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Bangkok, Thailand

© CNES 1996 . Multispectral SPOT Image | Bangkok, the capital of Thailand and its primary city, is located on the Chao Phraya River and almost on the coast. Bangkok was founded in 1782 as a new capital of Siam replacing Ayutthaya which was vulnerable to Burmese attacks from the west. Bangkok grew from the original royal centre located on an artificial island called Rattanakosin between the river and a canal to the east. The old city grew up further eastward on the coastal plain. The rapid growth of Bangkok in the second half of the twentieth century has seen the city expanding mainly eastwards and southwards into flat swampy areas. The ground elevation of Bangkok is extremely low and varies between 0.5 and 2 m above the mean sea level. As most of the rainfall arrives during the southwestern monsoon (late May to early October) Bangkok is prone to flooding, especially as the river itself runs high during this period.

The 1950 population of Bangkok was less than 1.5 million. The current population is around 7 million which is expected to approach 10 million by the end of the century. Such an increase necessitated a rapid rise in the demand for water. A number of private housing estates and industrial establishments at the beginning acquired water from the subsurface acquifers. This led to considerable subsidence within the city, and flooding became a major environmental hazard of Bangkok. Groundwater pumping is now strictly controlled. The other main environmental problem is that of traffic congestion and air pollution.

© CSA 1996 . Radarsat Image