Editing Bangkok (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Bangkok Art Biennale 2018 03.jpg|thumb|Temporary art display at [[Siam Discovery]] during the [[Bangkok Art Biennale]] 2018]]

The culture of Bangkok reflects its position as Thailand's centre of wealth and modernisation. The city has long been the portal of entry of Western concepts and material goods, which have been adopted and blended with Thai values to various degrees by its residents. This is most evident in the lifestyles of the expanding middle class. [[Conspicuous consumption]] serves as a display of economic and social status, and shopping centres are popular weekend hangouts.<ref>Hamilton 2000, p.&nbsp;468.</ref>
[[File:Puy the Roti Lady Benjawan Kaewsaen and her sister Pang in Sala Dang Bangkok Thailand by Don Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|Street food vendor "Puy the Roti Lady" – "Benjawan Kaewsaen" and her sister Palm in the Silom – Saladang area of Bangkok]]
A distinct feature of Bangkok is the ubiquity of [[street vendor]]s selling goods ranging from food items to clothing and accessories. It has been estimated that the city may have over 100,000 hawkers. While the BMA has authorised the practice in 287 sites, the majority of activity in another 407 sites takes place illegally. Although they take up pavement space and block pedestrian traffic, many of the city's residents depend on these vendors for their meals, and the BMA's efforts to curb their numbers have largely been unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Street Vendors in Asia: A Review|first=Sharit K |last=Bhowmik |journal=Economic and Political Weekly|date=28 May – 4 June 2005 |pages=2256–2264}}</ref>

In 2015, however, the BMA, with support from the [[National Council for Peace and Order]] (Thailand's ruling military junta), began cracking down on street vendors in a bid to reclaim public space. Many famous market neighbourhoods were affected, including [[Khlong Thom, Bangkok|Khlong Thom]], [[Saphan Lek]], and the flower market at [[Pak Khlong Talat]]. Nearly 15,000 vendors were evicted from 39 public areas in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nualkhair|first1=Chawadee|title=Bangkok's street food under threat from gentrification|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/feb/12/bangkok-street-food-stalls-under-threat|access-date=13 February 2017|work=The Guardian|date=12 February 2017}}</ref> While some applauded the efforts to focus on pedestrian rights, others have expressed concern that [[gentrification]] would lead to the loss of the city's character and adverse changes to people's way of life.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mokkhasen|first1=Sasiwan|title=Vanishing Bangkok: What is the Capital Being Remade Into, And For Whom?|url=http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2016/07/05/reorganization/|access-date=3 February 2017|work=Khaosod English|date=5 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sauers|first1=Craig|title=Bangkok's disappearing street food|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160817-bangkoks-disappearing-street-food|access-date=3 February 2017|work=BBC Travel|date=23 August 2016|archive-date=4 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204020501/http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160817-bangkoks-disappearing-street-food|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Festivals and events===
[[File:Ratchadamnoen King80 arch.jpg|thumb|right|alt=An elaborate double archway above a road, with pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej; trees decorated with lights|[[Ratchadamnoen Avenue]] is annually decorated with lights and displays in celebration of [[King Bhumibol]]'s birthday.]]
The residents of Bangkok celebrate many of Thailand's annual festivals. During [[Songkran (Thailand)|Songkran]] on 13–15 April, traditional rituals as well as water fights take place throughout the city. [[Loi Krathong]], usually in November, is accompanied by the Golden Mount Fair. New Year celebrations take place at many venues, the most prominent being the plaza in front of [[CentralWorld]]. Observances related to the royal family are held primarily in Bangkok. Wreaths are laid at King Chulalongkorn's equestrian statue in the Royal Plaza on 23 October, which is King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day. The previous king's and queen's birthdays, respectively on 5 December and 12 August, are marked as Thailand's national Father's Day and national Mother's Day. These national holidays are celebrated by royal audiences on the day's eve, in which the king or queen gives a speech, and public gatherings on the day of the observance. The king's birthday is also marked by the [[Thai Royal Guards parade|Royal Guards' parade]].

[[Sanam Luang]] is the site of the Thai Kite, Sport and Music Festival, usually held in March, and the [[Royal Ploughing Ceremony]], which takes place in May. The Red Cross Fair at the beginning of April is held at Suan Amporn and the Royal Plaza, and features numerous booths offering goods, games, and exhibits. The [[Chinese New Year]] (January–February) and [[Vegetarian Festival]] (September–October) are celebrated widely by the Chinese community, especially in Yaowarat.<ref>Thavisin et al. (eds) 2006, p.&nbsp;72.</ref>

Bangkok was designated as the [[World Book Capital]] for the year 2013 by [[UNESCO]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-29 |title=Bangkok declared World Book Capital 2013 at UN conference |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/06/380082-bangkok-declared-world-book-capital-2013-un-conference |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=UN News |language=en |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915152618/https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/06/380082-bangkok-declared-world-book-capital-2013-un-conference |url-status=live }}</ref>

