I was bemused when I read this story in the Bangkok Post earlier this week. It’s certainly one of the more ambitious ideas to come out of Bangkok for some time. Remember that Bangkok is a city that floods almost every time it rains. Concerned about global warming, a local disaster-prevention group and some former members of Thai Rak Thai are pushing for a 100-billion-baht, 80-kilometer-long wall to be built around Bangkok.

The theory behind this is that there is a chance that sea levels will rise sufficiently in the next 10 or 20 years to pose a threat to Bangkok.

The wall would take up to eight years to build. It’s miraculous enough that Bangkok has a Skytrain and an MRT system, but an 80-kilometer-wall? What are the chances of it ever being completed? If I remember correctly, when they built the Skytrain, enormous concrete pillars were accidentally put in the wrongs places.

The Bangkok 50 group, made up of former members of Thai Rak Thai, are the guys promoting this scheme. They now plan to get 50,000 signatures backing the project. I’m sure that this project would make a lot of people very wealthy, but perhaps it’s just too big.

The wall would surround Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao and Bangkok.

Perhaps it’s a good idea, but it’s 100-billion-baht gamble as to whether a.) the wall would ever be built and b.) the wall would ever be needed.