Bangkok

Bangkok, the city of Angels… The Thai name of the Thailand’s largest city is Krung Thep, “City of Angels”. About 10 million people live in Bangkok, the political, administrative, commercial, social and cultural capital.

An eclectic mixture of tradition and modernity sets Bangkok apart as Asia’s most exotic and fascinating city.

The old City, in the north-west of the capital, contains the largest concentration of historical sights – the Grand Palace, the National Museum, Wat Arun… It became Thailand’s capital, after Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Thonburi, at the beginning of Chakri Dynasty with Rama I in 1782.

The Chao Praya River divides the city like into 2 distinct towns, Bangkok on its right bank and Thonburi on its left bank, and is like the life line of the city. The city remains the shopping paradise of South-East Asia. It is also one of the world’s most exciting cities in the world. Its lively nightlife and markets, shops and restaurants, and magnificent wats (temples), museums, palaces and parks, have something for every visitors.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and, with a population of over eleven million inhabitants, by far its largest city. Its high-rise buildings, heavy traffic congestion, intense heat and naughty nightlife may not immediately give you the best impression — but don’t let that mislead you. It is one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities with magnificent temples and palaces, authentic canals, busy markets and a vibrant nightlife that has something for everyone.

For years, it was only a small trading post at the banks of the Chao Phraya River, until King Rama I, the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, turned it into the capital of Siam in 1782, after the burning of Ayutthaya by Burmese invaders but they did not take over Ayutthaya. Since then, the city has turned into a national treasure house and functions as Thailand’s spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre.