Bangkok

Bangkok

In 1782, King Rama I ordered the capital to be moved to Bangkok. He believed that this small trading port on an artificial island met all the requirements of a capital—close to water, easily defensible, and spacious enough to accommodate the architecture of the Chakri Dynasty. He thus named the city “Krung Theb,” meaning “City of Angels.” Foreigners call it “Bangkok,” both being abbreviations, as it has the longest official name in the world: Krungthep Mahanakhon Bovorn Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokpop Noparatratchathani Burirom udomratchaniveymahasathan Amornpiman Avatansathit Sakkathat-tiya-avisnukarmprasit.

Since the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty, Bangkok has been an irreplaceable heart of the nation. After World War II, Thailand broke free from Japanese and German influence and allied with the United States. Coupled with economic growth spurred by the Vietnam War, Bangkok experienced rapid development, seeing its population on this 6,000-square-kilometer land soar to over seven million. Government offices, embassies, and major domestic and international businesses are all concentrated here, with over 90% of vehicles registered in the city. A skyline of skyscrapers forms Bangkok’s new horizon.

Thai Bangkok