Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. It is by far the largest Thai city with around a 9 Million population and a magnet for workers from all over provincial Thailand. Together with a strong tourism brand bringing many tourists to Bangkok as the central transportation hub, revived economic development leading to a high expatriate population from other Asian nations, Europe, Australasia and North America, and a tolerance of diversity, Bangkok is the most colorful, vibrant, and "Asian" of all Asian capital cities.

Massive Japanese investment in the past two decades, followed by European and US investment, means business in Bangkok often incorporates Japanese business values first, followed by others, into the traditional Thai business values, making for a growing and multi-cultural international business culture in many businesses.

Most Bangkok residents are Thai, though many are immigrants from China. Chinese must change their name to a Thai name, usually incorporating their original family name. Chinese are very evident in business, and the Indian influence in the top levels of society is often underestimated as well as in traditional trades like tailoring and export/import. Bangkok residents from Eastern provinces, usually employed in building and construction however, sometimes identify more with neighbouring Laos rather than Thailand.

English is rarely spoken in Bangkok apart from the tourist areas and tourist hotels, though younger professionals are ahead of their bosses in this aspect.

Thais are almost always Buddhist, the Thai version often called Thaipusm Buddhism, reflecting the strong cultural influence from India and South Asia. Bangkok is full of small reminders of the strong influence of Thai Buddhism across all societal levels, including small temples on the roadside and in the great majority of business premises, to ornate temples and palaces.

Bangkok traffic jams - "rot tit" are legendary and new transport developments like extended freeways, the new skytrain serving central Bangkok, and an underground nearing completion, have so far to noticeably affect local transportation situation. However taxis are cheap and far more available than other capital cities in Asia. Motor cycle taxis are still available, providing an excellent alternative in a traffic jam emergency. Urban blight and pollution is rife, with major streets like Sukhumvit and the "Ramas" sporting modern contemporary buildings. Venture sometimes just 20 metres down one of the side streets (sois or soi-soi's), and you will see the Bangkok of old, traditional wooden Thai houses and maybe a canal sporting water-taxis that once gave Bangkok the brand of "Venice of the East". Bangkok is centred in a massive flood plain, and is susceptible to frequent flooding.

Bangkok airport at Don Muang is one of the busiest in Asia, and a hub for Indo China. It has just experienced it's latest "facelift" prior to the opening of the new airport in 2006. Though an old airport, Don Muang is surprisingly efficient in terms of city transfers and immigration procedures compared to the Kuala Lumpur airport and other new airports in the region.

Last Cache Update: January 16, 2005 05:56 PM