Bangkok

Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ^ⓘ), is the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an official 2000 census population of 6,355,144. Bangkok is located at 13°45′N 100°31′E / 13.750°N 100.517°E / 13.750; 100.517, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.

Bangkok is a fast growing, economically and culturally dynamic city in Southeast Asia. The World Meteorological Organization has dubbed Bangkok the world's hottest large city. Moreover, it is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Bangkok is the wealthiest and most populated city in Thailand. The city is ranked as the 21st most populated city in the world

History

Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community, called Bang Makok ("place of olive plums"), serving Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the nation (then known as Siam) until it fell to Burma in 1767. A new capital was then established at Thonburi (now part of Bangkok) on the west side of the river, before King Rama I built his palace on the east bank in 1782 and renamed his city Krung Thep, meaning the "City of Angels". The name Bangkok (บางกอก^ⓘ) now refers only to an old district on the Thonburi side of the river, but continues to be used to refer to the entire city by most foreigners.

During the last couple years of World War 2 Bangkok was bombed several times by the allied forces because Thailand was allied with Japan.

Full Name

Krung Thep, or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (IPA: [kruŋtʰeːp mahaːnakʰon], กรุงเทพมหานคร^ⓘ) is the abbreviation of the city's full ceremonial name Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit (กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทราอยุธยามหาดิลก ภพนพรัตน์ ราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์ มหาสถาน อมรพิมาน อวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะ วิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์), (listen^ⓘ), which means "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, 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 Vishnukam." Local school children are taught the full name, although few can explain its meaning because many of the words are archaic. Most Thais who do recall the full name do so as a result of its use in a popular song (กรุงเทพมหานคร/Krung Thep Mahanakhon by อัสนี-วสันต์ โชติกุล/Asanee-Wasan Chotikul 1989) and will often recount it by recalling the song at the same time, much in the same way that English speakers might sing the alphabet song while reciting the English alphabet.

The full name of the city is listed by Guinness Book of Records as the world's longest place name.^[1]

Economy

Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand, and dwarfs anything in the country, so much so that other cities seem quite neglected. In 2005, it produced a GDP(PPP) of about USD 220 billion, which accounts for about 43% of the country's GDP. Its GDP(PPP) per capita is roughly USD 20,000. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is located in Bangkok with over 400 listed companies and combined market capitalization of about 5 trillion Baht (USD 120 billion) as of 5 January 2006.

Bangkok is home to all the headquarters of Thailand's large commercial banks and financial institutions. Its bank deposits totaled approximately 7 trillion Baht (USD 177 billion) at the end of the third quarter in 2005. There are 18 financial institutions with at least USD 1 billion in total assets. Many transnational Japanese companies own large offices in Thailand because it is prohibitively expensive to do so in other nations.

Tourism is a significant contributor to Thailand's economy, providing about 5% of GDP. Bangkok is the international gateway for the whole nation, and also the major transit point, as well as a destination in its own right.

The income disparity of Bangkok's residents is significant, especially among lower-income immigrant workers (from other provinces and neighboring countries) and between government officials, business elite, and retired foreigners. The poverty rate stands at 7% of the population (excluding illegal immigrants who constitute about 5-8% of population) compared to the national average of 9%.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,355,144 registered residents in the city. However, this figure does not take account of the many unregistered residents and daytime visitors from the surrounding metropolitan area. More than 50% of Bangkokians have some Chinese ancestry.^{[citation needed]} Recently, Bangkok has experienced a large influx of foreign immigrants, long-term residents, and expatriates. The number of expatriate executives stood at 65,000 as of Nov, 2005 and additional number is increase in an average of more than 1,800 permits per month.^{[citation needed]} Long-term foreign residents include 250,000 Chinese (citizens of China), 30,000 Japanese (the largest community in any Asian city outside of Japan), 100,000 Indians (35,000 Sikh) of whom more than 80% have Thai citizenship, 6,000 Americans, 45,000 Europeans (the second largest number in any Asian city after Singapore), 15,000 Taiwanese (mostly Han Chinese), 7,000 South Koreans, 6,000 Nigerians, 8,000 people of Arabic speaking countries, 25,000 Malaysians, and 4,000 Singaporeans.^{[citation needed]} There are approximately 400,000 - 600,000 illegal immigrants from Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Russia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, China, and other countries.^{[citation needed]} 92% of the population are Buddhist. The rest are Muslim (6%), Christian (1%), Jewish (300 residents), Hindu/Sikh (0.6%), and others.^{[citation needed]} There are some 400 Buddhist temples, 55 mosques, 10 churches, 2 Hindu Temples, 2 synagogues and 1 Sikh gurudwara in Bangkok.^{[citation needed]}

