History of Bangkok

Like many other Asian countries, over the centuries Thailand has experienced a succession of different ruling dynasties and many changes to its geographical and cultural boundaries.  Siam, as the country used to be known, experienced a long sequence of conflicts with rival regional powers, including those of modern day Burma and Cambodia, resulting in the rich ethnic and cultural mix than can still be seen today in modern Thailand.

The rise of Bangkok as the seat of the Siamese Court was a direct result of one of these conflicts when in the year 1767 the Burmese sacked Ayuthaya, the ancient capital of Siam. This beautiful and ancient city was home at that time to more than one million inhabitants and had for four centuries commanded a vast empire in the region. The Burmese forces held what was left of the city for only two years however and were eventually repelled by the Siamese General ‘Taksin the Great’ in 1769.

The need to relocate the court to a better protected site was now Taksin’s greatest priority and in the 1769 he established a new capital at Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya river. The location not only provided a more defendable site but had easy access to the trade routes that had been established by the Ayuthaya dynasty over the centuries.  With the expulsion of the Burmese, Taksin once again established the Siamese empire and Thonburi controlled a large land mass, from modern day Laos in the north to current day Malaysia in the south and from Burma in west to the Khmer kingdom of Cambodia in the east.

Taksin died in 1782 and was succeeded by King Rama I, establishing the Chakri dynasty and a royal line of succession that carries on to this day through to the current king of Thailand, His Majesty King Rama IX.

King Rama I decided to move the capital from Thonburi across to the more defendable east bank of the Chao Phraya river and the rise of Bangkok as we know it today had began.  Prior to 1782 there had only been a small port on the east bank, servicing visiting Chinese and European merchant ships who traded with Ayuthaya via a canal built in the 16th century at the height of the empires powers. Originally the port had only been a small fishing village named ‘Bang Makok’, meaning ‘Village of Olives’, which is the origin of the city’s internationally known name of Bangkok.

Rama I was a leader of great vision and quickly ordered the digging of a vast network of canals that would not only fortify the city but would provide supply routes with Ayuthaya and other nearby provinces.  Over the years smaller canals were constructed as a means for the people to navigate the expanding city and led to Bangkok becoming known as the ‘Venice of the East’.  He also renamed the city as ‘Krung Thep’, meaning ‘City of Angels’.

During this period the king also began construction of the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple in the area known as Rattanakosin Island, so called due to the surrounding fortified canals that acted as a moat around the area.  The Rattanakosin area of city is still there today and is home to many of the city’s greatest treasures and historical buildings.

Over the coming decades there began a gradual expansion away from the original sites near to the riverbank and the vast rice fields and rural expanse to the north and east of the river were slowly urbanised.  During this period the first immigrants began to arrive, with the Chinese establishing much of the city’s merchant classes and the Portuguese assisting with duties in the royal court.

Truly great strides were taken in the 1850’s during the reign of King Rama IV when trade agreements were signed with European powers to not only expand industry and foreign trade, but to strengthen the kingdom’s independence in an age of rapid colonialism in the region.  The modernisation of the country was continued during the 42 year reign of King Rama V who was instrumental in introducing a ruling cabinet and modern civil service, building schools, hospitals and universities, reorganising the army, establishing provincial administrations and introducing the first electricity and telephone services. King Rama V also recognised the need for strong future leadership and began the process of sending his children abroad, notably to Oxford, to further their education, a practice that has continued to this day.

As a result of this economic and industrial modernisation, Bangkok’s urbanisation of the outlying areas expanded existentially and many modern roads were built to compliment the network of canals that until that point had been the main means of navigating the city.  This urbanisation demanded an infrastructure to support the new industries and huge increase in population, and modern tramways, the first railway and secure gas and electricity supplies were introduced to compliment the continued development.  Following a state visit to Europe, the king also ordered the building of French styled boulevards and commissioned European architects to design many splendid buildings, including the first railway station at Hua Lampong and the magnificent Victory Monument.

Bangkok continued to expand during the early decades of the 20th century and in 1932 the Memorial Bridge was built, linking Bangkok to Thonburi.  The bridge was designed to expand the city and aid in the urban development of the west bank of the river.

During this period many young Asians from wealthy families began studying in Paris and many became influenced by the political doctrines of the time. Paris was a breeding ground for radical thinking and the indoctrinations of the period would have a dramatic impact on the Asian region over the coming decades. Ho Chi Minh and the future leaders of the Khmer Rouge were for example greatly influenced by their experiences in Paris during the 1930’s.

The effects felt in Thailand were much more immediate however when in 1932 the reigning monarch King Rama VII was forced via a bloodless military coup to introduce a constitutional monarchy and the formation of the country’s first parliament. The coup was greatly influenced by Thai students returning from Paris and the signing of the new constitution is honoured annually on 10 December by the ‘Constitution Day’ holiday.

Over the next 15 years the country would suffer from a political lull with the military government of the time co-operating with the Japanese during World War 2, which resulted in the Allies carrying out bombing raids over Bangkok for a short time.

In the period after the war the newly named Thailand began to flourish again with the ascension to the throne in 1946 of the current monarch, His Majesty King Rama IX.  The king stabilised the country and paved the way for the modernisation that was to follow.

During the 1960’s Thailand became a hub for the American armed forces with air force bases being established in Khorat and Chonburi, to deliver troops and supplies to the war in Vietnam. Bangkok subsequently became the centre for off duty GI’s enjoying their leave from the war and the city began to grow in sophistication. The USA poured millions of dollars into Thailand at this time and the Bangkok as we know it today began to form. The country quickly went through a period of mass industrialisation and huge residential areas, such as Sukhumvit, quickly began to develop.

For the last thirty years foreign investment in Thailand has continued unabated and Bangkok has now developed into a cosmopolitan city of sky scrapers, luxury hotels and shopping malls.

 

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