City Overview

Bangkok known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, is the capital of and largest city in Thailand, with an official year 2000 census population of 6,355,144, but actually numbering at least twice that. Bangkok is located at 13°45'N 100°31'E Coordinates: 13°45'N 100°31'E, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.

Bangkok is the 22^nd most populous city in the world. Although Bangkok now has roughly 7 million registered inhabitants, the actual population is much higher, and including commuters from the surrounding areas, may reach an estimated 10-15 million people during the day time. Recently, the value of Bangkok's economic output has matched that of Singapore, making Bangkok a major economic and financial center in Southeast Asia. Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Bangkok is considered to be one of the world's top tourist hotspots and is currently Asia's top tourist destination - the third in the world according to Travel and Leisure magazine. The city boasts some of the country's most visted historical venues such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the various monuments and shopping malls. There are numerous projects to maintain Bangkok's historic sites such as the Rattanakosin area and river districts. Bangkok is Thailand's major tourist gateway, which means that the majority of foreign tourists arrive in Bangkok. An estimated 15 million foreigners arrive in Bangkok every year and many are lured back for a second visit due to the cheap cost of living and the quality of services provided.

Processed food, wood, and textiles are leading exports. Industrial plants include rice mills, cement factories, sawmills, oil refineries, and shipyards. Textiles, motor vehicles, electrical goods, and food products are also manufactured. The city is a famous jewelry trading center, dealing in silver and bronze ware and precious stones. Ethnic Chinese dominate both commerce and industry in Bangkok, whose population includes sizable Indian, Pakistani, European, and American communities.

Bangkok covers an area of 7,758 square kilometers (2,995 square miles).Major tourist attractions include glittering Buddhist temples, palaces, timeless 'Venice of the East' canal and river scenes, classical dance extravaganzas, an almost legendary nightlife, and numerous air-conditioned shopping centers.

The city began as a small trading center and port community serving Ayutthaya, the capital of Siam until its destruction by Burmese invaders in 1767. Thon Buri became the capital in 1769, but in 1782, King Rama I, founder of the present Chakkri dynasty, built his royal palace on the east bank of the river and made Bangkok his capital. The vast, walled Grand Palace complex encompasses the Wat Phra Kaew, the royal chapel housing the sacred image of the Emerald Buddha. There are more than 400 other Buddhist temples in Bangkok. During World War II the city was occupied by the Japanese and was a target of Allied bombing raids.

Bangkok is home of the regional headquarters of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), as well as many other international businesses and organizations. Bangkok’s educational and cultural facilities include five universities, a fine arts academy, the national theater, and the national museum, which has a large collection of Thai antiquities. Of particular interest is the daily floating market, in which merchandise is sold aboard boats on canals.