Editing Bangkok (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Bangkok}}
[[File:La Loubere map of Bangkok (English).jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=An engraved map titled &quot;A Map of Bancock&quot;, showing a walled settlement on the west of a river, and a fort on the east|Map of 17th-century Bangkok, from [[Simon de la Loubère]]'s ''Du Royaume de Siam'']]

The history of Bangkok dates at least back to the early 15th century, to when it was a village on the west bank of the [[Chao Phraya River]], under the rule of [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]].<ref name="Tipawan"/> Because of its strategic location near the mouth of the river, the town gradually increased in importance. Bangkok initially served as a customs outpost with forts on both sides of the river, and was the site of [[Siege of Bangkok|a siege in 1688]], in which the French were expelled from Siam. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the [[Konbaung dynasty|Burmese]] in 1767, the newly crowned King [[Taksin]] established his capital at the town, which became the base of the [[Thonburi Kingdom]]. In 1782, King [[Phutthayotfa Chulalok]] (Rama I) succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern bank's [[Rattanakosin Island]], thus founding the [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Rattanakosin Kingdom]]. The [[City Pillar]] was erected on 21 April 1782, which is regarded as the date of the foundation of Bangkok as the capital.<ref name="200 years"/>

Bangkok's economy gradually expanded through international trade, first with China, then with Western merchants returning in the early to mid-19th century. As the capital, Bangkok was the centre of Siam's modernization as it faced pressure from Western powers in the late 19th century. The reigns of Kings [[Mongkut]] (Rama IV, {{abbr|r.|reigned}} 1851–68) and [[Chulalongkorn]] (Rama V, {{abbr|r.|reigned}} 1868–1910) saw the introduction of the steam engine, printing press, rail transport and utilities infrastructure in the city, as well as formal education and healthcare. Bangkok became the centre stage for power struggles between the military and political elite as the country [[Siamese revolution of 1932|abolished absolute monarchy in 1932]].<ref name="History of Thailand" />

[[File:View of Bangkok by John Heaviside Clark 1828 Colored.jpg|thumb|Engraving of the city from British diplomat [[John Crawfurd]]'s embassy in 1828]]
As [[Thailand]] allied with Japan [[Thailand in World War II|in World War II]], Bangkok was subjected to [[Bombing of Bangkok in World War II|Allied bombing]], but rapidly grew in the post-war period as a result of US aid and government-sponsored investment. Bangkok's role as a US military [[R&R (military)|R&R]] destination boosted its tourism industry, as well as firmly establishing it as a sex tourism destination. Disproportionate urban development led to increasing income inequalities and migration from rural areas into Bangkok; its population surged from 1.8&nbsp;million to 3&nbsp;million in the 1960s.<ref name="History of Thailand" />

Following the US withdrawal from [[Vietnam]] in 1973, Japanese businesses took over as leaders in investment, and the expansion of export-oriented manufacturing led to the growth of the financial market in Bangkok.<ref name="History of Thailand">Baker & Pongpaichit 2005, pp. 37–41, 45, 52–71, 149–150, 162, 199–204.</ref> Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s, until it was stalled by the [[1997 Asian financial crisis]]. By then, many public and social issues had emerged, among them the strain on infrastructure reflected in the city's notorious traffic jams. Bangkok's role as the nation's political stage continues to be seen in strings of popular protests, from the student uprisings in [[14 October 1973 uprising|1973]] and [[6 October 1976 massacre|1976]], anti-military demonstrations [[Black May (1992)|in 1992]], and [[History of Thailand since 2001|frequent street protests since 2006]], including those by groups opposing and supporting former prime minister [[Thaksin Shinawatra]] from 2006 to [[2013–2014 Thai political crisis|2013]], and a renewed student-led movement [[2020 Thai protests|in 2020]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Beech|first1=Hannah|last2=Suhartono|first2=Muktita|date=2020-10-14|title=As Motorcade Rolls By, Thai Royal Family Glimpses the People's Discontent|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/world/asia/thailand-protests-queen-king.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014174057/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/world/asia/thailand-protests-queen-king.html |archive-date=2020-10-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-10-15|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Administration of the city was first formalized by King Chulalongkorn in 1906, with the establishment of [[Monthon]] Krung Thep Phra Maha Nakhon ({{lang|th|มณฑลกรุงเทพพระมหานคร}}) as a national subdivision. In 1915, the ''monthon'' was split into several provinces, the administrative boundaries of which have since further changed. The city in its current form was created in 1972 with the formation of the [[Bangkok Metropolitan Administration]] (BMA), following the merger of Phra Nakhon province on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya and Thonburi province on the west during the previous year.<ref name="200 years"/>
{{wide image|Bangkok Panorama from Wat Arun by John Thomson 1865.jpg|640px|Bangkok panorama viewed from the top of Wat Arun temple in 1865. On the left side is the Grand Palace.|100%|right}}