<Tr> <Td> - max </Td> <Td> 5,960 m / s (210,475 cu ft / s) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Map of the Chao Phraya River drainage basin </Td> </Tr> <P> The Chao Phraya (/ ˌtʃaʊ prəˈjɑː / CHOW prə - YAH; Thai: แม่น้ํา เจ้าพระยา rtgs: Maenam Chao Phraya, pronounced (mɛ̂ːnáːm tɕâːw phráʔjaː) or (tɕâːw phrajaː)) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country . It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand . </P> <P> On many old European maps, the river is named Menam or Mae Nam (Thai: แม่น้ํา), Thai for "river". James McCarthy, F.R.G.S., who served as Director - General of the Siamese Government Surveys prior to establishment of the Royal Survey Department, wrote in his account, "Me Nam is a generic term, me signifying "mother" and Nam "water," and the epithet Chao P'ia signifies that it is the chief river in the kingdom of Siam ." </P>

What is the name of the river in bangkok