Within a broad chronological frame, I here link a number of usually separate perspectives of urban change, including: (a) a functional perspective of the metropolis in relation to general economic forces and the national urban hierarchy; (b) an ecological perspective on he metropolis as a dynamic and evolving s complex and (c) a perspective which treats the metropolis as a site for the emergence interaction and conflict between key groups. The periodisation used here is applied simply to frame in general terms the emergence of key trends, which in some cases correspond with political regimes, development plans or economic phases. They are not used to strictly demarcate the many overlapping levels and spans of change. A key dimension informing this narrative is an emphasis on the significance of a complex of Thai behavioural institutional prac tices which I define broadly as a culture of power and informality. They are critical to comprehending the networks of influence and key relations between groups, institutions and people which continue to shape the metropolis and explain its evolution as a site of accumulation and power at all levels.