The proposed Thailand-Laos rail bridge

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

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Mekong River Railway Bridge – New Thailand-Laos bridge for high-speed railway

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• Phnom Penh construction report

Heritage buildings update, the temple-shaped National Bank building, the fake Paris on Diamond Island, bad urban planning on the Tonle Sap riverfront, a new urban area rising on a disappeared lake, the bird nest towers, and booming BKK1.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Six months on, Funan Techo Canal impact resolution set to begin [CamboJA News]

• IN PICTURES: Bassac Chak Angre Krom-Prek Pra bridge reaches 19% completion [Khmer Times]

• Phnom Penh administration to remove overhead wires to ‘maintain order and beautify the city’ [Khmer Times]

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• IKN Authority deputy resigns as budget for new capital frozen (archive) [The Jakarta Post]

"IKN Authority green and digital transformation deputy Mohammed Ali Berawi submitted his resignation letter last week, just as the government froze the budget for the development of the new capital in East Kalimantan."

• Indonesia plans to boost renewable usage in new electricity supply plan [Tempo]

🇱🇦 Laos

• New bonded access road, checkpoints strengthen Savannakhet’s role as logistics hub [Vientiane Times]

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Malaysia’s ECRL: Megaproject could shake up national, regional connectivity, but single-track design makes it ‘challenging’ [CNA]

• Prioritise second RTS Link to S’pore over HSR, says ex-rep [FMT]

"Dr Boo Cheng Hau also says an LRT system is urgently needed in Johor, particularly in the special economic zone with Singapore."

• Proposed HSR revival enhances KL-Singapore land connectivity - Experts [New Straits Times]

• Coastal erosion threatens to swallow Malaysian village by the sea [Benar News]

• New signs showing pedestrians banned instead of having proper sidewalks built [Latest Malaysia]

 🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Casinos, high-rises and fraud: The BBC visits a bizarre city built on scams [BBC]

🇵🇭 Philippines

• ADB readies over $1 billion financing for Philippines [Philstar]

• CBRT’s progress: Feasibility study to be updated [Cebu Daily News]

"As the first phase of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) is targeted for completion this March, the need to update its feasibility study has been pushed."

• ‘Clark airport needs second runway’ [Philstar]

• Philippines highest aviation tower rising in Clark [Philstar]

• CDO lawmaker pushes for Mindanao Railways Corporation [Mindanao Times]

"Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez revived his proposed House Bill 1463, which he submitted in 2022, creating the Mindanao Railways Corporation to manage and operate the Mindanao Railway Project."

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Tan Boon Liat building seeks $1.15b in collective sale [Singapore Business Review]

"It is located atop Havelock MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line."

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Seabed test drilling starts for Koh Samui bridge [Bangkok Post]

"The drilling, which is expected to last 140 days, will be used to find a suitable spot to build the Samui sea bridge."

• Bangkok administration tries to curb erosion of coastline [Bangkok Post]

• The $29-billion shortcut: Thailand’s land bridge project fuels hopes and fears [Hard Stories]

• Six areas identified for expected introduction of congestion charge [The Nation]

• Transport Ministry wants Roi Et Airport upgrade [Bangkok Post]

• Limited parking in Pattaya – Are locals and tourists ready to embrace walking? [Pattaya Mail]

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

• Timor-Leste: Government expects new airport terminal designs by end of March [AMAN]

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Metro Line 2 in Ho Chi Minh City projected to start construction in 2026 [VnEconomy]

• Specific mechanisms proposed for urban railways in Hà Nội, HCM City [Viet Nam News]

• Vietnam moves forward with $8.3 billion railway project linking to China [VietNamNet Global]

"The National Assembly’s Standing Committee has approved the government's proposal to invest in the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway, a major infrastructure project set to enhance connectivity with China."

• Vietnam plans to borrow loans from China for northern railway project [Tuoi Tre News]

• Vietnam's public investment to focus on expressways, high-speed railways, urban railways [The Investor]

• Major new $760 million bridge for Hanoi to begin construction in May [Vietnam Investment Review]

• Phu Quoc to open international passenger port to welcome cruise ships [VietnamPlus]

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