Bangkok Information

Bangkok, known as Krung Thep in Thai, started as a small trading centre called Bang Makok. It served the then capital, Siam, until it fell to Burma in 1767. A new capital was created at Thonburi (now part of Bangkok) on the river's west side. King Rama I then built his palace on the east side and renamed his city to Krung Thep, meaning the "City of Angels".

Bangkok is one of the fastest growing cities in Southeast Asia. It is an emerging regional centre which could rival Singapore of Hong Kong , if it wasn't for it's infrastructure and social problems which have arisen from it's rapid growth.

Bangkok is located just under 14 degrees north of the equator, meaning it is a very hot, tropical city. The high humidity and warm temperature leads to the growth of tropical plants including exotic orchids and fruits. Thai cuisine is renowned, varied and affordable. There are plenty of Thai restaurants around as you would expect, but there is also a big selection of world-class international restaurants too. Prices are cheap by international standards, expect to pay no more than around 300 baht (£4.50). Although there are places where you could easily spend 10 times more than this.

Under the shadow of the skyscrapers you'll find energetic markets and golden temples to trendy clubs and bars. Budget travelers head to the Banglamphu district, which is near the Grand Palace and Wat Po as well as the National Museum.

After World War II and particularly from the 1960s, Bangkok has had an explosion of modernization. Most of the old canals have since been filled in and replaced with rows of shop-houses. The built up area of Bangkok sprawls over 330 square kilometres. Bangkok's population is roughly nine million - about forty times that of Thailand's second city, Chiang Mai. Four-fifths of the countries cars are in Bangkok.