Is Thailand about to move its capital?

Proposal to relocate from Bangkok comes weeks after Indonesia announced similar plan

BANGKOK-THAILAND - JANUARY 25: Cars move slowly during rush hour traffic January 25, 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. According to reports Bangkok estimates that it loses 6 percent of its economic
Slow moving traffic in Bangkok
(Image credit: 2007 Getty Images)

Thailand’s leader has hinted that the country’s capital may be moved away from Bangkok in response to mounting challenges in the overcrowded city.

The suggestion comes weeks after the announcement that Indonesia’s capital is to be relocated from Jakarta, on the island of Java, to the province of East Kalimantan on Borneo. Like Bangkok, Jakarta has struggled in the face of overpopulation, traffic congestion, pollution and rising sea levels.

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