King Rama I defined and shaped the city when he moved the capital across the river from Thon Buri to Bangkok in 1782. The elite that was created in the first half of the 19th century established the city's Buddhist temples and canal system. In the mid-1800s, the canals began to be replaced with roadways. Land to the south and east of the city was granted to foreign consulates and business firms. In the early 1900s, the city added public facilities and established a close relationship with the surrounding countryside. After a coup in 1932, military governments expanded the educational system by creating Thammasat, Silpakorn, and Kasetsart universities.
Thailand was technically allied with Japan during much of World War II (1939-1945), but Japanese troops effectively occupied the country, especially Bangkok, during the war. Bangkok suffered serious Allied bombing in the last year of the war.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Bangkok Information info
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