Thailand Debates Costly Move to Relocate Capital from Bangkok

[snoop1130]

 

 

Flooding in Bangkok | Photo via Bangkok Post/Somchai Poomlard

 

A proposal to move Thailand's capital from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima has sparked debate, as a government study highlights the high costs and complexity of such a project. The Interior Ministry reported that relocating the capital would require a significant budget and a public referendum. This suggestion came from Patchara Jantararuangtong, a member of the Pheu Thai Party, during a parliamentary session on October 12, 2023.

 

Opposition to the move points at strengthening infrastructure in Bangkok and nearby areas, which are at risk of sinking. On November 28, 2023, the Cabinet tasked the Interior Ministry with exploring two options: moving the capital or building a barrier to protect Bangkok.

 

The Cabinet reviewed these findings on February 4, 2024. Experts agree that any decision would need a comprehensive impact assessment, considering how businesses, jobs, and daily life might be affected.

 

 

The study recommends building a sea barrier or setting up regional centers to reduce the pressure on Bangkok's central agencies. It also evaluated infrastructure in Nakhon Ratchasima, focusing on its roads and high-speed rail links to other regions.

 

Further research on water resources is crucial for sustainable and eco-friendly development. The study also suggests examining capital relocations in other countries for more insights.

 

State officials are seeking funding to assess the impact of sea level rise on the Chao Phraya River and explore long-term solutions.

 

-- 2025-02-10

 

 

[timendres]

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

On November 28, 2023, the Cabinet tasked the Interior Ministry with exploring two options: moving the capital or building a barrier to protect Bangkok.

 

November 28, 2053 --

Thai government considers moving capital from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima. Ministry of Interior tasked with exploring...

[TimBKK]

It’s already been relocated, to Beijing.

[blaze master]

New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim.

[JoePai]

18 minutes ago, blaze master said:

New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim.

Please note : New Orleans is in a different country

[blaze master]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

Please note : New Orleans is in a different country

 

Really ? You learn something new every day I guess.

 

Thanks for that bit of info.

[daveAustin]

^^^ Well, this is a Thai forum after all. Hardly relative. Thais probably care as much about what happens in Cajun country as the latter do Thais.

Not a biggie, many places have tiny nominal capitals... just shift government house and irrelevant politicians (all of them), albeit Bkk will still need saving. It was always a lost cause when what's his name relocated to a river delta from Ayuthaya in the 1700s. Guess they never envisaged such expansion.   

 

[lordgrinz]

Most of the rich Elites live in the lowest-lying areas, so you'll get to watch them squirm first if Bangkok goes underwater.

[3NUMBAS]

They don’t have any choice ,one day in the future the condos will become high level chiken  farms and it will be too late to move

[connda]

Move back to Ayutthaya.

[connda]

Fyi, I've driven though that much water in Korat back in the day.  Korat floods too.

[redwood1]

Moving capitals seems to be a very fashionable thing to do these days, lots of countries are doing it or talking of doing it.....

 

Moving a capital has many purposes....

 

First you can be sure the new capital will be a smart city....Very highly controlled with mass surveillance every where....Which is the main purpose of moving a capital.....

 

Also insiders will be making a fortune with buying cheap land ahead of the move...Also loads of fat construction contracts for all for the right people with plenty of nice kickbacks for lawmakers....

 

Plus lawmakers do love shinny new things, payed for by the public....

[SingAPorn]

Let them move it anyplace it will still remain cheaper and better then Hua Hin where foreigners get cheated on a 24 hour basis either by workers, contractors, restaurants...you name it. Most bank staff are very rude with foreigners lately and this feeling was never there before.

 

Foreigners are really not considered in Hua Hin compared to other cities in Thailand with amazing  and wonderful services, prices and people.  The general feeling in Hua Hin is that a foreigner is mainly wanted for their money. Of course never can generalise but if you have a house, and you have to deal with those contractors, workers, sub contractors...... you'll get lied, cheated like no other place on earth or even in Thailand. Prices are getting close to those in the west and that too for work so poorly done that even a 15 year old would do better in Bangkok or Pattaya area.

 

So move the capital if you must, but definately not to Hua Hin.

[blaze master]

5 hours ago, daveAustin said:

^^^ Well, this is a Thai forum after all. Hardly relative. Thais probably care as much about what happens in Cajun country as the latter do Thais.

Not a biggie, many places have tiny nominal capitals... just shift government house and irrelevant politicians (all of them), albeit Bkk will still need saving. It was always a lost cause when what's his name relocated to a river delta from Ayuthaya in the 1700s. Guess they never envisaged such expansion.   

 

 

Clearly none of you know the hip.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZUsCONjIQ&pp=ygUlbmV3IG9ybGVhbnMgaXMgc2lua2luZyB0cmFnaWNhbGx5IGhpcA%3D%3D

 

 

[save the frogs]

4 minutes ago, blaze master said:

Clearly none of you know the hip.

are you from canada?

no one outside canada has ever heard of that band. 

there was a canadian guy on here who was constantly referencing this band and got offended when i told him that. 

[kwilco]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

 

Flooding in Bangkok | Photo via Bangkok Post/Somchai Poomlard

 

A proposal to move Thailand's capital from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima has sparked debate, as a government study highlights the high costs and complexity of such a project. The Interior Ministry reported that relocating the capital would require a significant budget and a public referendum. This suggestion came from Patchara Jantararuangtong, a member of the Pheu Thai Party, during a parliamentary session on October 12, 2023.

