the less sensational Matichon and Krungthep Thurakij The Bangkok Post and The Nation are the two national English language dailies Foreign publications including The Asian Wall Street Journal Financial Times The Straits Times and the Yomiuri Shimbun also have operations in Bangkok 119 The large majority of Thailand s more than 200 magazines are published in the capital and include news magazines as well as lifestyle entertainment gossip and fashion related publications Bangkok is also the hub of Thailand s broadcast television All six national terrestrial channels Channels 3 5 and 7 Modernine NBT and Thai PBS have headquarters and main studios in the capital GMM Grammy is Thailand s largest mass media conglomerate is also headquartered in Bangkok as well With the exception of local news segments broadcast by the NBT all programming is done in Bangkok and repeated throughout the provinces However this centralised model is weakening with the rise of cable television which has many local providers There are numerous cable and satellite channels based in Bangkok TrueVisions is the major subscription television provider in Bangkok and Thailand and it also carries international programming Bangkok was home to 40 of Thailand s 311 FM radio stations and 38 of its 212 AM stations in 2002 119 Broadcast media reform stipulated by the 1997 Constitution has been progressing slowly although many community radio stations have emerged in the city Likewise Bangkok has dominated the Thai film industry since its inception Although film settings normally feature locations throughout the country the city is home to all major film studios in Thailand such as GDH 559 GMM Grammy s film production subsidiary Sahamongkol Film International and Five Star Production Bangkok has dozens of cinemas and multiplexes and the city hosts two major film festivals annually the Bangkok International Film Festival and the World Film Festival of Bangkok Art Edit The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre the city s major public contemporary art venue was opened in 2008 after many delays Traditional Thai art long developed within religious and royal contexts continues to be sponsored by various government agencies in Bangkok including the Department of Fine Arts Office of Traditional Arts The SUPPORT Foundation in Chitralada Palace sponsors traditional and folk handicrafts Various communities throughout the city still practice their traditional crafts including the production of khon masks alms bowls and classical musical instruments The National Gallery hosts permanent collection of traditional and modern art with temporary contemporary exhibits Bangkok s contemporary art scene has slowly grown from relative obscurity into the public sphere over the past two decades Private galleries gradually emerged to provide exposure for new artists including the Patravadi Theatre and H Gallery The centrally located Bangkok Art and Culture Centre opened in 2008 following a fifteen year lobbying campaign is now the largest public exhibition space in the city 120 There are also many other art galleries and museums including the privately owned Museum of Contemporary Art The city s performing arts scene features traditional theatre and dance as well as Western style plays Khon and other traditional dances are regularly performed at the National Theatre and Salachalermkrung Royal Theatre while the Thailand Cultural Centre is a newer multi purpose venue which also hosts musicals orchestras and other events Numerous venues regularly feature a variety of performances throughout the city Sport Edit Rajamangala Stadium was built for the 1998 Asian Games and Thailand national football team home stadium As is the national trend association football and Muay Thai dominate Bangkok s spectator sport scene 121 Muangthong United Bangkok United BG Pathum United Port and Police Tero are major Thai League clubs based in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region 122 123 while the Rajadamnern and Lumpini stadiums are the main kickboxing venues While sepak takraw can be seen played in open spaces throughout the city football and other modern sports are now the norm Western sports introduced during the reign of King Chulalongkorn were originally only available to the privileged and such status is still associated with certain sports Golf is popular among the upwardly mobile and there are several courses in Bangkok Horse racing highly popular at the mid 20th century still takes place at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club There are many public sporting facilities located throughout Bangkok The two main centres are the National Stadium complex which dates to 1938 and the newer Hua Mak Sports Complex which was built for the 1998 Asian Games Bangkok had also hosted the games in 1966 1970 and 1978 the most of any city The city was the host of the inaugural Southeast Asian Games in 1959 the 2007 Summer Universiade