Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 11.4 million people as of 2024, 15.9% of the country's population. Over 17.4 million people (25% of Thailand's population) live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region as of the 2021 estimate, making Bangkok a megacity and an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy. Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s, until it was stalled by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. By then, many public and social issues had emerged, among them the strain on infrastructure reflected in the city's notorious traffic jams. Bangkok's role as the nation's political stage continues to be seen in strings of popular protests, from the student uprisings in 1973 and 1976, anti-military demonstrations in 1992, and frequent street protests since 2006, including those by groups opposing and supporting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 2006 to 2013, and a renewed student-led movement in 2020.
Administration of the city was first formalized by King Chulalongkorn in 1906, with the establishment of Monthon Krung Thep Phra Maha Nakhon () as a national subdivision. In 1915, the monthon was split into several provinces, the administrative boundaries of which have since further changed. The city in its current form was created in 1972 with the formation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), following the merger of Phra Nakhon province on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya and Thonburi province on the west during the previous year. and the name might have been derived from (), meaning 'island', stemming from the city's watery landscape. Another theory suggests that it is shortened from (), being the name of Elaeocarpus hygrophilus, a plant bearing olive-like fruit. This is supported by the former name of Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, that used to be called Wat Makok.
Officially, the town was known as (, from Pali and Sanskrit, literally 'city of treasures gracing the ocean') or , according to the Ayutthaya Chronicles. Bangkok was likely a colloquial name, albeit one widely adopted by foreign visitors, who continued to use it to refer to the city even after the new capital's establishment.
When King Rama I established his new capital on the river's eastern bank, the city inherited Ayutthaya's ceremonial name, of which there were many variants, including () and (). Edmund Roberts, visiting the city as envoy of the United States in 1833, noted that the city, since becoming capital, was known as , and this is the name used in international treaties of the period.
The city's ceremonial name came into use during the reign of King Mongkut. --> great city of immortals, magnificent city of the Nine Gems, seat of the King, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest.
The name is listed in Guinness World Records as the world's longest place name at 168 letters. Many Thais who recall the full name do so because of its use in the 1989 song "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" by Thai rock band Asanee–Wasan, the lyrics of which consist entirely of the city's full name, repeated throughout the song.
Today, the city is officially known in Thai by a shortened form of the full ceremonial name, (), which is colloquially further shortened to () or the initialism (). is a Thai word of Khmer origin, meaning 'capital, king', while , is from Pali/Sanskrit deva, meaning 'deity' or 'god'. The name is more commonly translated as 'City of Angels', which is also used to draw comparisons with Los Angeles in the United States, a comparably sized city with similar traffic issues. Another nickname sometimes used to refer to the city is The Big Mango, a tongue-in-cheek comparison to The Big Apple for New York City.
<span id="Administration"></span>Government
alt=A granite sign with a long name in Thai script, and a building in the background|thumb|The city's [[#Name|ceremonial name is displayed in front of Bangkok City Hall.]]
The city of Bangkok is locally governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). 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. The governor, together with four appointed deputies, forms the executive body, who implement policies through the BMA civil service headed by the Permanent Secretary for the BMA. In separate elections, each district elects one or more city councillors, who form the Bangkok Metropolitan Council. The council is the BMA's legislative body and has power over municipal ordinances and the city's budget. The latest gubernatorial election took place on 22 May 2022 after an extended lapse following the 2014 Thai coup d'état, and was won by Chadchart Sittipunt.
Bangkok is divided into fifty districts (khet, equivalent to amphoe in the other provinces), which are further subdivided into 180 sub-districts (khwaeng, equivalent to tambon). Each district is managed by a district director appointed by the governor. District councils, elected to four-year terms, serve as advisory bodies to their respective district directors.
The BMA is divided into sixteen departments, each overseeing different aspects of the administration's responsibilities. Most of these responsibilities concern the city's infrastructure, and include city planning, building control, transportation, drainage, waste management, and city beautification, as well as education, medical, and rescue services. Many of these services are provided jointly with other agencies. The BMA has the authority to implement local ordinances, although civil law enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
As the capital of Thailand, Bangkok is the seat of all branches of the national government. The Government House, Parliament House, and Supreme, Administrative, and Constitutional Courts are all in the city. Sappaya-Sapasathan is the largest parliament building in the world. The National Assembly of Thailand convenes there. Bangkok is the site of the Grand Palace and Dusit Palace, respectively the official and de facto residence of the king. Most government ministries also have headquarters and offices in the capital.
Symbols
The city seal shows Hindu god Indra riding in the clouds on Airavata, a divine white elephant known in Thai as Erawan. In his hand Indra holds his weapon, the vajra. The seal is based on a painting done by Prince Naris, a brother of King Chulalongkorn. The tree symbol of Bangkok is Ficus benjamina. Giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) has been chosen as the aquatic animal of Bangkok. The official city slogan, adopted in 2012, reads:
Geography
thumb|right|alt=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 covers an area of , ranking 69th among the other 76 provinces of Thailand. Of this, about forms the built-up urban area. The city's urban sprawl reaches into parts of the six other provinces that it borders, namely, in clockwise order from northwest: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Nakhon Pathom. Except for Chachoengsao, these provinces, together with Bangkok, form the greater Bangkok Metropolitan Region.
Topography
Bangkok is situated in the Chao Phraya River delta in Thailand's central plain. The river meanders through the city in a southerly direction, emptying into the Gulf of Thailand approximately south of the city centre. The area is flat and low-lying, with an average elevation of above sea level.