Bangkok
1,569 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
Thailand
China
Area Comparison
Bangkok is 4.0x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Bangkok has 2.4x fewer people than Shanghai
Yes — Shanghai is 4.0x larger than Bangkok by area. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Bangkok covers 1,569 km² (606 mi²) — a difference of 4,772 km². You could fit Bangkok inside Shanghai approximately 4 times.
To put Bangkok's size in perspective, its area of 1,569 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Picture Bangkok another way: its area is large enough to fit about 220,000 American football fields, 27 times the area of Manhattan, or 15 times the area of Paris. Shanghai works out to about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 11.4 million people as of 2024, 15.9% of the country's population.
Known as "City of Angels", Bangkok covers 1,569 km² with a population of 10.5 million. The city was established in 1782. Bangkok is known for Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Wat Pho, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the BTS Skytrain & MRT.
Bangkok's official Thai name is Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, with the full ceremonial name being one of the longest place names in the world.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Looking beyond city limits, the Bangkok metropolitan area covers 7,762 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 16.2 million.
Bangkok has a population density of 6,718 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Bangkok is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Bangkok (Thailand) and Shanghai (China) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Bangkok has a tropical savanna climate while Shanghai experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Bangkok stays around 26°C while Shanghai drops to 5°C.
Size Ratio
Bangkok fits inside Shanghai ~4 times
Density Gap
Bangkok is 1.7x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~491 years older
Bangkok covers 1,569 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include London (1,572 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Bangkok to Shanghai is 2,891 km (1,796 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 54m.
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