Bangkok, known in Thai as
Krung Thep, is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with a population of 6 million.
Bangkok is on the east bank
of the Chao Phraya River near estuary into the Gulf of Thailand.
Bangkok is one of the fast growing,
economically dynamic cities of Southeast Asia.
Although a regional hub, large population and central location, it lacks the sophisticated mature infrastructure of
Singapore and Hong Kong.
The World Meteorological Organization has dubbed
Bangkok the world's hottest large city.
It is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, attracting everyone from families to adventure seekers and also refugees.
Bangkok is also known for relatively low prices with vast numbers of street vendors and stalls and a large cheap labour pool.
The population figure does not include the many unregistered residents and daytime visitors from the surrounding metropolitan area.
More than 50% of Bangkokians have
some Chinese ancestry. and 92% of the population are
Buddhist. There are some 400 Buddhist temples in Bangkok.
Bangkok has a tropical monsoon
climate and is said to have the highest average temperature of all cities in the world.
Bangkok has of some of
the world's best hotels as well as large numbers of budget hotels all over the city. The Oriental Bangkok and Shangri-La hotels have consistently been in Travel and Leisure Magazine's top hotels of the world.
Tourism in Thailand is a
significant contributor to GDP.
Bangkok is the international gateway for
the whole nation and also the major transit point, as well as being a destination
in its own right.
Though tourism is a mainstay of Bangkok's economy, curfew
in Thailand is 1 am nationwide and 2 am in Patpong area.
Many nightclubs, such as Ministry of Sound, have left Bangkok for Singapore or elsewhere
in frustration with this policy. Still others refrain from opening a nightclub in an area where clubs most close by 2 am.
Ironically, there are some small nightclubs
that for some reason or another are allowed to stay open all night.
The smoking ban does not extend to nightclubs, keeping many residents away as most Thais dislike cigarette smoke.
Bangkok (originally Bang Makok) was a small village on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, until a new capital was founded on the west bank (present-day Thonburi) after the fall of Ayutthaya. In 1782, King Rama I built a palace on the east bank (now Rattanakosin) and renamed the city as Krung Thep which in English is tranlated to the 'City of Angels'. The full name is listed as the world's longest place name by the Guinness Book of Records. the correct mane is "Krung thep mahanakhon amorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok pop noparatratchathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiyavisnukarmprasit". The English translation is "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn".
Text from Wikitravel Bangkok where additional general information can be found
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