Future Southeast Asia News #274

Redrawing districts in HCMC, Jakarta East-West MRT, the longest rail tunnel in Southeast Asia, Marina Bay Sands expansion, Thailand's land bridge, Hanoi to ban fossil-fuel motorbikes from inner city

Author

James Clark
July 16, 2025

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

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A proposal to create new districts and geographical zones in Ho Chi Minh City. These new designated areas would act like postcodes and not another government body.

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Makassar Trip Report: Makassar is the largest city in Eastern Indonesia. It's building a Dubai-inspired new urban area on artificial islands, but it should look to Singapore's example for fixing the city sidewalks first.

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

"Flooding once again reveals the fragility of the city. Behind the celebrated modern infrastructure, Jakarta has yet to ensure equitable access and space for its citizens."

"Experts slammed the lack of infrastructure in Kertajati Airport in West Java, calling it “a symbol of megaproject failure.”"

"Though a preliminary study is underway on Whoosh's Surabaya extension as a necessary development, the question of who will foot the bill looms large, with the government insistent on not dipping into the state coffers and operator KCIC insisting it can't go it alone."

🇱🇦 Laos

🇲🇾 Malaysia

"44 new locomotives and 1,200 freight wagons to be bought, idle locomotives and wagons to be refurbished, Kempas Baru rail line to be reopened and six freight stations to be set up."

 🇲🇲 Myanmar

"Almost four months on from a major earthquake, many homes still await repairs or demolition due to bureaucratic delays, while corruption and a shortage of quality materials and skilled workers mean cities aren’t building back better."

🇵🇭 Philippines

"The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed Mandaue Land Consortium’s (MLC) bid to stop a multi-billion reclamation project in Mandaue City, ruling it had no legal standing to challenge a lower court decision involving parties to a separate joint venture."

"President Marcos said he wants to open up the country’s tourist destinations to international travelers without them having to go through Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila."

• Manila fights ‘spaghetti’ wires [The Philippine Star]

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

"The key criticism centres on the double handling of cargo. Goods would have to be offloaded from vessels on one coast, transported by truck or rail across 90 kilometres, and reloaded onto another ship on the opposite side."

"Aekvarunyoo Amrapala, spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), has provided an update on the Rajavithi Skywalk project, a 1.341-kilometre elevated walkway connecting the Victory Monument to Tuek Chai intersection."

"Completion of double-track rail lines prompts state enterprise to make upgrades."

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"To meet the timeline for the groundbreaking of Metro Line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong) by the end of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City is channeling all efforts into the critical task of relocating underground infrastructure."

"The proposed tunnel would cross Cua Luc Bay, running parallel to the Bai Chay Bridge in Ha Long ward, PCG said during a meeting with provincial authorities on Thursday.

According to the plan, the project will span 2,750 meters, including a 1,000-meter immersed section and 1,140 meters of access tunnel."

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