Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is well known for problems like traffic, floods and very poor housing. But in recent years, new highways and public transport systems have made the city seem better organised and increasingly wealthy. This report from Jonathan Head:

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The police say they also want to crack down on children selling garlands of flowers to drivers at traffic lights. The flowers are used to bless Buddha images on the dashboard; the police plan to penalise the children's parents.

And the government’s plan announced today to make the area around Bangkok's new international airport a separate province has angered the city's governor; he's from the main opposition party. The new province would swallow two of Bangkok's districts. The new airport is due to open in September, more than a year late. It aims to compete with aviation hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong. Much of the planning for new infrastructure in Bangkok has been held up by disputes between the city administration and the government.

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swept up in World Cup fever
caught up with and carried away by the excitement of the World Cup games

on the throne
a king or queen in power; a throne is a special chair that's used by them on special occasions

gambling
betting money on the results of a game or competition, but people who guess incorrectly lose their money

illegal
not allowed by law

to crack down on
to become stricter on, to put a stop to (usually illegal or bad behaviour)

the dashboard
the part of a car in front of the driver where the steering wheel and other controls are

penalise
punish

swallow
in this case, to absorb and take over the districts so that they can no longer be identified as separate areas

aviation hubs
airports which people can fly to so that they can catch flights going to different places

infrastructure
basic systems such as railways, roads and banks which allow the city to work properly

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