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- Future Southeast Asia News #272
Future Southeast Asia News #272
Da Nang update, coastal cities of Indonesia, Jakarta's derelict monorail pillars, Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas Railway, Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link trains unveiled, proposed Chiang Mai cable car, Phu Quoc wants an electric train line
The Future Southeast Asia Newsletter features transport and urban development news in Southeast Asia, edited by James Clark.
Hello from Da Nang. I’m splitting my time between here and Ho Chi Minh City this month, so let me know if you are about.

Da Nang, Vietnam
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Latest article
This week’s feature article is about the lack of great coastal cities in Indonesia. Cities that Indonesians want to move to and that international tourists want to visit. Cities that can be an alternative attraction to Bali.
I was originally going to write about the 10 New Balis program, but to get tourists to other places in Indonesia means improving transport and city infrastructure. Ultimately, fixing these issues makes life better for Indonesians first, and it has the benefit of making Indonesian cities more attractive for tourists to visit.
I was in the middle of writing about how Indonesia should spend more to fix cities, then I read the news that Indonesia approved the second Bali airport (the link is in the news section below). So much for the idea of trying to get tourists out of Bali.
I will be writing more about the cities of Indonesia over the next month.
Indonesia comprises over 17,000 islands and has a population of over 280 million people. With so many islands and so many people, why are there no great coastal cities that are famous destinations?
Recent articles
Quy Nhon trip report (2025 edition). A review of apartment and hotel towers under construction, the resort project that will be connected to the city by cable car, the abandoned Japanese-themed new urban area, and prospects for the city with the future high-speed railway.
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News
🇰🇭 Cambodia
• Locals’ fears and hopes for old airport [Cambodianess]
"The relocation of Phnom Penh International Airport has brought sadness along with the memories of travelers, nearby residents, and those whose jobs depend on its operations."
🇮🇩 Indonesia
• Prabowo greenlights second Bali airport development [Antara News]
• To rescue or abandon Java? (archive) [Jakarta Post]
"The lessons of the previous administration's IKN megaproject do not bode well for the revived "Giant Sea Wall" project, which could find itself and the coastal communities it is supposed to protect at sea, even before it breaks ground."
• You can move the capital, but can’t replace Jakarta (archive) [Jakarta Post]
"For a long time, Jakarta has been Indonesia’s economic powerhouse, hosting over 70 percent of the country’s monetary circulation and contributing more than 17 percent to the national GDP. "
• Nine new projects signed for IKN second phase [Antara News]
• Govt plans to start flying taxi services in Nusantara by 2028 [Antara News]
• MRT Bundaran HI–Kota project nears halfway mark [Antara News]
• Government weighs full reopening of Bandung Airport amid economic debate [Jakarta Globe]
• Indonesian islanders lose ground as islets put on sale [Jakarta Post]
🇱🇦 Laos
• Laos-China Railway hits new milestone as cargo value soars past USD 1.4 billion [The Laotian Times]
• Ground broken on Phongsavanh International Hospital in Vientiane, promising modern healthcare for all [Vientiane Times]
• Officials defend tree maintenance amid controversy over Vientiane transit expansion [The Laotian Times]
🇲🇾 Malaysia
• Anwar says KL’s future is public transport, not private cars, as 2040 blueprint unveiled [Malay Mail]
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said public transport will serve as the backbone of future development in Malaysia’s capital under the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (PTKL40)."
• New KL high-rises fuel fears of worsening congestion [The Star]
• Still no green light for LRT construction work in Penang [New Straits Times]
• Hail a van? Malaysia boosts first- and last-mile connectivity for commuters through apps [The Straits Times]
• Transporting packages via LRT in Klang Valley [The Star]
"Penang residents plea to chief minister."
🇲🇲 Myanmar
• China pushes for Belt and Road progress in war-torn Myanmar [The Irrawaddy]
"Key projects include the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port in Rakhine State and a planned railway linking Rakhine to Yunnan Province following the route of existing oil and gas pipelines.
The train would connect the border town of Muse in northern Shan State with Mandalay and Kyaukphyu, linking landlocked western China to the Indian Ocean."
🇵🇭 Philippines
• 10 more airports to go private by 2028 [Manila Standard]
"Dizon said that the airports slated for privatization by 2028 are Iloilo, Davao, Siargao, Laoag, Busuanga, Bicol, Tacloban, Bacolod-Silay, General Santos, and Puerto Princesa."
• GERI allots ₱5 billion to develop new beachside township in Batangas [Manila Bulletin]
• Infrastructure projects boost connectivity in Northern Mindanao [Philippine Information Agency]
🇸🇬 Singapore
• New housing areas, parks, community hubs: 8 highlights from Singapore’s latest draft masterplan [The Straits Times]
• First of 8 Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link trains unveiled; system works 56% done [The Straits Times]
"A consortium led by Frasers Property—controlled by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi and his family—submitted the highest bid of S$491.5 million ($387 million) for a residential plot in Singapore’s upscale Bukit Timah neighborhood."
🇹🇭 Thailand
• Bangkok building collapse tied to construction and design flaws [Bangkok Post]
• 20-baht Bangkok electric train fare cap to begin Sept 30 [Bangkok Post]
• New steps taken to ease traffic woes at Laem Chabang port [Thai PBS World]
• Bangkok opens new connector road to ease Don Mueang traffic [Khaosod English]
• Doi Suthep Cable Car is back on the table! [CityNews]
"Preliminary ideas were presented for a route up Doi Suthep, connecting the foot of the mountain near the Chiang Mai Zoo with Wat Phra That Doi Suthep."
• Committee formed to breathe new life into Hua Hin Airport [Hua Hin Today]
🇻🇳 Vietnam
• Germany’s Siemens wants to build Vietnam high-speed rail [VnExpress]
This article mentions a railway for Phu Quoc:
"Meanwhile, seven other projects have been proposed by investors, with six in Phu Quoc, including an electric train line, two roads, an international seaport, an eco-tourism and resort complex, and a 36-hole golf course."
• Sa Pa airport project approved with $248 million investment [VietNamNet Global]
• Hanoi plans riverside boulevard to revive neglected Red River [VietNamNet Global]
"Photos of the Vietnamese capital, home to almost 9 million people, show the environmental cost of the Southeast Asian nation’s explosive growth."
Thanks for reading the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter. Leave a like or comment on the topics of this week’s news.
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