Krung Thep Maha Nakhon

Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Special administrative area
Clockwise from top: Si Lom–Sathon business district, the Giant Swing, Victory Monument, Rama VIII Bridge, Wat Arun, and the Grand Palace
Flag Seal
Location within Thailand
Coordinates: 13°45′N 100°28′E / 13.750°N 100.467°E / 13.750; 100.467Coordinates: 13°45′N 100°28′E / 13.750°N 100.467°E / 13.750; 100.467
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	Aswin Kwanmuang
Area
• City	1,568.737 km2 (605.693 sq mi)
• Metro	7,761.6 km2 (2,996.8 sq mi)
Elevation	1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Population (2010 census)
• City	8,280,925
• Density	5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi)
• Metro	14,565,547
• Metro density	1,900/km2 (4,900/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Bangkokian
Time zone	ICT (UTC+7)
Postal code	10###
Area code(s)	02
ISO 3166 code	TH-10
Website	www.bangkok.go.th

Bangkok (English pronunciation: /ˈbæŋkɒk/) is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร, pronounced  [krūŋ tʰêːp mahǎː nákʰɔ̄ːn]) or simply Krung Thep ( listen ). The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, significantly dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in terms of importance.

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 1768 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 grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.