Wrong, sorry.
The answer is no one, strange as it sounds there’s no such place and hasn’t been for centuries.
The original Bangkok was situated west of the Chao Phraya river, (in modern day Thonburi). In 1782 King Rama I relocated his capital city to a more defensible position on the other side of the river and called it Kung Thep, (pronounced Grung-Tep).Locals will only ever use the name Bangkok when talking to foreigners and tourists. Indeed, some locals in the more remote areas of the country may never even of ever heard that name.
For some reason however western map makers never caught up with the move, so for the last three centuries on all maps and atlases it has been labelled up wrong.
Confusing the issue even more, in recent years Kung Thep has expanded at such a fast rate, expanding on either side of the river that the capital has now swallowed the till now independent city of Thonburi, what once was Bangkok.
Interestingly, Krung Thep isn’t even the full name for the city, merely its anglicised shortened version. In this anglicised version it is certified by the Guiness book of records as the longest place name in the world.
In Thai it is pronounced something like
"Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit"
Or in its English version
The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayuthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.
So, if you are lucky enough to get Bangkok/Kung Thep on your itinerie make sure you impress the locals with your knowledge of their city or if your anything like me bore all your friends to death with this story.
So as always, happy cruising.
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