and the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup Transport EditMain article Transport in Bangkok This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Bangkok news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Streetlamps and headlights illuminate the Makkasan Interchange of the expressway The system sees a traffic of over 1 5 million vehicles per day 124 Although Bangkok s canals historically served as a major mode of transport they have long since been surpassed in importance by land traffic Charoen Krung Road the first to be built by Western techniques was completed in 1864 Since then the road network has vastly expanded to accommodate the sprawling city A complex elevated expressway network and Don Mueang Tollway helps bring traffic into and out of the city centre but Bangkok s rapid growth has put a large strain on infrastructure and traffic jams have plagued the city since the 1990s Although rail transport was introduced in 1893 and trams served the city from 1888 to 1968 it was only in 1999 that Bangkok s first rapid transit system began operation Older public transport systems include an extensive bus network and boat services which still operate on the Chao Phraya and two canals Taxis appear in the form of cars motorcycles and tuk tuk auto rickshaws Bangkok is connected to the rest of the country through the national highway and rail networks as well as by domestic flights to and from the city s two international airports Its centuries old maritime transport of goods is still conducted through Khlong Toei Port The BMA is largely responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the road network and transport systems through its Public Works Department and Traffic and Transportation Department However many separate government agencies are also in charge of the individual systems and much of transport related policy planning and funding is contributed to by the national government Roads Edit Road based transport is the primary mode of travel in Bangkok Due to the city s organic development its streets do not follow an organized grid structure Forty eight major roads link the different areas of the city branching into smaller streets and lanes soi which serve local neighbourhoods Eleven bridges over the Chao Phraya link the two sides of the city while several expressway and motorway routes bring traffic into and out of the city centre and link with nearby provinces Traffic jams seen here on Sukhumwit Road are common in Bangkok Bangkok s rapid growth in the 1980s resulted in sharp increases in vehicle ownership and traffic demand which have since continued in 2006 there were 3 943 211 in use vehicles in Bangkok of which 37 6 percent were private cars and 32 9 percent were motorcycles 125 These increases in the face of limited carrying capacity caused severe traffic congestion evident by the early 1990s The extent of the problem is such that the Thai Traffic Police has a unit of officers trained in basic midwifery in order to assist deliveries which do not reach hospital in time 126 While Bangkok s limited road surface area 8 percent compared to 20 30 percent in most Western cities is often cited as a major cause of its traffic jams other factors including high vehicle ownership rate relative to income level inadequate public transport systems and lack of transportation demand management also play a role 127 Efforts to alleviate the problem have included the construction of intersection bypasses and an extensive system of elevated highways as well as the creation of several new rapid transit systems The city s overall traffic conditions however remain poor Traffic has been the main source of air pollution in Bangkok which reached serious levels in the 1990s But efforts to improve air quality by improving fuel quality and enforcing emission standards among others had visibly ameliorated the problem by the 2000s Atmospheric particulate matter levels dropped from 81 micrograms per cubic metre in 1997 to 43 in 2007 128 However increasing vehicle numbers and a lack of continued pollution control efforts threatens a reversal of the past success 129 In January February 2018 weather conditions caused bouts of haze to cover the city with particulate matter under 2 5 micrometres PM2 5 rising to unhealthy levels for several days on end 130 131 Although the BMA has created thirty signed bicycle routes along several roads totalling 230 kilometres 140 mi 132 cycling is still largely impractical especially in the city centre Most of these bicycle lanes share the pavement with pedestrians Poor surface maintenance encroachment by hawkers and street vendors and a hostile environment for cyclists and pedestrians make cycling and walking unpopular methods of getting around in Bangkok Buses and taxis Edit Many buses minibuses and taxis share the streets with private vehicles at Victory Monument a major public transport hub Bangkok has an extensive bus network