Bangkok is sinking into the Earth

[webfact]

Bangkok is sinking into the Earth
FROM Global Post
Patrick Winn

BANGKOK — Thailand's capital is both glitzy and gritty, a city of glass towers and cement hovels teeming with nearly 10 million people.

All that steel and concrete and humanity sits on what was once marshland. The ground beneath is spongy and moist. Imagine a brick resting on top of a birthday cake. That's Bangkok — and it's sinking into the Earth at an alarming rate.

Thailand's disaster specialists have been warning of this coming calamity for years. One expert has said he's "worried about Bangkok resembling Atlantis." Another previously told GlobalPost that the city will be under five feet of water by 2030.

Previous estimates showed that Bangkok is sinking more than three inches per year. But newer data suggests the rate is closer to four inches per year.

Full story: https://theweek.com/articles/564883/bangkok-sinking-into-earth

-- THE WEEK 2015-07-13

[sanuk711]

So basiclly your advice is----- if buying a condo, make sure its on a higher floor....................

[chiang mai]

Doubtless before long somebody will suggest reducing the population of Bangkok in order to lighten the load thus reducing the rate of sinkage.

[apetley]

Doubtless before long somebody will suggest reducing the population of Bangkok in order to lighten the load thus reducing the rate of sinkage.

Makes sense to me.

[trogers]

"The ground beneath is spongy and moist. Imagine a brick resting on top of a birthday cake."

Error in the report.

The spongy and moist layer is only 20+ metres deep and consolidate with loads placed on it, eg. a road. This consolidation occurs under the load, and not the whole city.

What is causing the city to sink is the pumping of ground water by artesian wells sunk down over a 100 metres deep.

[noitom]

Thais are very advanced intellectually and will follow the Dutch model and build steel dykes and a retainer wall. This will give Bangkok an additional 50 years.

[Mojomor]

It's not only Bangkok, but the Chao Praya basin which is sinking. Barriers have been in place in other parts of the world for years. London barrier is about 40 years old now, and still working well.

[mahjongguy]

"..the pumping of ground water by artesian wells..."

Artesian wells are those from which the water flows from it's own pressure, no pumping required. .

[trogers]

"..the pumping of ground water by artesian wells..."

Artesian wells are those from which the water flows from it's own pressure, no pumping required. .

Not when these wells are over 4 decades old...

[Stradavarius37]

Yawn - more "the sky is falling" from Patrick Winn. That guy needs to get a hobby.

[Lupatria]

This "news" is known as long as it is ignored.

[Deserted]

This is not news> I remember reading the same story 10 years ago. It hasn't stopped all the building go ahead.

[Bernard Flint]

Chonburi is the same, so dont bring any extra weight from Bangkok please.Any expats cannot come if over 60 kilo

[zaphod reborn]

Doubtless before long somebody will suggest reducing the population of Bangkok in order to lighten the load thus reducing the rate of sinkage.

Better yet, let's get all the boats together to push the water away from Bangkok.

[soalbundy]

''worried about Bangkok resembling Atlantis'' Stop worrying, Atlantis was an advanced civilization. Thailand, like Oscar Wilde's quote on America, is a country that has gone from barbarity to decadence without the interval of civilization.

[rick44]

Thaivisa people, it's not possible to log in via Facebook anymore.

Anyway, 10mm is not 4 inches. Doomsday avoided.

Dag Ekeberg

[empireboy]

I'm gonna do my bit and start losing weight

[mmh8]

yeah, I also read that the western side of the river is the worst. therefore if buying make sure it is on the east bank.

there is part of the old city to the south of bangkok, the city was reclaimed by the sea, its well documented, on tv as well as i remember. should bkk go under water completly it can repackage itself as the worlds first diving spot with phenomenon of the big mango underwater - just imagine the opportunites that exist - underwater brothels - mermaid shows - underwater protests - submarines on meteres

[godden]

Going, going, GONE.

[KOZMO]

This is not news> I remember reading the same story 10 years ago. It hasn't stopped all the building go ahead.

I heard the same stories about Bangkok sinking back in 1970 when stationed at Ubon R.T.A.F.B.

[rtco]

[trogers]

This is not news> I remember reading the same story 10 years ago. It hasn't stopped all the building go ahead.

I heard the same stories about Bangkok sinking back in 1970 when stationed at Ubon R.T.A.F.B.

That's when they started sinking in those artesian wells - technology from the US...

[Just1Voice]

Does anyone with any real sense actually give a damn?

[fareastguy]

Thais are very advanced intellectually and will follow the Dutch model and build steel dykes and a retainer wall. This will give Bangkok an additional 50 years.

But how does that let the flood water out ??

[trogers]

Thais are very advanced intellectually and will follow the Dutch model and build steel dykes and a retainer wall. This will give Bangkok an additional 50 years.

But how does that let the flood water out ??

Ten million residents with buckets, scooping flood water over the dykes...

[bkk75]

 

Chonburi is the same, so dont bring any extra weight from Bangkok please.Any expats cannot come if over 60 kilo

 

Love it!

Retirement visa conditions:

1) over 50

2) 800K in bank

3) 60KG and under

LOL, there won't be a lot of expats retiring to Thailand

[mahjongguy]

Because of the sinking problem, Bangkok has imposed strict limits on pumping out groundwater. Naturally, those limits are mostly ignored and that is embarrassing so it's easier for the BMA to talk about the weight of buildings.

[sammygood]

they will have to, one day, move the capital somewhere else...

good for the elite that they own already all the land in the country, so they can only become more super rich & happy

[urnoticed]

Reminds me of an old Paul Simon song: "slip sliding away".

[iancnx]

Could be an interesting upturn in demand for. CM condos.