Bangkok Thailand

Description: Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10.539 million as of 2020, 15.3 per cent of the country’s population. Over 14 million people (22.2 per cent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand’s other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy.

Population: 10,539,000

Demographics: The majority of Bangkok’s population identify as Thai, although details on the city’s ethnic make-up are unavailable, as the national census does not document race. Bangkok’s cultural pluralism dates back to the early days of its founding: several ethnic communities were formed by immigrants and forced settlers including the Khmer, northern Thai, Lao, Vietnamese, Mon and Malay. Most prominent were the Chinese, who played major roles in the city’s trade and became the majority of Bangkok’s population—estimates include up to three-fourths in 1828 and almost half in the 1950s.

History: The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century, to when it was a village on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, under the rule of Ayutthaya. Because of its strategic location near the mouth of the river, the town gradually increased in importance. Bangkok initially served as a customs outpost with forts on both sides of the river, and was the site of a siege in 1688 in which the French were expelled from Siam. As Thailand allied with Japan in World War II, Bangkok was subjected to Allied bombing, but rapidly grew in the post-war period as a result of US aid and government-sponsored investment. Bangkok’s role as a US military R&R destination boosted its tourism industry as well as firmly establishing it as a sex tourism destination. Disproportionate urban development led to increasing income inequalities and migration from rural areas into Bangkok; its population surged from 1.8 million to 3 million in the 1960s. Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s, until it was stalled by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Elevation: 2 m

Climate: Tropical savanna climate. Average annual temperature in Bangkok is 28 C (82 F), the average for July is 31 C (87 F), the average for January is 26 C (79 F).

Attractions: Wat Phra Chetuphon, Temple Of Don, Grand Palace, Temple Of The Golden Buddha, Golden Mount, Chinatown, Chaosan Road, Sukhumvit, Rajadamnern Muay Thai Stadium

Airports: Suvarnabhumi Airport BKK, Don Mueang International Airport DMK

Distance To City Centre: 30 km

Commute Length: 35 min

Average Transportation Cost: 35 USD

Traffic Hours: 6 am – 10 am, 4 pm – 8 pm