It’s no secret there is a lot of poverty in\u00a0Bangkok, but there is also an untold amount of\u00a0wealth, and the diversity between the two is somewhat captivating. That’s just the way things are in Thailand, most people accept their\u00a0social status\u00a0with grace, and that’s what makes it ‘the Land of the Smiles.’<\/p>\n
Bangkok\u00a0is\u00a0Thailand’s capital city\u00a0and countries\u00a0largest urban area. Known in Thai as ‘Krung Thep’, the city has a\u00a0population\u00a0of approx\u00a08 million registered citizens, but due to the influx of\u00a0immigrant workers\u00a0and\u00a0unregistered residents, the total is estimated at\u00a015 million.<\/p>\n Bangkok\u00a0covers an area of\u00a01,568.7 km2\u00a0(606 square miles), making it the\u00a021st<\/sup>\u00a0biggest city in the world. The city is made up of\u00a050 districts, which are known in Thai as\u00a0Khet’s. These districts often cover larger areas, and may not offer much navigational help when getting round\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Thais\u00a0will refer to an area by the name and number of the road, or points of interest such as\u00a0temples,\u00a0markets,\u00a0shopping malls,\u00a0major junctions, etc.<\/p>\n There are several\u00a0major business districts\u00a0in\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0including\u00a0Silom,\u00a0Bangrak,\u00a0Sathorn,\u00a0Param 3,\u00a0Param 2,\u00a0Pra Nakhon,\u00a0Pathumwan,\u00a0Chatuchak\u00a0and\u00a0Pin Klao.<\/p>\n Residential areas\u00a0are either crammed in what little space is left of the\u00a0greater Bangkok area, or spread out through slightly less dense\u00a0urban suburbs.<\/p>\n Tourist areas\u00a0are also spread across the city,\u00a0backpackers\u00a0tend to head for the\u00a0cheap guest houses\u00a0of\u00a0Khao San Road\u00a0and the surround Banglumpoo area. Others may choose to stay in the hustle and bustle of\u00a0China Town, or in the\u00a0luxury\u00a0of the\u00a0central shopping areas\u00a0like\u00a0Siam,\u00a0Silom\u00a0and the numerous areas of\u00a0Sukhumvit.<\/p>\n The full\u00a0ceremonial name\u00a0of\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0enters\u00a0Thailand\u00a0in the\u00a0Guinness Book of World Records\u00a0as the\u00a0place with longest name in the world:<\/p>\n Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The original name was given by\u00a0King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, but was later edited by\u00a0Rama 4,\u00a0King Mongkut,\u00a0Thailand’s 4th king\u00a0and inspiration for ‘Anna and the King of Siam’ and ‘The King and I’.<\/p>\n What is now known as\u00a0Bangkok\u00a0was\u00a0established in 1782\u00a0after\u00a0King Taksin’s reign, during which time the capital,\u00a0Thonburi, lay on the\u00a0west bank of the river.King Buddha Yodfa Chululoke\u00a0relocated the city on the\u00a0eastern side of the river\u00a0and gave the city its\u00a0ceremonial name.<\/p>\n Luckily for the\u00a0Thais, their\u00a0language\u00a0allows many words to be drastically shortened and the city picked up the official name of\u00a0Krung Thep Maha Nakorn\u00a0\u2013 meaning ‘the city of angles.’<\/p>\n The\u00a0origins\u00a0of the\u00a0official English name\u00a0are somewhat debatable. ‘Bang’ is the\u00a0literal Thai translation\u00a0for ‘town situated on the bank of a river,’ but it is still unclear as to where the second syllable comes from.<\/p>\n Some believe that the term is derived from ‘Koh’ \u2013 meaning\u00a0island\u00a0– in reference to areas landscape which was then covered with\u00a0canals.<\/p>\n Others believe ‘kok’ is derived from the\u00a0Thai\u00a0word for ‘one or more\u00a0olive-bearing fruits’. In\u00a0Thai,\u00a0olives\u00a0are known as ‘mahkok.’<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [button type=”link” link=”http:\/\/www.thaiwebguide.com\/bangkok\/” size=”btn-large” variation=”btn-primary”]Go to Bangkok Guide[\/button]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Information about\u00a0Bangkok often dubbed The City of Angels Bangkok\u00a0is dense and hectic, the city has a staggering 1,000\u00a0skyscrapers\u00a0and ranks as the\u00a0worlds 17th\u00a0tallest city. In amongst the\u00a0endless sprawl\u00a0of\u00a0apartments, office blocks\u00a0and\u00a0highway networks,\u00a0shacks\u00a0and\u00a0buildings\u00a0reminiscent of a time long passed hopelessly try to keep a foothold in this\u00a0rapidly developing city. It’s no secret there is a lot of poverty in\u00a0Bangkok,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1448","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"down-town-bangkok-param-6-expressway\"](\"http:\/\/www.thaiwebguide.com\/bangkok\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/down-town-bangkok-param-6-expressway.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n