They are a national treasure and make the reputation as well as a large part of the wealth of Thailand. Slowly, gradually but surely, the country’s beaches are disappearing under the repeated assaults of rising waters, erosion and ever more vigorous monsoons, caused by global warming. “I’m old so I can enjoy it, but for future generations it’s a big problem,” laments a tourist.
Many dikes put in place all over the country
800 km of seaside, or a quarter of the country’s coastline, disappear by several meters each year. Some Thai beaches are already experiencing a slow twilight. Between 2015 and 2022, Thailand has already built 125 dikes for a sum close to 200 million euros, in order to preserve its beaches. But according to specialists, its dikes only shift the problem. “When we create a dike in one place, it creates erosion right next to it and therefore we build a new dike. It’s like an endless story”, regrets Sakanan Plathong, an academic.
