News: 16 November 2022

Lastest Post: Hue Tramway. News: Jakarta LRT and MRT news, multi-billion dollar resort planned near Vientiane, Bangkok water transport plan, and more

Greetings from Chiang Mai! I’ve spent a lot of time in this city but I don’t usually write about it. It’s more of a place I go to get work done.

I will have a look around to see if there are any projects of note to report on. There is the Chiang Mai transit system that has been proposed since the early 2000s. It was featured in the newsletter earlier this month when it was announced they want to introduce rubber-tyred trams (which sounds more like a bus 🤔).

The traffic in Chiang Mai can be terrible outside the old city, so I don’t see how a bus-tram will solve any problems. I went to Nimmanhaemin Road yeaterday, which is a traffic hotspot. They happen to be building a “Little Tokyo” on the main intersection, and there is a replica of a Tokyo subway entrance. There is not even an underpass there. It just sits there to remind you that is is no urban transit system in Chiang Mai.

Here are this week’s picks for news about transport and urban development in Southeast Asia.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

The Hue Tramway project was proposed this year, though it barely made the local news. I’ve set up a fact sheet to start collecting any information about it. This is another city added to the list of urban rail transit proposals in Southeast Asia.

G20 in Bali

Today is the second day of the G20 Bali Summit. I don’t cover SE Asia politics, though I will scour the news reports for any infrastructure announcements. For regional politics, follow Dari Mulut ke Mulut.

It is Joko Widodo’s moment in the spotlight, so here is his profile in the NY Times:

“The Indonesia president, who has kept his focus close to home, is seeking a bigger role on the global stage, albeit with a domestic agenda. His next big test: the G20 summit.”

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

[Updated: Bali Railway]

[Updated: Nusantara]

🇱🇦 Laos

🇲🇾 Malaysia

[Updated: Penang South Islands]

🇵🇭 Philippines

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

🇻🇳 Vietnam

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