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.