providing local transit services within the Greater Bangkok area The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority BMTA operates a monopoly on bus services with substantial concessions granted to private operators Buses minibus vans and song thaeo operate on a total of 470 routes throughout the region 133 A separate bus rapid transit system owned by the BMA has been in operation since 2010 Known simply as the BRT the system currently consists of a single line running from the business district at Sathon to Ratchaphruek on the western side of the city The Transport Co Ltd is the BMTA s long distance counterpart with services to all provinces operating out of Bangkok Taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok and are a popular form of transport As of August 2012 update there are 106 050 cars 58 276 motorcycles and 8 996 tuk tuk motorized tricycles cumulatively registered for use as taxis 134 Meters have been required for car taxis since 1992 while tuk tuk fares are usually negotiated Motorcycle taxis operate from regulated ranks with either fixed or negotiable fares and are usually employed for relatively short journeys Despite their popularity taxis have gained a bad reputation for often refusing passengers when the requested route is not to the driver s convenience 135 Motorcycle taxis were previously unregulated and subject to extortion by organized crime gangs Since 2003 registration has been required for motorcycle taxi ranks and drivers now wear distinctive numbered vests designating their district of registration and where they are allowed to accept passengers Several ride hailing super apps operate within the city including Grab offering car and motorbike options 136 and AirAsia in 2022 137 138 The Estonian company Bolt launched airport transfer and ride hailing services in 2020 Ride sharing startup MuvMi launched in 2018 and operates an electric tuk tuk service in 9 areas across the city 139 140 Rail systems Edit Main article Rail transport in Bangkok A BTS train departs from Ratchadamri station towards Siam station Bangkok is the location of Hua Lamphong Railway Station the main terminus of the national rail network operated by the State Railway of Thailand SRT In addition to long distance services the SRT also operates a few daily commuter trains running from and to the outskirts of the city during the rush hour Bangkok is served by four rapid transit systems the BTS Skytrain the MRT the SRT Red Lines and the elevated Airport Rail Link Although proposals for the development of rapid transit in Bangkok had been made since 1975 141 it was only in 1999 that the BTS finally began operation The BTS consists of two lines Sukhumvit and Silom with 59 stations along 68 25 kilometres 42 41 mi 142 The MRT opened for use in July 2004 and currently consists of two lines the Blue Line and Purple Line with 53 stations along 70 6 kilometres 43 9 mi The Airport Rail Link opened in August 2010 connects the city centre to Suvarnabhumi Airport to the east Its eight stations span a distance of 28 6 kilometres 17 8 mi The SRT Red Lines Commuter opened in 2021 and consists of two lines The SRT Dark Red Line and SRT Light Red Line with currently 14 stations along 41 kilometres 25 mi Although initial passenger numbers were low and their service area was limited to the inner city until the 2016 opening of the Purple Line which serves the Nonthaburi area these systems have become indispensable to many commuters The BTS reported an average of 600 000 daily trips in 2012 143 while the MRT had 240 000 passenger trips per day 144 As of September 2020 update construction work is ongoing to extend the city wide transit system s reach including the construction of the Light Red grade separated commuter rail line The entire Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan in Bangkok Metropolitan Region consists of eight main lines and four feeder lines totaling 508 kilometres 316 mi to be completed by 2029 In addition to rapid transit and heavy rail lines there have been proposals for several monorail systems Water transport Edit A Chao Phraya Express Boat on the Chao Phraya near Wat Arun Although much diminished from its past prominence water based transport still plays an important role in Bangkok and the immediate upstream and downstream provinces Several water buses serve commuters daily The Chao Phraya Express Boat serves thirty four stops along the river carrying an average of 35 586 passengers per day in 2010 while the smaller Khlong Saen Saep boat service serves twenty seven stops on Saen Saep Canal with 57 557 daily passengers Long tail boats operate on fifteen regular routes on the Chao Phraya and passenger ferries at thirty two river crossings served an average of 136 927 daily passengers in 2010 145 Bangkok Port popularly known by its location as Khlong Toei Port was Thailand s main international port from its opening in 1947 until it was superseded by the deep sea