Bangkok's offcial name is Krung Thep, which means "The City of Angels" in thai. Actually, 400 years ago, Bangkok was a small, peaceful village situated on the Chao Phraya River. The village served as a port for ships sailing up the river to Ayutthaya, the ol capital of siam. Bangkok was already well knows to European merchants. The ships became larger, and the village grew in size and importance. In 1782, King Rama I moved the capital to Bangkok. Work began on the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. In the 1850s, the city was called the "venice of the East" because it had many canals. Many of its inhabitants lived in floating houses, and bought and sold products on boats.