Year	Population
1880	255,000
1910	365,000
1. April 1919	437,294
15. July 1929	713,384
23. May 1937	890,453
25. April 1947	1,178,881

Year	Population
25. April 1960	2,136,435
1. April 1970	3,077,361
1. April 1980	4,697,071
1. April 1990	5,882,411
1. April 2000	6,320,174
1. January 2005	6,642,566

Climate

Bangkok has a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification system. Bangkok is said to have the highest average temperature of all cities in the world.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °C (°F)	31 (89)	32 (90)	33 (92)	34 (94)	33 (92)	32 (91)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (89)	31 (89)	31 (88)	30 (87)	32 (90)
Avg low temperature °C (°F)	21 (71)	23 (75)	25 (78)	26 (80)	26 (80)	26 (80)	25 (78)	25 (78)	25 (77)	25 (77)	23 (74)	21 (70)	25 (77)
Precipitation centimeters (inches)	1 (0.4)	2 (1.1)	3 (1.2)	7 (2.8)	19 (7.5)	15 (6.0)	15 (6.2)	18 (7.4)	32 (12.6)	23 (9.1)	5 (2.3)	1 (0.4)	145 (57.1)

source: Weatherbase

Administration

Bangkok is one of two special administrative areas in Thailand (the other being Pattaya) in which citizens vote to choose their Governor, unlike in Thailand's 75 other provinces (changwat). In the 2004 governatorial election Apirak Kosayothin was elected Governor.

The urban sprawl of the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Area extends beyond the borders of Bangkok province, spilling into the neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Sakhon. The province as it is today was created in 1972 when the previous Bangkok province - changwat Phra Nakhon - merged with Thonburi province.

Seal of the province

The seal of the city shows the god Indra riding in the clouds on Erawan, a mythological elephant-shaped creature (sometimes portrayed with three heads). In his hand Indra holds a lightning bolt, which is his weapon to drive away drought. The seal is based upon a painting done by Prince Naris. The tree symbol of Bangkok is Ficus benjamina.

Bangkok is subdivided into 50 districts (khet, also sometimes called amphoe as in the other provinces), which are further subdivided into 154 kwaeng (แขวง, equivalent to tambon in other provinces). Each district is managed by a district chief, appointed by the governor. District councils, elected to four-year terms, serve as advisory bodies to their respective district chiefs.

There is also an elected Bangkok Metropolitan Council, which has power over municipal ordinances and the city's budget. The last elections for local councils in Bangkok were held on 23 July, 2006. For details, please see: Thailand local elections, 2006.

Higher education

There are a large number of both private and public universities located in Bangkok. The oldest universities in Thailand are Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University and Kasetsart University. Other public and private universities include:

There are also several "Rajabhat universities", which formerly were part of the teachers college system.

Tourism

Bangkok is widely considered the main tourist destination in Thailand. It is also the main entry point into Thailand.

Wats and Palaces

Bangkok features hundereds of wats that are popular spots for tourists. Wat Arun is one of the main tourist wats. However, the main attraction of Bangkok is undoubtedly the Grand Palace.

Hotels

Bangkok boasts some of the world's best hotels as well as large numbers of budget and hourly (Love hotels) all over the city. Oriental Bangkok and Shangri-La have consistently figured in Travel and Leisure Magazine's top hotels of the world. Bangkok also has a large number of chain hotels, hostels and guesthouses. These can range anywhere from U.S. Dollars $9-$150+ a night.

