News #261: 5 years of the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter, Dara Sakor airport opens to domestic flights, Myanmar post-quake construction, NAIA Terminal 5 and Bulacan Airport terminal construction, Changi gets its crown back, Vietnam–China railway cooperation
Trip report from January 2025: Walkability and bad street layouts, Pattaya construction notes, the ghost tower, future high-speed railway and monorail, Jomtien Beach as a future apartment hotspot, and air quality
The pandemic pivot that became my life work, 260 weeks of weekly news, benefits of Premium membership, travel plans, conferences and meetups, and your suggestions.
News #260: Trump tariffs in SE Asia, provincial mergers, a giant seawall for Java, East Coast Rail Link game changer, Japan proposes high-speed rail for the Philippines, Vietnam want to start high-speed rail construction next year
Sihanoukville should be a booming beach resort comparable to coastal cities in Vietnam. Instead, it's better known for its abandoned towers, scam compounds, and shady casinos. Here is how to fix it.
Vietnam is planning to merge 63 provinces and municipalities down to a total of 34. Should other countries in Southeast Asia consider provincial mergers?
News #259. Sri Racha trip report, Siem Reap’s E-Bus project, Malaysia's ECRL almost 80% complete, Ho Chi Minh City plans for 7 metro lines by 2035
The Little Osaka of Thailand, bad design of Sukhumvit Road (like Bangkok), seaview apartments (shame about the beach), and the future high-speed railway to 3 airports.
News #258: Thoughts on LinkedIn, the Shark Jaw building of Hanoi, Japan backs PH infra projects, Thailand Land Bridge project, and will the Vietnam high-speed rail be French?
An ode to the Shark Jaw building in Hanoi, turning tram depots into opera houses, more lakeside demolition for metro construction, and thoughts on if Hanoi should go full Haussmann.
News #257: Bangkok construction report, Central Highlands Vietnam Railway, DOGE cuts in SE Asia, Penang LRT, a monorail for Bohol, Binh Duong Metro
Another mall at Siam, the future “Shinjuku of Bangkok”, more classic hotels that have been lost, the South Sukhumvit Innovation District, and a mega project in Chinatown.
