Why we call “Bangkok”

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Transcript

00:00Bangkok? Have you ever wondered why Bangkok is called Bangkok?

00:04Bangkok is actually pronounced in Thai as Bang Kok. Let's start with the word Bang,

00:09which it's used to refer to areas or communities by canal or river,

00:12and followed by outstanding characteristics of each area.

00:16And for the word Kok, there are two theories for its origin.

00:19The first one is that the word Kok is from Tonmakok, or hog palm tree,

00:23as this area was believed to have so many hog palm trees before.

00:27Or some people think Kok is from Koh, or island,

00:30as during King Chai Racha's reign, he ordered to dug canals to shorten travel distance,

00:35which made area into islands.

00:36The word Bangkok is used to refer to these areas in Ayutthaya period,

00:40and when the land is founded at the capital of the country,

00:44is what given a new name, Krungthep Mahanakorn.