Laem Chabang Port in 1991 It is primarily a cargo port though its inland location limits access to ships of 12 000 deadweight tonnes or less The port handled 11 936 855 tonnes 13 158 130 tons of cargo in the first eight months of the 2010 fiscal year about 22 percent the total of the country s international ports 146 147 Airports Edit Suvarnabhumi Airport is home to flag carrier Thai Airways International Bangkok is one of Asia s busiest air transport hubs Two commercial airports serve the city the older Don Mueang International Airport and the newer Suvarnabhumi Airport Suvarnabhumi which replaced Don Mueang as Bangkok s main airport after its opening in 2006 served 52 808 013 passengers in 2015 148 making it the world s 20th busiest airport by passenger volume This volume exceeded its designed capacity of 45 million passengers Don Mueang reopened for domestic flights in 2007 149 and resumed international service focusing on low cost carriers in October 2012 150 Suvarnabhumi is undergoing expansion to increase its capacity to 60 million passengers by 2019 and 90 million by 2021 151 Health and education EditEducation Edit The campus of Chulalongkorn University was surrounded by rural fields when it was established in 1917 Pathum Wan District has since become part of the Bangkok city centre Bangkok has long been the centre of modern education in Thailand The first schools in the country were established here in the later 19th century and there are now 1 351 schools in the city 152 The city is home to the country s five oldest universities Chulalongkorn Thammasat Kasetsart Mahidol and Silpakorn founded between 1917 and 1943 The city has since continued its dominance especially in higher education the majority of the country s universities both public and private are located in Bangkok or the Metropolitan Region Chulalongkorn and Mahidol are the only Thai universities to appear in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings 153 King Mongkut s University of Technology Thonburi also located in Bangkok is the only Thai university in the top 400 of the 2012 13 Times Higher Education World University Rankings 154 Over the past few decades the general trend of pursuing a university degree has prompted the founding of new universities to meet the needs of Thai students Bangkok became not only a place where immigrants and provincial Thais go for job opportunities but also for a chance to receive a university degree Ramkhamhaeng University emerged in 1971 as Thailand s first open university it now has the highest enrolment in the country The demand for higher education has led to the founding of many other universities and colleges both public and private While many universities have been established in major provinces the Greater Bangkok region remains home to the greater majority of institutions and the city s tertiary education scene remains over populated with non Bangkokians The situation is not limited to higher education either In the 1960s 60 to 70 percent of 10 to 19 year olds who were in school had migrated to Bangkok for secondary education This was due to both a lack of secondary schools in the provinces and perceived higher standards of education in the capital 155 Although this discrepancy has since largely abated tens of thousands of students still compete for places in Bangkok s leading schools Education has long been a prime factor in the centralization of Bangkok and will play a vital role in the government s efforts to decentralize the country Healthcare Edit Siriraj Hospital established in 1888 is the oldest hospital in Thailand Much of Thailand s medical resources are disproportionately concentrated in the capital In 2000 Bangkok had 39 6 percent of the country s doctors and a physician to population ratio of 1 794 compared to a median of 1 5 667 among all provinces 156 The city is home to 42 public hospitals five of which are university hospitals as well as 98 private hospitals and 4 063 registered clinics dead link 157 The BMA operates nine public hospitals through its Medical Service Department and its Health Department provides primary care through sixty eight community health centres Thailand s universal healthcare system is implemented through public hospitals and health centres as well as participating private providers Research oriented medical school affiliates such as Siriraj King Chulalongkorn Memorial and Ramathibodi Hospitals are among the largest in the country and act as tertiary care centres receiving referrals from distant parts of the country Lately especially in the private sector there has been much growth in medical tourism with hospitals such as Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital among others providing services specifically catering to foreigners An estimated 200 000 medical tourists visited Thailand in 2011 making Bangkok the most popular global destination for medical tourism 158 Crime and safety Edit Political