Urbanization of Thailand

Urbanization


When examining urban settlements, geographers study site, evolution and growth, and classification of villages, towns, and cities.  Geographers study site, focusing on the physical attributes in order to discover why settlements are located where they are.  Physical features such as rivers, lakes, and bays contribute to larger concentrations of cities, while settlements around deserts are fewer.  Economic, political, and social aspects contribute to the study of evolution and growth, with topics ranging from migration to job development.  As cities develop through globalization, more agriculturally focused cities tend to urbanize, shifting the job focus from farming to industrialization.  Along with shifting the general job market, development also shifts the classification of the settlement itself.  As settlements urbanize, they evolve from rural or urban, which tend to have small, dispersed populations, to cities, which have a larger concentration of people.  This causes a shift in culture as the citizens become more involved in political issues and live a more commercialized lifestyle.  

Population of Bangkok Region 1947-2010

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and its largest city, with one in ten Thais residing there.  The city is located near the Gulf of Thailand and the river Chao Phraya.  The land around the waterways was originally chosen by early settlers due to its high fertility and abundance of fish.  The Chao Phraya also serves as a main mean of transportation, with over 50,000 people using the river ferries each day.  Thailand is the world’s 51^st largest country with a total population of 67, 091, 089 and 5, 104, 476 living in Bangkok.  Over 300,000 Thai have settled in North America and over 10,000 Americans live in Thailand.  Thailand has a moderate inflow of immigration.  75% of the population in Thailand are Thai, 14% are Chinese, and 11% are classified as other.  Since 2000, Bangkok has experienced annual population growth 2.5 times the rate of growth from 1980 to 2000.  As the city continues to develop, most of the urbanization occurred in suburban areas, characteristic of the urbanization process of both developing and developed countries.  

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