Future Southeast Asia News #280

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

Future Southeast Asia articles

Latest article

• Singapore Airports: Map of commercial airports in Singapore

I am working my way through mapping the airports of Southeast Asia. After the laborious task of mapping the airports of Indonesia, mapping the airports of Singapore was a walk in the park. There are two commercial airports in Singapore (the smaller one has a scheduled flight to KL).

• Subscriber News: August 2025 (Premium)

[Premium Subscribers Update] Rehabilitating the waterways of Chiang Mai, upcoming travels for Future Southeast Asia reports, and other site news.

Upgrade to Premium and help support this site.

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Public buses to serve Techo Airport as metro project still under study [Kiripost]

"With the opening of Techo International Airport looming, Phnom Penh authorities have pledged to plug the public transport gap by providing a bus service as plans to develop a more advanced light rail and subway system to connect the city and the airport remain under review."

• Unfinished concrete structure turns into nature-filled tropical café in Cambodia [designboom]

I have added this cafe to the adaptive reuse page.

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Danantara steps in as Whoosh train saves time but bleeds cash [Jakarta Globe]

"Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, has pledged to help resolve mounting problems at the country’s first high-speed rail line, the Jakarta–Bandung service known as Whoosh, which has become an emblem of both ambition and excess."

• This Indonesian island is projected to be an ‘Eco-City,’ but at what cost? [Global Voices]

"Officials say the Rempang Eco City will create hundreds of jobs and drive Indonesia's green energy transition."

• The Ministry of Transportation will review the feasibility study of Manggarai Station to serve long-distance trains [VOI]

• Nusantara capital development ongoing but not a priority: lawmaker [Antara News]

"President Prabowo Subianto's administration remains committed to developing Indonesia's future capital city, Nusantara, even though the project is not listed among its eight priority areas, a lawmaker said."

• Indonesia's Aceh gears up for new ferry route to Penang - move to boost trade, tourism, and cross-border economic ties [The Star]

🇱🇦 Laos

• China-Laos Railway launches two-way operations of intl freight train service between Yuxi and Vientiane. [Xinhua]

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Prasarana racing to roll out Shah Alam LRT [The Star]

"The opening of the Shah Alam LRT, formerly known as LRT3, will likely be pushed back to the end of the year after failing to meet its previous Sept 30 target."

• Penang’s Silicon Island: 81 hectares reclaimed, mega-project on track [Malay Mail]

"The Silicon Island reclamation project off the southern coast of Penang island covers about 930.7ha."

• E&O pitches its Andaman Island as site of RM10 bil Penang International Financial Centre [The Edge Malaysia]

• MRT Corp disputes ‘uncontrolled cost increase’ for Penang LRT line [FMT]

• Loke: Overhaul still on as airlines still keen on Subang Airport despite Firefly, AirAsia moving to KLIA [Malay Mail]

• Chong slams Sarawak govt’s new RM10 bln airport plan as wasteful [The Borneo Post]

• Could a Trans-Borneo Railway transform Sabah? [Daily Express]

 🇲🇲 Myanmar

• Historic Myanmar bridge destroyed in fighting [The Guardian]

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Congress backs hike in DOTr’s 2026 budget [Philstar]

"The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has secured initial support from Congress to approve its nearly P200-billion budget for 2026, the bulk of which will fund big-ticket railways."

• ‘I’m not disappointed, I’m angry’: Marcos blasts unfinished P55-million ghost project [Philstar]

"Continuing his manual inspection of flood control programs, Marcos found one alleged ghost project after another. In Baliuag, Bulacan, he checked a supposed concrete river wall project, only to discover nothing was built."

• NAIA terminal fee to nearly double next month [ABS-CBN News]

• San Miguel raising funds for airport projects [Inquirer]

• Samal-Davao City bridge construction makes major strides at 41% progress [Journal]

🇸🇬 Singapore

• 5 brownfield sites that the Singapore government is redeveloping [Dollars and Sense]

• 1 of S'pore's last remaining kelongs to close amid high operating costs & licensing restrictions [Mothership]

"One of Singapore's last remaining kelongs (offshore palisade fish traps) will officially cease operations by the end of August 2025."

🇹🇭 Thailand

• BMA moves to reclaim river spaces for public [Bangkok Post]

"The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is moving ahead with a 3.5-kilometre Chao Phraya Riverside Development in Bang Phlat district."

• Flat B20 commuter fare launch faces delay [Bangkok Post]

"The planned rollout of the highly anticipated 20-baht-flat mass-transport fare in Greater Bangkok in October is likely to be delayed, with the key enabling bills mired down in parliament."

• SRT board puts B19bn Red Line extension on hold [The Nation]

"The board of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has ordered a comprehensive review of the planned 19.6 billion baht Red Line electric railway extension from Salaya to Nakhon Pathom."

• OTP targets 2026 for bidding on 997.68 billion baht land bridge linking two ports [The Nation]

• Revised Suvarnabhumi plan targets 120m passengers a year [Bangkok Post]

"Airports of Thailand expects to call bids for East Expansion project in 2026."

• Dusit Central Park to open Thailand’s largest urban roof garden in Bangkok [Khaosod English]

• AoT approves B5.7bn plan for new terminal at Chiang Rai airport [Bangkok Post]

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City eyes over USD 40 billion for metro development [VietNamNet Global]

• VinSpeed wants to build 350 kph metro in HCMC [VnExpress]

"VinSpeed, a subsidiary of conglomerate Vingroup, has unveiled plans to develop a 48.5-kilometer metro line connecting the city downtown to the suburban mangrove area of Can Gio with a top speed of 350 kph."

• Ca Mau starts work on Vietnam’s longest sea-crossing bridge [The Saigon Times]

"An 18-kilometer sea-crossing bridge linking Ca Mau and Hon Khoai Island got off the ground on August 19, and when it is in place, it would become Vietnam’s longest sea-crossing bridge and the third longest in Southeast Asia."

• Huge Vietnam smart city backed by Japan's Sumitomo moves forward ($) [Nikkei Asia]

"Japan's Sumitomo Corp. will start work on a long-delayed project to build a $4.2 billion smart city outside Vietnam's capital, advancing a bet on the Southeast Asian nation's real estate sector."

• Phan Thiet Airport to restart civilian operations after decade-long delay [The Saigon Times]

"Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh today (August 25) approved the use of dual-purpose facilities at Phan Thiet Airport, removing a legal obstacle that stalled the civilian component of the project for more than 10 years".

• Many expectations for the VND3,300 billion tunnel connecting Lao Cai - Lai Chau [Lao Dong]

"...the project has a total length of about 8.8 km, of which the main tunnel is 2.63 km long and the secondary tunnel is 2.65 km long. The project is expected to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2025 and be completed in 2027."

• Vingroup eyes 3,000-hectare resort project in Mekong Delta city [The Investor]

News tips

News articles of interest to Future Southeast Asia readers can be shared on the Future Southeast Asia News Facebook Group. Join the group to read and discuss the articles.

If you would prefer to discuss a project privately, contact me at:

futuresoutheastasia @ gmail . com.

Thanks for reading the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter!

Help this newsletter grow by forwarding it to a friend and sharing it online.

Follow Future Southeast Asia on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

…

James Clark (LinkedIn)