One of the most popular urban destinations on the planet, Bangkok is known as the ‘City of Angels’ in Thai (Kreung Thep), and in this short blog, we present a few fun facts about the Thai capital that you probably didn’t know.
- Bangkok has the longest name of any city – The full name of Bangkok is, ‘Kreung Thep Mahanakorn Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayithaya Mahadilokphop Nopparat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonpiman Awathansathit Sakkathaniyawitsanukamprasit’. Of course, all Thai people can recite the full name of their capital city and if you really want to impress the locals, commit the full name to memory.
- Some areas flood during the monsoon season – These are known as flash floods, which happen because the water simply cannot drain away quickly enough. These areas are typically close to the banks of the Chao Phraya River, where, in October, large volumes of water run down from the north into the Gulf of Thailand. If you are planning to use Bangkok as a travel hub, you can leave most of your possessions at a secure storage facility, where the self storage cost is very affordable.
- Bangkok has an extensive network of canals – You would be surprised if you knew the extent of the canal labyrinth; Thais use the canal taxis that run like buses, stopping at each stop, which is usually at a temple. You can get off one boat, wait a few minutes and jump on another longtail boat that goes off on a tangent. You can find a map online, and that will help you plan a day out, or you could be really adventurous and just get on and off boats at random and see where you end up!
- Choose green/yellow taxis – Taxis with a green/yellow combination are driver-owned, so you are less likely to encounter any issues. Green bottom and yellow top, and in the bottom right corner of the windscreen, you will see either a red or green neon Thai text; red means the cab is occupied, while green means you can hail it. Click here for tips on arranging a romantic holiday on the beach.
- Bangkok hosts the largest Chinatown in the world. Of course, we know that every major city in the world has a Chinatown, an area where the Chinese live and work; Bangkok is home to Yawarat, which is larger than any other Chinatown and certainly very lively. If you are lucky enough to be in Bangkok during Chinese New Year (mid-February), you must go to Yarawat and experience their New Year as it is celebrated in China.
A few hours of online research about this unique city will enrich your experience, and we feel sure that Thailand will capture your heart! If you join some of the many expat groups on Facebook, you can ask the experts questions.