Bangkok's first Thai International Gay Pride Festival took place on October 31, 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=Asian Gay & Lesbian News Archive |url=https://www.utopia-asia.com/unews/archive.htm |access-date=4 June 2022 |archive-date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731203520/https://www.utopia-asia.com/unews/archive.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Pride Parades have also been held in Bangkok, with the first official parade held in 2022 under the name "[[Bangkok Pride|Bangkok Naruemit Pride Parade]]". Pride Parades were announced to be a part of Bangkok's "12 monthly festivals" in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bangkok celebrates first 'Pride Month' with newly elected governor |url=https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkok-celebrates-first-pride-month-with-newly-elected-governor/ |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=www.thaipbsworld.com |language=en-US |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009054719/https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkok-celebrates-first-pride-month-with-newly-elected-governor/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Media===
Bangkok is the centre of [[Media of Thailand|Thailand's media industry]]. All national newspapers, broadcast media, and major publishers are based in the capital. Its 21 national newspapers had a combined daily circulation of about two million in 2002. These include the mass-oriented ''[[Thai Rath]]'', ''[[Khao Sod]]'' and ''[[Daily News (Thailand)|Daily News]]'', the first of which currently prints a million copies per day,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thairath.co.th/corp/index?subMenu=info |title=ข้อมูลทั่วไป (General information) |website=Thai Rath Online |publisher=Wacharapol |access-date=23 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911034352/http://www.thairath.co.th/corp/index?subMenu=info |archive-date=11 September 2012 }}</ref> as well as the less sensational ''[[Matichon]]'' and ''[[Krungthep Thurakij]]''. The ''[[Bangkok Post]]'' and ''[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]]'' are the two national English language dailies. Foreign publications including ''[[The Asian Wall Street Journal]]'', ''[[Financial Times]]'', ''[[The Straits Times]]'' and the ''[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]'' also have operations in Bangkok.<ref name="Kavi">{{cite book|first=Kavi |last=Chongkittavorn |chapter=The Media and Access to Information in Thailand|pages=255–266|title= The Right to Tell: The Role of Mass Media in Economic Development|editor-first=Roumeen |editor-last=Islam|series=WBI Development Studies|place=Washington, D.C.|publisher=The World Bank|isbn=978-0-8213-5203-8|year=2002 }}</ref> The large majority of Thailand's more than 200 magazines are published in the capital, and include news magazines as well as lifestyle, entertainment, gossip and fashion-related publications.

Bangkok is also the hub of [[Television in Thailand|Thailand's broadcast television]]. All six national terrestrial channels, Channels [[Channel 3 (Thailand)|3]], [[Channel 5 (Thailand)|5]] and [[Channel 7 (Thailand)|7]], [[Modernine TV|Modernine]], [[National Broadcasting Services of Thailand Television|NBT]] and [[Thai PBS]], have headquarters and main studios in the capital. [[GMM Grammy]] is Thailand's largest mass-media conglomerate is also headquartered in Bangkok. Except for local news segments broadcast by the NBT, all programming is done in Bangkok and repeated throughout the provinces. However, this centralised model is weakening with the rise of cable television, which has many local providers. There are numerous cable and satellite [[List of television stations in Bangkok|channels based in Bangkok]]. [[TrueVisions]] is the major subscription television provider in Bangkok and Thailand, and it also carries international programming. Bangkok was home to 40 of Thailand's 311 FM radio stations and 38 of its 212 AM stations in 2002.<ref name="Kavi"/> Broadcast media reform stipulated by the [[1997 constitution of Thailand|1997 constitution]] has been progressing slowly, although many community radio stations have emerged in the city.

Likewise, Bangkok has dominated the [[Thai film industry]] since its inception. Although film settings normally feature locations throughout the country, the city is home to all major film studios in Thailand, such as [[GDH 559]] (GMM Grammy's film production subsidiary), [[Sahamongkol Film International]], and [[Five Star Production]]. Bangkok has dozens of [[List of cinemas in Thailand|cinemas and multiplexes]], and the city hosts two major film festivals annually, the [[Bangkok International Film Festival]] and the [[World Film Festival of Bangkok]].

===Art===
[[File:BKK Art and Culture Centre (II).jpg|thumb|right|alt=A modern-looking building with a smooth curved exterior on the corner of a road junction with several paintings on the wall|The [[Bangkok Art and Culture Centre]], the city's major public contemporary art venue, was opened in 2008 after many delays.]]

