Bangkok name change: It's all a change in punctuation

[webfact]

File photo

 

Thailand's Royal Society - getting tired of all the netizens having a go about the name change of Bangkok to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon have said it is all about one thing and one thing only.

 

Punctuation.

 

The ORST - their office - said that all they were doing was changing the official name of the city from "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon; Bangkok" to "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok), notes ASEAN NOW.

 

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

 

It's been known since the year dot among Thais as Krung Thep and officially as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon for more than two decades. 

 

Now punctuation is causing all the online chatter!

 

The slight change is due to be rubber stamped shortly but many people online including our forums have been getting hot under the collar. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-02-17

 

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[Muhendis]

That's not what they said a few days ago.

[Guderian]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

Right then, The Big Mango it is!

[mommysboy]

That's the internet for you.

[vandeventer]

23 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Right then, The Big Mango it is!

Call it what you like, it's just a big dirty city, just like all the other big dirty city's around the world.

[Dogmatix]

A non story, if ever I saw one. No change is coming. 

 

My father came here once and never got used to the name Thailand.  He always called it Siam and the people, including my missus, Siamese.

[1duckyboy]

It's a misunderstanding.

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

I call it "Bob".

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

At least that hasn't changed.... 

[hotchilli]

58 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Right then, The Big Mango it is!

But smells like Durian.

[Tarteso]

They must to be really really bored for changing BKK’s name

[tubby johnson]

The City of Fruits it is to me.

[Caldera]

Ah, just a misunderstanding, of course.

 

[Molly Malone]

I will always call it Bangkok, my home, the place I love above all others. When I speak to Thais I call it Krung Thep, but to change it internationally will be a DUMB mistake. 

 

If the Gov think this will elevate tourism then that's MISTAKE number two!

[Dexxter]

1 hour ago, klauskunkel said:

I call it "Bob".

Telling my friends I am going to visit Bob for 3 weeks somehow does not quite sound the same. I think I will stick with Bangkok which they will better understand.

[sambum]

"They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked".

 

Now that's asking for trouble! 

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

Being a "countryside" lad, I shall refrain so, NO COMMENT!!

[arithai12]

12 minutes ago, Dexxter said:

Telling my friends I am going to visit Bob for 3 weeks somehow does not quite sound the same. I think I will stick with Bangkok which they will better understand.

Just add one "o" and it will sound like a more interesting trip.

[johncat1]

Korat had it's name changed to Nakhon Ratchasima, but people, mainly Thais still call it Korat. this is very confusing to visitors as all the road signs  say Nakhon Ratchasima and not Korat. Bangkok will probably be the same. Thais will shorten the name, as they do now to  Krung Thep or stick with the easily recognised name of Bangkok. These office wallers have too much free time on their hands and are trying to justify their positions.

[Autonuaq]

In respect with all the the Thai and the name of the capital city of Thailand. Do not forget we are having soon April the 1st. and this would be one of the better April 1st pranks.

[Srikcir]

We can't change the name of the Prime Minister, so let's change the name of the state capitol. No majority vote needed for that.

[Morakot]

Ahh... Thailand formerly known as Siam.

[LukKrueng]

1 hour ago, Dexxter said:

Telling my friends I am going to visit Bob for 3 weeks somehow does not quite sound the same. I think I will stick with Bangkok which they will better understand.

So tell them you're going to visit Susie or Sonia or whatever her name is

[Tambs2020]

I like “Dave” it’s easy and was used in Cheech and Chong for the ease of tongue ( see I spelt Tongue right and pat self on back) 

 

“where are you off to mate” 

 

me “ I off to Dave for a cpl of months”  

 

see how easy is that !!

[Toby1947]

I’ve settled for the Big Turd.

[LukKrueng]

54 minutes ago, johncat1 said:

Korat had it's name changed to Nakhon Ratchasima, but people, mainly Thais still call it Korat. this is very confusing to visitors as all the road signs  say Nakhon Ratchasima and not Korat. Bangkok will probably be the same. Thais will shorten the name, as they do now to  Krung Thep or stick with the easily recognised name of Bangkok. These office wallers have too much free time on their hands and are trying to justify their positions.

I don't know any Thai who calls the city Bangkok. They will usually just say krungthep and younger generations will refer to it as k.t.m (in Thai, of course).

 

As for korat:

Nakhon Ratchasima is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat, a shortened form of its name.

[OJAS]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They said people were at liberty to call the city whatever they liked.

Unfortunately I'm not at liberty to reveal how I choose to call that particular city on here since that would probably result in an extended posting holiday on here. Let's just say that it's that awful place that most of us Brits are, in theory, forced to go to in person not once but twice at passport renewal time (that said, there are, thankfully, agents around who will gladly spare us that particular ordeal at a price, of course).

[Oxx]

15 minutes ago, LukKrueng said:

The city is commonly known as Korat, a shortened form of its name.

 

Not sure that's true.  My understanding is that Korat comes from the Old Khmer angkor (capital city) raj (king).

[KhaoYai]

They can do what they want - I suspect nothing will change. Thai's will still say Krung Thep and foreigners will say Bangkok. Pointless exercise.

[Encore]

Many place names around the world that were Anglicised and used internationally have changed to be known by their previously known local names, such as Beijing (Peking), Kolcota (Calcutta), Yangon (Rangoon). 

 

I have always used either, depending who I am talking with and the context.  If travelling, I always ensure I can recognise the local version in the local language.  

 

In this case, I suspect that the locals with still refer to 'Bangkok' as 'Krung Thep' rather than 'Krung Thep Maha Nakhon', which is probably only for formal government use rather than using the full name. 

 

It would, however, be surprising if the 'Maha Nakhon' is added to road signs