violence has at times spilled onto the streets of Bangkok as seen during the military crackdown on protesters in 2010 Bangkok has a relatively moderate crime rate when compared to urban counterparts around the world 159 Traffic accidents are a major hazard 160 while natural disasters are rare Intermittent episodes of political unrest and occasional terrorist attacks have resulted in losses of life Although the crime threat in Bangkok is relatively low non confrontational crimes of opportunity such as pick pocketing purse snatching and credit card fraud occur with frequency 159 Bangkok s growth since the 1960s has been followed by increasing crime rates partly driven by urbanisation migration unemployment and poverty By the late 1980s Bangkok s crime rates were about four times that of the rest of the country The police have long been preoccupied with street crimes ranging from housebreaking to assault and murder 161 The 1990s saw the emergence of vehicle theft and organized crime particularly by foreign gangs 162 Drug trafficking especially that of ya ba methamphetamine pills is also chronic 163 164 According to police statistics the most common complaint received by the Metropolitan Police Bureau in 2010 was housebreaking with 12 347 cases This was followed by 5 504 cases of motorcycle thefts 3 694 cases of assault and 2 836 cases of embezzlement Serious offences included 183 murders 81 gang robberies 265 robberies 1 kidnapping and 9 arson cases Offences against the state were by far more common and included 54 068 drug related cases 17 239 cases involving prostitution and 8 634 related to gambling 165 The Thailand Crime Victim Survey conducted by the Office of Justice Affairs of the Ministry of Justice found that 2 7 percent of surveyed households reported a member being victim of a crime in 2007 Of these 96 1 percent were crimes against property 2 6 percent were crimes against life and body and 1 4 percent were information related crimes 166 Political demonstrations and protests are common in Bangkok The historic uprisings of 1973 1976 and 1992 are infamously known for the deaths from military suppression Most events since then have been peaceful but the series of major protests since 2006 have often turned violent Demonstrations during March May 2010 ended in a crackdown in which 92 were killed including armed and unarmed protesters security forces civilians and journalists Terrorist incidents have also occurred in Bangkok most notably the bombing in 2015 at the Erawan shrine which killed 20 and also a series of bombings on the 2006 07 New Year s Eve Traffic accidents are a major hazard in Bangkok There were 37 985 accidents in the city in 2010 resulting in 16 602 injuries and 456 deaths as well as 426 42 million baht in damages However the rate of fatal accidents is much lower than in the rest of Thailand While accidents in Bangkok amounted to 50 9 percent of the entire country only 6 2 percent of fatalities occurred in the city 167 Another serious public health hazard comes from Bangkok s stray dogs Up to 300 000 strays are estimated to roam the city s streets 168 and dog bites are among the most common injuries treated in the emergency departments of the city s hospitals Rabies is prevalent among the dog population and treatment for bites pose a heavy public burden l Calls to move the capital Edit Bangkok is faced with multiple problems including congestion and especially subsidence and flooding which have raised the issue of moving the nation s capital elsewhere The idea is not new during World War II Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram planned unsuccessfully to relocate the capital to Phetchabun In the 2000s the Thaksin Shinawatra administration assigned the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council NESDC to formulate a plan to move the capital to Nakhon Nayok province The 2011 floods revived the idea of moving government functions from Bangkok In 2017 the military government assigned NESDC to study the possibility of moving government offices from Bangkok to Chachoengsao province in the east 170 171 172 International relations Edit Protesters in front of the United Nations Building during the 2009 Bangkok Climate Change Conference Bangkok is home to several UN offices The city s formal international relations are managed by the International Affairs Division of the BMA Its missions include partnering with other major cities through sister city or friendship agreements participation and membership in international organizations and pursuing cooperative activities with the many foreign diplomatic missions based in the city 173 International participation Edit Bangkok is a member of several international organizations and regional city government networks including the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 the Japan led Asian Pacific City Summit the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group the ESCAP sponsored