Much to do about....

[reader]

Bangkok will be officially called Krung Thep Maha Nakhon

From Bangkok Post

The Office of the Royal Society (ORST) has announced the change of the official name of Thailand’s capital, from Bangkok to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. However, the name Bangkok is still recognised.

The cabinet on Tuesday approved a Prime Minister's Office draft announcement on updated names of countries, territories, administrative zones and capitals, as proposed by the ORST.

The new official name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, will not come into effect until it is vetted by a committee in charge of scrutinising all draft bills. The cabinet also asked the panel to take into consideration additional observations from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The announcement, approved by the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said that the ORST's committee on the dictionary of international geographic names, comprising experts from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, had updated the spelling of countries, territories, administrative zones and capitals to be in line with the current situation. The panel then submitted the list to the PM's Office to issue the announcement.

In the ORST's announcement, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon will become the official name of the Kingdom of Thailand's capital. However, the name Bangkok will be put in parentheses.

In the same announcement, the ORST also updated the official spelling for other countries, including Rome and Roma for Italy's capital, the change of Myanmar's capital from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw and the change of the Kingdom of Nepal to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

Government deputy spokeswoman Ratchda Dhanadirek on Wednesday said nothing had been changed in the naming of the capital.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2265087/bangkok-will-be-officially-called-krung-thep-maha-nakhon

[vinapu]

I hope name change will not affect off fees and expected tips

[PeterRS]

What idiocy! If they want to make a change, why not use the city's true official name - Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit!! That will force all map and atlas makers to reprint!

Most major cities and most capital cities around the world are known by a relatively simple one or two word title. Paris, Rome, Madrid, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Buenos Aires, Ankara etc. Why complicate matters by making a capital city's name longer than Bangkok or Krung Thep? You can just hear it! "Where are you going for your vacation?" "Oh, we're off to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon to check out the gay scene. And then we're going to Nay Pyi Taw to check out the massage parlours!" I'll bet the Tourist Authority will have something to say about this.

As a result largely of colonial rule, many cities names were changed. Understandably those now independent countries are anxious to return to the names they used to have. Hence Mumbai, Chennai and Yangon for example. But Thailand was never colonised!

 

[Guest]

A slightly different article on the topic appeared in the Bangkok Post today.   I read that in the paper copy, but that page doesn't load up from the website at the moment.

From memory, apparently the change is something like this:

Old:  Krung Thep Mahon Nakhon; Bangkok

New:  Krung Thep Mahon Nakhon  (Bangkok)

 

[PeterRS]

6 minutes ago, z909 said:

Old:  Krung Thep Mahon Nakhon; Bangkok

New:  Krung Thep Mahon Nakhon  (Bangkok)

Does it really matter? In every Atlas, map and guidebook I have ever consulted, the city's name is Bangkok - pure and simple.

Are we going to get into a situation as with some airlines a few years ago when China objected to Taiwan being called a country? At least legally there is doubt as to whether Taiwan is in fact a country, given the various declarations at the Cairo, Potsdam and San Francisco Conferences during and after World War 2, as well as the declarations by the Nixon and Carter administrations.

[thaiophilus]

7 hours ago, PeterRS said:

What idiocy! If they want to make a change, why not use the city's true official name - Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit!! That will force all map and atlas makers to reprint!

But can you say it in one breath, without written notes? 😀

Or sing it?😎

FWIW the province name (OK, technically it's not a province but a Special Administrative Area) on car licence plates has been  กรุงเทพมหานคร for as long as I've been visiting.

[bigvisc]

Beautiful, it rolls right off the tongue

[macaroni21]

On dear, do we have to change the lyrics of the song?