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Thonburi ( th, ธนบุรี) is an area of modern

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

. During the era of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, its location on the right (west) bank at the mouth of the

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...

had made it an important garrison town, which is reflected in its name: ''thon'' () a loanword from

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

''dhána'' wealth and ''buri'' (), from ''púra'' fortress. The full formal name was Thon Buri Si Mahasamut ( 'City of Treasures Gracing the Ocean'). For the informal name, see the history of Bangkok under Ayutthaya. In 1767, after the sack of Ayutthaya by the Burmese, General

Taksin King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên ...

took back Thonburi and, by right of conquest, made it the capital of the

Thonburi Kingdom The Thonburi Kingdom ( th, ธนบุรี) was a major Thai people, Siamese kingdom which existed in Southeast Asia from 1767 to 1782, centered around the city of Thonburi, in Siam or present-day Thailand. The kingdom was founded by Taksin ...

, with himself crown king until 6 April 1782, when he was deposed. Rama I, the newly enthroned king, moved the capital across the river, where stakes driven into the soil of Bangkok for the

City Pillar Lak mueang ( th, หลักเมือง) are city pillars found in most cities of Thailand. Usually housed in a shrine ( th, ศาลหลักเมือง) which is also believed to house Chao Pho Lak Mueang (), the city spirit deit ...

at 06:45 on 21 April 1782, marking the official founding of the new capital. Thonburi remained an independent town and province, until it was merged with Bangkok in 1971. Thonburi stayed less developed than the other side of the river. Many of the traditional small waterways, ''

khlong A ''khlong'' ( th, คลอง, ), alternatively spelt as ''klong'' () commonly refers to a canal in Thailand. These canals are spawned by the rivers Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, and Mae Klong, along with their tributaries particularly in the low-ly ...

s'', still exist there, while they are nearly gone from the other side of the river. In 1950, Bangkok had around 1.3 million inhabitants, and the municipality of Thonburi around 400,000. In 1970 Thonburi was Thailand's second largest city proper with around 600,000 residents.

Wongwian Yai Wongwian Yai, also spelled "Wong Wian Yai" or "Wongwien Yai" ( th, วงเวียนใหญ่, ; ), is a large roundabout (traffic circle) in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand, where the statue of King ...

is a landmark of Thonburi District.

Administration

At the time of the merger, Thonburi province consisted of nine districts (''

amphoe An amphoe (sometimes also ''amphur'', th, อำเภอ, )—usually translated as "district"—is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Groups of ''amphoe'' or districts make up the provinces, and are analogous to countie ...

''). #

Thonburi District Thon Buri ( th, ธนบุรี, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. On the west bank of Chao Phraya River, it was once part of Thon Buri province. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Bangkok Yai, Phr ...

( th, อำเภอธนบุรี) # Bangkok Yai District ( th, อำเภอบางกอกใหญ่) # Khlong San District ( th, อำเภอคลองสาน) #

Taling Chan District Taling Chan ( th, ตลิ่งชัน, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbours, clockwise from the north, are Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi province and Bang Phlat, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Pha ...

( th, อำเภอตลิ่งชัน) #

Bangkok Noi District Bangkok Noi ( th, บางกอกน้อย, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Bang Phlat, Phra Nakhon (across Chao Phraya River), Bangkok Yai, Phasi Charoen, an ...

( th, อำเภอบางกอกน้อย) #

Bang Khun Thian District Bang Khun Thian ( th, บางขุนเทียน, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbors, clockwise from the north, are Bang Bon, Chom Thong, and Thung Khru Districts of Bangkok, Phra Samut Chedi dist ...

( th, อำเภอบางขุนเทียน) #

Phasi Charoen District Phasi Charoen ( th, ภาษีเจริญ, ) is one of the 50 districts (''Khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Taling Chan, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Thon Buri, Chom Th ...

( th, อำเภอภาษีเจริญ) #

Nong Khaem District Nong Khaem ( th, หนองแขม, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Thawi Watthana, Bang Khae, Bang Bon of Bangkok, Krathum Baen of S ...

( th, อำเภอหนองแขม) # Rat Burana District ( th, อำเภอราษฎร์บูรณะ) As of 2012, these have been reorganized into 15 districts.

References

External links

* {{Former provinces of Thailand Geography of Bangkok History of Bangkok Thon Buri district Former provinces of Thailand th:จังหวัดธนบุรี

Administration

References

Further reading

External links