Bangkok

Did you know that Bangkok has the longest name in the world? Here it is:

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilik Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

Locals also shorten it to ‘Krung Thep’.

Curious about what that long name actually means? Here’s the English translation:

The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the great capital of the world blessed with nine precious gems, the happy city, rich with an enormous royal palace that resembles the heavenly residence where the reincarnated god reigns, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma.

There you go, now you know! 😊

Bangkok covers an area of 1,569 km² and, in addition to being the capital, is also the largest city in Thailand. The city is divided into 50 districts, each with its own neighborhoods. Bangkok itself has around 10 million residents, while the entire Bangkok metropolitan area has a population of 21 million.

We recommend staying at least four nights in Bangkok to get a feel for the city. If you stay shorter, you might risk being disappointed. Bangkok is a big, chaotic city that takes time to appreciate. Once you get used to it, though, you won’t want to leave.

We decided to head straight to Kanchanaburi upon arriving in Bangkok, saving the city for the end of our trip. So instead of staying two separate 2-night stops, we stayed 4 nights at the end. It took some getting used to, transitioning from so many days in nature to the city chaos, but after 24 hours, we didn’t want to leave Bangkok.

You could probably spend weeks, months, or even years in Bangkok and still discover something new. But, even though we’re true city lovers, the rest of Thailand is just too beautiful to stay in Bangkok for too long.

Curious about our full itinerary?