CLIMATE
Thailand needs to act as Bangkok sinks faster

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's capital Bangkok has been sinking for years and time is running out to tackle the problem. As the ground continues to subside by 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) a year, scientists say action is urgent.

The government has been ignoring the fact that Bangkok is sinking for years, scientists in Thailand said. According to the national agency that provides satellite images to update on disasters like the 2011 floods, Bangkok's problem may be even worse than previously thought. The city of 10 million people could be sinking faster; and experts warn there are only seven to 10 years left to tackle the problem.

"The buildings are already sinking nearly 20 millimeters. Additionally, the soil and clay are also sinking 10 to 20 millimeters," said Dr Anond Sanitwong, director of GISTDA, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency.

"Adding those two figures together means the absolute sinking rate of the ground is around three centimeters or 30 millimeters at least per year. It's fast - much faster than we thought."

Full story: http://www.dw.de/thailand-needs-to-act-as-bangkok-sinks-faster/a-16739739

-- DW 2013-05-02

What will this do for condo prices?

Government in Thailand do something preemptively? /chuckle I think I might go back to Udon though...

^{There are countless examples of areas subsiding when oil or gas field are produces over a long period of time.}

^{Just do the opposite for Bangkok. Find a suitable formation 1-3,000 m below Bangkok, drill a couple of hundred wells and inject water over the next 30 years.}

Edited May 2, 201313 yr by ExpatOilWorker

What will this do for condo prices?

Depends if you fancy a basement or street view.

Government in Thailand do something preemptively? /chuckle I think I might go back to Udon though...

The goverment will just blame Abhisit and the democrats and state the theory that BKK is sinking is politically motivated and our man in Dubai should be given amnesty so he can come back and save BKK

^{There are countless examples of areas subsiding when oil or gas field are produces over a long period of time.}

^{Just do the opposite for Bangkok. Find a suitable formation 1-3,000 m below Bangkok, drill a couple of hundred wells and inject water over the next 30 years.}

Why water...they can get the PTP to below all their hot air in the ground..this should have the same effect...

Bangkok 2050

What will this do for condo prices?

they will sink... ...a multi-storey basement anyone ?

What will this do for condo prices?

It must be hot, I can't be bothered to make any of the obvious replies to this!

^{There are countless examples of areas subsiding when oil or gas field are produces over a long period of time.}

^{Just do the opposite for Bangkok. Find a suitable formation 1-3,000 m below Bangkok, drill a couple of hundred wells and inject water over the next 30 years.}

...or rice.

Government in Thailand do something preemptively? /chuckle I think I might go back to Udon though...

well I always wanted water front property

It is all sort of 2014 isn't it.

Inevitably in 50 or so years, huge amonts of people will have to leave Bangkok because their properties will inevitably go under water quite regularly. What will they do if Bangkok isn't the all seeing all doing, centre point of everything in the country?

The cost of large scale water injection is about $1/bbl of water injected. Adding it up, 30 mm/year x 1,569 km2, a project like this will cost ~ $300 million/year.

Bangkok Metropolitan Region has a combined output of $149.39 billion, so it is only 0.2% of the city's economy.

Lets gets started.....

What will this do for condo prices?

Upper floors will hold value for a few more years.

Any way we can speed it up??

Not sure what they problem is. Weren't we told a couple of months ago the Bangkok barrage would be in place in a few years?

The Government has chosen to ignore this problem over many years and so they will continue to do so.

Might go some way to explain why many Bangkokians have bought land in Nakorn Ratchsaima.

It would be due to the sizable kick-backs from the investments, if the Thai government one day should decide to do something to prevent Bangkok from sinking.

What will this do for condo prices?

We will see a sharp rise I would imagine.... at least for the units on the higher floors

The cost of large scale water injection is about $1/bbl of water injected. Adding it up, 30 mm/year x 1,569 km2, a project like this will cost ~ $300 million/year.

Bangkok Metropolitan Region has a combined output of $149.39 billion, so it is only 0.2% of the city's economy.

Lets gets started.....

does that include the infrasture development and the cost of drilling ?....you looking a an onshore job ?....

you guys all missed the obvious, why do something about this when there will be a "MEGA MEGA" project to build a new capital in about 15 to 20 years so that our current politicians children will have some new teats to suck dry... simple really

Well as long as the Prime Minister cries in public and then promises that Bangkok won't sink we'll all be ok.

Is there a realistic way to correct this subsidence? And why is there a subsidence in the first place?

This is old news.....

Reported here several years ago (see link...

http://notthenation.com/2010/12/bangkok-underwater-in-25-years/

Might go some way to explain why many Bangkokians have bought land in Nakorn Ratchsaima.

Are many other places in Thailand, they are preparing themselves.

Is there a map anywhere that can show the areas that are not sinking/will not sink ? or does the affected area cover the whole of Bangkok ?

...like Venice, isn't it? What´s a little sinking? Now, here is an occasion for corruption to do some good. All those who cooperate in conservation measures will get their share. ON CONDITION THAT IT REALLY HAPPENS and not all the money dissipates. Corruption usually speeds up action if the bulk of payment is due after completion...

I first cane to Thailand in 1966. This problem was being talked about than. The government determined that a root cause of the problem was the increased usage of underground water. The government is like all other governments, ALL TALK NO ACTION or in plain language " SAME S--T DIFFERENT DAY" ( SSDD ).

Edited May 2, 201313 yr by tomross46