วันเสาร์ที่ 26 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2553

The Grand Palace: Interesting place in Bangkok (1)




The Grand Palace and Wat Pra Kaeo is the city landmark on a huge compound. The whole
area is surrounded by the big white wall.The Grand Palace has an area
of about 1.5 square kilometers and include the Royal Chapel,
the Royal Collection of Weapons,the Coin Pavillion,
and a small museum containing artifacts from the Grand Palace.
The grandest of the buildings is the triple-spired building, the Chakri Maha Prasad,
an impressive mixture of Thai and Western architecture.
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Many thank :http://www.bangkoksite.com
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Many thanks: http://www.youtube.com



widgeo.net

วันศุกร์ที่ 25 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2553


Bangkok (Thai: กรุงเทพฯ Krung Thep) [1] is the capital ofThailand and by far its largest city with an estimated population of over 11 million.

Bangkok is one of Asia's most cosmopolitan cities. Created as the Thai capital in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, Bangkok is a national treasure house and Thailand’s spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre.

Bangkok is a huge and modern city humming with nightlife and fervour. Administratively, it is split up into 50 khet (districts), which are further split into 154 khwaeng (แขวง), but these are more often used in official business and for addresses. Visitors will find the conceptual division below of the main areas more useful for getting around.

Map of Central Bangkok
Map of Central Bangkok
Map of Bangkok
Map of Bangkok

Siam Square
The area around Siam Square, including Ratchaprasong Intersection and Ploen Chit is Bangkok's modern commercial core, full of glitzy malls and hotels. The Skytrain intersection at Siam Square is the closest thing Bangkok has to a centre.
Sukhumvit
The long Sukhumvit Road is Bangkok's nightlife district filled with quality hotels, restaurants and clubs. Part of its nightlife represents Bangkok's naughty image, particularly Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza.
Silom
To the south of Sukhumvit, the area around Silom Road and Sathorn Road is Thailand's sober financial center by day, but Bangkok's primary party district by night when quarters like the infamous Patpong come alive.
Rattanakosin
Between the river and Sukhumvit lies the densely packed "Old Bangkok", home to Bangkok's best-known sights, such as the Grand Palace and Wat Pho.
Khao San Road
On the northern part of Rattanakosin, Bangkok's backpacker mecca Khao San Road and the surrounding district of Banglamphu have everything the budget traveler is looking for.
Yaowarat and Pahurat
Along Yaowarat Road you will find Bangkok's Chinatown, while Pahurat Road is the home of the sizable Indian community. This multicultural district is filled with a Sikh Temple (Sri Guru Singh Sabha) and markets selling food, gold, fabrics, and Bollywood movies.
Dusit
This leafy, European-style area is the political center of Thailand, home to numerous political institutions and the monarchy. Its breezy palaces, lush gardens and broad avenues give the district its distinct character.
Thonburi
The quieter west bank of the Chao Phraya River, with Wat Arun and many small canals to explore.
Phahonyothin
The area around Phahonyothin Road and Viphavadi Rangsit Road is best known for Pratunam, Chatuchak Weekend Market and Baiyoke Tower II. The sois around Ari offer some excellent nightlife.
Ratchadaphisek
The district north of Sukhumvit centered around Ratchadaphisek Road (part of which is called Asoke). The sois of "Ratchada" are popular nightlife spots with the locals, as is the area around Royal City Avenue (RCA).
Ramkamhaeng
Along Ramkamhaeng Road lies a vast residential area with big shopping malls and amusement parks (like Safari World). Each neighborhood has its own character, the most important ones being Bang Kapi and Min Buri.

Around Bangkok are the provinces of Pathum Thani to the north, Nonthaburi to the northwest,Chachoengsao to the east, Samut Sakhon to the southwest, and Samut Prakan to the southeast.

Data : http://wikitravel.org




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About Thailand


The word "Thai" means free, and therefore Thailand means the "land of the free". Previously the country was well-known to the world as "siam" and only on May 11, 1949 did an official proclamation changed the name of the country into " Prathet Thai" or "Thailand" by which it has since come to be known throughout the world.

In childhood, our school textbooks told us that our ancestors had their roots in Southern China where they originated some 4,500 years ago. Under pressure from China, they moved southward through Burma down to the Indo-Chinese peninsula, the "Thai Noi" then established their capital in Sukhothai, the northern province of Thailand.

Now there are conflicting opinions and theories about the origin of the Thais since the discovery of many instruments and artifacts at the village of Ban Chiang in Nong Han District of the northeastern province of Udon Thani. The theory about the origin of the Thai people has now changed, it appears that the Thais might have first settled down here in Thailand and later scattered to various parts of Asia, even to some parts of China.

The controversy over the origin of the Thais shows no sign of definite conclusion as many more theories have been put forward and some even go further to say that the Thais were originally of Austronesian rather than Mongoloid. What the outcome of the dispute may be, by the 13th century the Thais had already settled down within the Southeast Asian mainland with Sukhothai as the "first kingdom". The Sukhothai era marked a period of great cultural development. Under King Ramkhamhaeng the Great who ruled from 1275 to 1315, the land of Sukhothai was thriving. There were fish in the water and rice in the fields. Due to the kingdom's prosperity, it is regarded as a "golden age" in the Thai history.

Then in the 1350, a new dynasty led by King Ramathibodi I (Uthong) established a new capital at Ayutthaya, and in 1378 during the reign of King Borommaracha I, Sukhothai was subdued to become a tributary state of Ayutthaya. The Ayutthaya kingdom survived several wars with Burma before falling to the invading Burmese in 1767.

Following this defeat, the Thais led by King Taksin retreated south and established another capital at Thon Buri. On his death in 1782, the King was succeeded by King Phra Buddha Yodfah Chulaloke (Rama I) who moved the capital across the river to the present location in Bangkok as Thon Buri was too vulnerable to Burmese attack. The King founded the Chakri dynasty which rules the country to the present day.

Many thanks: http://www.thailandlife.com


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