Thai Krung Thep
City (pop., 2000: metro. area, 6,355,144), capital of Thailand.
Lying 25 mi (40 km) above the mouth of the Chao Phraya , it is the country's major port and also its cultural, financial, and educational centre. Established as a fort before 1767 as a stronghold against the Burmese, it became the capital in 1782. Seized by the Japanese in World War II, it subsequently suffered heavy Allied bombing. In 1971–72 it incorporated several outlying districts to form a single province-level metropolis and has since experienced phenomenal growth. Throughout the city, walled Buddhist temples and monasteries serve as focal points for its religious life.