Bangkok

[5] Bangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, which eventually grew and became the site of two capital cities, Thonburi in 1767 and Rattanakosin in 1782.

The city was at the centre of the country's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as Siam—later renamed Thailand—abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings.

Although its boundaries are at the provincial (changwat) level, unlike the other 76 provinces Bangkok is a special administrative area whose governor is directly elected to serve a four-year term.

Ground water management and mitigation measures have since lessened the severity of the situation, and the rate of subsidence decreased to 10 to 30 mm (0.39 to 1.18 in) per year in the early 2000s, though parts of the city are now 1 m (3 ft 3 in) below sea level.

[40] The city now relies on flood barriers and augmenting drainage from canals by pumping and building drain tunnels, but parts of Bangkok and its suburbs are still regularly inundated.

[43][44][45] A study published in October 2019 in Nature Communications corrected earlier models of coastal elevations[46] and concluded that up to 12 million Thais—mostly in the greater Bangkok metropolitan area—face the prospect of annual flooding events.

[9] The city has grown from its original centre along the river into a sprawling metropolis surrounded by swaths of suburban residential development extending north and south into neighbouring provinces.

While most of Bangkok's streets are fronted by vernacular shophouses, the largely unrestricted building euphoria of the 1980s has transformed the city into an urban area of skyscrapers and high rises of contrasting and clashing styles.

[72] Green belt areas include about 700 km2 (270 sq mi) of rice paddies and orchards on the eastern and western edges of the city, although their primary purpose is to serve as flood detention basins rather than to limit urban expansion.

[4] Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city; the census showed that it is home to 567,120 expatriates from Asian countries (including 71,024 Chinese and 63,069 Japanese nationals), 88,177 from Europe, 32,241 from the Americas, 5,856 from Oceania and 5,758 from Africa.

[l] 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.

Likewise, Assumption Cathedral on Charoen Krung Road is among many European-style buildings in the Old Farang Quarter, where European diplomats and merchants lived in the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Many multinational corporations base their regional headquarters in Bangkok due to the lower cost of labour and operations relative to other major Asian business centres.

[97] Income inequality is a major issue in Bangkok, especially between relatively unskilled lower-income immigrants from rural provinces and neighbouring countries, and middle-class professionals and business elites.

Vimanmek Mansion in Dusit Palace is famous as the world's largest teak building, while the Jim Thompson House provides an example of traditional Thai architecture.

Khao San Road has long been famous as a destination for backpacker tourism, with its budget accommodation, shops and bars attracting visitors from all over the world.

Although prostitution is technically illegal and is rarely openly discussed in Thailand, it commonly takes place among massage parlours, saunas and hourly hotels, serving foreign tourists as well as locals.

Although they take up pavement space and block pedestrian traffic, many of the city's residents depend on these vendors for their meals, and the BMA's efforts to curb their numbers have largely been unsuccessful.

[114] In 2015, however, the BMA, with support from the National Council for Peace and Order (Thailand's ruling military junta), began cracking down on street vendors in a bid to reclaim public space.

[115] While some applauded the efforts to focus on pedestrian rights, others have expressed concern that gentrification would lead to the loss of the city's character and adverse changes to people's way of life.

The Red Cross Fair at the beginning of April is held at Suan Amporn and the Royal Plaza, and features numerous booths offering goods, games and exhibits.

These include the mass-oriented Thai Rath, Khao Sod and Daily News, the first of which currently prints a million copies per day,[122] as well as the less sensational Matichon and Krungthep Thurakij.

The centrally located Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, opened in 2008 following a fifteen-year lobbying campaign, is now the largest public exhibition space in the city.

Bangkok is connected to the rest of the country through the national highway and rail networks, as well as by domestic flights to and from the city's two international airports (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang).

The extent of the problem is such that the Thai Traffic Police has a unit of officers trained in basic midwifery in order to assist deliveries which do not reach hospital in time.

[134] In January–February 2018, weather conditions caused bouts of haze to cover the city, with particulate matter under 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) rising to unhealthy levels for several days on end.

[135][136] Although the BMA has created thirty signed bicycle routes along several roads totalling 230 kilometres (140 mi),[137] cycling is still largely impractical, especially in the city centre.

Poor surface maintenance, encroachment by hawkers and street vendors, and a hostile environment for cyclists and pedestrians, make cycling and walking unpopular methods of getting around in Bangkok.

[144][145] Bangkok is the location of Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, the new main terminus of the national rail network operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

In the 2000s, the Thaksin Shinawatra administration assigned the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) to formulate a plan to move the capital to Nakhon Nayok province.

