Bangkok Sinking Faster

By Digital Media

​newsjsBANGKOK: -- Successive Bangkok governments have invested billions of baht in building embankment systems and used several other means to protect the heart of Bangkok. However, surveillance results from Thaichote, the first Thai earth observation satellite has revealed interesting results which shows that Bangkok and its vicinity could be sinking even faster than earlier predicted.

More alarmingly, future floods could be worse than the one which was experienced back in 2011.

The data analysis room is used to decipher all the trends and data collected via the satellite system, as well as acting as a headquarters in receiving information gathered from other sources. Recent evidence suggests that Bangkok and six surrounding provinces in the lower Chao Praya river basin are most prone to flooding, as a result of the rising sea level as well as erosion.

"There will be similar issues occurring in the future, precisely in the next ten years or so. There is a high chance but as long as proper mechanisms are in place, including sound management systems, then the consequences may be less severe. But that flood in 2011, wasn't the worst," said Anon Sanitwong Na Ayuttaya (Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)).

"If changes are made within the next five years, major floods can be prevented. There are several options, several technologies available. For instance, 1) to not do anything at all, 2) to relocate cities to other areas, 3) to create satellite cities, 4) to build ducts around the cities like in the Netherlands. and 5) to reclaim land and practically cover up the Gulf of Thailand area," he said.

Despite all these changes that need to be done, the director of GISTDA views it is an imperative to genuinely include local voices and opinions in the decision-making process. An exchange of information and input must be incorporated to ensure that their voices are heard. Most importantly, to ensure changes are sustainable, local voices must be recognised, instead of solely focusing on serving mainstream politics. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-02-19

Tis ok....yingluk will save the day..

Or surely Brother [via Skype]?

Didnt she promise there would be no more floods anyway? I'm not sure who to believe anymore...

maybe time to move out to the mountains ?

Sink baby sink.

"5) to reclaim land and practically cover up the Gulf of Thailand area"

umm i dont think that's very practical.

just MHO

Atleast 2 separate issues

Storm Surge.

excessive rainfall.

They each require a different solution.

The dude,has one tough job.

He has to educate the population, then find a solution.

Good luck on both.

No wonder he sounds pissed.

Plod will pipe up that he knew this all the time, so the solution will be to increase the budget 15% to build bigger walls.

Plod will pipe up that he knew this all the time, so the solution will be to increase the budget 15% to build bigger walls.

Or buy bigger boats with bigger propellers.

Oh please not again,- after China and Berlin another hub of walls...

Great news for Bangkok-condo speculators, they will shortly come with nearby moorings, for their prestige yachts !

Fill in the gulf of Thailand ? that seems well thought out .. think of all the areas that could be developed, you could build a Super airport that would service Bangkok & Samui at the same time wow.. just need to excavate the Himalayas to fill it in or at least dig out Isaarn.. No real enviromental damage there is there?......

You just got to love the genius thinking that goes into some of these articles.

Dire emergency action required then they come up with this brilliant piece of thinking.

"Despite all these changes that need to be done, the director of GISTDA views it is an imperative to genuinely include local voices and opinions in the decision-making process. An exchange of information and input must be incorporated to ensure that their voices are heard. Most importantly, to ensure changes are sustainable, local voices must be recognised, instead of solely focusing on serving mainstream politics"

Does any one know of a better way to confuse the issue until no one knows what the problem is. The city is sinking let us here from every one with a private agenda.

I am not saying it is or it is not a serious problem but if it is the best course of action would be to turn it over to Dutch experts with a strict injunction to ignore people with private agendas do what it takes no matter what.

Everyone in the north talks about this--mainly Chiang Rai. I've been subjected to unprompted discussions numerous times by complete strangers, more specifically, Thai guys in their late 20's - early 30's, who know little English and stumble through lengthy explanations.

I've never heard this topic brought up by anyone in Bangkok.

This is an opportunity, you're looking at the future Venice of Southeast Asia.

That is, if you don't mind navigating around spent Red Bull bottles and the miscellaneous floating turd.

the only practical long term solution is to move the city. anything else is doomed to fail with massive loss of life and property.t

then the issue becomes one of compensation for loss of land in places like Samut Prakarn and other southern areas, or allocation of substitute land in the NE/NW.

What's the bet there's no compensation for hiuseholders

"5) to reclaim land and practically cover up the Gulf of Thailand area"

umm i dont think that's very practical.

just MHO

Atleast 2 separate issues

Storm Surge.

excessive rainfall.

They each require a different solution.

The dude,has one tough job.

He has to educate the population, then find a solution.

Good luck on both.

No wonder he sounds pissed.

Great news for Bangkok-condo speculators, they will shortly come with nearby moorings, for their prestige yachts !

It's the weight of all that foreign currency that's been coming in lately.

hahahaha, it would solve the garbage problem they have there, wash all the streets clean.

"There are several options, several technologies available. For instance, 1) to not do anything at all"

That's Thai technology and options at their very best.

maybe time to move out to the mountains ?

And why do you think Thaksin and his cronies are developing Chiang Mai at the current rate?????

Edited February 19, 201313 yr by ianf

maybe time to move out to the mountains ?

NO!!!!!

"There will be similar issues occurring in the future, precisely in the next ten years or so."

How precise?

1 : to do nothing at all

Wouw that's a good option !!

Lets do what we always do.

Oh please not again,- after China and Berlin another hub of walls...

OK gotta admit

I didnt see "hub of walls" coming!

Tie balloons to trees/buildings etc...lots of them and collectively this should raise the land back above sea level.

maybe time to move out to the mountains ?

Be sure to bring adequate gas masks.

Edited February 19, 201313 yr by Semper

There are several options, several technologies available. For instance, 1) to not do anything at all,

option 1 would be the Thai" option for sure. I'd lay a few thousand baht down on that being the outcome 5 years from now.

they could have adjourned the meeting at that point, and handed out the posters & satellite pics so that people might better recycle them as sun shades for their roadside shops.

Some people just want to watch the world sink

No Worries Yingluck has called the Dutch water engineers.........As you know they have knowhow how to solve water problems.

Rotterdam and surrounded area's are -8 meters below sealevel.......

Look at the guy's surname....we can speculate on how he landed this job...