Future Southeast Asia News [10 Dec 2025]

Kulim International Airport, ADB backs Cambodia’s urban future, Laos–Vietnam railway construction to begin in 2026, Japan-style Transit-Oriented Development in Bangkok, Can Gio-Vung Tau bridge proposal in HCMC.

Author

James Clark
December 10, 2025

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

Travel, meetups, and site updates

Hello from Chiang Mai! It’s my last day here for this season, and tomorrow I am back on the road. I’m getting the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, stopping at two places along the way.

I’m in Bangkok from the 15th to the 26th of December, and I will have some time for meetups. Message me if you would like to meet for coffee to talk about transport and urban development.

Future Southeast Asia will be on a reduced publishing schedule over December/January as I have some long travel days coming up (bus/ferry days are the least productive travel days).

I will also take the new year period to reorganise the website and newsletter. I currently post most articles at futuresoutheastasia.com, and the newsletter is at news.futuresoutheastasia.com. I am going to merge it into one domain and reorganise what is premium content. I’m not sure how it will look yet, but you will not need to update your email while this happens.

Future Southeast Asia articles

Latest article

Kulim International Airport is a proposed airport and aerotropolis located in the state of Kedah, northwest Malaysia. The proposed location is in the south of Kedah, next to Penang.

This airport plan has been floating around for over a decade, and I was thinking about it again after reading a news article about how Kedah is claiming that Penang is part of Kedah territory. This is not the first time that this claim has been made.

Kulim International Airport doesn’t make any sense when you consider that Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (the airport that serves the Kedah capital of Alor Setar) only has four flights a day from KL. The only reason to build this airport would be to try and take air traffic from Penang.

Recent articles

Old Town renovations, Merdeka 118 (the tallest building in Southeast Asia), Maybank leaves its mark on KL, pocket parks, KLCC and laying the foundation for the future tallest building in Southeast Asia, Bukit Bintang wants to be the Ginza of KL, update on Gombak Station (the KL station for the East Coast Rail Link).

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

"The envisioned Kilat Pajajaran railway project threatens to cut into the market for the existing high-speed Whoosh service connecting the same two cities."

"Widodo’s grand vision of a smart, new capital have quietly been forgotten under Prabowo’s pragmatism and caution."

"The country still has time to choose between pursuing the current extractive course to benefit the few or changing course toward equitable development to benefit the many, but the clock is ticking."

🇱🇦 Laos

"The strategic route will connect Vientiane to Vietnam’s Vung Ang Port, giving Laos critical access to maritime trade routes for the first time. The project is being implemented as a public–private partnership between Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PTL) and Vietnam’s Deo Ca Group JSC."

"City residents and visitors can look forward to enjoying a new public space near the Mekong River now that construction of the Donchan Park riverside development project is underway."

Here is the location of the bridge on Google Maps.

🇲🇾 Malaysia

"Until the first-mile hitch is fixed, Malaysians will continue driving to stations not because they prefer to but because the system leaves them little real choice."

"A tale of two cities is emerging—one for investors, and one for the locals being pushed to the fringe."

"The Maharani Freeport - which consists of three manmade islands off the coast of Muar - is targeting crude carriers plying the Straits of Malacca. But can it lure business from more established ports in the region?"

🇵🇭 Philippines

• The flood control projects scandal in the Philippines now has a Wikipedia page.

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

"The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is adopting Japan's well-established Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model as it prepares to launch its first commercial land development project early next year."

"Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday that the long‑awaited single transit card covering Bangkok's four rail lines has not yet progressed to the cabinet for consideration, citing unresolved financial issues at the permanent secretary level."

• Chiang Rai Railway station starts to take shape (photos via Southeast Asia Railways Facebook Group)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"HCM City aims to complete three key urban rail routes by 2030 to improve regional connectivity and link Tân Sơn Nhất and Long Thành international airports, city authorities said."

"Da Nang is pushing a plan to turn Chu Lai Airport into a massive aviation and economic hub: a US$10 billion complex combining a next-generation airport with a free-trade zone, industrial park and eco-urban township."

News tips

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If you would prefer to discuss a project privately, contact me at:

futuresoutheastasia @ gmail . com.

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