Both former capitals, now national historical parks, have been placed in the UN's list of world cultural heritages. The name Bangkok appeared on international navigation charts as far back as the 15th century as an outpost port of Ayuthaya, the former capital where western merchant ships made frequent calls. However, Bangkok has got an official name, so auspicious and long that it goes into the Guinness Book as the longest in the world for a city. Situnated at the geographic center of the eastern hemisphere, Bangkok's modern Don Muang airport is the hub of the regional air traffic for planes en route east to Japan and Hong Kong, west to Europe and the Middle East, north to China and south to Australia. When it's noon in Bangkok, it's midnight in New York.
Planes leave for the United States take almost equal flight time whether east or west bound.
A Metropolis of over of over 9 million daytime population and two million vehicles, spreading out over 600 growing square kms, Bangkok traffic is simply notorious. The city has only street bus for mass transportation. However, Bangkok is perpetually overrun with taxis, which come in two forms. The ordinary passenger cabs are mostly new, over 1600 c.c. air-conditioned sedans, with and without meters. Bangkok's own is the motorized tricycle version with canopied passenger seat in tandem.