Thailand was once called Siam and is located at the center of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. Thailand’s neighbors include Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.
Nicknames for Thailand’s capital city Bangkok include City of Angels, City of Royal Palaces and, ironically, Sin City of Asia.
Bangkok’s transportations systems play a key role in supporting Thailand’s role in international trade. In 2019, Thailand exported US$245.4 billion worth of goods placing 25th among the top exporting nations. According to the International Trade Centre, the most valuable exports from Thailand are computers (4.8% of the global total), cars (4.2%), automotive parts or accessories (3.3%), gold (3.1%), electronic integrated circuits (3.1%), trucks (also 3.1%), refined petroleum oils (2.7%), new rubber tires (2.3%), air conditioning machines (2.2%) and rice (1.7%).
Bangkok is where the world-famous energy drink Red Bull was first made in 1976, launching a multi-million dollar business empire. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, Bangkok is also the world’s hottest city.
Capital Facts for Bangkok, Thailand: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit), Phra Sumeru Fortress and the Grand Palace
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Bangkok, Thailand.
- Chamras Saewataporn, singer & composer (born Dec. 9, 1955)
- Danai Udomchoke, professional tennis player (born Aug. 11, 1981)
- Bui Simon, actress & former Miss Universe (born Feb. 7, 1969)
- Pornthip Rojanasunand, forensive pathologist & author (born Dec. 21, 1954)
- Mimi Tanasorn Chindasook, figure skater (born Feb. 7, 1995)
- Paula Taylor, actress, model & presenter (born Jan. 20, 1983)
- Rujjana Utaiwan, singer & actress (born Oct. 24, 1982)
- Yong Poovorawan, medical professor (born Nov. 5, 1950)
- Pornsak Prajakwit, media personality & TV host (born Jan. 14, 1982)
- Tammy Duckworth, congresswoman (born Mar. 12, 1968)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches of published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Bangkok resident: Bangkokian
Population: 10,539,415 (Bangkok) at June 22, 2020
Density: 17,425 people per square mile (6,718 per square kilometer)
Population: 69,796,255 (Thailand) at June 22, 2020
Density: 354 people per square mile (137 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Thais: 40.1 years old
Financial
GDP: US$1.383 trillion in 2019 (Thailand)
GDP per person: $20,365
Note: The above GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars.
Official currency used in Bangkok: Thai baht
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Guinness World Records, Largest paper building.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Official Government Website, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Bangkok.
Wikipedia, Bangkok Metropolitan Region.
Wikipedia, Thailand.
WorldOMeter, Thailand Population
Thailand was founded in 1238 and was never colonized. Thai residents celebrate the birthday of King Phumiphon (Bhumibol) each December 5.
The city of Bangkok occupies a land area measuring 605 square miles (1,569 square kilometers). Thailand’s capital city had estimated population of 10.5 million residents at June 2020.
At the country level, Thailand’s land area covers 197,256 square miles (510,890 square kilometers). The national population count was 69.8 million inhabitants as of June 2020.
Bangkok’s population density is an average 17,425 residents per square mile (6,718 per square kilometer).
Expanding the scope to embrace Thailand’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes drastically to an average 355 inhabitants per square mile (137 per square kilometer).
