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Transport and urban development in Southeast Asia. Dispatches from my travels in the region, and news about future city development, transport, and infrastructure.

News: 21 June 2023

Chiang Mai 2nd Airport and other mad airport proposals, Jakarta-Bandung HSR does 300 kph, KLIA and Subang Airport regeneration, Bangkok Yellow Line opens, and a new railway for the south of Thailand

James Clark

Jun 21, 2023

Greetings from Danang! I was in Danang two months ago before I went to Thailand. I have now returned to find these turquoise electric taxis everywhere. It turns out that they were launched this week, so I will be giving them a go while I am here.

This week Bangkok opened a new urban transit line (the Yellow Line monorail), so I have updated the Southeast Asia transit table. Thailand is also proposing an exciting new railway line (well I think it is exciting, and if you read this newsletter you probably do too). I will start a fact sheet for this line next week.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Second Chiang Mai International Airport

This is a good time to mention again that this is a fact sheet and not an editorial endorsement. I have an editorial in the next link.

Dispatches from Southeast Asia

• The madness of second airports

Chiang Mai should build a high-speed railway, Greater HCMC wants a 3rd airport when it can't even build the 2nd, build a railway for Haiphong instead, and the weird Kedah proposal.

News

• Major megaprojects clear EIA hurdle

”The National Environment Board (NEB) has passed Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for two megaprojects: the Mae Kam reservoir in Chiang Rai and a dual-track railway in the South.”

"The dual-track railway is a 321-kilometre line which will cover four southern provinces -- Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla -- and will have 65 stations, the source said."

• MRTA station plan sparks city architecture row

• Tensions flare in ancient Thai city over new Chinese-backed high-speed railway

• Bangkok to step up regulations for street vendors to reclaim sidewalks for pedestrians

• The East Asiatic building to be reborn as Thailand’s first Nobu hotel

• PM Prayut Chan-o-cha pushes ambitious Land Bridge project in South to create trade hub in SE Asia

• Decline in population poses challenge for Bangkok's housing market