Bangkok covers 1,568.7 square kilometers in central Thailand’s Chao Phraya River delta and is home to 10.539 million people, or 15.3 percent of the country’s population. With that, you should know the basic things before moving to Thailand for good. Because Thailand has a lot more to offer. At the 2010 census, the Bangkok Metropolitan Region had a population of over 14 million people, making it Thailand’s most populous city, dwarfing the country’s other cities in both size and economic importance. 

Bangkok was at the center of the late-19th-century modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, as the country faced Western pressures. Throughout the twentieth century, the city was at the epicenter of Thailand’s political struggles, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and experienced numerous coups and uprisings. The city, which was established in 1972 as a special administrative area under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, grew rapidly from the 1960s to the 1980s and now has a significant influence on Thailand’s politics, economy, education, media, and modern society.

The Climate of Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok’s climate is hot all year, with temperatures ranging from 77°F in the “cold” season of December to 86°F in the “hot” season of April. The average annual rainfall is 60 inches, with four-fifths of that falling in brief downpours during the rainy season, which runs from mid-May to September, and the dry season, which runs from December to February. The average monthly relative humidity ranges from 60 percent in the winter to more than 80 percent in the summer.

The City Layout of Bangkok, Thailand

Since the 1960s, the officials have tried to control the city’s explosive growth through a series of master plans. The city center, which was once surrounded by a wall, has been densely developed for many years. The later expansion has spread far beyond administrative boundaries into surrounding agricultural areas. As the inner city has become more systemic and commercial, and the outer city has become more residential and industrial, some districts have evolved into functional units. Wats, or walled Buddhist temples and monasteries, are found throughout the city and serve as key elements for religious, cultural, and even commercial life.

The Industry of Bangkok, Thailand

Although the metropolitan area has many factories, the majority of them are small. Larger plants are located near the port, near the warehouses where imported materials are stored. Food processing, textiles, electronic equipment assembly, and the manufacturing of building materials are the mainstays of manufacturing. Beginning in the mid-1970s, the government prioritized reducing traffic congestion in Bangkok by locating industrial parks on the outskirts of the city. The city produces roughly one-third of the country’s output, and nearly half of all businesses are sited in the metropolitan area. Bangkok’s tourism industry has grown significantly and is now a significant source of revenue.

The Finance and Transportation of Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is home to one-third of the country’s banking institutions, which account for three-quarters of all deposits. The city also houses the Industrial Finance Corporation of Thailand, the Board of Investment, and the Thailand Securities Exchange. 

Bangkok’s transportation system was founded on water transportation. Venice of the East is named after the city’s maze of canals that connect to the river. However, the invention of the automobile brought about significant changes. The number of vehicles in the city increased, including three-wheeled taxis, private cars, and buses—color-coded by service area—creating a shortage of road space. The problem was first solved by filling in the majority of the smaller canals and a few of the larger ones. This was more than an aesthetic loss, however, because the waterway system had served to drain the waterlogged delta, causing flooding in the city’s lower-lying areas to become more common. Furthermore, the measure did not address the issue of space scarcity. The movement became increasingly difficult as traffic became increasingly congested. To help alleviate these issues, the city established a bus transportation authority in the 1970s, and the city opened Skytrain, an elevated rail system, in 1999.

The Government of Bangkok, Thailand

The Bangkok Metropolitan Government is led by a governor and his deputies. A large number of government agencies are responsible for development. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is headquartered in Bangkok (ESCAP). Various UN agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, have offices in the city (World Bank).

The Public Utilities of Bangkok, Thailand

Purification plants provide the majority of the city’s water, which is drawn from the Chao Phraya and deep wells. Pumping water from wells has caused subsidence in some areas of the city, increasing flooding. Many people get their water from polluted bodies of water. Sewers, storm drains, and canals are examples of sanitation facilities, and some large buildings have septic tanks. More than half of the country’s electricity is consumed in Bangkok.

The Health and Education of Bangkok, Thailand

The majority of the country’s hospitals and clinics are located in Bangkok. There are government homes for the indigent, handicapped, and elderly, as well as special services for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases patients. Vaccines are provided by the Pasteur Institute and the WHO. In recent years, family planning clinics have proliferated. AIDS cases among prostitutes and drug users in Bangkok increased in the 1990s. The government has set up special wards in hospitals to treat HIV-positive patients and has taken other steps to prevent the disease from spreading.

Bangkok’s educational facilities are overburdened due to its high proportion of school-aged citizens. There aren’t enough schools, and the quality of education varies. However, literacy is extremely high. Also, it is better to consider to know the reasons why you should learn the Thai language. On monastery grounds, many of the government-built preprimary and primary schools are located. The children of the elite are educated in private primary and secondary schools run by foreign religious missions. Private Chinese primary schools and night schools abound. There are several universities in the city. Wat Pho, a long-standing center of learning, is often referred to as the city’s first university; it is one of Bangkok’s oldest and largest temples.