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01/04/2016

37 Interesting Facts About Bangkok

Interesting facts about Bangkok:

Bangkok is the one of the Southeast Asia's largest and practically vibrant cities. It contains the lion's share of Thailand's wealth and is ten times bigger than the country's next biggest city. It is further the seat of Government and usual residence of Thailand's royal family.

Almost all tourists to Thailand arrive in Bangkok and experience it's multiple faces, from crowds of people and it's famous heavy traffic, to its exciting and somewhat naughty nightlife, through to world class hospitality and shopping, excellent restaurants and a multitude of impressive tourist attractions.

Bangkok facts:

1.Bangkok is the capital and largest city of Thailand.

2.More than six million people live in the municipal region of Bangkok which extends completely 1,568 square kilometres. However large amount more million commute into the city from neighbouring satellite towns that support the capital.

3.81% of residents are Thai, 10% Chinese and 4% Malaysian.

4.Bangkok is 6.5 feet above sea level.

5. Bangkok city name is the longest name in the world. Although the capital city of Thailand is supported to the world as Bangkok, local people represent to it as Kung Thep anyhow this is barely a shortened detail of the actual name which consists of 169 characters and makes for a challenging tongue twister afterwards a few drinks. The full name is:
Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukamprasit.
This approximately translate to:
City of angels, infinite city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, bed of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by  Visvakarman at Indra's behest.

6.There are around 1,000 buildings categorized as skyscrapers in Bangkok, making it the world's 17th tallest city.

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Image:pixabay

7.Bangkok's GDP is around 25% of Thailand's total GDP.

8.There are over 400 Buddhist Temples in Bangkok, 55 Mosques and 10 Chruches; 92% of the population is Buddhist.

9.If there's a well known thing Bangkok will not disappoint, it's your taste buds. From five star restaurants to impressive street cuisine stalls, Bangkok offer a rare culinary adventure to all types of travelers. You can't miss their fragrant jasmine rice-a staple that goes with just about anything anyhow practically perfectly with their delightful dishes for an exotic kick, offer fried cockroaches and caterpillars in the night markets or have authentic Pad Thai cooked right before your eyes. Wherever your pleasure lies, dining and drinking is sure to be one of the highlights of your Bangkok trip.

10.Bangkok can very well be called "Temple city" with the presence of Buddhist temples in almost every street and corner. These fascinating temples produce as one of the greatest cultural symbols of Thailand.

11.World's biggest Chinatown. Bangkok's Chinatown is generally referred to as the largest in the world and all who has spent time navigating the endless alleyways about sprawling area is unlikely to disagree. Known locally a Yaowarat Chinatown in Bangkok is birthplace to over a million ethnic Chinese usually of second or third generation. In the daytime, shops and stalls sell products at some of the cheapest prices in the city and at night the area is transformed into a street food paradise by the whole of vendorsstretching off into the distance, or at least simultaneously obscured separately traffic. The area everywhere Yaowarat is one of the approximately vibrant and interesting for inquisitive tourists and a day of exploring is definitely advised.

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Image:wikipedia.org

12.Every country has some rather strange, old laws that have failed to keep up mutually modernity and now just appear to be weird. Thailand is no different and the register of antiquated ways to stray foul of the law in Bangkok includes:
It is illegal to take off the house without wearing underwear.
It is unlawful to drive a motorised vehicle bare-chested.
It is illegal to use a durian fruit as a weapon and a first-class will be levied determined by how many thorns strike the victim.
It is illegal to step on any Thai currency-either coins or notes as they carry an image of the king.

13.On top of this, Chinatown further more boasts the largest solid gold Buddha in the world. Housed inside Wat Traimit the five-and-a-half ton Buddha was hidden inside plaster for hundreds of years and was only discovered when it was unexpectedly dropped while moving it.