 

Opposition to the move points at strengthening infrastructure in Bangkok and nearby areas, which are at risk of sinking. On November 28, 2023, the Cabinet tasked the Interior Ministry with exploring two options: moving the capital or building a barrier to protect Bangkok.

 

The Cabinet reviewed these findings on February 4, 2024. Experts agree that any decision would need a comprehensive impact assessment, considering how businesses, jobs, and daily life might be affected.

 

 

 

The study recommends building a sea barrier or setting up regional centers to reduce the pressure on Bangkok's central agencies. It also evaluated infrastructure in Nakhon Ratchasima, focusing on its roads and high-speed rail links to other regions.

 

Further research on water resources is crucial for sustainable and eco-friendly development. The study also suggests examining capital relocations in other countries for more insights.

 

State officials are seeking funding to assess the impact of sea level rise on the Chao Phraya River and explore long-term solutions.

 

-- 2025-02-10

 

 

 

THis is usually  the choice of militaristic governments and dictatorships....

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the Cabinet tasked the Interior Ministry with exploring two options: moving the capital or building a barrier to protect Bangkok.

They will opt for option two which will prove utterly useless

[Kiwiken]

Moving the Capital will never be cheaper than now. Bangkok was built on a flood plain. 

brazil did it and other Countries will face the same dilemma.

A planned well laid out expansion of  Korat could work.

Done haphazardly it will just become Bangkok mark2

[Kasset Tak]

12 minutes ago, kwilco said:

 

THis is usually  the choice of militaristic governments and dictatorships....

This is not like in Myanmar as the problem is that Bangkok is sinking, while the sea level is rising... and if you are right, then look at the US that have had 9 cities serve as capitals...

[blazes]

Could ask the Dutch for advice -- they've been keeping the sea at bay for centuries.

 

Ah,but I forgot....foreigners know nothing....

[blaze master]

40 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

are you from canada?

no one outside canada has ever heard of that band. 

there was a canadian guy on here who was constantly referencing this band and got offended when i told him that. 

 

I am. Yes I know. The song still rocks pretty hard.

 

Did he tell you he was sorry ? 

[Joe Boy Walton]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This suggestion came from Patchara Jantararuangtong, a member of the Pheu Thai Party, during a parliamentary session on October 12, 2023.

I wonder who owns the land in Nakhon Ratchasima?

[renaissanc]

3 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

Let them move it anyplace it will still remain cheaper and better then Hua Hin where foreigners get cheated on a 24 hour basis either by workers, contractors, restaurants...you name it. Most bank staff are very rude with foreigners lately and this feeling was never there before.

 

Foreigners are really not considered in Hua Hin compared to other cities in Thailand with amazing  and wonderful services, prices and people.  The general feeling in Hua Hin is that a foreigner is mainly wanted for their money. Of course never can generalise but if you have a house, and you have to deal with those contractors, workers, sub contractors...... you'll get lied, cheated like no other place on earth or even in Thailand. Prices are getting close to those in the west and that too for work so poorly done that even a 15 year old would do better in Bangkok or Pattaya area.

 

So move the capital if you must, but definately not to Hua Hin.

My daughter has just backed out of a pool villa housing project in Hua Hin. The project increased the house's price by 500,000 baht at the contract-signing stage. We said "No, thank you. Bye, bye!"

[HHSAM]

3 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

Let them move it anyplace it will still remain cheaper and better then Hua Hin where foreigners get cheated on a 24 hour basis either by workers, contractors, restaurants...you name it. Most bank staff are very rude with foreigners lately and this feeling was never there before.

 

Foreigners are really not considered in Hua Hin compared to other cities in Thailand with amazing  and wonderful services, prices and people.  The general feeling in Hua Hin is that a foreigner is mainly wanted for their money. Of course never can generalise but if you have a house, and you have to deal with those contractors, workers, sub contractors...... you'll get lied, cheated like no other place on earth or even in Thailand. Prices are getting close to those in the west and that too for work so poorly done that even a 15 year old would do better in Bangkok or Pattaya area.

 

So move the capital if you must, but definately not to Hua Hin.

You should leave Hua Hin and go to one of the cities with amazing and wonderful service, prices and people. All bitter and twisted up.

[bkk6060]

They will never move it.

And, no way Hua Hin.  Also,  I find HH one of the better places in the country to live,  for service and friendly people.  Much better then Pattaya or Bangkok.

[fredwiggy]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

are you from canada?

no one outside canada has ever heard of that band. 

there was a canadian guy on here who was constantly referencing this band and got offended when i told him that. 

They were popular soon after they came out all over the US. Americans are very much into Canadian music, as Rush,April Wine, Triumph, BTO, Loverboy, Guess Who, Steppenwolf, Helix, Mahogany Rush, Red Rider, The Kings and many others can attest. Of course that might have been sarcasm on your part.

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, Kasset Tak said:

This is not like in Myanmar as the problem is that Bangkok is sinking, while the sea level is rising... and if you are right, then look at the US that have had 9 cities serve as capitals...

Excuses - the Dutch can live below sea level  - if they wanted to extend the whole city then that would be different - but they want to build a capital and military head.

 

This was an idea that came from the military - it is trying to extract the government machine from the chaos of an open city to a place where it can be more powerful.

[watchcat]

21 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

They will never move it.

 

Why not wait until China takes over the country, let them pay for the move.

[spidermike007]

Any move to alleviate congestion in Bangkok would be a good thing. Getting rid of those obnoxious 7 car convoys would be too. And a Bangkok without the political creeps would be more pleasant. 

 

Sounds like a great plan to me. 

[freedomnow]

Move it to Soi 6 Pats.