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The capital of Thailand was established at Bangkok in 1782 by the first king of the Chakri Dynasty, Rama I. (Thailand’s first capital was Sukhothai followed by Ayuthaya). At the time of it’s founding, it was dubbed “Krung Thep”, meaning “City of Angels. 

Bangkok is a national treasure house and the country’s spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic center. The population of Bangkok is about 8 million people. It's one-tenth part of the country's population.

Today's Bangkok is incredibly urbanized, but beneath its modern veneer lies an unmistakable Thai-ness. This colorful mosaic of the old and new still present in Bangkok has proved to be a unique attraction. The gift Bangkok offers is the assurance you will never be bored. In 2002 Bangkok celebrated 220 years as the national capital.

BANGKOK'S ATTRACTIONS

GRAND PALACE AND WAT PHRA KAEW
Also called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, this temple adjoins the Grand Palace on common ground, which was consecrated in 1782, the first year of Bangkok rule. Together they have been added to by the different Thai monarchs and consequently feature several different types of architecture. The palace is a very colorful place, with extensive murals along the inside walls of the compound. The king only uses the palace on certain ceremonial occasions, such as Coronation Day, and his residence is in the other, more of a modern style palace.

TEMPLES CITY
There are a lot of glittering Buddhist temples (about 300) in Bangkok, which are worth to visit. The best of them are:

- Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit) - its attraction is the impressive 3^1/2-meter tall, 5^1/2-ton, solid gold Buddha image.

- Temple of Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok; it features the largest reclining Buddha and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. The tremendous reclining Buddha, 50 meters long and 15 meters high, illustrates the passing of Buddha into nirvana.

- Golden Mount Temple (Wat Sa Ket) - from the foot of the Golden Mount opens a good view of Old Bangkok rooftops.

- "Marble Temple" (Wat Benchamabophit), built of white Carrara marble.

- Tenple of the Great Relic (Wat Mahathat) is located near Thammasat University. The temple houses Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of the two highest seats of Buddhism learning in Thailand. Meditation classes are offered for foreigners.

CHAO PHRAYA RIVER CRUISE AND CANAL TOUR
You can observe the panorama of the Old Bangkok side by side with the modern urban river life from the water taking a motor boat trip of about 1^1/2 hours along the main Bangkok river - Chao Phraya which was at the old times the only transport gateway to Bangkok. You will sail by (and may stop at) one of the most beautiful Bangkok Temples - The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) and get a close look at a daily life of Thai people living in riverside houses.  Open from 7 to 11 a.m. there is a floating market - boats selling fresh fruits and souvenirs.  You can also make a stop at the Snake Farm located along the river, which has daily snake shows: feeding snakes, venom extraction and a man, catching cobra. Or you may wish to take a dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River dining in the restaurant on the boat.

SAFARI WORLD
Covering 7km², Safari World provides you with two very special ways to learn about the animal kingdom. The Safari Park immerses you into the animals' world as you are seemingly caged in the car and the animals are left in their natural habitats. The Marine Park gives you a chance to visit different shows with animals.

DREAM WORLD - an amusement park, a beautiful theme park which provides entertainment to millions of tourists.

THAI CLASSICAL DANCE & DINNER
Spend a beautiful evening in one of the several Thai classic dance/dinner theatres in the city. Thai dinner, selected dance performances by professional dancers dressed in glittering national costumes, sometimes martial arts are also on display.

SAMUTPRAKAN CROCODILE FARM & ZOO
The world's largest Сrocodile Farm where more than 60 000 crocodiles are kept is located 25 km south of Bangkok. Here you will experience thrilling world famous "Crocodile Wrestling" and "Acrobatic Elephant" stage shows. In the farm you can ride an elephant and have your pictures taken with exotic animals.

  Information provided by T.A.T (Tourism Authority of Thailand)