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Image:pixabay

14.Third-gender washrooms. When nature calls and you draw a dash to complete your service, don't be surprised if you are faced mutually not two toilet doors, but three. Along with the usual male and female washroom found completely, Thailand is known a well of the first countries in the world to introduce a third gender option for transgender men, mostly commonly known as ladyboys. This option is rare and it is unlikely you will argument such a toilet situation, anyhow they are out there and you never know where a well known might crop up. Thailand and Bangkok in particular is a very liberal place in restriction of sexuality and tolerance towards gender identity.

15."Sawadee" became the common form of greeting in the 1930s. 'Sawadee Krhap/Kaa'(translated as 'Hello' or 'Greetings') is a overall phrase used throughout Thailand to say hello. It is something you will hear hundreds of times a day and is the first phrase most tourists learn-usually before they have left the airport-so it comes as a surprise to learn that the word was only introduced into the Thai language in the 1930s by a professor at Chulalongkorn university Thailand's closely prestigious seat of higher learning.


Prior to 1930, the roughly common fashion to defend hello in Thailand was to say 'Gin kaow leaow ruu yang?' which translates to 'Have you eaten yet?'.


16.Longest Reigning Monarch. Thailand's monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej became the king in 1946. He is the world's longest serving head of the state and Thailand's longest reigning monarch. Bhumibol has a degree in engineering and owns a intellectual property on a form of cloud seeding. He also composed Thailand's national anthem.



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Image;wikipedia.org

17.Love for king. Thais feel heart go out to their king and it is specially noticeable in Bangkok. You will find pictures and posters of the royal family in at the point of every corner of Bangkok. It is illegal to laugh at a picture of king or to say something bad approximately him so be careful. In theaters, king's anthem is played before the start of movie, play or any cultural program and everyone must stand to pay respect. Not doing so can besides lend you in jail.

18.Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been colonised by a European power. Thai people are noticeably joyful of their culture and heritage, and if you occur to get onto the subject of history while in conversation mutually Thai tribe mentions this little gem of a fact for instant nods and notable smiles.


During the so called 'Age of Empires' in the 19th century, when European nations went rampaging facing the planet on a path of domination, Thailand's strategic location acted as a protection between France's Indochina and the Burmese and Indian colonies of Britain to ensure Thailand was never go through a full on armed forces invasion. The freedom of Thailand was further down to the excellent governance separately much beloved King Rama v who ceded little amounts of land to ensure peace with the European powers. King Rama V is also revered as it was under his authority that slavery was abolished in Thailand and his portrait can be seen in many shops, restaurants and homes.


19.While summer temperatures are not improper in Bangkok, it is the world's hottest city because of average high temperatures year-round. With the high temperature of 88 degrees Fahrenheit overall the year Bangkok is sure to make you sweat even in December.



world-hottest-city-temperature-in-thailand
Image:pixabay

20.Sinking city. Just like Venice, Bangkok is sinking at a rate of 2 to 2.5 cm per year due to heavy development and rising sea levels. According to a report by Thai Government, parts of Bangkok could be underwater in the next 15 years. So if you are planning to visit Bangkok, better do it sooner.

21.Thailand is home to around 200,000 millionaires and completely 95% of them lives in Bangkok. You will be in company of some very rich people in Bangkok.


22.Red Bull energy drink originated in Thailand. The world famous energy drink Red Bull can be found throughout the world and was the anticipate of what is now a multi billion dollar power drink industry. But few people know that this caffeine-and-sugar concoction has been a popular brand in Thailand since 1976 when it was created by a Chaleo Yoovidhya a man with little incompliant education and who had moved to Bangkok from inner Thailand to seek his fortune. At the time of his death in 2012, he was reportedly the third richest man in Thailand by the whole of an estimated wealth of $ us 5 billion.


It must be said that he received quite a bit of help from Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz who consistently travelled  to Bangkok for business in the 1980s and would drink Red Bull as a medicine for jetlag. They became partners and modified the taste for the western market. The beginning syrupy mixture is a fair bit different from the carbonated version enjoyed around the world and in an ironic crossing, modified western Red Bull is shortly sold alongside the original version in small number shops and bars. Try them both and decide which one you like more.



Image:wikipedia.org

23.Now for an charming fact, all Thai baht coins have temples stamped on their back and all of these temples are in Bangkok and you can visit them all in one day. Make a fun game out of it when in Bangkok by trying to find all the locations pictured on coins.

