Siam and Bangkok: Same Place, Different Names

There is zero distance between Siam and Bangkok—they are the same place at different times.

• Siam = Historical name of the Kingdom of Thailand (used internationally until 1939, briefly 1945–1949).
• Bangkok = Capital city of Siam/Thailand since 1782 (Rattanakosin era).

Thailand officially changed its English name from "Siam" to "Thailand" in 1939 (reconfirmed 1949). Bangkok has always been the capital. The name "Siam" persists in some proper nouns (Siam Square, Siam Paragon, Siam Commercial Bank, Siam Cement).