Traditional [[Thai art]], long developed within religious and royal contexts, continues to be sponsored by various government agencies in Bangkok, including the [[Department of Fine Arts (Thailand)|Department of Fine Arts]]' Office of Traditional Arts. The SUPPORT Foundation in Chitralada Palace sponsors traditional and folk handicrafts. Various communities throughout the city still practice their traditional crafts, including the production of ''[[khon]]'' masks, alms bowls, and classical musical instruments. The [[National Gallery of Thailand|National Gallery]] hosts a permanent collection of traditional and modern art, with temporary contemporary exhibits. Bangkok's [[contemporary art]] scene has slowly grown from relative obscurity into the public sphere over the past two decades. Private galleries gradually emerged to provide exposure for new artists, including the [[Patravadi Theatre]] and [[H Gallery]]. The centrally located [[Bangkok Art and Culture Centre]], opened in 2008 following a fifteen-year lobbying campaign, is now the largest public exhibition space in the city.<ref>{{cite news|title=Center Stage|first=John|last=Krich |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123623705280938041|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=6 March 2009 |access-date=26 September 2012}}</ref> There are also many other [[List of museums and art galleries in Bangkok|art galleries and museums]], including the privately owned [[Museum of Contemporary Art (Bangkok)|Museum of Contemporary Art]].

The city's performing arts scene features traditional theatre and dance as well as Western-style plays. ''Khon'' and other traditional dances are regularly performed at the [[National Theatre (Thailand)|National Theatre]] and [[Salachalermkrung Royal Theatre]], while the [[Thailand Cultural Centre]] is a newer multi-purpose venue which also hosts musicals, orchestras, and other events. [[List of theatres in Bangkok|Numerous venues]] regularly feature a variety of performances throughout the city.
<!-- Can't use this since it's pretty much unreferenced and not really the right tone. If someone could rework the paragraph, please do so.
The arts in Bangkok have developed almost exclusively and anonymously in the services of Theravada Buddhism since the Ayutthaya period and continuing to the present day by incorporating Western elements, which is called the [[Rattanakosin style|Rattanakosin]] or Bangkok style. Nowadays, the modern art scene is centred around Bangkok as the capital of [[contemporary art]] in the region, while traditional art can be found in many commercial areas in the old city as well as temples and palaces throughout the city. Several artists prefer to live and work outside the metropolis. The number of artists is constantly on the rise, so an increasing variety of works is available on the art market. Many art galleries in Bangkok tend to sell work restricted to traditional rural motifs. The artists creating this type of art are often influenced by traditional Buddhist beliefs and motifs, and are popular among the general Thai public. Nevertheless, some Thai artists are breaking away from these norms by addressing more controversial issues in their work, for example, the loss of traditional values and the obsession with money in today's society.
-->

===Sport===
[[File:RajamangalaStadium.jpg|thumb|left|[[Rajamangala Stadium]] was built for the [[1998 Asian Games]] and [[Thailand national football team]] home stadium.]]

As is the national trend, association football and [[Muay Thai]] dominate Bangkok's spectator sport scene.<ref>{{cite web |title=ศึกคอนเทนต์ กีฬาฟีเวอร์ สนั่นจอทีวี |url=https://positioningmag.com/60100 |access-date=14 March 2020 |work=Positioning Magazine |date=16 April 2015 |language=th}}</ref> [[Muangthong United F.C.|Muangthong United]], [[Bangkok United F.C.|Bangkok United]], [[BG Pathum United F.C.|BG Pathum United]], [[Port F.C.|Port]] and [[Police Tero F.C.|Police Tero]] are major [[Thai League (football)|Thai League]] clubs based in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/313608/blemishes-in-the-beautiful-game |title=Blemishes in the beautiful game |newspaper=Bangkok Post|last=Post reporters|date=23 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hassan |first1=Hanif |title=A year of unfulfilled expectations |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/1557354/a-year-of-unfulfilled-expectations |work=Bangkok Post |date=13 October 2018 |access-date=14 March 2020 |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020090611/https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/1557354/a-year-of-unfulfilled-expectations |url-status=live }}</ref> while the [[Rajadamnern Stadium|Rajadamnern]] and [[Lumpini Stadium|Lumpini]] stadiums are the main kickboxing venues.

While [[sepak takraw]] can be seen played in open spaces throughout the city, football and other modern sports are now the norm. Western sports introduced during the reign of King [[Chulalongkorn]] were originally only available to the privileged, and such status is still associated with certain sports. Golf is popular among the upwardly mobile, and there are several courses in Bangkok. [[Horse racing]], highly popular at the mid-20th century, still takes place at the [[Royal Bangkok Sports Club]].

There are many public [[List of sport venues in Bangkok|sporting facilities located throughout Bangkok]]. The two main centres are the [[National Stadium (Thailand)|National Stadium]] complex, which dates to 1938, and the newer [[Hua Mak Sports Complex]], which was built for the [[1998 Asian Games]]. Bangkok had also hosted the games in [[1966 Asian Games|1966]], [[1970 Asian Games|1970]] and [[1978 Asian Games|1978]]; the most of any city. The city was the host of the inaugural [[1959 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games|Southeast Asian Games in 1959]], the [[2007 Summer Universiade]], and the [[2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup]].