Bangkok was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty. It is now the country's spiritual, cultural, diplomatic, commercial and educational hub. It covers an area of more than 1,500 square kilometres, and it is home to approximatlely ten million people or more than 10% of the country's population. Over the last few decades, Bangkok has changed into a modern, exciting and sophisticated city. It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan amenities they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure trove of cultural attractions. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture amidst the bustle of a great and dynamic metropolis. This great city has had astounding success in combining the ancient and modern world. The city is dotted with 400 glittering Buddhist temples of great beauty and fascination, magnificent palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres and traditional ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East" timeless canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River of Kings" winding through the city. It is worth taking a trip along its waters before exploring further into different canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok. For the businessman, Bangkok offers many opportunities, this being the centre for commerce and finance. In recent years Bangkok has started to offer businesses far improved communication and technology allowing businesses the ability to compete worldwide. The air quality has in fact improved over the last 10 years or so (contrary to popular myth) and it is easy to find quiet areas to live and relax in the small soi's (roads) once you have been living here a short while. To some it is the perfect City with it's mix of chaos, sophistication, entertainment and multi cultural diversity.