Saturday, January 15, 2011

Krungthep Maha Nakhon กรุงเทพมหานคร




Farang (foreigners) call it Bangkok ("village of wild plums"), but that's because they don't know any better. No Thai worth his salt does.

To the average Thai, it's Krung Thep (City of Angels), an abbreviated version of its ceremonial full name, certified as the longest place name in the world.

In 1989, a famous Thai band, Asanee-Wasan, turned it into a catchy song to enable more people (especially schoolchildren) to memorise the name.

When I was serving TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) in the 1990s (also here), among the first things I did, apart from memorising the names of the 76 Thai provinces (and identifying their location on the map), was learn the song.

กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุทธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์

"KRUNGTHEP MAHA NAKHON, AMON RATTANA KOSIN, MAHINTARA YUTTHAYA MAHADILOK, POP NOPPARAT RATCHATANI BURIROM, UDOM RATCHANIWEH MAHA SATHAN, AMON PHIMAN AWATHAN SATHIT, SAKKATHATTIYA VISHNU KAM PRASIT."

Translation: "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn."

10 comments:

HHalem said...

Woowww,

Women of many talent.

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Halem: this is caled "cari makan" talent.. hehehe

Fadhil said...

Kiranya nama Bangkok ni macam Los Angeles jugak la ye...

Long placenames like this sounds more like a story than just a name. Like that town somewhere in North Wales with the tongue-twisting name, Llanfair-something... Makes me wonder who actually thought of naming a place as such..

Pak Zawi said...

Kama,
Thailand is always a joy to visit. The trouble down south has deterred me from making regular visits to their beaches down south where the affordable clean chalets are aplenty for low budget travelers like me to enjoy.
How I wish the trouble down south is no more.

Iskandar Syah Ismail aka DR Bubbles said...

I used to hafal the long winded Bangkok's name. Sekarang hanya ingat sampai Mahadilokpop...

Unknown said...

..and I thought it means 'cigarette'..

HHalem said...

Oldstock,

see if u still remember this Welsh town,

"Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch"

In English,
"St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave"

In Melayu it means,
"Biscut Mary" LOL

Just kidding Tuan,
Tqs for bringing back ole memories.

Have Fun. Jolly good fellow!


Frm Halem

AnnoyinglyAnonymous-LemanPulut said...

Kama,

Lain-lain tempat yang mempunyai nama-nama yang bagos:-

(i) Fucking - (Tasdorf, Austria. Mom: "You just came back from WHERE?")

(ii) Anus - France. (Imagine: "What's your favourite place in France, Debby?")

(iii) Three Cocks, Wales - (But see iv and v below)

(iv) Langsat Tiga Biji, Malaysia. (I mean, why 3 biji?)

(v) Batang Berjuntai, Selangor. (Hold your breaths. They are meaning batang kelapa!)

(vi) GoFukU - Japan. (Hati2: pronounce cepat2!)

(vii) Long Dong - China (Something the chinese always wish they have!)

(viii) Titless - Switzerland (Something the Chinese always wish they haven't!)

(ix) Sexmoan - Philippines. (I wanna experience this for myself. How much is Airasia to Manila?)

(x) DikShit - India (Perhaps this was where Slumdog Millionaire came from?)

And next year lepas haji Leman nak gi sini for some hospitality.

LemanPulut

Anonymous said...

Salams Kak Putri,

I love anything to do with Nakhon,especially their food,people n service.Thailand is the best place in the world after Makkah n Medina.

wawa

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Oldstock - goes to prove orang dulu2 pun ada sense of humour..

Pak Zawi & Wawa - I like visiting Thailand precisely for the same reasons.. tempat menarik, harga tak mahal, shopping heaven, pleasant populace.. tapi down south tak beranilah nak pergi, selalu sangat bombingss.. :(

Bubbs - i could never memorise had it not been for the song..

Pakmat - cigarette in thai is 'boo-ree", to smoke is "soop boo-ree". City/Bandar is Buri (sebutan pendek and abrupt, as opposed to boo-ree the rokok). End of Thai 101. hehehehe

Leman - do check out my previous postings on whacky place names:

http://kamabakar.blogspot.com/2008/06/colourful-whacky-place-names.html

http://kamabakar.blogspot.com/2008/06/apa-ada-pada-nama.html