|
 BANGKOK:
CITY OF ANGELS
Bangkok is a city of extremes and superlatives, a city you do not react
to indifferently. Recently declared the world's hottest city by the World
Meteorological Organization, it also boasts the world's longest name-Krung-thep-maha-nakorn-boworn-ratana-kosin
mahintar-ayudhya-amaha-dilok-pop-nopa-ratana-rajthani-burirom-udom-rajniwes-mahasatarn
-amorn-pimarn-avatar-satit-sakattiya-visanukam. Not surprisingly, only
a handful of Thais can remember such a mouthful, although the abbreviated
translation of the whole is a relatively brief "Jewelled city of the god
Indra." However, most Thais simply refer to it as Krung Thep, City Angels.
Bangkok is unique among Thai towns. It is far removed from the rest of
Thailand. It is figuratively and laterally the epicenter of the nation.
With a population 50 times greater than the country's second largest city,
it dominates all political, commercial, religious and social activity
in Thailand.
But understanding Bangkok will help little in understanding the rest of
Thailand.
|
| General
Information |
| Area
sq km |
1,565
|
|
|
Anual
rainfall mm (2002) |
1,363
|
| Forest
Land (1999) |
1
|
0.1 %
|
Days
of rain (2002) |
122
|
| Farm
Land (1999) |
208
|
13.3 %
|
Mean
Temperature High/Low (2002) |
33.3
/
25.0
|
| Unclassified
Land (1999) |
1,356
|
86.6 %
|
BOI
Zone |
1
|
| Population
/ sq. km (2003) |
3,734
|
|
Gross
provincial product rank (2001) |
1
|
|
|
| Population |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
| Male |
48.3 %
|
48.4 %
|
48.5 %
|
48.6 %
|
48.7 %
|
48.9 %
|
49.1 %
|
49.2 %
|
| Female |
51.7 %
|
51.6 %
|
51.5 %
|
51.4 %
|
51.3 %
|
51.1 %
|
50.9 %
|
50.8 %
|
| Total |
5,844,607
|
5,782,159
|
5,726,203
|
5,680,380
|
5,662,499
|
5,647,799
|
5,604,772
|
5,584,963
|
|
|
| Household
income (baht) |
2002 |
2000 |
1998 |
1996 |
1994 |
| Average
monthly income |
29,589
|
26,909
|
26,054
|
21,550
|
16,918
|
| Average
monthly expenditures |
21,919
|
20,448
|
20,780
|
17,847
|
14,125
|
| Voluntary
reserves |
25.9 %
|
24.0 %
|
20.2 %
|
17.2 %
|
16.5 %
|
| Monthly
income / Person |
8,966
|
8,154
|
7,895
|
6,951
|
5,457
|
| Average
household size |
3.3
|
3.3
|
3.3
|
3.1
|
3.1
|
|
|
| Gross
provincial product |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
1995 |
1994 |
| Agriculture |
0.6 %
|
0.7 %
|
0.7 %
|
0.6 %
|
0.6 %
|
0.6 %
|
0.6 %
|
0.6 %
|
| Manufacturing |
32.1 %
|
32.3 %
|
31.6 %
|
31.1 %
|
29.3 %
|
29.0 %
|
28.6 %
|
28.4 %
|
| Construction |
3.0 %
|
2.3 %
|
3.5 %
|
4.5 %
|
4.9 %
|
5.8 %
|
5.8 %
|
6.9 %
|
| Transport
& communication |
14.6 %
|
14.3 %
|
14.0 %
|
13.4 %
|
12.0 %
|
11.6 %
|
11.7 %
|
11.6 %
|
| Wholesale
& retail trade |
20.7 %
|
21.3 %
|
21.1 %
|
19.8 %
|
20.3 %
|
19.1 %
|
20.1 %
|
19.8 %
|
| Services |
17.6 %
|
17.7 %
|
17.6 %
|
16.7 %
|
16.1 %
|
19.9 %
|
15.2 %
|
14.7 %
|
| Others |
11.4 %
|
11.4 %
|
11.5 %
|
13.9 %
|
16.8 %
|
14.0 %
|
18.0 %
|
18.0 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total
(million baht) |
1,859,838
|
1,787,456
|
1,699,744
|
1,700,436
|
1,835,518
|
1,797,809
|
1,642,740
|
1,470,800
|
| GPP
per capita (baht) |
324,794
|
314,671
|
300,175
|
301,079
|
327,492
|
321,901
|
293,816
|
263,141
|
|
|
| Commercial
bank |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
| No.
of offices |
1,259
|
1,199
|
1,189
|
1,201
|
956
|
956
|
947
|
902
|
| Deposits
(million baht) |
3,551,233
|
3,413,136
|
3,309,490
|
3,029,909
|
3,043,907
|
3,043,907
|
2,699,687
|
2,177,711
|
| Loans
(million baht) |
3,595,696
|
3,613,962
|
3,373,725
|
3,955,171
|
4,001,448
|
4,001,448
|
4,796,077
|
3,266,170
|
| Deposits
/ capita (baht) |
625,175
|
602,761
|
585,978
|
540,594
|
545,018
|
544,426
|
483,002
|
390,977
|
| Loans/deposits
ratio |
101.3 %
|
105.9 %
|
101.9 %
|
130.5 %
|
131.5 %
|
131.5 %
|
177.7 %
|
150.0 %
|
|
|
| Public
health |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
1995 |
1994 |
1993 |
| No.
of hospitals |
132
|
141
|
164
|
163
|
118
|
110
|
102
|
97
|
95
|
| No.
of hospital beds |
27,879
|
28,094
|
28,454
|
28,319
|
27,327
|
24,597
|
21,868
|
22,404
|
21,440
|
| Avg.
Beds / Hospital |
211
|
199
|
173
|
173
|
231
|
223
|
214
|
230
|
225
|
| Capita
/ Hospital bed |
205
|
202
|
199
|
199
|
205
|
227
|
255
|
249
|
259
|
| No.
of physicians |
7,504
|
7,155
|
7,438
|
7,386
|
7,771
|
6,676
|
5,582
|
5,936
|
6,191
|
| Capita
/ Physician |
763
|
793
|
761
|
764
|
721
|
836
|
1,001
|
941
|
899
|
|
No. of dentists |
1,788
|
1,607
|
1,891
|
1,855
|
1,651
|
1,364
|
1,077
|
1,223
|
1,331
|
|
Capita / Dentist |
3,202
|
3,534
|
2,994
|
3,044
|
3,394
|
4,094
|
5,191
|
4,570
|
4,184
|
| No.
of nurses |
20,026
|
18,338
|
18,540
|
18,105
|
15,190
|
15,639
|
16,089
|
15,663
|
14,997
|
|
|
| Education |
2002 |
2000 |
1998 |
1996 |
1994 |
1993 |
| No.
of teachers |
-
|
52,120
|
53,324
|
52,751
|
52,004
|
51,346
|
| No.
of students |
-
|
1,047,191
|
1,016,543
|
1,007,936
|
1,021,241
|
1,000,574
|
| No.
of schools |
-
|
1,484
|
1,493
|
1,483
|
1,460
|
1,465
|
| No.
of classrooms |
-
|
28,980
|
28,786
|
28,340
|
28,656
|
28,051
|
| Ratio
: students / teacher |
-
|
20.1
|
19.1
|
19.1
|
19.6
|
19.5
|
| Ratio
: students / classroom |
-
|
36.1
|
35.3
|
35.6
|
35.6
|
35.7
|
|
|
| |
|