Shopping

Thailand has a variety of shopping experiences from street markets to malls. Tourists have historically always preferred markets and bazaarsto the other forms of shopping. The Chatuchak weekend market is one of the largest shopping destinations in Bangkok. Water markets are gradually disappering but remain strong tourist attractions as many tours are offered through the canals the market is located on.

Transportation

A Bangkok canal with a home and residents swimming.

Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004

An elaborate network of canals (khlong) gave the city the nickname "Venice of the East" at a time when all transportation was done by boat. Today almost all canals have been filled in and converted into traffic-filled streets. However, many do still exist with people living along them and markets being conducted there as well, however they are severely polluted with sewage and nearly everything else. Apichet Kittikorncharoen, a 21-year-old singer of the band D2B, was a famous Thai actor who drove into a canal and was fished out alive, but nevertheless got fatal brain infection. ^[2] A notable one is the floating market in Taling Chan district. There is also Khlong Saen Saeb, which has a canal-boat service, as well as ferries and water taxis on the Chao Phraya River.

Roads

Several elevated highways, newly rebuilt intersections, and many partially-finished road and rail projects dot the landscape around Greater Bangkok, but have done little to overcome the notorious traffic jams on Bangkok's surface roads as private vehicle usage continues to outstrip infrastructure development. Many city residents complain they spend more than half their waking day on the dusty streets on a open-air city bus.

Rail systems

In 1999 an elevated two-line 'Skytrain' (officially called BTS) metro system was opened. The first line of the underground Bangkok Metro opened to the public in July 2004. The remains of a failed elevated railroad project (the Hopewell project) can still be seen all the way from the main railroad station out towards the Don Mueang airport. Due to the Asian financial crisis the construction was halted and the concrete pillars were left unused. Locals call them "Hopehenge," Hopeless, or Stonehenge.

In July 2004, a new MRT subway system was launched connecting the northern train station of Bang Sue to the Hua Lamphong railway station near the city center, while also going through the eastern part of the city. It connects to the BTS system at BTS Stations Mo Chit, Asok, and Sala Daeng.

Political bickering and profiteering also has stalled many promised and planned urban rail projects including Skytrain and subway extensions, and projects that are completed often are very much delayed.

A new high-speed elevated railroad called the Suvarnabhumi Express, currently under construction, will link the city with the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. The announced opening date is late 2007, but it is expected this will be delayed. The Airport Express railway is to be operated by The State Railway of Thailand. It will provide a 28.5 km link between the new airport and the City Air Terminal (CAT) at Makkasan with connections to the BTS at Phaya Thai and MRT at Petchburi. There are plans to extend the line to Don Mueang and Rangsit.

For intercity travel by train, most passengers begin their trips at Hua Lamphong at the southern end of the Metro. Here, trains connect Bangkok to Malaysia to the south, Chiang Mai and beyond to the north, and Nong Khai and beyond to the northeast.

Bus service

Virtually all cities and provinces are easily reached by bus from Bangkok. For destinations in the southwest and the west, buses leave from the Southern Bus Terminal, west of the city. For destinations in the southeast, such as Pattaya, Ko Samet and Ko Chang, buses leave from the Eastern Bus Terminal, at Ekkamai, the third-eastern-most stop on the Skytrain. For all destinations north and northeast, the Northern Bus Terminal at Mo Chit, which can be reached by both the Skytrain and Metro, is the place to start. Long distance bus service has become safer as drivers are changed and most no longer take methamphetamines including Ya Baa to stay awake, which often caused excessive speeding and passing on dangerous undivided roads.

Airports

There are two airports that serve Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi Airport (IATA: BKK; ICAO: VTBS) (pronounced RTGS Suwannaphum, or loosely Su-wan-na-poom), in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan Province is the new international airport serving Bangkok. The airport took over Don Muang's commercial flights on September 28, 2006. Don Mueang International Airport (IATA: DMK; ICAO: VTBD) was the airport that served Bangkok when it was replaced by Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28, 2006; the airport is now used for charter flights only.

