News Forum - Deputy PM says foreigners should be encouraged to say “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”

[Gieza]

Will he settle for „KT“? It’s cool like LA, KL or PJ.

[Fundok]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:33 AM, Saltire said:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is in Wales.

My wife and everyone in the village has called Bangkok Krung Thep for a very long time. Nothing new, they just use the shortened version.

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Right you are, I see myself corrected. How about Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu in New Zealand?

I agree the short "Krung thep" is way better and have used this term when in Thailand too. Still can't make out the purpose of ditching Bangkok...

[Fundok]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:38 AM, Noble_Design said:

Maybe certain quarters are not happy that Bangkok is pronounced Bang Cock which elicits sexual connotations...

Example below:

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Not sure if this is the true motivation...

[Fundok]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:40 AM, Gieza said:

Will he settle for „KT“? It’s cool like LA, KL or PJ.

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KTMN you mean?

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

  On 2/18/2022 at 5:19 AM, Thaiger said:

Thailand’s capital can still be called “Bangkok,” but a deputy prime minister says foreigners should be encouraged to say the formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon.” In a recent, what the Office of the Royal Society calls a “clarification,” the capital’s official name was documented as “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok).” Many reports say this is a change of the official name, but officials say the name has not changed, adding that the capital has always been “Krung Thep” and the name “Bangkok” is still recognised. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam clarified that for a long time Thais have been calling the […]

The story Deputy PM says foreigners should be encouraged to say “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon” as seen on Thaiger News.

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I am tired of this nonsense! I am canceling my trip and plan on going to Shama Lama Ding Dong or Wicky Wacky Woo.

[Stardust]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:33 AM, Saltire said:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is in Wales.

My wife and everyone in the village has called Bangkok Krung Thep for a very long time. Nothing new, they just use the shortened version.

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Sure my family sometimes, too but no one would expect that from foreigners and as you already mentioned only the short form. And ask any from them especially the younger ones if they use Krung Thep or Bangkok when they speak english or if they use BKK or KTMK even when they write in Thai. Sell shirts run KTMK and everybody including Thais would ask you what is it?

[Bike]

This city is worldwide known as Bangkok. Even the flight code is BBK. And do they honestly thunk they can chamge the easily spoken word Bangkok can be changed into a tongue breaking Krungthep Mahanakon what so ever. This will take at least 1 genaration if not 2 or 3.

[brownronin]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:19 AM, Fundok said:

I recommend a detour via Scotland. The names some of the places have are gaelic and may be even a tiny little bit more difficult to rember and spell out, such as "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch". The shorter version is Llanfair PG by the way, so our brave Scotsmen have a sense of pragmatism after all it seems. About 3'000 people living in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, so its almost the size of the city which formerly was known as Bangkok.

Goodness me, one wonders how high (or low?) the intellectual bar is set to become a Deputy PM in some countries.

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Errr, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a town in Wales if not mistaken, matey

Edited February 18, 2022 by brownronin

[mybe]

Guess who made the confusion, but they not even notice that, we all learned in school bangkok, now make it a very long, not to remember name for what? not really a real reason besides being bored or something, another useless idea... well done

[Freeduhdumb]

Properly... 

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

[Alanteff]

If it ain't broke . don't fix it ! Alan

[Guest1]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:03 AM, Fundok said:

That maybe there is a reason why there aren't that many capitols in the world that have a four letter name?

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Oslo, Wien, Bonn (between the terms of Berlin), all 4 letter  capitol cities!

[Jason]

Bangkok is easier...let's stick with that....

[TheDirtyDurian]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:01 AM, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

Enough already! I still have a hard time correctly pronouncing Suvarnabhumi. Pretty sure I have never said it correctly. But I still manage to get to the airport. 

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You have trouble saying "Soyouwannaboomboom?"

[Mamachigawa]

Sure. Like nobody says Bombay,  Calicut, or Canton anymore.

