Congested, Threatened by Climate Change, Thailand Considers a New Location for Capital

Thailand could be the next nation in south-east Asia to relocate its capital after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hinted such a move could be a 'possibility' under his government," according to an article by Kate Lamb.

Myanmar and Indonesia have achieved and planned, respectively, similar plans to change locations of their capital cities.

"Like Jakarta, Bangkok is beset by overcrowding, pollution, rising sea levels and heavy traffic congestion," according to Lamb.

"During an address at the Connecting Thailand with the World Conference on 18 September, the retired army general floated two options for a potential move. 'The first is to find a city that’s neither too far nor too expensive to move to,' he said, 'The second is to move to outer Bangkok to reduce crowding.'"

The idea is still extremely speculative at this point, but the convergence of trends, in multiple countries, is notable even at this early stage.