Crime

Foreign residents and tourists alike complain of widespread scams and blatant price gouging. Elaborate gem store scams involving earning the trust of a Westerner who is in cooperation with locals have robbed tourists of thousands of dollars, ^[3] but overcharging is more of a daily (or hourly) occurrence. Commission based profiteering is common for restaurants, hotels, and just about anything. Often petty theft accompanies prostitution and other crime, with many reports of laptops, mobile phones, cash, and other items of value stolen, and the lack of rule of law and police and business complicity complicate matters, as well as ubiquitous pawn shops where thieves can sell stolen goods with anonymity. Armed robbery and violence against tourists is rarer but common among university students, but murder cases involving tourists and long term foreign residents do occur.

Current issues

Bangkok has long been notorious for its massive traffic jams, which are still a serious problem. Although the recent construction of elevated second-level expressways and the Bangkok Mass Transit System's (BTS) SkyTrains have eased the problem a little, much more needs to be done for the transportation infrastructure.

Environmental issues such as air pollution, a large part of which is caused by the traffic and dirt left on streets from construction projects, is also a major problem. Industrial pollution has also contributed to poor air and water quality. Though sulfur dioxide and ozone levels have fallen substantially, PM(particulate matter) is still exceeds health standards. There have been efforts to clean up Bangkok's canals, many of which are dangerously polluted, through biological means - using water hyacinths, a plant commonly found in the waterways, to cleanse the water of pollutants. [1] However, the large volume of trash in the canals must be cleaned out by other means. Mold growth is ubiquitous in Bangkok, as the tropical wet climate makes it grow, and many residents simply ignore it. Rats and cockroaches are extremely common sightings in Bangkok as trash is not properly put in bins and raw food is dumped onto ever wet sidewalks all over the city.

As in many other Asian cities, the sale of illegally copied copyright-protected material, mostly software and DVD movies, is also widespread in Bangkok, but technically illegal. One of the most popular locations in Bangkok for purchasing unauthorized copies of software is Pantip Plaza. Although many "go through the motions" attempts have been made at cracking down on illegal copying over the years, as with the sex industry, police corruption and cooperation have made it largely ineffective and illegal copying of copyrighted material is still a booming business.

Another issue which has given the city a bad reputation is the sex industry, centered on Patpong, where women and men are sold, and prostitution, which is also technically illegal, can be found all over Bangkok as vast numbers of massage parlors, saunas, parks, and hourly hotels exist within the city, serving foreign tourists as well as locals. Organized sex work in Bangkok alone involves a minimum of many thousand workers, and possibly in the tens of thousands. Though Bangkok is far more affluent than many areas in Indochina, popular youth culture encourages easy money, paid sex is seen as a means of acquiring the best of capitalism and life has to offer. Vast numbers of locals fly to Europe on extended vacations with generally older men. Although in upcountry Thailand prostitution holds a strong stigma, in Bangkok locals, hotel workers, and officials often turn a blind eye towards such behavior and allow it to continue to flourish.

Media

The Bangkok Opera puts on preformances. The Bangkok Post is the main english newspaper in the city while Thai Rath is the most widely distributed newspaper in Thai. A number of movies have been filmed in and around the bangkok area as well.

Nightlife

As with many large cities in developing countries, a large proportion of wealth situated in one area causes that region to develop quickly. In the case of Thailand, this area is Bangkok. Bangkok, like Pattaya, is notorious for its prostitute-ridden streets and a-go-go bars and cafes. There are, however, many places to find a relaxing spot and enjoy one of Asia's most diverse cities. Bangkok offers a widely varied nightlife. There are Westernized clubs and cafes for the rich, and lower-cost bars and pubs that are very popular with the locals. The city's renowned district of Phra Nakhon is home to one of the world's very first international streets–Khao San Rd. A walking street, it allows visitors to see the diversity of the world on one single road where East meets West. Sukhumvit Road boasts some of Asia's most exclusive clubs and restaurants along the 5 km section between Ekamai and Withayu, with a number of activities available for the city's thousands of night owls.