Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand, and is located in the region of Central Thailand. With over eight million inhabitants (2010), Bangkok is the biggest city in Thailand. It has been the Thai capital since the beginning of King Rama I.'s reign in 1782.

Bangkok makes its biggest appearance in The Man With the Golden Gun, although it has also been used as a filming location in Tomorrow Never Dies (standing in for Vietnam). The city re-appears in the video game Blood Stone, but the city layout, as well as buildings and structures are purely fictional.

History[]

To be added

Locations[]

Hai Fat Estate[]

Hai Fat, one of the most influential tycoons in Asia lives in a luxurious estate in Bangkok, surrounded by a large garden, with pools, sculptures and even a mausoleum. However, this is not a real place in Bangkok, as the estate scenes were filmed at the 'Dragon Garden' in Hong Kong.

The Oriental[]

James Bond and Mary Goodnight both stay at the Oriental Hotel, which is located on 48 Oriental Avenue in the Bang Rak district, directly on the bank of the Chao Phraya river. Opened in 1876 by Danish captains, the five-star hotel today is the flagship of the Mandarin Oriental group.

Fighting School[]

After being captured at Hai Fat's estate, Bond is taken to a fighting school, which is also owned by Hai Fat. The Headmaster orders his students to attack Bond, but he manages to escape to the nearby canals. The fighting school is portrayed by the Dvaravati House at the museum park 'Ancient Siam' ("Mueang Boran"). The park, opened in 1972, consists of many replicas of ancient buildings from all over Thailand. The park is shaped like Thailand's borders and is located near the city of Samut Prakan, which itself is located in the southeastern outskirts of Bangkok.

The Khlongs[]

After escaping from the fight school, Bond escapes by boat after a small boat chase. The location of that chase are the canals, the khlongs in Bangkok. Before goods were transported mainly on the roads, the khlongs were more important for trading in Thailand.

Rajadamnern Stadium[]

During a kickboxing match, Bond meets Francisco Scaramanga, Nick Nack and Andrea Anders (who has been murdered shortly before) in this arena. The stadium was opened in 1945 (construction was delayed by World War Two), and is located on Rajadamnern Avenue in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.

AMC Dealership[]

Bond steals a red AMC Hornet from a car showroom, which was located on the ground floor of Chokchai Building. In reality, AMC cars never were sold officially in Thailand.

Sukhumvit Road[]

Several portions of Sukhumvit Road were used as filming locations for the car chase. This road is not only one of the biggest in Bangkok, but also a long highway within Thailand, going all the way from Bangkok to the Cambodian border.

Democracy Monument[]

During the car chase, Bond drives eastwards on Ratchadamnoen Klang Road, with the Democracy Monument (built in 1939) in the background. The building on the right edge of the picture above, as well as the large Mercedes-Benz dealership on the left edge (visible better a few moments later) are still in place. The monument is located in the Phra Nakhon district.

Lan Luang Road[]

A small part of the car chase was filmed on Lan Luang Road in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. This street has also changed a lot over the years.

Giant Swing[]

The car chase also passes the 'Giant Swing' in the Phra Nakhon district, which was built in 1784. Although the swing itself is barely visible in this movie, the roadways surrounding it (Bamrung Muang Road) are used by both Bond and Scaramanga. The building in the background is Wat Suthat temple.

Corner of Maha Chai Road and Siri Phong Road[]

The cars of Bond and Scaramanga nearly crash into each other on the intersection between Maha Chai Road and Siri Phong Road, just near the 'Giant Swing' in the Phra Nakhon district.

Characters in Bangkok[]

Institutions[]

Royal Thai Police