24.Every year during Thai new year holiday, Bangkok hosts the world's largest street water fight known as Songkran water fight.


25.If you like colors particular candy hues, you'll be delighted by the streets of  Bangkok because candy colored cabs are everywhere unlike in other notable cities where taxi cabs arrive uniform in color, taxi cabs in Bangkok vary in hue depending on which company a cab belongs to. So expect to see lots of  lucky colors in the streets sky blue, orange and pink cabs.



26.Chatuchak weekend market-world's largest market.


Spread over 27 acres of land and divided into 27 sections, Chatuchak weekend market is one of the world's largest weekend market and a paradise for foodies and low-cost hunters. A trip to Bangkok is incomplete without visiting Chatuchak.


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Image:wikipedia.org


27.Bangkok lives up to Thailand's nickname as the "Land of smiles".  As peace-loving people with ready smiles, Thai exude pleasant auras and consistently seekharmony everywhere social conflict. A lot of tourists like going back to Bangkok practically because of the charm and warmth of its people. While it has its share of crimes, Bangkok surplus to be one of the friendliest cities in the world.

28.In the thirteenth annual world's best awards readers survey of globally leading travel magazine Travel Leisure, Bangkok was named as "World's best city 2008 and 2010", beating 2007 winners Florence,Italy and Bali,Indonesia. Bangkok has been in the top 5 for the last three years but gained top look only in 2008, winning during famed cities of the west like New York, Rome and San Francisco. With its rich culture, fantastic food, excellent shopping, vibrant sceneries, nightlife and preferably, Bangkok has no fear become well-loved all over the globe.


29.Bangkok has always been at the centre of political change, centred during the democracy monument on Ratchadamnoen avenue. In October 1973 afterwards prolonged student uprising demanding a proper constitution the Military government were forced to resign following bloody clashes. A similar crisis ended in bloodshed again exactly three years later resulting in the armed forces stepping in and installing a right wing government. Again in May 1992, following a shock coup a year earlier, the people power took to the street once more and the government were indentured to step down afterwards besides bloodshed.


30.The auto-rickshaws in Bangkok are called "Tuk-Tuks"



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Image:wikipedia.org

31.Until the early twentieth century Bangkok was made up of many  canals, earning itself the name "Venice of East". Many of these were gradually filled into create streets and drainage systems anyhow some remain able it severely polluted. Over the river in Thon Buri many of the canals have survived and now provide an interesting canal tour, showing how Bangkok once was.

32.One of the most tradition areas of the city, which has retained it's old character is Chinatown and Phahurat where life continues in a timeless fashion. Another area that is on the tourist map for different reasons is Patpong-two streets nicked named after the original owner in the sixties who rented the shops out to go bar owners who wanted to cash in on the influx of westerners(mostly GIs on R&R from the Vietnam war).


33.At 132.2 meters, the Bangkok's Don Mueang international airport features the world's tallest aircraft control tower.



world-tallest-aircraft-control-tower-bangkok-don-mueang-international-airport-tower
Image:wikipedia.org

34.The Guinness book of world records lists the stage at Bangkok's siam niramit as the highest in the world.

35.Kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest bat and mammal in the world. It weighs only 2 grams and can be found in western Thailand.



world-smallest-bat-world-smallest-mammal-kitti's-hog-nosed-bat
Image.wikipedia.org

36.The following fact is a bit grimmer, but is unfortunately a part of the world's urban reality. It has been estimated that Bangkok's air pollution costs the country $2.3 billion annually in lost production, wasted energy and health costs. More than 20% of Bangkok's traffic policemen suffer from some form of lung disease, due to pollution. Police stations are equipped with oxygen tanks and you'll see traffic policemen wearing face masks when on duty.

37.Bangkok has a reputations as a major destination in the sexual relations industry. The approximately famous red-light destricts are Patpong nana plaza and soi cowboy. Bangkok has acquired the nickname "Sin city of Asia" for its level of sex tourism.

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