Understand
Originally, "Bangkok" referred to a village in the area that today roughly corresponds to the neighbourhoods of Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai. At that time, the Chao Phraya River had a completely different course than it does today. The Chao Phraya had a horseshoe shape that is similar to the current course of the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals. One theory on the origin of the name is that Bangkok came from "Bang Ko", which means "island village" in Thai, referring to the village that was almost completely surrounded by the Chao Phraya River. Bangkok was the first part of Thonburi to be settled, as its location was a convenient storage point for trade ships that sailed north towards Ayutthaya. The horseshoe shape of the Chao Phraya River slowed down trading ships, and in 1542 a small canal was dug across the base of the meander to shorten sailing time. The strength of the current eroded the canal's banks, and over time the new canal became the main course of the river. Bangkok was on the east bank of the old course of the river, but on the west bank of the new course.
As sailing times quickened, Bangkok became a tax collection port and customs office for foreign traders sailing to Ayutthaya. In 1665, King Narai the Great ordered the construction of Vichaiyen Fort near the mouth of the Bangkok Yai canal to protect Ayutthaya from foreign invasions. This fort is now known as the Vichaiprasit Fort and can still be seen from the Chao Phraya Express Boat today. With it, the village got the status of fortified city and was renamed Thonburi. When the city of Ayutthaya was burnt to the ground by Burmese armies in 1767, General Taksin was in charge of the resistance. A capable military leader, he conquered back Siam within a year and took hold of large parts of Southeast Asia in the following decade. He became King of Siam and established Thonburi as the new capital of the country. He created his palace close to the fort, while the residence of General Phraya Chakri who would later become King Rama I was near the current location of Wat Rakhang.
In 1779, King Taksin had proclaimed himself a sotapanna or divine figure, striking against the will of the powerful Buddhist monkhood. The state was in economic turmoil, there was rampant corruption and famine struck the country. King Taksin tried to maintain order with harsh punishment and purges. When General Phraya Chakri was fighting out a war with Cambodia, a rebellion took hold of Thonburi, forcing King Taksin to step down. Shortly after, he was secretly executed. When General Phraya Chakri returned, he was offered the throne and became King Rama I, the first King of the Chakri dynasty. He made Rattanakosin the new capital of Siam, as he believed that city would be easier to defend against foreign invasions. This was the end of a brief era now known as the Thonburi Period. It wasn't the end of "Bangkok" â foreigners never adapted to the changes and kept using the name, even for the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River while that is technically incorrect.
Thonburi stayed relatively undeveloped compared to its neighbour across the river. The economy was mostly agriculture-based with fruit orchards criss-crossed by canals. Many durian species have originated in Thonburi, including mon thong, chanee and kan yao. Most of the fruit orchards have disappeared as Thonburi became more developed. It wasn't until 1932 that Thonburi became physically linked to the Rattanakosin side with the construction of the Memorial Bridge. Thonburi's distinct identity only held out for forty more years until 1971, when it was incorporated into the city of Krung Thep Bangkok.
