Besides coastal fisheries, eco-tourism has allowed villagers to take on other jobs like boat driving to diversify their income stream. Photo: Chotipong Ekasain.

Lost homes and sunken memories

A Thai town is sinking in the midst of sea level rise, coastal erosion and land subsidence.
A Thai town is sinking in the midst of sea level rise, coastal erosion and land subsidence.

When Wissanu Kengsamut was younger, he and his friends would go to the local temple every weekend to watch movies at the outdoor cinema. Nearby, others would come to hang out, play chess or football and gather for religious ceremonies. But today, there is no longer any grassfield for the villagers to lay their mats on. 

In less than 30 years, the sea has entirely swallowed the land and much of the community. 

The town of Ban Khun Samut Chin in Samut Prakan province is located right by the mouth of the Chao Phraya, Thailand’s major river. According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ban Khun Samut Chin has been eroding at a rate of three to five meters every year with a land subsidence rate of 1-2 centimetres annually. Since the 1990s, 4,000 rai (6.4 sq. km.) of land have gone underwater.

“As a kid, I didn’t think much about possessions or money, but I thought about my friends,” Kengsamut, 38, now the village’s headman, said. “Moving felt like a loss.”

For years, villagers chipped in money to preserve this temple, but despite their efforts, it is now stranded amidst the sea. Around the village, electricity poles stuck out of the water and houses sat on stilts, walls stained with water marks almost two meters tall. Narrow wooden planks form bridges above muddy waters cluttered with water bottles.

Sea level rise has stranded this temple in Thailand
After decades of coastal erosion, sea level rise and land subsidence, the Ban Khun Samut Chin Temple is now stranded amidst the sea. Photo: Chotipong Ekasain.

Looking back

“Back then, you’d walk awhile and find two kilos of crab,” said Suwan Buapai, the community’s local guide. “Today, you’d walk two kilometres and find just a single crab.”

In the 70s, Ban Khun Samut Chin was like any other coastal fishing community where over a thousand people lived. But as Bangkok developed, located just an hour’s drive away, the village took a side blow from the multitude of problems that came with the capital’s urbanisation.

“In the past 20 years, we used a lot of groundwater for water supply and industrial use,” said Sucharit Koontanakulvong, Water Resources System Research Unit Head at Chulalongkorn University. “The beach erosion is caused by aquaculture development and [the conversion of mangrove areas into shrimp farms] in the upper Gulf of Thailand.”

With now dysfunctional ecosystem services, the sea kept creeping in, and those who lived by the coastline moved further inland. While Kengsamut has moved thrice, some villagers have moved up to 11 times.

Eventually, many villagers moved to other towns and provinces. Unemployment increased and development slowed down. Today, only about 200 people remain.

“There used to be up to 120 students and 20 teachers in this school,” Mayurie Konchen, principal of the Ban Khun Samut Chin school, said. “It was a pretty normal school.”

Today, there are only four students left, each of them in different grade levels, making the school the smallest in Thailand. With just two teachers attempting to cover the eight subjects to children of different ages, the students face challenges to read, write and communicate properly.

“The ones who have stayed are the ones who can’t afford to leave,” Konchen said. “Their parents struggle with issues like addiction or financial hardships.”

By 2050, much of Samut Prakan and Bangkok is predicted to be underwater. Photo: Climate Central.

Moving forward

But in the late 90s, the community began replanting mangroves, as well as building breakwaters and constructing stone barriers to serve as buffer zones from the coastal waves and storm surges.

“The [former] village headman realised that if we kept moving, there’d be nowhere else to go,” Kengsamut said.

With advice from university professors, they also adopted eco-tourism to diversify their income stream and raise money for conservation. They began offering visitors a tour around the village, inviting people to plant mangroves, shuck oysters and cook local food. In 13 years, they’ve raised over 1.3 million baht (USD43,000).

Before the adaptation plan, households would have to relocate every three years on average. Today, it’s been 15 years since they’ve had to move. There are now over 100 rai (160,000 sq.m.) more of mangrove forests and the population has also increased.

“But if you let the villagers fix the [climate change] problem alone, there’s no way they would succeed because it is a global issue,” Kengsamut said.

A 2019 study by Climate Central reveals that sea-level rise is projected to reach up to 2.1 metres by 2100. This would cause coastal flooding and potentially affect 300 million people in low-lying coastal areas in countries like Thailand, China, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Koontanakulvong said sea level rise is 4 mm per year but is projected to increase after 2030.

Villagers in Ban Khun Samut Chin have built their houses on stilts to cope with the rising waters. Photo: Chotipong Ekasain.

Sea level rise in Thailand

“The DMCR still has no plans on studying sea level rise,” said Chutima Boonritseephong, Director of DMCR’s Marine Geology Sector. “We are currently studying the vulnerability of the [Samut Prakan] area to coastal erosion. But this is research work, not yet mitigation.”

Because of its agricultural landscape, Ban Khun Samut Chin doesn’t reap in as much income to return revenue and taxes to the state unlike industrial, urban or touristic cities. With a small population whose votes weigh less than that of bigger cities, community livelihood and development here are often overlooked.