Regional Network of Local Authorities for Management of Human Settlements in Asia and Pacific CITYNET Japan s Council of Local Authorities for International Relations the World Association of the Major Metropolises and Local Governments for Sustainability among others 173 With its location at the heart of mainland Southeast Asia and as one of Asia s hubs of transportation Bangkok is home to many international and regional organizations Among others Bangkok is the seat of the Secretariat of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ESCAP as well as the Asia Pacific regional offices of the Food and Agricultural Organization FAO the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO the International Labour Organization ILO the International Organization for Migration IOM the International Telecommunication Union ITU the UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR and the UN Children s Fund UNICEF 174 City partnerships Edit Bangkok has made sister city or friendship agreements with 175 Aichi Prefecture Japan 2012 176 Ankara Turkey 2012 177 Astana Kazakhstan 2004 178 Beijing China 1993 179 Brisbane Australia 1997 180 Budapest Hungary 1997 181 Busan South Korea 2011 182 Chaozhou China 2005 183 184 Chengdu China 2017 185 Chongqing China 2011 186 Daegu South Korea 2017 187 Dalian China 2016 188 Fukuoka Prefecture Japan 2006 189 Guangzhou China 2009 190 191 Hanoi Vietnam 2004 192 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 2015 193 Huế Vietnam 2016 194 Jakarta Indonesia 2002 195 Lausanne Switzerland 2009 196 Lisbon Portugal 2016 197 Manila Philippines 1997 198 199 Moscow Russia 1997 200 Penang Island Malaysia 2012 201 Porto Portugal 2016 202 Phnom Penh Cambodia 2013 203 Saint Petersburg Russia 1997 204 205 Seoul South Korea 2006 206 Shandong China 2013 207 Shanghai China 2012 208 Shenzhen China 2015 209 Tehran Iran 2012 210 Tianjin China 2012 211 Ulaanbaatar Mongolia 2017 212 Vientiane Laos 2004 213 Washington D C United States 1962 2002 214 215 Wuhan China 2013 216 See also EditOutline of Bangkok Thai people World s largest citiesExplanatory notes Edit British English b ae ŋ ˈ k ɒ k 6 7 American English ˈ b ae ŋ k ɒ k 7 8 krungethphmhankhr pronounced kruŋ tʰeːp mahǎː nakʰɔ ːn listen where the phrase Maha Nakhon literally translates to large or great city Thai pronunciation help info Two plants are known in Thai by the name makok E hygrophilus makok nam water makok and Spondias pinnata makok pa jungle makok The species that grew in the area was likely makok nam While this ceremonial name is generally believed based on writings by the Somdet Phra Wannarat Kaeo to have originally been given by King Rama I and later modified by King Mongkut it did not come into use until the latter reign 16 This ceremonial name uses two ancient Indian languages Pali and Sanskrit prefaced with the only one Thai word Krung which means capital According to the romanisation of these languages it can actually be written as Krung deva maha nagara amara ratanakosindra mah indr ayudhya maha tilaka bhava nava ratana raja dhani puri ramya uttama rajanivesana mah asthana amara vimana avatara sthitya shakrasdattiya viṣṇu karma prasiddhi listen help info In contrast to the 169 letter long transcription provided above in this article the form recorded in the Guinness World Records is missing the first letter h in Amonphimanawatansathit resulting in a word 168 letters long The BMA gives an elevation figure of 2 31 metres 7 ft 7 in 1 Thai ethnicity is rather a question of cultural identity than of genetic origin 79 Many people in Bangkok who self identify as Thai have at least some Chinese ancestry 80 An introductory publication by the BMA gives a figure of 80 percent Thai 10 percent Chinese and 10 percent other although this is likely a rough estimate 81 By one recent estimate at least 60 percent of the city s residents are of Chinese descent 83 A 1993 study found dog bites to constitute 5 3 percent of injuries seen at Siriraj Hospital s emergency department 169 References EditCitations Edit a b c d e Thavisin et al eds 2006 p 24 Reproduced in Geography of Bangkok BMA website Archived from the original on 5 July 2011 Retrieved 8 September 2007 a b Tangchonlatip Kanchana 2007 krungethphmhankhr emuxngotediywtlxdkalkhxngpraethsithy Bangkok Thailand s forever primate city In Thongthai Varachai Punpuing Sureeporn eds prachakraelasngkhm 2550 Population and society 2007 Nakhon Pathom Thailand Institute for Population and Social Research Archived from the original on 4 March 2012 Retrieved 26 September 2012 a b Sinsakul Sin August 2000 Late Quaternary geology of the Lower Central Plain Thailand Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 18 4 415 426 Bibcode 2000JAESc 18 415S doi 10 1016 S1367 9120 99 00075 9 a b c d Table 1 Population by sex household by type of household changwat and area PDF The 2010 Population and Housing Census Whole Kingdom popcensus nso go th National Statistical