The bustling city of Bangkok is the capital of Thailand .
Thai Krung Thep city , capital , and chief port of Thailand .

As the country's largest city by far , it is an economic , administrative , and cultural center .
It is the only cosmopolitan city in a country of small towns and villages and is Thailand's cultural and commercial centre .

In the Thai language the city is known as Krung Thep , meaning "Divine City" or "City of Angels."
The Thai call their capital Krung Thep , which is the first part of its mellifluous and lengthy official name meaning "the City of Gods , the Great City , the Residence of the Emerald Buddha , the Impregnable City ( of Ayutthaya ) of God Indra , the Grand Capital of the World Endowed with Nine Precious Gems , the Happy City Abounding in Enormous Royal Palaces Which Resemble the Heavenly Abode Wherein Dwell the Reincarnated Gods , a City Given by Indra and Built by Vishnukarm."

In the Thai language the city is known as Krung Thep , meaning "Divine City" or "City of Angels."
The abbreviated name Krung Thep is often translated as "City of Angels."

It stands on both sides of the Chao Phraya River , about 25 miles ( 40 kilometers ) from the Gulf of Thailand .
Bangkok is located on the delta of the Chao Phraya River , about 25 miles ( 40 km ) from the Gulf of Thailand .

The climate is hot throughout the year .
The climate of Bangkok is hot throughout the year , ranging from 77 degree F ( 25 degree C ) in the "cold" season in December to 86 degree F ( 30 degree C ) at the height of the hot season in April .

More than 300 Buddhist temple complexes , or wats , are spread throughout the city .
Throughout the city , walled Buddhist temples and monasteries called wats , often sumptuously ornamented , serve as focal points for religious , cultural , and even commercial life .

More than 300 Buddhist temple complexes , or wats , are spread throughout the city .
There are more than 300 such temples , representing classic examples of Thai architecture .

The nearby National Museum contains ancient art relics and royal objects .
The National Museum houses prehistoric and Bronze Age art relics , as well as royal objects dating to the 6th century AD .

The city also has the National Library , the National Theater , and several universities .
The city also houses the National Library and the Thai National Documentation Department .

Bangkok is Thailand's commercial center and main port .
Thai Krung Thep city , capital , and chief port of Thailand .

Bangkok is Thailand's commercial center and main port .
It is the only cosmopolitan city in a country of small towns and villages and is Thailand's cultural and commercial centre .

Its industries include food processing and the production of textiles , building materials , and electronic equipment .
Manufacturing is chiefly confined to food processing , textiles , the assembly of electronic equipment , and the production of building materials .

Tourism is another important source of revenue .
Tourism has increased greatly and is now a major source of revenue in Bangkok .

Bangkok's transportation system was originally based on water travel .
Bangkok's transportation system was originally based on water travel .

Europeans once called the city the Venice of the East because of its maze of canals , or khlongs .
The city's maze of canals connected with the river earned it the name "Venice of the East."

When the city was modernized in the 20th century , most of the canals were filled in and paved over as roads .
The problem was met first by filling in most of the smaller and a number of the larger canals .

The city's international airport is one of the busiest in Southeast Asia .
Bangkok International Airport is one of the busiest in Southeast Asia .

In 1782 King Rama I made Bangkok the capital of the kingdom of Siam ( now Thailand) .
Bangkok became the capital of Siam ( as Thailand was previously known ) in 1782 , when General Chao Phraya Chakkri , the founder of the ruling Chakkri dynasty , assumed the throne as Rama I and moved the court from the west to the east bank of the Chao Phraya River .

In l971 Bangkok merged with the neighboring city of Thon Buri .
In 1971 the two were united as a city-province with a single municipal government .

The next year the unified city was combined with surrounding areas to form a single city-province , Krung Thep Mahanakhon ( Bangkok Metropolitan City) .
In 1972 the city and the two surrounding provinces were merged into one province , called Krung Thep Maha Nakhon ( Bangkok Metropolis) .