The abandoned Koh Phangan Airport project

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

Hello from Ho Chi Minh City! I arrived back in Vietnam today after my trip to Australia. I am refreshed (minus jetlag) and ready to resume coverage of transport and urban development in Southeast Asia.

While I was in Australia I moved the newsletter delivery system over to Beehiiv, and it seems to be working as expected. I also pondered what other changes and tweaks to make to the newsletter. I have a section for paid subscribers called News Extra. This is an additional news section with extra editorial. I will also use this as an infrastructure blog, so I will be posting notes about my travels over the next few months.

This week’s main article is about the abandoned airport project of Koh Phangan. There is also a user-submitted guest post about how to make a street in Johor Bahru more pedestrian-friendly. I accept guest articles on making cities in Southeast Asia a better place, so feel free to send in an article pitch.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Koh Phangan Airport: The abandoned airport project in the Gulf of Thailand

Ko Phangan Airport is an abandoned airport project on Ko Pha-ngan, Surat Thani Province, Thailand.

• Johor Bahru: Redesigning Permas Jaya into a pedestrian-friendly space

This is by a resident of Johor Bahru who has provided a diagram of how to turn a car-clogged street in JB into a more pedestrian-friendly space.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Chinese firms show feasibility of Light Railway connecting airport, metro in Phnom Penh

• Recreating Paris in Phnom Penh -- for the rich

• Running out of sand

“Sand mining is fuelling Cambodia's construction boom but how damaging is it to the environment?”

• In Pictures: PM inspects impressive new Techo International Airport

• Push to complete Phnom Penh’s Gold 42 tower, 19 years after construction started

• PM says southwest to become Cambodia’s logistics hub

• AirAsia bolsters Asean presence with launch of fifth airline - AirAsia Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Nusantara capital city land clearance scares native inhabitants, investors

“Although many investors have claimed to have sent letters of interest, they appear to be more inclined to wait and see the project's progress.”

• Seven state construction companies to be merged into three firms

🇱🇦 Laos

• Fifth Lao-Thai Mekong bridge on track for completion by year end

• Rail operator adds new stations as passenger numbers surge

• China goes big on Laos power projects, boosting Southeast Asian sway

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• HSR project will not involve govt funding, says Loke

• Tender out for Penang airport’s RM1.5bil expansion project

• Penang Hill cable car project: EIA report need not be displayed publicly for comment, says PHC

• After 26 years, narrow-body aircraft operations to resume at Subang Airport in June [BTTV]

• Dry run for third pedestrian route expected to increase access to Johor checkpoint building

• Trans Borneo Railway? Who knows, but Sabah has its own train plan, says Shahelmey

• Uggah: Batang Lupar Bridge 1 in Sebuyau expected to be completed by December next year

The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge will be the longest river crossing in Malaysia (4.8 km).

• Malaysia’s Forest City went from boomtown to ghost town

 🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Peninsula Hotels group says $130m Myanmar project still stalled

🇵🇭 Philippines

• SMC to start Bulacan airport development in 2025

• San Miguel to build new passenger terminal building for NAIA

• Concessioners optimistic on SMC takeover of NAIA

• Feasibility studies to be bid out for Samar-Leyte, Panay rail projects 

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Construction starts on NS Square at Marina Bay

• Land the size of over 60 football fields to be reclaimed to expand Woodlands Checkpoint

• Singapore starts QR code clearance at busy crossing to Malaysia

• Blending the old and new: Former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station’s canopy structure to make a comeback

• 'Iconic' Singapore Indoor Stadium should be preserved amid plans for new arena, say experts

🇹🇭 Thailand

• BTSC to get 23bn from BMA for Green Line, while court considers more

“An ordinance directing the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to pay a debt of 23 billion baht to Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) for previous work on Green Line skytrain extensions was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.”

• Feasibility study ordered for Phayao airport

Here is Phayao on the map.

• Thai clean power provider hears skeptics, rides electric bus bet

 • Overwhelmed by success

“Phuket's rapid urbanisation has brought soaring property prices and highlighted its insufficient infrastructure.”

• Residents protest U-Tapao airport expansion over noise concerns

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Korea National Railway hosts Korea-Vietnam High-Speed Railway Technology Exchange

• Ministry asked for connectivity between railway stations, Long Thanh Airport

• Hanoi's second metro line to enter operation in July

• NA chairman calls for restricted car access in Hanoi to control pollution

• World’s largest shipping line eyes investment in Ho Chi Minh City international port

• Large trees cut down for road expansion in Vietnam’s Gia Lai

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