Office 2012 p 32 Archived from the original PDF on 12 March 2019 Retrieved 6 September 2020 a b Thailand The World Factbook CIA Retrieved 26 September 2020 Bangkok British and World English Dictionary Oxford Dictionaries Archived from the original on 5 August 2017 Retrieved 4 August 2017 a b Definition of Bangkok Collins English Dictionary online HarperCollins Retrieved 26 March 2014 Bangkok US English Dictionary Oxford Dictionaries Archived from the original on 5 August 2017 Retrieved 4 August 2017 a b Chandrashtitya Tipawan Matungka Chiraporn prawtiemuxngthnburi History of Thonburi City Arts amp Cultural Office in Thai Dhonburi Rajabhat University Archived from the original on 13 July 2010 Retrieved 11 December 2011 a b c d Committee for the Rattanakosin Bicentennial Celebration 1982 cdhmayehtukarxnurkskrungrtnoksinthr Rattanakosin City conservation archives Department of Fine Arts Reproduced in kwacamaepnkrungethph The path to become Bangkok BMA Data Center Archived from the original on 19 December 2014 Retrieved 1 August 2012 a b c Baker amp Pongpaichit 2005 pp 37 41 45 52 71 149 150 162 199 204 Beech Hannah Suhartono Muktita 14 October 2020 As Motorcade Rolls By Thai Royal Family Glimpses the People s Discontent The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 14 October 2020 Retrieved 15 October 2020 phcnanukrm chbbrachbnthitysthan ph s 2542 Royal Institute Dictionary B E 1999 online edition in Thai Royal Institute Archived from the original on 12 November 2013 Retrieved 12 September 2012 Wongthes Sujit 2012 krungethph macakihn Bangkok A Historical Background in Thai Bangkok Dream Catcher p 37 ISBN 9786167686004 Archived from the original on 17 December 2014 Retrieved 9 June 2013 saranarukrungthnburi Interesting facts about the city of Thonburi Phra Racha Wang Derm in Thai Phra Racha Wang Derm Restoration Foundation Archived from the original on 2 March 2012 Retrieved 11 December 2011 a b Phakathikhom Chanchai 2005 namphrankhr srixyuthya maaetihn What were the origins of the capital name Si Ayutthaya PDF Senathipat in Thai 54 3 114 123 ISSN 0857 3891 Archived from the original PDF on 20 October 2020 Retrieved 31 July 2013 Roberts Edmund 1837 1837 Chapter XVIII City of Bang kok Embassy to the Eastern courts of Cochin China Siam and Muscat in the U S sloop of war Peacock during the years 1832 3 4 Harper amp Brothers p image 288 ISBN 9780608404066 OCLC 12212199 Retrieved 5 April 2013 The spot on which the present capital stands and the country in its vicinity on both banks of the river for a considerable distance were formerly before the removal of the court to its present situation called Bang kok but since that time and for nearly sixty years past it has been named Sia yuthia pronounced See ah you te ah and by the natives Krung that is the capital it is called by both names here but never Bang kok and they always correct foreigners when the latter make this mistake The villages which 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June 2009 Retrieved 24 September 2012 Bhanganada Kasian Wilde Henry Sakolsataydorn Piyasakol Oonsombat Pairoj December 1993 Dog bite injuries at a Bangkok teaching hospital Acta Tropica 55 4 249 255 doi 10 1016 0001 706X 93 90082 M PMID 8147281 Rossman Vadim 2018 Capital Cities Varieties and Patterns of Development and Relocation Taylor amp Francis pp 103 4 ISBN 9781317562856 Lamb Kate 30 September 2019 Thailand PM considers moving capital as Bangkok congestion takes toll The Guardian Retrieved 30 September 2019 Katharangsiporn Kanana Theparat Chatrudee 30 September 2019 A capital idea Bangkok Post Retrieved 30 September 2019 a b International Affairs Division Project Plan International Affairs Division website International Affairs Division Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Retrieved 12 September 2012 UN Offices in Thailand United Nations Thailand website United Nations Thailand Archived from the original on 16 April 2012 Retrieved 9 May 2012 International Affairs Division 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Canton de Vaud Confederation Helvetique et La Ville de Bangkok Royaume de Thailande PDF The City of Lisbon Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 19 July 2016 Friendship And Co Operation Agreement between The City of Lisbon Portugal Republic and The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kingdom of Thailand PDF Existing Sister Cities City of Manila Archived from the original on 6 August 2009 Retrieved 2 September 2009 Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City of Manila 24 June 1997 Sister city friendship affiliation Bangkok Metropolitan Administration City of Moscow 19 June 1997 Protocol of friendly ties between the cities of Bangkok and Moscow PDF Municipal Council of Penang Island Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 5 April 2012 Memorandum of understanding between Municipal Council of Penang Island of Malaysia