The book "A new Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam " by Monfieur De La Loubere , Envoy Extraordinary from the French King, to the King of Siam, in the years 1687 and 1688 was first published in Paris and in Amsterdam in 1691 under the title "Du royuame de Siam" and its English translation was published in London in 1693. The English translation was photocopied and published by Oxford University Press in 1969 with the title of " The Kingdom of Siam " by " Simon De La Loubere ". The book showed maps which clearly spelled " Bancok " and " BANKOC " ( no G ) at the area of today "Bangkok " ( with G ).
There were several areas in the map which spelled as Ban and none as Bang.
Therefore it proves that the name of the area at that time was "Ban" ( No G ).
The area was surrounded by water as an island so the full label in the map was
" I. de BANKOC ", I = ILE =Island.
In " The Art and Culture " magazine, June B.E 2532 , p. 78 ; Sujit Vongtes wrote that ...Kajorn Sookpanij used to see document in Rama 1 reign written in Thai language as บางกอะ ' (Bang-Koh, "ang" pronounces as UN in UNCLE but a little longer--Thanitha )
The pronunciation of the word "koh" กอะ is the same as of the word "เกาะ" which
means " island ".
Therefore it is most likely that the meaning of Bangkok = Village of Island.
Today the more formal, 163-letter, name for the city-- Krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnoppharatrat
chathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasatharnamornphimanawatansathitsakkathatiyawitsanu
kamprasit-- is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest in any language. A shortened version, "Krung Thep", "City of Angels", is the name by which Thais know it.
