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Bangkok's
history of the past 200
years is interwoven with
the Chakri dynasty, which
still reigns but no longer
rules Thailand today. After
Chao Phaya Chakri was crowned
under the royal title of
Rama I in 1782, one of his
first major decisions concerned
his capital. It is often
said that Rama I founded
Bangkok as his capital while
before the capital had been
Thonburi. However, in this
abbreviated form, history
is summarized not very accurately.
First of all, Bangkok was
not really founded by Rama
I. It had been a settled
area for several hundred
years already and it had
even been well known to
European merchants who commonly
stopped over at Bangkok
on their way to Ayuthaya. |
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Second,
the sharp demarcation
between Thonburi and Bangkok
is not justified. While
European merchants stuck
to the name of Bangkok
for their place of stopover,
the community left and
right of the Chao Phaya
River was known to the
Siamese as the town of
Thonburi, having been
elevated from the village
status of Bangkok King
Taksin chose Thonburi
as his capital. While
it is true that King Taksin
had erected his palace
and all major buildings
on the right bank of the
Chao Phaya River, the
city of Thonburi settled
areas on both banks.
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| King Taksin’s
rationale had been to have
the river flowing through
the capital as he feared
another Burmese attack after
Ayuthaya had been leveled
by Burmese armies in 1767;
in the case of a new attack
he wanted to have an easy
escape option. This option
was maintained by having
the river flowing through,
not just alongside the capital.
His idea was that he could
embark his people and troops
then make a getaway on the
Chao Phaya. The destination
would have been his old
stronghold of Chantaburi
on the east coast, close
to what is now Cambodia. |
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The
most frenetic festival in
the country is that of Songkran,
the Luna New Year. Held
from the 13th to 15th April
each year…it’s
a wet one! Traditionally
it was celebrated by Buddha
images being bathed with
water and the showing of
respect to monks and elders.
From the sprinkling of water
onto someone’s hands
as a sign of respect it
has evolved into mass drenching
for anyone who decides to
venture outdoors. This has
to be one of the friendliest,
though wet, festivals anywhere
and a great way to make
new friends. |
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| To make space
for his palace where it
is still located, a large
settlement on the eastern
side of Thonburi had to
be razed. At the end of
the 18th century, Chinese
inhabitants had chiefly
occupied the present palace
area. Chao Phaya Chakri
had the whole Chinese community
transferred some three kilometers
downstream, to an area then
known as Sampheng. The Chinese
still live in that area,
and Sampheng Lane now is
a famous Chinese shopping
area. |
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Work on
the Grand Palace and the
Temple of the Emerald
Buddha was by and large
completed in 1785. The
new capital, now more
or less just covering
the area on the eastern
side of the Chao Phaya
was inaugurated under
the new name "Krung
Thep Maha Nakhon Amorn
Rattanakosindra Mahindrayutthaya
Mahadilokpop Noparattana
Radchhani Burirom Udom
Rachnivet Mahastan Amorn
Pimarn Avatarn Satit Sakatuttiya
Vishnukarm Prasit."
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In
English: "City
of Angels, Great
City and Residence of the
Emerald Buddha, Impregnable
City of God Indra, Grand
Capital of the World, Endowed
with Nine Precious Gems,
Abounding in Enormous Royal
Palaces which Resemble the
Heavenly Abode where Reigns
the Reincarnated God, a
City given by Indra and
Built by Vishnukarm".
For convenience, it is the
custom to abbreviate the
name to Krung Thep. And
for their further convenience,
Westerners continue to call
the place Bangkok. |
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