1. BANGKOK HAS THE LONGEST CITY NAME IN THE WORLD!
Most people know this city simply as “Bangkok”. Locals refer to it as “Krung Thep”. However, neither of these names are technically correct. They are only shortened versions of the actual name, which is:
Krumgthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Buriram Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukamprasit
This roughly translates to: City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the 9 gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Visvakarman at Indra’s behest.
I will hereby be referring to it as “Bangkok”.
2. All of the temples pictured on Thai baht coins are in Bangkok
When visiting temples in Bangkok, see if you can locate all of those pictured on Thai Baht coins. There are 4 of them.
- 1 baht coin – Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha, inside the Grand Palace)
- 2 baht coin – Wat Paket (Temple on the Mount)
- 5 baht coin – Wat Benjamabophit (The Marble Temple)
- 10 baht coin – Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
3. Bangkok is Hot!
Although Bangkok may not be setting records for the world’s hottest temperatures, it’s known as one of the hottest cities in the world simply because it never cools off! Its annual low temperature is around 22° celsius (71.6° Fahrenheit), and its high temperature exceeds 32° C (89.6° F) every month of the year! The average air temperature throughout the year is 28° C (82.4° F), but jumps to 34° C (93.2° F) between March and May. And this is not a dry heat. It’s always very humid.
So, as you can see…it’s freaking hot!
4. Red Bull was born here!
In 1976, Chile Yoovidhya introduced a drink called “Krating Daeng” (which means Red Gaur or Red Bison in English) in Thailand. A man named Dietrich Mateschitz, who was doing business in Bangkok, purchased a can of “Krating Daeng” and claimed that it cured his jet lag. A business partnership deal was soon made between Mateschitz and Yoovidhya, and the two set out to formulate a product that would suit the taste of Westerners, such as carbonating the drink. In 1984, the two founded “Red Bull” in Salzburg, Austria. And the rest as they say, is history!
5. Bangkok Has Peculiar Laws!
- It is illegal to go out in public without wearing underwear!
- It is illegal to speak any language other then Thai over an amplifying device such as a microphone
- Alcohol (including beer) can only be sold in stores between the hours of 11:00am and 2:00pm, then again from 5:00pm until midnight. Bars and restaurants, on the other hand, can sell it anytime as long as you drink it there!
6. And Finally...
The picture above is a Durian fruit, which can be found throughout Asia. This fruit, besides having a very peculiar “odor” (once you smell one you won’t forget it!), is very spiky. It is illegal in Bangkok to use one of these as a weapon in any way!
Have a great day everyone! And safe travels!!