The mini city in Bangkok and urban railways of Southeast Asia

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

Hello from Bangkok. I’m on the road for the next month so I am experimenting with how I publish at Future Southeast Asia. I will publish more reviews and trip reports via the newsletter, while factsheet-style articles will continue to be posted on the futuresoutheastasia.com domain.

While I have been in Bangkok I visited the One Bangkok development, and I have posted a review of that.

Phnom Penh/Bangkok meetups

I will be in Phnom Penh from 9-12 December, and I will be scheduling some meetups there. If you want to meet to discuss transport and urban development issues over a coffee, reply to this email.

I will most likely be back in Bangkok in January, so I will post meetup dates when I know.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• One Bangkok review: the mega mixed-use development in central Bangkok

A review of the mini Central Business District next to Lumphini Park, including parks and public spaces, shopping, Tokyo-style underground plaza, hotels, and public transport.

• Southeast Asia urban rail transit report - 2024 (Paid Subscriber Report)

Cambodia's airport rail plans, the 20 billion USD Bali Subway, connecting Penang island to the mainland by LRT, nationalising Bangkok's urban railways, Vietnam's provincial urban railway plans

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News

• Fraying global trade networks and sub-regional alternative in Southeast Asia

“In a world of global trade volatility and disruptions to multilateral trade flows, at the tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are strengthening their trilateral trading solutions.”

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• International media criticize stalled Funan project as affected residents demand updates from government

• China pledges unwavering support for Funan Techo Canal project

• World Bank: logistic setbacks could derail Cambodia’s trade growth

• A Chinese-built bridge project in Cambodia starts underwater work

• IN PICTURES: New Phnom Penh Airport on track to open in 2025

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Billionaires plan major new city for 2060

“Indonesian billionaires are embarking on an ambitious $16 billion project to transform a formerly impoverished area of North Jakarta into a sprawling urban and tourist hub by 2060.”

• Indonesia's 3 million housing project to be done in stages, minister says

• Public works ministry wants Rp 14 trillion budget for new capital

• Indonesia's Prabowo urges continued SEZ development to draw investment

• Xinyi Group to invest Rp381tn in Rempang Eco City, ministry official hopes Batam remains conducive

🇱🇦 Laos

• Chart of the Day: The China-Laos Railway, three years on

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Penang International Airport expansion: RM1.55b project to double capacity to 12 million passengers, says exco

• Penang gets federal nod for six infrastructure projects worth RM199.14m

• Waves stopped, Penang beach dies: The Pantai Esen ecological crisis

• Kota Kinabalu airport upgrade set for mid-2028 completion

• AirAsia’s low-cost hub vision hindered by infrastructure gaps, say experts

• Silicon Island’s LRT depot takes shape

• KL Monorail to get three more train sets, undergo RM16.81m upgrade – auto platform gates at all stations

• Bandar Malaysia master plan under review before submission to DBKL

• Forest City’s SFZ to focus on banking and logistics - MB

 🇲🇲 Myanmar

• China prepares for Kyaukphyu-Kunming railway construction, urges stability for progress

🇵🇭 Philippines

• World-class airport terminal for Boracay seen as Ramon Ang taps Megawide

• Aboitiz Infra wins bid to upgrade Bohol airport

• Rejection of Bulacan airport ecozone bill shows 'independence' of gov't branches: Imee

• BCDA: More landowners agree to give up property for Subic-Batangas rail project

• For a storm-prone Philippine city, flood control is about more than infrastructure

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Construction work to connect JB-Singapore RTS Link to Thomson-East Coast Line to begin in 2025

• French firm joins SBS Transit to win Jurong Region Line contract; first foreign operator in Singapore rail

• World's first 'four-in-one' transport depot at Singapore's East Coast nears completion, to open in 2026

"The new East Coast Integrated Depot will feature three train depots stacked on top of each other alongside one bus depot, all within a single site."

• Bridging heritage and community needs: A look at Punggol Coast MRT station before Dec 10 opening

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Rail delay affects U-tapao expansion

"The delay in constructing the high-speed railway connecting three airports has U-Tapao International Aviation Company (UTA) preparing to negotiate with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), requesting an easing of some requirements in the expansion of U-tapao airport as the number of passengers would be affected by the absence of mass transit."

• King to open Rama X Bridge next month

• Cabinet greenlights THB20 train fare until November 2025

• Rainmaking flights give air quality instant boost

• Breathing new life into Bangkok’s old buildings: a vision for creative regeneration

• Governor proposes monorail to quell traffic woes

“PHUKET: Governor Sophon Suwannarat has proposed the idea of constructing a monorail in an effort to combat the increasingly challenging traffic conditions being experienced across the island.”

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Vietnam approves $67 billion high-speed railway project between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

• Long Thanh airport completion delayed until 2026-end, and Long Thành int'l airport must be completed by end of 2025: Gov't leader

• Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports to be linked by high-speed rail

They probably mean a metro line as they aren’t going to build a high-speed railway as an urban railway in Ho Chi Minh City.

• Largest metro station ready for commercial operation in Ho Chi Minh City

• Close-up of 647m of railway under a depth of nearly 18m of Nhon metro - Hanoi station

• Construction of airport in Vietnam’s Kon Tum requires over $193mn

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