Future Southeast Asia News #278

Yogyakarta trip report, airports in the Philippines, Jakarta–Surabaya high-speed rail plan, ECRL project 86% complete, cable car proposal for Penang, Manila to Clark airport in 45 minutes via train by 2032, how Singapore is rethinking nature in the city, Vietnam North–South high-speed railway construction date.

Author

James Clark
August 13, 2025

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

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Yogyakarta Trip Report: Yogyakarta should look to Siem Reap's street reconstruction project, and Siem Reap should have an airport rail link like Yogyakarta.

List and map of current and future airports in the Philippines.

Philippines airport map

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Is it possible to build a high-speed railway from Manila to Davao, and should the Philippines build such a railway?

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News

🇧🇳 Brunei

"The huge project in Brunei comes as China vies to fend off US pressure and ramp up exports to Southeast Asia."

🇰🇭 Cambodia

"Cambodia’s newest and largest airport, Techo International (KTI) near Phnom Penh, is preparing an Airbus A320 test flight on August 15 before operations start on September 9."

"Despite new laws and the city’s first wastewater treatment plant, most sewage in Phnom Penh still goes untreated into rivers, leaving millions exposed to health risks."

"The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) Tuesday called for efforts to accelerate the development of strategic infrastructure, aimed at boosting national connectivity, improving logistics efficiency and reinforcing investor confidence in long-term economic growth."

"A new report has ranked Phnom Penh as the seventh most expensive city in Asia where one-bedroom rentals average $550 per month. Experts attribute the high cost to the city's less developed real estate market, limited supply of completed projects, and a high concentration of amenities in a few prime districts."

🇮🇩 Indonesia

"As we suspected from the outset, the construction of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan has grown to a halt. Without a relevant purpose, and with no proper planning or calculations, as well as being built in haste, the IKN project has come to a standstill since the man behind the idea, Joko Widodo, stepped down from the presidency in October 2024. Now the IKN is like a ghost town populated by a thousand civil servants without any clear responsibilities."

"The China-backed Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway has created a considerable debt burden for the Indonesian government."

"PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia has proposed a revitalization of the station, which is packed with commuters every day."

🇱🇦 Laos

"Samantha Mythen reports on the latest efforts to develop sustainable flood mitigation measures in the Lao capital, Vientiane."

🇲🇾 Malaysia

"Questions remain over whether the proposed rail link would be integrated with existing transport networks as well as whether there is political will from both sides to jointly fund it, say experts."

 🇵🇭 Philippines

"Billionaire Ramon Ang, chairman of San Miguel Corp., announced this week that he and his conglomerate are volunteering to solve Metro Manila’s flooding, an announcement met with applause by mayors and officials at the event."

"Despite receiving only a fraction of its proposed funding, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is pushing ahead with the rehabilitation of its 422-kilometer South Long Haul line from Laguna province to the Bicol region, a major infrastructure project seen to cut travel time and boost regional economies."

"SunStar has made persistent efforts to obtain an official reaction from local authorities regarding the public outcry over a high-rise building being constructed beside the Kota Beach in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu."

🇸🇬 Singapore

"To mark SG60, The Straits Times traces the nation’s leafy metamorphosis, and why it matters for the people and wildlife of Singapore."

🇹🇭 Thailand

"The Transport Ministry has confirmed that the plan for Phase 2 of the dual-track railway project spanning more than 1,200 kilometres is ready for approval."

"Montri Dechasakulsom, director-general of the DRR, provided a progress update yesterday on the 43.5-kilometre Naga Withi Mekong riverside road project that connects the Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge to Phra That Phanom in Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom provinces."

"Thailand is continuing its drive to promote the electric vehicle (EV) industry, with the aim of establishing the country as a fully integrated production hub for EVs and key components in the ASEAN region."

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

"Stakeholders assess progress on maternity health and water supply infrastructure in Liquiçá to enhance rural community resilience."

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered localities to expedite site-clearance process for the North–South high-speed railway project with a view to commencing construction on December 19 this year."

"According to the proposal, recently submitted to the Dong Nai People's Committee, the project would extend the existing Metro Line No. 1 from Suoi Tien Station in HCMC to Dong Nai's new administrative center in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, spanning 6.5 kilometers. From there, the line would run another 27 km to Long Thanh airport."

This is a separate proposal to the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh Railway, which is the most direct route. Either way, there will be no railway to serve Long Thanh International Airport when it opens.

"Lack of barriers and emergency lanes have turned major routes into accident zones."

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