Climate change could force Thailand to move its capital

[buksida]

Thailand may have to consider relocating its capital Bangkok because of rising sea levels, a senior official in the country's climate change office said on Wednesday.

Projections consistently show that low-lying Bangkok risks being inundated by the ocean before the end of the century.

Much of the bustling capital already battles flooding during the rainy season.

Pavich Kesavawong, deputy director-general of the government's department of climate change and environment, warned that the city might not be able to adapt with the world on its current warming pathway.

"I think we are beyond the 1.5 (degrees Celsius) already," he told AFP, referring to the increase in global temperatures from pre-industrial levels.
"Now we have to come back and think about adaptation."

"I imagine Bangkok will be under water already, if we stay in our (current) circumstance."

Bangkok's city government is exploring measures that include building dikes, along the lines of those used in the Netherlands, he said.

But "we've been thinking about moving", Pavich said, noting that the discussions were still hypothetical and the issue was "very complex".

"Personally I think it's a good choice, so we can separate the capital, the government areas, and business areas," he said.

"Bangkok (would) still be the government capital, but move the business."

While a move is still a long way from being adopted as policy, it would not be unprecedented in the region.

Indonesia will inaugurate this year its new capital Nusantara, which will replace sinking and polluted Jakarta as the country's political centre.

The mammoth move has been controversial and extremely expensive, with an estimated price tag of $32 billion-$35 billion.

Thailand is suffering the effects of climate change across a range of sectors, from farmers struggling with heat and drought to tourism businesses affected by coral bleaching and pollution.

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/world/cl ... r-BB1mqF49

[hhinner]

Even though it's expected to be inundated:

"Bangkok (would) still be the government capital, but move the business."

Sounds like a good plan.

[brianks]

They would certainly be better off spending money to move the capitol than wase it on the Land Bridge Boondoggle. At leae they would get something useful rather than two unused ports and an unused rail line.

[Big Boy]

In other news................ Bangkok is making big news about moving its electric cabling underground. I'm sure that is a good idea if the flooding is on the way.

[Dannie Boy]

In other news................ Bangkok is making big news about moving its electric cabling underground. I'm sure that is a good idea if the flooding is on the way.

Irrespective of flooding, it’s a lot more expensive to put HV cables underground than on overhead poles as they have to mitigate against overheating.

[GroveHillWanderer]

Thailand may have to consider relocating its capital Bangkok because of rising sea levels, a senior official in the country's climate change office said on Wednesday.

Projections consistently show that low-lying Bangkok risks being inundated by the ocean before the end of the century.

Much of the bustling capital already battles flooding during the rainy season.

I've been reading stories like this ever since I first started coming to Thailand over 40 years ago. Hasn't happened yet.

As mentioned in the article below:

Experts first sounded warnings that Bangkok was sinking in the early 1980s.

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/repo ... scientists

[caller]

It would probably move to Korat. It's on a very high plateau with zero risk of sinking.

Part of the new motorway to Korat that they are building by hand, very slowly, concrete slab, by concrete slab, is finally open, but only from/to Pak Chong (to Korat) and the high speed rail is taking shape, well sort of, some work is taking place in Korat City anyway, but no-one really knows what, and it's been left untouched for nearly 2 months now, as per Hua Hin.

But it has long been touted as the next capital.

[STEVE G]

I've been reading stories like this ever since I first started coming to Thailand over 40 years ago. Hasn't happened yet.

Obviously it's a gradual process and what is happening is that industries on the periphery of the city are experiencing increasing amounts of time every year when flooding causes them loses to the point where relocation starts to look beneficial.

[Dannie Boy]

The article back in the 80’s concentrates on Bangkok sinking and whereas that probably hasn’t changed, it’s now exacerbated by rising sea levels linked to the melting of the ice caps………….i.e. Global Warming!!

[STEVE G]

^The "Pretend it's not happening" approach to climate change mitigation is starting to look inadequate.

[Ratsima]

It would probably move to Korat. It's on a very high plateau with zero risk of sinking.

Part of the new motorway to Korat that they are building by hand, very slowly, concrete slab, by concrete slab, is finally open, but only from/to Pak Chong (to Korat) and the high speed rail is taking shape, well sort of, some work is taking place in Korat City anyway, but no-one really knows what, and it's been left untouched for nearly 2 months now, as per Hua Hin.

But it has long been touted as the next capital.

I live full time in Korat but have a condo in Cha Am that we visit about one week a month. I have been avidly following the construction of both Motorway 6 and the high speed rail. For the elevated sections both of these projects are using the same construction technique which is called a girder launcher and looks like this:
.

girder.jpg (85.29 KiB) Viewed 361 times

.
The photo was taken near my home about 5K from Korat station. Work started at that location in April of 2021. In three years they have complete about 300 meters of elevated girder. Pylons have been completed for about 1K more. The girder work was being done by a Chinese crew. They left the site at the end of March and have yet to return. No work on the girders has been done since then.

Work on Motorway 6 was begun in August of 2016 and was expected to be completed in 2020 according to this Bangkok Post article.

To date the only section that has been opened is that described by Caller. None of the toll plazas have been built and construction on a few of those only started this year. Construction has begun on none of the service areas. Temporary service areas with restrooms have been set up on the open section.

Some rather long sections have been completed for years but can't be opened because they don't connect to anything.

So, move the capital to Korat? What could possibly go wrong?

[caller]

It's quite funny really, because as you travel the route of the original road, you catch glimpses of the partially built motorway when travelling through Khai Yai. And there is a long elevated section along route 362, that then disppears into the distance when the road veers north to meet highway 2.

But the operating part of motorway 6 is now identified as such on google maps, and if you select the meeting point in Pak Chong where 6 and highway 2 meet, you can trace it's route all the way to Bkk. It does seem much has now been developed, although there are still large stretches that aren't.

I recall reading there were some issues over land ownership and that surveys had shown that some of the land commandeered, wasn't suitable to be used for an elevated road, which meant they had to re-route some plans, commandeer more land etc.

[Ratsima]

I recall reading there were some issues over land ownership and that surveys had shown that some of the land commandeered, wasn't suitable to be used for an elevated road, which meant they had to re-route some plans, commandeer more land etc.

This is completely baffling to me as they started surveying the route and doing geologic testing (bore holes) around 2013. How could they not know that land they had surveyed was not suitable? Oh, wait, yeah. Thailand.

One more thing. I recall reading that one of the contractors whose contract was in the Khao Yai area said, explaining the construction delay, that he was unaware that there was a forest there. Perhaps the surveyors failed to mention the presence of trees in their report.

[STEVE G]

The temple at Ban Khun Samut Chin, about 10km out of Bangkok, illustrates the problem:

PSX_20240521_090808.jpg (65.43 KiB) Viewed 264 times