and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration of the Kingdom of Thailand on the establishment of friendly cities PDF The Municipality of Porto Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 5 August 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Province Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Memorandum of understanding between People s Government of Shandong Province People s Republic of China and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kingdom of Thailand PDF Foreign Affairs Office Shanghai Municipal International Affairs Division Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 17 December 2012 Memorandum on Friendly Cooperation and Exchange between Foreign Affairs Office Shanghai Municipal People s Government People s Republic of China and International Affairs Division Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kingdom of Thailand PDF The City of Shenzhen 10 July 2015 Bangkok Tehran Municipality Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 6 December 2012 Memorandum of understanding between Tehran Municipality Islamic Republic of Iran and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kingdom of Thailand Archived from the original on 1 June 2017 Retrieved 9 November 2019 Tianjin Municipal Government Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 27 February 2012 Agreement between Tianjin Municipal Government of the People s Republic of China and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration of the Kingdom of Thailand on the establishment of friendship exchanges and cooperative relationship PDF Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Ulaanbaatar 27 July 2017 Agreement on the Establishment of Sister City Relations Between The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration The Kingdom of Thailand and The City of Ulaanbaatar Mongolia PDF City of Vientiane Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 24 May 2004 bnthukwadwykhwamrwmmux rahwangnkhrhlwngewiyngcnthnaelakrungethphmhankhr PDF District of Columbia Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 19 February 1962 Resolution Sister City Affiliation of Washington D C and Bangkok Thailand PDF District of Columbia Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 15 July 2002 Reaffirmation agreement between Washington D C and Bangkok Thailand PDF People s Government of Wuhan Municipal Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Memorandum of understanding between People s Government of Wuhan Municipal People s Republic of China and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kingdom of Thailand General and cited references Edit Baker Chris Phongpaichit Pasuk 2005 A History of Thailand Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 01647 6 Hamilton Annette 2000 Wonderful Terrible Everyday Life in Bangkok In Bridge Gary Vatson Sophie eds A Companion to the City Blackwell Publishing pp 460 471 ISBN 978 0 631 23578 1 Naudin Thierry ed 2010 The State of Asian Cities 2010 11 PDF United Nations Human Settlements Programme ISBN 978 92 1 132274 3 Archived from the original PDF on 19 January 2013 Retrieved 25 September 2012 Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board NESDB August 2012 Gross Regional and Provincial Product chain volume measures 1995 2010 edition Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board Archived from the original ZIP PDF on 4 February 2013 Retrieved 25 September 2012 Thavisin Nathanon Semson Pongsak Padhanarath Kriengpol eds 2006 Your Key to Bangkok Bangkok International Affairs Division Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ISBN 978 974 9565 72 8 Archived from the original on 2 October 2013 Traffic and Transportation Department 2011 sthiticracr pi 2553 Traffic statistics 2010 PDF Traffic and Transportation Department Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Archived from the original PDF on 19 September 2018 Retrieved 19 September 2018 Further reading EditCornwel Smith Philip 2020 Very Bangkok In the City of the Senses Book review Bangkok River Books ISBN 9786164510432 Retrieved 21 February 2020 Unaldi Serhat May 2016 Working Towards the Monarchy The Politics of Space in Downtown Bangkok Hardcover ed University of Hawaii Press ISBN 9780824855727 Retrieved 31 May 2019 Van Beek Steve 2018 News from the 90s Bangkok 1890 1899 Bangkok piywir runcinda ISBN 9786169317104 Retrieved 24 November 2018 External links EditBangkok at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel information from Wikivoyage Resources from Wikiversity Data from Wikidata Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Official website bangkoktourist com Official travel guide by the BMA Culture Sports and Tourism Department Destination Bangkok at Tourism Authority of Thailand Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bangkok amp oldid 1133428404, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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