The word Japan should also be cancelled too. I don't think scholars are sure of the etymology anyway.

[TheDirtyDurian]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:19 AM, Fundok said:

I recommend a detour via Scotland. The names some of the places have are gaelic and may be even a tiny little bit more difficult to rember and spell out, such as "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch". The shorter version is Llanfair PG by the way, so our brave Scotsmen have a sense of pragmatism after all it seems. About 3'000 people living in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, so its almost the size of the city which formerly was known as Bangkok.

Goodness me, one wonders how high (or low?) the intellectual bar is set to become a Deputy PM in some countries.

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Which is in Wales, not Scotland. So only a different country.

[TheDirtyDurian]

  On 2/18/2022 at 6:50 AM, Stardust said:

Sure my family sometimes, too but no one would expect that from foreigners and as you already mentioned only the short form. And ask any from them especially the younger ones if they use Krung Thep or Bangkok when they speak english or if they use BKK or KTMK even when they write in Thai. Sell shirts run KTMK and everybody including Thais would ask you what is it?

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Give it time. Mumbai successfully changed name to shake off its colonial past. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

  On 2/18/2022 at 7:23 AM, Bike said:

This city is worldwide known as Bangkok. Even the flight code is BBK. And do they honestly thunk they can chamge the easily spoken word Bangkok can be changed into a tongue breaking Krungthep Mahanakon what so ever. This will take at least 1 genaration if not 2 or 3.

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Flight code is BKK 

[JustAnotherExpat]

Trying to imagine Geddy Lee singing "We're on the train to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" just doesn't cut it.

[Poolie]

  On 2/18/2022 at 7:23 AM, Bike said:

This city is worldwide known as Bangkok. Even the flight code is BBK. And do they honestly thunk they can chamge the easily spoken word Bangkok can be changed into a tongue breaking Krungthep Mahanakon what so ever. This will take at least 1 genaration if not 2 or 3.

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I dont see them being in a such a hurry anyway.

[Stardust]

  On 2/18/2022 at 10:50 AM, TheDirtyDurian said:

Give it time. Mumbai successfully changed name to shake off its colonial past. 

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Omg , I guess you even don't know that Bangkok is a Thainame and not english and never was.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 2/18/2022 at 10:46 AM, TheDirtyDurian said:

You have trouble saying "Soyouwannaboomboom?"

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And that is how they “ Bang Kok “

[Chatogaster]

  On 2/18/2022 at 5:19 AM, Thaiger said:

[...] it is encouraged to use “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon” with foreigners as using the two names could get confusing. [...]

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1. No, it's supposed to be referred to as “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok)”. I don't know of names that include parentheses, but I admire the novelty as much as I admire Grimes' "X Æ A-12".
2. If you want to avoid confusion, don't replace 2 existing names that are in common use by a 3rd alternative, even if it is a (skewed) compromise.
3. There was no confusion to begin with, so why mention the non-existent risk now?

I get it that Bangkok (Noi + Yai) is just a part of Krung Thep, but so what? For example, I can't imagine The Netherlands adopting the political goal to phase out "Holland" merely because it's not entirely accurate from a historical & geographical perspective. That leaves only 2 questions: what is the motive & why is it important?
 

Edited February 18, 2022 by Chatogaster
spelling

[Marble-eye]

Are we making a mountain out of a mole hill here, I asked my wife what do Thais call Bangkok when talking between themselves and she said Krung Thep.

Now Bangkok has two syllables just the same as Krung Thep, and I thought I would try and learn it, and guess what it took me 1 second, it is no big deal. It has been stated that you can still use Bangkok, and you don't have to be a polyglot to learn just Krung Thep.

[Fundok]

  On 2/18/2022 at 7:31 AM, brownronin said:

Errr, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a town in Wales if not mistaken, matey

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You are of course right. Have corrected in the meantime. Sorry for being inaccurate.