“This place holds high historical significance,” Buapai said. “If we let this place crumble down, it will become a mere folktale to share and reminisce, and the new generation will no longer know what this place is.”

slot maxwin slot ovo starlight princess live casino slot zeus pg soft slot olympus ibcbet maxwin slot thailand slot pgsoft slot slot mahjong zeus slot digmaan slot mania slot pulsa jdb slot slot777 slot shopee slot spade gaming slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong roulette habanero sv388 joker123 fafaslot pgsoft mahjong wins jdb slot slot thailand slot gacor slot mahjong slot gatotkaca pg soft pragmatic play slot bank bsi slot bank jago lucky neko spaceman slot olympus slot88 starlight princess slot dana digmaan joker123 zeus slot slot mania slot habanero idnslot slot pulsa jdb slot slot hoki fafaslot nolimit city slot princess fafaslot fafa slot slot princess slot 77 slot pulsa slot bri slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 777 slot88 slot ovo slot gopay slot jepang slot 88 slot receh slot 123 joker123 slot princess slot kamboja roulette online baccarat online idn poker dragon tiger nolimit city slot dana thailand slot slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong mahjong ways slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot88 slot dana joker123 slot maxwin slot mahjong slot gacor slot thailand slot mahjong slot gopay slot88 slot thailand slot zeus sbobet slot toto slot server thailand slot thailand slot77 slot gacor slot thailand slot server thailand slot thailand akun gacor slot maxwin slot gacor slot thailand slot kakek zeus Pg Soft Maxbet Ibcbet Starlight Princess Slot Ovo Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Sv388 Sbobet Slot Dana Slot Thailand Slot Thailand Digmaan Sv388 Joker123 Mahjong Ways 2 Slot Dana Slot Gacor Slot Anti Rungkat baccarat roulette sicbo casino online sv388 tembak ikan online sbobet slot macau slot thailand slot thailand slot maxwin slot88 slot88 slot deposit ovo situs slot wwg slot slot thailand wm casino tembak ikan slot thailand slot wala meron slot nolimit city slot pg slot gacor slot88 slot50000 slot mahjong slot thailand 66k bet slot daftar judi slot online indonesia slot mahjong ways slot thailand mahjong ways slot gacor slot mawin slot gacor slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot gacor slot gopay slot gacor slot gacor slot thailand slot gacor judi slot slot thailand slot thailand slot thailand slot mahjong ways 2 slot pragmatic slot demo pragmatic slot demo pg soft demo slot pragmatic slot gacor 4d slot pg soft pgslot pgsoft pgsoft sv388 slot88 pgsoft slot thailand slot88 slot thailand slot gacor slot ovo slot dana fafaslot slot ovo slot jepang judi slot gacor slot rusia Situs Daftar Judi Slot Mahjong Ways 1 dan 2 PG Soft Online PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot Kakek Zeus RTP Slot > Daftar Situs Judi Slot Gacor Mahjong Ways 2 PG Soft : Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Terbaik Situs Slot Online Gacor Dan Agen Slot Pragmatic Play Terpercaya Slot Gacor: Situs Slot Online Pragmatic Play & Bocoran Pola Slot Situs Slot Online Terbaik Terpercaya dan Terbesar di Indonesia Slot Kakek Zeus Daftar Link Slot Olympus Terbaru Slot Dana Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia Sabung Ayam Online Sv388 Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online SLOT88 SLOT PG SOFT GACOR Bandar Slot Daftar Situs Judi Online Terbaik & Terpercaya Gacor power gaming sv388 lucky neko slot gacor slot gacor slot88 slot kakek slot pg slot kakek zeus slot dana slot maxwin slot server luar negeri slot thailand Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Link Daftar Situs Judi Slot Deposit Dana 20RB Tanpa Potongan Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Daftar Slot Dana Daftar Slot Dana Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play lucky Neko Daftar & Login Slot PG Judi Slot 88 Online Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Slot Mahjong Ways 2 Mudah Jackpot Paus di PG Soft Hari ini 2023 Lucky Neko Situs Slot Gacor Pgsoft Hari Ini Slot Pragmatic - Link Alternatif Judi Slot Online Gacor Kakek Zeus SITUS SABUNG AYAM SV388 ONLINE DAFTAR LINK LOGIN APK AGEN SV388 Daftar Judi Slot Online Indonesia Paling Gacor di Indonesia SBOBET Login Agen Judi Bola Sbobet Mahjong Ways | Slot PG | Slot Mahjong Ways 2 | Slot PGsoft | Daftar Slot Mahjong Situs Joker123 | Joker123 | Joker Gaming | Daftar Slot Joker Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play Agen Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Terpercaya Slot Kakek Zeus : Daftar RTP Judi Slot Online Gacor Gampang Menang Joker123 Game Slot Gacor Joker Gaming Casino Online Indonesia Power Gaming : Situs Slot Gacor Online RTP Pragmatic Play slot mahjong pg soft slot gacor slot thailand slot maxwin slot spaceman pg slot