ABOUT BANGKOK

 ¤ About Bangkok

Bangkok known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, is the capital of and largest city in Thailand, with an official year 2000 census population of 6,355,144, but actually numbering at least twice that. Bangkok is located at 13°45'N 100°31'E Coordinates: 13°45'N 100°31'E, on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand.

Bangkok is the 22^nd most populous city in the world. Although Bangkok now has roughly 7 million registered inhabitants, the actual population is much higher, and including commuters from the surrounding areas, may reach an estimated 10-15 million people during the day time. Recently, the value of Bangkok's economic output has matched that of Singapore, making Bangkok a major economic and financial center in Southeast Asia. Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Bangkok is considered to be one of the world's top tourist hotspots and is currently Asia's top tourist destination - the third in the world according to Travel and Leisure magazine. The city boasts some of the country's most visted historical venues such as the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the various monuments and shopping malls. There are numerous projects to maintain Bangkok's historic sites such as the Rattanakosin area and river districts. Bangkok is Thailand's major tourist gateway, which means that the majority of foreign tourists arrive in Bangkok. An estimated 15 million foreigners arrive in Bangkok every year and many are lured back for a second visit due to the cheap cost of living and the quality of services provided.