Bangkok Yai

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Bangkok Yai
บางกอกใหญ่
Statistics
Province:	Bangkok
District office:	Wat Tha Phra 13°43′22″N, 100°28′35″E
Area:	6.180 km²
Inhabitants:	85,075 (2003)
Pop. density:	13,766 inh./km²
Geocode:	1016
Postal code:	10600
Map

Bangkok Yai (Thai: บางกอกใหญ่) is one of the 50 districts (Khet) of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Bangkok Noi, Phra Nakhon (across Chao Phraya River), Thon Buri, Phasi Charoen, and Taling Chan.

1 History
2 Places
3 Administration
4 External links

[edit] History

The district is named after Khlong Bangkok Yai (คลองบางกอกใหญ่, also called Khlong Bang Luang, คลองบางหลวง) which was actually part of Chao Phraya River until a canal dug in 1522 during Ayutthaya period altered the flow of the river such that the canal became the main river and the section of original river become Khlong Bangkok Yai of today. Bangkok Yai, or more precisely Wat Arun sub-district, was also the site of Thon Buri when the capital was set up here during 1767 till 1782.

Originally called Amphoe Hongsaram (หงสาราม) when the district was set up in 1915, it was renamed to Amphoe Bangkok Yai in 1916, demoted to a king amphoe of amphoe Bang Yi Khan (บางยี่ขัน) in 1938, promoted back to Amphoe in 1958, and finally changed to khet due to administration reform in 1972.