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General Information
Bangkok was founded in
1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty. It is now the country's
spiritual, cultural, diplomatic, commercial and educational hub. It covers an
area of more than 1,500 square kilometres, and it is home to approximately ten
million people or more than 10% of the country's population.
 Over the
last few decades, Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, has changed into a modern,
exciting and sophisticated city. It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan
amenities they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure
trove of cultural attractions.
Thailand, in the heart of Southeast Asia, was never colonised and thus kept its
unique culture and heritage intact. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to
experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture amidst the bustle of
a great and dynamic metropolis. This great city has had astounding success in
combining the ancient and modern world.
For tourists, Bangkok has a feast of attractions to offer. The city is dotted
with 400 glittering Buddhist temples of great beauty and fascination,
magnificent palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres
and traditional ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East" timeless
canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River of Kings" winding through the
city. It is worth taking a trip along its waters before exploring further into
different canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok.
Useful tourist
information on Bangkok can be obtained from the official website of the Bangkok
Tourism Division :
www.bangkoktourist.com
The capital with the longest name ........
"Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop
Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit
Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit"
Bangkok is the Orient's most cosmopolitan city and has attractions to stimulate
even the most jaded travellers. Created as the Thai capital in 1782 by the first
monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, Bangkok is a national treasure house and
Thailand's spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and
diplomatic centre.
Bangkok, Thailand's major gateway, casts an irresistible spell of enchantment.
To the Thais it is Krung Thep, "City of Angels", and you'll find it truly a
magic place, one that captivates the imagination.
More than anywhere else in the country, Bangkok expresses Thailand's uncanny
ability to blend the old with the new. This lends a thrilling sense of discovery
to one's sightseeing and adds an element of surprise when exploring what is the
Orient's most fabled city.
Joyfully exuberant, Bangkok embraces modern development and presents an initial
picture of thrusting office towers; of world-class hotels offering deluxe
comforts; of glittering shopping plazas packed with treasures of the East such
as silks and gemstones; of restaurants serving Thailand's acclaimed spicy
specialities and virtually every other national cuisine worthy of the name; of
neon-lit entertainment spots where the fare ranges from classical dance to laser
disco.
Incredibly amidst this sybaritic world Bangkok manages to preserve its cultural
heritage to an amazing degree. In the rich splendour of the Grand Palace, the
Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Temple of the Dawn and other historic shrines,
you see images of medieval Oriental wonder, the very stuff of Eastern
fairytales.
The influence of the past is not limited to major monuments and it continues to
colour daily life. Files of saffron-robed monks making their early morning alms
round, for example, present a scene unaltered in essentials by the passing of
time. Today's backdrop of highrise buildings only adds wonder to this and other
enduring sights from which the city continues to draw definition.
Ultimately it is from the people that Bangkok derives its unique flavour.
Fun-loving and easy going, they possess a rare tolerance which imbues the city
with a real sense of freedom. It may appear at times hectic, yet what finally
comes across is Bangkok's good natured acceptance of life with all its
idiosyncrasies.
Thailand's "City of Angels" is, indeed, a magic place where possibilities
are limited only by the imagination. You'll marvel at past glories, delight in
present opportunities and love every minute of it. |
