More Future Southeast Asia in 2025

The Future Southeast Asia Newsletter features transport and urban development news in Southeast Asia, edited by James Clark.

Happy New Year from Vung Tau, Vietnam! I've been on a reduced publishing schedule for the holiday period, but the weekly newsletter continues as usual. There is always something going on, and there is no way I could not look at the news. Putting together this weekly roundup is a weekly joy for me.

Even when I am not travelling for work, I always look around at what is being built. If I see a blue construction fence in the distance, I will walk to it to have a look.

When I arrived at the Vung Tau Back Beach I saw a construction fence spanning for about 2 kilometres along the beach road. The seafront promenade is getting a massive renovation. I saw some commenters in local forums who were concerned about a casino or hotels being built there. They have actually removed buildings built on the sea side of the road, so there will technically be more public space when this is finished.

Vung Tau is the closest beach destination to Saigon, and I ended up here three times in 2024. I will come back again when the beachfront is finished.

This is newsletter number 246, making it the 246th consecutive Wednesday that I have published this weekly roundup. I'm looking forward to bringing more news about transport and urban development in Southeast Asia throughout 2025. I have some research trips planned for railways, new urban areas, and new airports in Southeast Asia. Those reports will be available for paid subscribers. If you have any news tips or projects you would like to see covered, let me know in the comments or reply to this email.

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Dara Sakor International Airport receives first chartered flight

• Japan provides $7.2 million geospatial data platform to support Cambodia’s land and urban planning

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Jakarta Issues Tidal Flood Warning Until January 3, 2025

"The Tanjung Priok Class I Maritime Meteorology Station has issued an early warning of tidal flooding, effective from December 26, 2024, to January 3, 2025. This warning highlights the potential for increased sea levels to cause flooding along the Jakarta coastline."

• Nusantara attracts 112,000 visitors in past three months

• Minister Basuki Says IKN Phase 9 Groundbreaking Set for January, Rp6.5tn in New Investment Secured

🇱🇦 Laos

• Lao government allocates USD 960 million for 2025 development projects

• Golden Triangle SEZ spends US$5 billion on development

• Vientiane’s new bus project: a step forward or a traffic gamble?

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Work on Mutiara Line LRT project commences (the Penang LRT)

• MRCB’s exit from KL-SG HSR project signals doubts about its viability, says expert

• Addressing flaws in MRT3’s strategy

"Arguments highlighting constraints like land acquisition costs tend to dismiss the importance of passenger convenience, usability and accessibility."

• ‘No to development in Bandar Malaysia’

"Kuala Lumpur residents are calling for the government to build an urban park at the 197ha Bandar Malaysia site, envisioning a green space on par with New York City’s Central Park or London’s Hyde Park."

• ‘Make it safer to walk in the city’

"Public transport users are asking for greater walkability in our cities for the new year as many of them have to brave poorly maintained walkways or tread in between moving traffic to arrive at public transport hubs."

• Authorities are considering making Jalan Bukit Bintang a pedestrian-only area

There has been talk over the years to pedestrianise parts of Bukit Bintang, so the first day of 2025 seems appropriate to repost this news article from 2020:

• KL wants to pedestrianise 10 roads by 2025

“…Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said City Hall planned to cordon off several stretches in Bangsar, Bukit Bintang and Brickfields to make them more pedestrian-friendly and reduce carbon emissions.”

 🇵🇭 Philippines

• MRT-7 gears up for engineering check

• Aboitiz, Ang and airports: Billionaires bet on aviation boom

• It’s been months since NAIA was turned over to SMC. What’s new?

• Cebu poised for green building boom in 2025

🇸🇬 Singapore

• 2024 wrapped: The biggest transport stories of the year, and what’s next

• New Jurong facility will shorten production times for concrete, reduce emissions

🇹🇭 Thailand

• State railway 'ready' to take over high-speed rail

"State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is ready to take over the high-speed rail (HSR) project that would connect Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports, if the contractor hired to carry out the project -- which has been delayed for five years -- is unable to finish the job".

• Troubled times for Thailand's transport sector

"Mishaps and misfortunes cast a shadow over the government's attempts to get the nation moving more efficiently."

• Gamechanger: Phuket’s 80-meter development height restriction repealed

• NIKKEI Film: The sound of engines vanishing in Thailand

"Japanese autos under threat by a wave of Chinese EVs."

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• 900,000 passengers ride HCMC’s first metro line in opening week

• North-South high-speed railway project expected to commence construction in 2027

• Vietnam to launch 19 key transportation projects in 2025

• Hanoi eyes more urban railways, second airport in updated master plan

• 120-day campaign launched to complete T3 terminal in Tan Son Nhat Airport

• Tay Ninh Province proposes to build US$186 million Tay Ninh Airport

"The consultancy unit proposed that Tay Ninh Airport will be built at Phuoc Ninh Commune, Duong Minh Chau District, located approximately 74 kilometers far from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, 106 kilometers from Long Thanh Airport, 44 kilometers from the Cambodia border and 22 kilometers from the center of Tay Ninh City."

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