Bangkok area covers both sides of Chao Phraya River and contains a total land mass of 1,568 square kilometers, slightly smaller than London.

The urbanized area takes up about 700 square kilometers. So the city may be divided into 3 zones to easily describe.

1. Core city

The core city consists of the old town and the further expansion of the old city. The principal of this zone consists of areas of historical sights, commercial buildings and modern commercial center. The core city zone is a well-coordinated system of public utility and infrasructure.

2. Urban fringe

The urban fringe covers the areas that have been growing with the city expansion within a radius of 25 kilometers from the city center. This zone mainly focus on residential and commercial use to support a development from the core city. Some areas still are agricultural areas.

3. Suburbs

The suburb is characterized by fertile agricultural land and low density residential area that are more than 25 kilometers from the city center. Land use is a blend of town and rurality. Today it is facing the problems of the invasion of real estate development and industrial plants and the erosion of the shore by the sea.