Thai Fest by the Beach, LA (9/20-21)

Dance of the Muay Thai

SANTA MONICA, California - Join the Happy Weekend outside of Thailand. Bangkok has a twin city with eerily similar long-form names, and it's "the City of Angels," Los Angeles, home to a large and vibrant Thai Buddhist community. The 2025 delicious celebration of Thai food and culture runs through the weekend on the iconic Santa Monica Pier above PCH in coastal Los Angeles. Bring friends and family to enjoy unforgettable memories at Thai Fest by the Beach (Thai Fest by the Beach). It is not just a food fest, but it's where food, culture, and fun unite in harmony to create an extraordinary experience for everyone. What does Thai Fest by the Beach offer? Discover what makes Thai Fest a one-of-a-kind experience — with incredible food, vibrant performances, and fun activities for all ages. More

• Buddhism in Thailand (Siam, Isan)
• Thai Fest by the Beach | Santa Monica CA | Facebook

(The Urban Foreigner) Thai Fest by the Beach - Santa Monica Pier 2025! 🇹🇭, Los Angeles

Tale of Two Cities' [Names]

Bangkok (or L.A. East) rocks!

Bangkok's ceremonial name came into use during the reign of King Mongkut [e][12]. The full name reads [20][f]:

Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit (กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์).

• The full name of Los Angeles (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) is: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula [30] or "The City of Our Lady [the Virgin Mary] the Queen of the Angels by the River Porciuncula" [29] ("City of Angels"). The original name of the settlement is disputed. Other sources have shortened (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, "The City of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels") or have alternate versions of the longer name [31] established by the Townspeople or Los Pobladores. More

LA is bigger than Hollywood

This name is composed of Pali (the exclusively Buddhist language of the Buddha, also known as Magadhi, where the Buddha lived) and Sanskrit root-words.

It translates as [20]: "The City of Angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the Nine Gems, seat of the King, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra [Sakka]'s behest."

The name is listed in Guinness World Records as the world's longest place name at 168 letters [21][g].

Sakka is Indra is St. Michael

Many Thais who recall the full name do so because of its use in the 1989 song "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon" by Thai rock band Asanee–Wasan, the lyrics of which consist entirely of the city's full name, repeated throughout the song [22].

Today, the city is officially known in Thai by a shortened form of the full ceremonial name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (กรุงเทพมหานคร), which is colloquially further shortened to Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ) or the initialism Ko Tho Mo (กทม.). Krung กรุง is a Thai word of Khmer origin [23], meaning "capital, king" [24], while thep (เทพ) is from Pali/Sanskrit deva, meaning "deity," "angel," or "god."

The Big Mango = Bangkok, Thailand

The name of Bangkok is more commonly translated as "City of Angels," which is also used to draw comparisons with Los Angeles in the United States, a comparably sized city with similar traffic issues [25].

Another nickname sometimes used to refer to the city is The Big Mango, a tongue-in-cheek comparison to The Big Apple for New York City [26]. More