Facts about Bangkok
An elaborate network of canals known as khlongs gave Bangkok the nickname "Venice of the East" at a time when most transportation was by boat.
Here, trains connect Bangkok to Malaysia in the south, Chiang Mai to the north, and Nong Khai and beyond to the northeast.
During the 1990s, as Thailand experienced the world's highest growth rates and underwent an economic transformation, Bangkok went through dramatic changes.
The province as it is today was created in 1972, when the previous Bangkok province, changwat Phra Nakhon, merged with Thonburi province.
Recently, Bangkok has experienced a large influx of foreign immigrants, long-term residents, and expatriates.
Bangkok lies about two meters above sea level, making the city vulnerable to flooding during the monsoon season.
Bangkokian youth tend to stay within the city and use the weekends to relax.
The Bangkok Province borders six other provinces: Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom.
Bangkok is known for its large green sections within the city center, including a large forest park between Yannawa and Samut Prakan.
Bangkok has dozens of cinema multiplexes, and the city hosts two major film festivals annually, the Bangkok International Film Festival and the World Film Festival of Bangkok.
Bangkok is considered to be one of the world's tourist hotspots, and is currently Asia's top tourist destination and the third in the world according to Travel and Leisure magazine.
The Victory Monument in Bangkok is one of the city's biggest bus destinations.
The most important business districts of Bangkok include Silom, Bangrak, Pinklao, Sathon, Phra Ram 2, Petchaburi, Phra Nakhon, and Pathumwan.
Throughout the years, Bangkok has grown from a city scattered along the river to a metropolitan area that spans as many as six provinces.
The huge new shopping complex known as Siam Paragon, and CentralWorld on Rama I Road in Bangkok's city center, are among the biggest and most luxurious malls in Southeast Asia.
The MRT connects the northern train station of Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong central railway station near the city center, and passes through the eastern part of Bangkok..
Many transnational companies operate regional headquarters in Bangkok, because the cost of operation in the city is less than in most rival cities in Asia.
Bangkok has a tropical monsoon climate under the Kцppen climate classification system.
Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (IPA: , ????????????? ?) or Krung Thep (???????? ?) for short, is the capital and the largest city of Thailand.
Much of the area is considered part of the city of Bangkok, making it one of the largest cities in the world.
Bangkok is home to the headquarters of all Thailand's large commercial banks and financial institutions; 18 financial institutions hold at least USD 1 billion in total assets.
Within a few years, these new communities have become successively engulfed by greater Bangkok.
A good number of Bangkokians leave town on weekends to visit seaside resorts such as Hua Hin and Pattaya.
The Chao Phraya River, Thailand's longest river, which stretches 372 km (231 mi), is Bangkok's main geographical feature.
Chatuchak Park and Rama IX Park, built in the past 50 years, are two of Bangkok's largest parks.
The new city, however, also inherited the name Bangkok, which continued to be used by foreigners to refer to the entire city and became its official English name.
Bangkok is the 22nd most populous city in the world, with a recorded population of 6 million; the actual number is thought to be higher.
Bangkok also has two major English-language dailies, the Bangkok Post, probably the most famous, followed by The Nation.
Bangkok is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.
About 7 percent of Bangkok's population (excluding illegal immigrants who constitute about 5-8 percent of population) lives below the poverty line compared to the national average of 9 percent.
Chitralada Palace is the Bangkok residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit.
Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings.
Prostitution in Thailand is technically illegal, but can be found all over Bangkok in vast numbers of massage parlors, saunas, parks, and hourly hotels, serving foreign tourists as well as locals.
Bangkok's north and eastern areas are primarily residential areas for middle class residents of Bangkok.
Bangkok is Thailand's principal international gateway, the major domestic hub, and a destination in its own right.
On September 28, 2006, Suvarnabhumi Airport (IATA: BKK; ICAO: VTBS), became Bangkok's official international airport, replacing Don Mueang.
The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and Bangkok Opera are gradually earning recognition among international critics and regularly host performances by international performers.
Bangkok province covers 1,568.7 kmІ, making it the 68th largest province in Thailand.
The Asian Wall Street Journal and International Herald Tribune are printed in Bangkok and have high distribution numbers.
The urban sprawl of the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area extends beyond the borders of Bangkok province, spilling into the neighboring provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon.
Bangkok is said to have the highest average temperature of any city in the world.
The newly renovated Central World Plaza is intended to serve as a square to Bangkokians.
Bangkok is Thailand's major tourist gateway, which means that the majority of foreign tourists arrive in Bangkok before proceeding to coastal and inland resorts.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Area is home to two capitals of Thailand: the area historically known as Rattanakosin, and the modern Bangkok.
Bangkok is one of two special administrative areas in Thailand, the other being Pattaya, in which citizens choose their governor by election, unlike in Thailand's 75 other provinces (changwat).
Bangkok has large areas of greenery, either preserved by the Department of National Forestry or designated as "green zones."
The Chatuchak weekend market is one of the largest shopping destinations in Bangkok.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is located in Bangkok, with over 400 listed companies and combined market capitalization of about THB 5 trillion (USD 120 billion) as of January 5, 2006.
Most governmental agencies and ministries have their offices in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district alongside Dusit.
Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand, dominating the country's economy and dwarfing other urban centers.
Bangkok is subdivided into 50 districts (khet, also sometimes called amphoe in the other provinces), which are further subdivided into 154 kwaeng (????, equivalent to tambon in other provinces).
Income inequality among Bangkok's residents is significant, especially between relatively unskilled lower-income immigrants from rural provinces in Thailand and neighboring countries, and wealthier government officials, middle class professionals, business elite, and retired foreigners.
The west of Bangkok, Thon Buri, is another area of growth, rivaling the development experienced by the north and east.
Mold growth is ubiquitous in Bangkok, as the wet tropical climate makes it grow, and many residents simply ignore it.
Some of Bangkok's most expensive real estate is in Wireless Road and Chitlom.
Lumphini Park, renowned as Bangkok's Central Park, was built in the early 1900s by Rama VI.
After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese Kingdom in 1767, the newly declared King Taksin established a new capital in the area of then-Bangkok, which became known as Thonburi.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has recently installed higher barriers alongside some canals to keep water levels from reaching street level.
Suvarnabhumi Airport in the east is seen as a jump start for the eastern expansion of Bangkok, as Don Muang was for the north.
The city once used these canals, which were plentiful within Bangkok itself, as divisions for city districts.