9. bangkok was once called the "ven

9. bangkok was once called the "venice of the east" beceause its original buildings stood on stilts above the chao phraya river. however, as bangkok grew larger , most canals were filled and paved and that causes flooding when it rains hard.
10. thailand's and the world's longest reigning monarch is bhumibol adulyadej , whe became king rama ix in june 1946 . he was born in the u.s. in 1927 when his father was studying medicine at harvard. he owns a patent on a form of cloud seeding and holds a degree in engineering from switzerland. he also plays the sax and composed thailand's national anthem