Bangkok sinking: City could be underwater by 2030
NTU predicts sea levels rising 1.9 metres by the year 2100
Bangkok, already notorious for choking traffic and fierce floods, is now staring down an even grimmer fate—sinking beneath the sea within the next decade if climate change and unchecked development continue unabated.
Recent studies have singled out Bangkok alongside Jakarta as two of Southeast Asia’s fastest-sinking cities. According to The Guardian, Bangkok is subsiding by over one centimetre a year and could slip below sea level by 2030, threatening millions of residents and the Thai capital’s status as a tourism and business hub.
Jakarta, meanwhile, is vanishing even faster, dropping up to 6.7 inches (17 centimetres) annually, largely due to excessive groundwater pumping.
Indonesian officials have already approved an ambitious plan to relocate the capital 100 miles away from Java, a project that will take a decade and cost around US$33 billion (around 1.2 trillion baht).
Bangkok faces a similarly daunting challenge. To combat the annual deluge during the rainy season, the city has turned to innovative solutions such as Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park—an 11-acre green space capable of holding a million gallons of rainwater. But experts warn that such measures are little more than stopgaps in the face of rising seas.
A landmark study from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore predicts global sea levels could surge by up to 1.9 metres (6.2 feet) by 2100 if carbon emissions continue unchecked.
“The high-end projection underscores the need for decision-makers to plan critical infrastructure accordingly,” said Dr Benjamin Grandey, lead author of the research.
If these dire forecasts come true, the consequences for Bangkok and other coastal megacities will be catastrophic. Whole neighbourhoods could be swallowed, displacing millions and crippling local economies.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also sounded the alarm, estimating that sea levels could rise between 0.6 and 1.0 metres under worst-case emission scenarios, according to earth.com and ASEAN Urbanist.
Professor Benjamin Horton, Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, called NTU’s research “a significant breakthrough in sea-level science,” highlighting the urgent need for decisive action.
While reducing emissions is paramount, adaptation strategies such as flood defences, sustainable drainage, and stricter building regulations are also crucial.
For Bangkok, the clock is ticking. Without rapid investment and serious climate commitments, the city may soon be fighting not just seasonal floods, but a permanent underwater future.
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