Report Temple Highlights Bangkok's Vulnerability to Rising Sea Levels

[snoop1130]

Wat Khun Samut Chin

 

Wat Khun Samut Chin in Samut Prakan stands as a vivid reminder of Bangkok's growing risks from rising sea levels and coastal erosion, projected to worsen by 2050.

 

Dr Sonthi Kotchawat, an environmental expert, emphasised on social media that the temple's predicament is clear evidence of the challenges facing both Bangkok and Samut Prakan due to climate change.

 

Historically, the temple was surrounded by 76 rai of land, but relentless coastal erosion has reduced this to just five rai. The temple, located in Tambon Laem Fah Pha near the Chao Phraya River's mouth, illustrates the perilous effects of global warming and land subsidence.

 

Bangkok's land subsides at about one to two centimetres annually, while sea levels rise by approximately 5.8 centimetres each year. These concerning trends indicate a potential for significant flooding in Bangkok and Samut Prakan by 2050.

 

Originally constructed during King Rama V’s reign, the temple’s surrounding land was a donation from a Chinese migrant community during the early Rattanakosin era. Now, much of it has succumbed to the sea, with the coast retreating by roughly one kilometre in recent decades.

 

This situation underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable areas from future inundation.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-07-02

 

 

[VincentRJ]

 

From the article:

 

"Bangkok's land subsides at about one to two centimetres annually, while sea levels rise by approximately 5.8 centimetres each year. These concerning trends indicate a potential for significant flooding in Bangkok and Samut Prakan by 2050."

 

Land subsidence is often confused with sea-level rise, but this claim of '5.8 centimetres per year' of sea level rise, cannot be a result of climate change.

 

5.8 centimetres is 58 mm. A search on the internet reveals that the current rate of sea-level rise, globally, is around 3.6mm per year, which is 0.36 centimetres.

 

If we add the claimed 1-2 centimetres of land subsidence (say 1.5 centimetres) to the claimed 5.8 centimetre sea-level rise, we get an apparent rise of 73mm per year. Subtract the global estimate of 3.6mm per year of sea-level rise and the result is 69.3mm per year due to land subsidence.

 

This is not a problem that can be fixed by reducing CO2 emissions. 🤣

[VocalNeal]

If anyone ventures to Samut Songkhran in the vicinity of the Dolphin viewing spot and looks out to sea they will see a line of what look like telephone poles in the water. They are the only visible sign that there used to be a road there. 

[VincentRJ]

The correct title of the article should be:

 

"Temple Highlights Bangkok's Vulnerability to Land Subsidence"

[hotchilli]

Just nature doing it's thing....

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Wat Khun Samut Chin

 

Wat Khun Samut Chin in Samut Prakan stands as a vivid reminder of Bangkok's growing risks from rising sea levels and coastal erosion, projected to worsen by 2050.

 

Dr Sonthi Kotchawat, an environmental expert, emphasised on social media that the temple's predicament is clear evidence of the challenges facing both Bangkok and Samut Prakan due to climate change.

 

Historically, the temple was surrounded by 76 rai of land, but relentless coastal erosion has reduced this to just five rai. The temple, located in Tambon Laem Fah Pha near the Chao Phraya River's mouth, illustrates the perilous effects of global warming and land subsidence.

 

Bangkok's land subsides at about one to two centimetres annually, while sea levels rise by approximately 5.8 centimetres each year. These concerning trends indicate a potential for significant flooding in Bangkok and Samut Prakan by 2050.

 

Originally constructed during King Rama V’s reign, the temple’s surrounding land was a donation from a Chinese migrant community during the early Rattanakosin era. Now, much of it has succumbed to the sea, with the coast retreating by roughly one kilometre in recent decades.

 

This situation underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable areas from future inundation.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-07-02

 

 

Comes, when you build and extend a city without any consistent plan.

[mfd101]

And they'll still be talking but doing nothing in 50 years' time as the sea waters lap the royal palace ...

[technoronin]

They really need to talk to the Dutch.  I'll bet they could not only solve the problem, but reclaim all the land that has washed away.

[klauskunkel]

What? The amulet not working? 

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, technoronin said:

They really need to talk to the Dutch.  I'll bet they could not only solve the problem, but reclaim all the land that has washed away.

 

They could probably learn a lot, and maybe even recover some land.  But can they afford it?

 

Thailand's GDP/ square km is $3 million USD

Netherlands GDP/ square km is $38.4 million USD

 

You have to dig into the data and do one more calculation, but here's my source:

 

 

Population density vs. GDP per capita, 2023

 

https://ourworldindata.org/

 

That's why 1st world solutions often don't work in the 3rd world.

 

 

 

 

 

[connda]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Wat Khun Samut Chin in Samut Prakan stands as a vivid reminder of Bangkok's growing risks from rising sea levels and coastal erosion, projected to worsen by 2050.

Hire the Dutch to build dikes.

