Future Southeast Asia News [24 Dec 2025]

Sihanoukville’s next chapter, Vientiane BRT trial suspended, what’s next for transport in Singapore, Hat Yai monorail, Vietnam launches and inaugurates 234 projects nationwide including first flight to Long Thanh International Airport

Author

James Clark
December 24, 2025

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

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

"Malaysia's Malacca state is again moving to revive a plan to build a cross-strait bridge linking it and Indonesia's Riau province, with a new feasibility study set to commence 30 years after the megaproject was originally proposed."

"Indonesia’s first high-speed train project is historic but its government now has to prevent it going off the rails as costs spiral and boomerang onto the state and taxpayers."

"A continued push for transit-oriented development (TOD) is reshaping Jakarta’s property landscape, helping retail outlets along MRT corridors and producing new growth hot spots."

🇱🇦 Laos

"The Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project (VSUTP) has announced the indefinite suspension of the trial operation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, following a government order to redesign the bus lanes and the overall system."

🇲🇾 Malaysia

"Despite wider coverage and improved reliability, trips on public transport such as rail remain well below national targets, while private vehicle ownership continues to rise."

• 39 Sabah rail projects until 2030 [Daily Express]

🇵🇭 Philippines

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇹🇭 Thailand

"A long-delayed expressway project meant to ease Bangkok's chronic congestion has again ignited public controversy, as authorities, engineers and residents clash over whether a key section near Kasetsart University should rise above ground or disappear beneath it."

Here is the Phatthalung Airport location according to Google Maps.

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"Vietnam today simultaneously held groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies for 234 major projects across the country to celebrate the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party."

This mass-inauguration occurred on the 19th of December (the 79th anniversary of the First Indochina War) and precedes the 14th national congress in Hanoi in late January 2026.

There are too many projects to list here, so I have listed some highlights in the news links.

"The flight, coded VN1 and operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, departed from Hanoi and landed at Long Thanh after more than two hours. On board were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh and nearly 100 passengers."

Vietnam Airlines's first passenger flight to Long Thanh carries Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh (sixth from right) and nearly 100 passengers (Photo: VNA)

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