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Before Bangkok, the capital city of Siam was located at the west bank of Chao Phraya River (known as Thonburi), but it was later moved across the river to where the Grand Palace stands today. The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Bowon Rattanakosin Mahinthrayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathatiya Witsanukam Prasi, known to locals as Krung Thep (City of Angels). During the reign of early kings, Bangkok was peaceful and remained very Thai. The lives of Bangkok people depended mostly on the Chao Phraya River. Considered the main blood of Thai people, the river was the residents’ home, main food supply, major hub for transportation and a place for recreational activities. Not surprisingly, Bangkok was known as the ‘Venice of the East’ for its canals, but sadly, many have since been filled in to make roads. An important political revolution took place in 1932, when the constitutional monarchy system replaced absolute rule in a bloodless coup. Bangkok became one of many new provinces that unified to form modern Thailand and was to assume the role of the capital. Following WWII, when the city was the seat of a puppet government for the Japanese, Bangkok witnessed an influx of up-country people seeking work opportunities. Thailand suffered economically after the war, because it had to pay war reparations to the British, but trade flourished. It grew rapidly to outpace all other areas of the country and even today, it is 10 times bigger than the next largest city. Thailand soon moved on from an agricultural-based economy, and rapid industrialisation from the 1970s onwards saw the city leading Thailand’s astonishing double-digit economic growth. With this, the skyline of the city changed rapidly. In recent decades, city-planning and road systems can hardly keep up with the rapid pace of building and development, as Bangkok has become a contrasting city of wealth and working class. The opening of the skytrain in 1999 and the metro system in 2004 have seen the city emerge as one of Asia’s truly great cities. Bangkok is now a vast, sprawling metropolitan city, vibrant and bustling, with a population of about eight million, and the main hub of Thailand. An ideal destination for both local and international visitors, Bangkok boasts modern development in communications, telecommunications, transportation, education, entertainment, business, tourism and public health. | |
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