BANGKOK
INFORMATION AND TRAVEL GUIDE |
Bangkok
hotels room and accommodation with huge discount
Bangkok Attractions: General
Temples
Vimanmek
Palaces River
& Canal Tours
Museums/Exhibitions
Parks
/ Zoos
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Bangkok
was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri
dynasty. It is now the country's spiritual, cultural, diplomatic,
commercial and educational hub. It covers an area of more than
1,500 square kilometres, and it is home to approximatlely ten
million people or more than 10% of the country's population.
Over the last few decades, Thailand's capital
city, Bangkok, has changed into a modern, exciting and sophisticated
city. It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan amenities
they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure
trove of cultural attractions. Thailand, in the heart of Southeast
Asia, was never colonised and thus kept its unique culture and
heritage intact. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to
experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture
amidst the bustle of a great and dynamic metropolis. This great
city has had astounding success in combining the ancient and
modern world.
For tourists, Bangkok has a feast of attractions
to offer. The city is dotted with 400 glittering Buddhist temples
of great beauty and fascination, magnificent palaces, classical
dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres and traditional
ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East"
timeless canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River
of Kings" winding through the city. It is worth taking
a trip along its waters before exploring further into different
canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok.
Bangkok
City Guide
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. It is the
centre of politics, economy, education, culture, and transportation.
A large number of tourists often travel to Bangkok because there
are so many attractions to visit. The other attraction is the
friendly people and wonderful culture. Thai people are very
generous; it is a family based culture. Thais call there neighbor
“pee” (older brother or sister) or “nong”
(younger brother or sister). It is said Bangkok is one of the
safest cities to visit.
Geography
Bangkok is located in the central part of the country on the low-flat
plain of the Chao Phraya River, which is the most important river
that can be compared to the main artery of the nation. The location
is at latitude 130 45' north and longitude 1000 28' east. It is
a tropical land with long hours of sunshine, high temperature
and humidity.
Bangkok was established in 1782 as the new capital of Thailand
by King Rama I of the Chakri Dynasty on a flood plain delta of
the Chao Phraya River. The location was then selected with the
consideration as a natural defense from enemies and the richness
of water for lives earning. Since its establishment, the city
grew steadily in size and importance which at first covered only
4.14 square kilometers to now, a megacity that comprises of 50
districts with total area of 1568.737 square kilometers.
Climate
The climate is influenced by seasonal monsoon. There are three
main seasons; Rainy (May-October), Winter (November-January) and
Summer (February-April). The average low temperature is approximately
in low to mid 20 degree Celsius and high temperature in mid 30
degree Celsius.
Administration
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is the sole organization at
the local authority level responsible for the well-being of Bangkok
residents with some financial support from the central government.
The Governor is the chief of the city administration, elected
by popular vote for a four-year term. The Governor will appoint
four deputy governors as executive administrators.
Economy
Bangkok is the commercial center of Thailand, as well as Southeast
Asia, for imports and exports. There are two important sectors
of economy in Bangkok. First, Thailand has been an agricultural
country in South East Asia, so agriculture was the main source
generating income. Now the expansion of the agricultural sector
is steadily increasing. During the mid-1980s, agriculture accounted
for an average of about 25 percent of GDP, and agricultural commodities
accounted annually for over 60 percent of the value of all exports.
Second, Tourism has become a main source of revenue, with increasing
numbers of visitors coming to Thailand.
Population
During 1782 - 1900, the commencing period of city establishment,
Bangkok grew rather slowly. The population then was only 600,000
and urbanized area was about 18 square kilometers. After the Second
World War, the city was increasingly populated with rapid urbanization
which brought about number of infrastructures and other constructions.
The registered population in Bangkok increased from 1.6 million
in 1958 to 5.4 million in 1986 and 5.6 million in 1999. The population
of Bangkok is now close to 7 million by registered record or about
10 million of daytime population. Most residents in Bangkok are
native Thais with around 25% of the city's inhabitants being Chinese
or of Chinese descents as well as Indians, Arabs, Malays and Europeans.
Most Thais are welcoming and friendly to visitors and thus the
alias "Land of smile" is appreciated granted to Thailand.
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Provided by Tourism Authority
of Thailand
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