Coast pays the priceListen to this articleThe flooding caused by high seas that battered coastal communities in Bang Khunthian, Bangkok, last week is a reminder that coastal erosion remains inadequately addressed. Every year, coastal communities such as Bang Khunthian and others along the southern shoreline and the Eastern Seaboard suffer from rising sea levels that not only flood homes but also erode shorelines and coastal land. According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) under the Ministry of Environment, coastal erosion consumes up to five metres of land, measured from the shoreline, each year. Each year, national and local governments invest hundreds of millions of baht in hard structures such as seawalls to brace against rising seas. Nature-based solutions are also already being tested, such as beach nourishment projects in Pattaya and mangrove reforestation in several coastal communities.

Source: Bangkok Post January 13, 2026 00:13 UTC