An engraved map titled "A Map of Bancock", showing a walled settlement on the west of a river, and a fort on the east
Map of 17th-century Bangkok, from Simon de la Loubère 's Du Royaume de Siam
Engraving of the city from British diplomat John Crawfurd 's embassy in 1822
A granite sign with a long name in Thai script, and a building in the background
The city's ceremonial name is displayed in front of Bangkok City Hall.
Satellite image showing a river flowing into the ocean, with large built-up areas along its sides just before the river mouth
The city of Bangkok is highlighted in this satellite image of the lower Chao Phraya delta. The built-up urban area extends northward and southward into Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.
Bangkok's major canals are shown in this map, detailing the original course of the river and its shortcut canals.
Bangkok population density and low elevation coastal zones. Bangkok is especially vulnerable to sea level rise .
A map of Bangkok
Map showing the 50 districts of Bangkok ( labelled version showing subdistricts )
View of Chao Phraya River surrounded by buildings on both sides
View of the Chao Phraya River as it passes through Bang Kho Laem and Khlong San districts
A large plaza with a bronze statue of a man riding on horseback; beyond the plaza is a large two-storey building with a domed roof, arched windows and columns
The Royal Plaza in Dusit District was inspired by King Chulalongkorn's visits to Europe.
A lot of high-rise buildings
The Sukhumvit area appears as a sea of high-rise buildings from Baiyoke Tower II , the tallest building in Bangkok from 1997 to 2015.
A park with many trees and a lake at sunset; many buildings in the background
Panorama of Lumphini Park at sunset, an oasis amid the skyscrapers of Ratchadamri and Sukhumvit
Bangkok population pyramid, based on 2021 population registry
A street during daytime lined with many stalls and shops with a lot of signs bearing Thai and Chinese names
Yaowarat Road , the centre of Bangkok's Chinatown . Chinese immigrants historically formed the majority of the city's population.
Lots of skyscrapers
MahaNakhon , the city's tallest building from 2016 to 2018, stands among the skyscrapers of Sathon Road , one of Bangkok's main financial districts.
Many low-rise buildings in the foreground, with an elevated rail line and several medium box-saped buildings beyond; many tall buildings in the background
The Siam area is home to multiple shopping centres catering to both the middle and upper classes and tourists.
A Thai temple complex with several ornate buildings, and a lot of visitors
Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace is among Bangkok's major tourist attractions.
Khao San Road is lined by budget accommodation, shops and bars catering to tourists.
Temporary art display at Siam Discovery during the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018
Street food vendor "Puy the Roti Lady" - "Benjawan Kaewsaen" and her sister Palm in the Silom - Saladang area of Bangkok
An elaborate double archway above a road, with pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej; trees decorated with lights
Ratchadamnoen Avenue is annually decorated with lights and displays in celebration of King Bhumibol 's birthday.
A modern-looking building with a smooth curved exterior on the corner of a road junction with several paintings on the wall
The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre , the city's major public contemporary art venue, was opened in 2008 after many delays.
Night photograph looking down at a large elevated road interchange; many billboards along the roads
Streetlamps and headlights illuminate the Makkasan Interchange of the expressway . The system sees a traffic of over 1.5 million vehicles per day. [ 128 ]
Traffic jams, seen here on Phahonyothin Road , are common in Bangkok.
A partial view of a road with many vehicles, including buses, cars, taxis and motorcycles
Many buses, minibuses and taxis share the streets with private vehicles
An elevated train, painted in blue, white and a red stripe and with advertisements, running above a road lined with many tall buildings and with many cars
A BTS train departs from Ratchadamri station , towards Siam station.
A pink line monorail train about to pull into a station
The MRT Pink Line , one of the monorail lines in Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi Airport is home to flag carrier Thai Airways International .
The campus of Chulalongkorn University, with many red-roofed buildings and trees; many tall buildings in the background
The campus of Chulalongkorn University was surrounded by rural fields when it was established in 1917. Pathum Wan District has since become part of the Bangkok city centre.
A large complex of buildings, most over ten storeys high, on the bank of a river; one bears a sign with the words "SIRIRAJ HOSPITAL"; another says "FACULTY OF NURSING"
Siriraj Hospital , established in 1888, is the oldest hospital in Thailand.
A person pushing burning tyres onto a street
Political violence has at times spilled onto the streets of Bangkok, as seen during the military crackdown on protesters in 2010 .
Many people holding signs in front of a building with green layered roofs; many national flags on flag poles lined in two rows in front of the building
Protesters in front of the United Nations Building during the 2009 Bangkok Climate Change Conference. Bangkok is home to several UN offices.