Sea level rise in Bangkok: how high will the water get?
Under intermediate emissions, sea level at Bangkok is projected to rise about 73 cm by 2050 and 168 cm by 2100 compared with 1995–2014 — or 189 cm if emissions stay very high. That is 112 cm more than the global average, mostly because the land around Bangkok is sinking (subsidence), which adds to the rise in the ocean itself.
Projected sea level rise at Bangkok, 2020–2150 (cm vs 1995–2014)
| Year | Low | Intermediate | Very high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | +38 cm (35–43) | +39 cm (35–43) | +39 cm (36–43) |
| 2050 | +72 cm (66–79) | +73 cm (68–81) | +76 cm (70–84) |
| 2070 | +106 cm (98–117) | +110 cm (101–122) | +116 cm (107–130) |
| 2100 | +156 cm (141–176) | +168 cm (154–191) | +189 cm (171–218) |
| 2150 | +240 cm (213–278) | +265 cm (235–309) | +305 cm (265–368) |
What it means for Bangkok
The average rise is only part of the story. What people notice first is flooding: higher seas let ordinary high tides and storm surges reach further inland. The IPCC projects that extreme sea levels which used to occur once a century will happen at least once a year at more than half of the world's tide gauge locations by 2100.
Sea level will keep rising for centuries even after emissions stop, because the deep ocean keeps warming and ice sheets keep melting. Under very high emissions, rises well beyond these ranges cannot be ruled out if parts of the Antarctic ice sheet become unstable — see tipping points.
To see which streets are at risk, use a local flood map: the projections here can be explored station by station in the NASA Sea Level Projection Tool.
Bangkok climate in 2050Global sea level todayAll coastal cities
Frequently asked questions
Will Bangkok be underwater?
Not in the sense of the whole city disappearing this century, but the sea at Bangkok is projected to rise about 168 cm by 2100 under intermediate emissions (likely range 154–191 cm), and about 189 cm under very high emissions. Low-lying districts face more frequent flooding from high tides and storm surges well before then; whether a specific street floods depends on local elevation and flood defences.
How much will sea level rise in Bangkok by 2050?
About 73 cm (29 inches) compared with 1995–2014 under an intermediate scenario, with a likely range of 68–81 cm. Up to 2050 the emissions scenarios give similar results, because much of this rise is already locked in.
Why is sea level rise in Bangkok different from the global average?
Projections at a single coast include vertical land motion (sinking or rising land), changes in ocean currents and the gravitational effects of melting ice sheets. That is 112 cm more than the global average, mostly because the land around Bangkok is sinking (subsidence), which adds to the rise in the ocean itself.
Source: IPCC AR6 Sea Level Projections (Garner et al. 2021; Fox-Kemper et al. 2021), via the NASA Sea Level Projection Tool. Global averages: IPCC AR6 WG1 Table 9.9.
Licence: CC BY 4.0. Relative sea level change incl. vertical land motion, vs 1995–2014, medium confidence; likely range = 17th–83rd percentile.