[edwinchester]

I believe the evidence for climate change and consequent sea level rise is well proven.....however an annual rise in sealevel of 5.8 cms is absolutely BS. That is a rise of close to one and a half metres by 2050. Whoever wrote the article had next to no idea of what they were writing about to blindly include that figure.

[Dibbler]

The combination of sea level rise and land subsistence from erosion will lead to the ENTIRE area of Bangkok and neighbouring provinces being inundated within the next 75 years. Eventually Thailand voters may be rewarded with an elected government that actually decides to address this reality and move the capital northwards to higher ground in the central plains. Other countries already made this decision for various reasons (Myanmar moved their capital to Naypyidaw, Indonesia is moving their capital to Nusantara). After all it will be a business opportunity for the ruling government at the time so politicians will all make loads of money from land speculation. So its a wonder why it hasn't already happened! 

[Phuyai]

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

I believe the evidence for climate change and consequent sea level rise is well proven.....however an annual rise in sealevel of 5.8 cms is absolutely BS. That is a rise of close to one and a half metres by 2050. Whoever wrote the article had next to no idea of what they were writing about to blindly include that figure.

https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/thailand/sea-level-historical
 

and select the tide gauge for Bangkok.

[Purdey]

I remember in 2011 Dutch experts coming to offer their expertise to the Thai government during the worst floods ever. They were ignored.

[digger70]

2 hours ago, technoronin said:

They really need to talk to the Dutch.  I'll bet they could not only solve the problem, but reclaim all the land that has washed away.

That would be the go but I don't think that Thailand has enough money to put in Dikes and Reclaim the lost land .

[impulse]

1 minute ago, digger70 said:

That would be the go but I don't think that Thailand has enough money to put in Dikes and Reclaim the lost land .

 

Yup.  That's a problem.  My post above shows that Dutch GDP per square km is 13x as much as Thai GDP per sq km. 

 

Solutions that work in the Netherlands are unaffordable in LOS.  Thailand didn't ignore or snub Dutch advice.  They looked at the numbers and figured out they couldn't afford a Dutch style plan on a Thai budget.

 

[digger70]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

Yup.  That's a problem.  My post above shows that Dutch GDP per square km is 13x as much as Thai GDP per sq km. 

 

Solutions that work in the Netherlands are unaffordable in LOS.  Thailand didn't ignore or snub Dutch advice.  They looked at the numbers and figured out they couldn't afford a Dutch style plan on a Thai budget.

 

They could start to do a bit at the time . they have some time before their feet get wet.

Could built some Giant Dams and use the dirt to built up some land  than there won't be a water shortage for the people  around where they build/Dig the Dams.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Dibbler said:

The combination of sea level rise and land subsistence from erosion will lead to the ENTIRE area of Bangkok and neighbouring provinces being inundated within the next 75 years.

 
As I recall, another big component of the land subsidence is sucking water out of the aquifers that underly Bangkok.

 

[lordgrinz]

Bangkok is doomed, like Jakarta, it's time to start thinking about relocating the capital city. 

[rwill]

I was reading about Thai history one time and it said Nakhon Pathom used to be a coastal city.  Now it's about a 2 hour drive to the coast from there.

[Dogmatix]

3 hours ago, mfd101 said:

And they'll still be talking but doing nothing in 50 years' time as the sea waters lap the royal palace ...

 

Thaksin's grandchildren or great grandchildren will be queuing up to take their turn at being PM to do nothing about flooding or anything else constructive by then. 

[Aussie999]

4 hours ago, mfd101 said:

And they'll still be talking but doing nothing in 50 years' time as the sea waters lap the royal palace ...

I have been told they are already constructing government buildings in Nakhon Ratchasima, perhaps preparing for a future relocation.

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, rwill said:

I was reading about Thai history one time and it said Nakhon Pathom used to be a coastal city.  Now it's about a 2 hour drive to the coast from there.

That's no different than many coastal areas globally...eg, the coastal plain around Perth, Western Australia, was ocean, all the way inland to the Darling Scarp. Depends on how far back, in history, you go.

[Magictoad]

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

And they'll still be talking but doing nothing in 50 years' time as the sea waters lap the royal palace ...

Unlike the UK & the USA & the EU etc etc? Thailand is not the only country struggling with the onset of environmental change.

[Magictoad]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

Bangkok is doomed, like Jakarta, it's time to start thinking about relocating the capital city. 

Like London and Sydney?

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, Aussie999 said:

I have been told they are already constructing government buildings in Nakhon Ratchasima, perhaps preparing for a future relocation.

I'll believe it when I see a whole central government department up and move to Korat.

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, mfd101 said:

I'll believe it when I see a whole central government department up and move to Korat.

Hope you live long enough... at 71 I might not.

[mfd101]

44 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Hope you live long enough... at 71 I might not.

I'm 76 but I'm aiming for 100+.

[Aussie999]

23 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

I'm 76 but I'm aiming for 100+.

Same... Chok dee khrap