Bangkok

Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Special administrative area
Other transcription(s)
• Teochew	曼谷 măng gohg (Peng'im)
From top, left to right: Wat Benchamabophit, Chao Phraya River skyline, Grand Palace, Giant Swing, traffic on a road in Watthana District, Democracy Monument, and Wat Arun
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  City of Angels, The Big Mango
Show Bangkok Show Thailand Show Asia
Coordinates: 13°45′09″N 100°29′39″E / 13.75250°N 100.49417°E / 13.75250; 100.49417[1]
Country	Thailand
Region	Central Thailand
Settled	c. 15th century
Founded as capital	21 April 1782
Re-incorporated	13 December 1972
Founded by	King Rama I
Governing body	Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Government
• Type	Special administrative area
• Governor	Chadchart Sittipunt (Indp.)
Area [1]
• City	1,568.737 km2 (605.693 sq mi)
• Metro [2]	7,761.6 km2 (2,996.8 sq mi)
Elevation [3]	1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Population  (2010 census)[4]
• City	8,305,218
• Estimate  (2020)[5]	10,539,000
• Density	5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
• Metro	14,626,225
• Metro density	1,900/km2 (4,900/sq mi)
Demonym	Bangkokian
GDP [6]
• City	baht 5.747 trillion (US$ 160.914 billion) (2022)
• Metro	baht 8.096 trillion (US$ 226.698 billion) (2022)
Time zone	UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Postal code	10###
Area code	02
ISO 3166 code	TH-10
Website	main.bangkok.go.th

Bangkok,^[a] officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon^[b] and colloquially as Krung Thep,^[c] is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10.539 million as of 2020, 15.3 per cent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 per cent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy.

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. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, during the late-19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city was at the centre of Thailand's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings. The city, incorporated as a special administrative area under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 1972, grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.

The Asian investment boom in the 1980s and 1990s led many multinational corporations to locate their regional headquarters in Bangkok. The city is now a regional force in finance, business and pop culture. It is an international hub for transport and health care, and has emerged as a centre for the arts, fashion, and entertainment. The city is known for its street life and cultural landmarks, as well as its red-light districts. The Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes of Khaosan Road and Patpong. Bangkok is among the world's top tourist destinations, and has been named the world's most visited city consistently in several international rankings.

Bangkok's rapid growth coupled with little urban planning has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure. Despite an extensive expressway network, an inadequate road network and substantial private car usage have led to chronic and crippling traffic congestion, which caused severe air pollution in the 1990s. The city has since turned to public transport in an attempt to solve the problem, operating 10 urban rail lines and building other public transit; however, congestion remains a prevalent issue.

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