The full ceremonial name of Bangkok, “Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit,” consists of 169 characters (without space). Composed of Pali and Sanskrit root words, it is listed in Guinness World Records as the world’s longest place name. In English, it translates to: “City of angels, 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.”
Bangkok city proper covers an area of 1,568.737sqkm; it ranks 69th among the 76 provinces of Thailand. Of this, about 700sqkm form the built-up urban area. It is ranked 73rd in the world in terms of land area by City Mayors.
Practically all the major five-star international hotel brands are now represented in Bangkok. The total number of hotel keys in Bangkok expected to be 42,000 by the end of 2015, according to a recent survey by CBRE Research.
King Rama 1 founded Bangkok as new capital of Siam in 1782; it is now about 227 years old.
The Thai “hotel and restaurants” sector saw more growth than any other service in the service sector in Thailand from Q2/2014 to Q2/2015 (18.7%) and has also been a key driver behind the GDP growth in 2015.
Traffic accidents remain a major hazard in Bangkok. There were 37,985 accidents in the city in 2010, resulting in 16,602 injuries and 456 deaths as well as THB 426.42 million in damages.
There are 117 skyscrapers over 100m (330 ft) tall in the city, with 37 under construction as of 2012. The number is probably bigger now. Bangkok was ranked as the world’s 23rd-tallest city in 2011.
There are officially 70.000, but the better guess would be about 200.000, not including the tuk tuks, motorcycle taxis, mini vans, and illegal private cars and vans.
Bangkok boasts more than eight million cars and more than 17 million commuter trips per day.
