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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.

Bangkok construction update, and some travel plans for December and 2023

News: 7 December 2022. Phnom Penh - Siem Reap railway, flying cars, and Vietnam continues to consider high-speed rail project

James Clark

Dec 7, 2022

Greetings from Bangkok. I scheduled a week here to do a construction update and metro rail report. I overestimated how much I could get done though, so have the construction report out this week, and I will wait until the new monorail lines open next year to do a rail transit report.

Travel plans for December and 2023

I’m going to Manila this week, so if you are there let me know! I’ve hardly written about Manila so I am looking forward to going back. I have an idea for some articles, but often the articles present themselves to me once I am in the city.

I’ve started planning what to cover next year by grouping events and new projects in single trips. For example, the MRT Yellow Line in Bangkok is expected to start partial operations in January. I am keen to see it in action, but I also plan to be in Bangkok for Asia Pacific Rail 2023 (31 May – 1 June). If there is enough interest I will arrange a Future Southeast Asia meetup around that time. If you are interested in a Bangkok meetup let me know in the comments or by replying to this email.

Another trip grouping is for the railways of Indonesia. I would like to see the Sulawesi Railway, which would involve going via Jakarta. In that case, I may as well wait until the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed railway is open.

Latest posts at Future Southeast Asia

• Bangkok construction update – 2022 edition

Dispatches from Southeast Asia

• Bangkok trip report (extra construction update notes)

Extra notes and observations on Bangkok construction for paid subscribers.

News

• Why Japan still leads in Southeast Asian infrastructure investment

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Chanthol announces planned infrastructure growth

“In a December 1 social media post, the ministry said that beside the soon-to-be-constructed Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway, it is also planning to build railway lines connecting Phnom Penh to Siem Reap province and to Poipet on the Thai border. “

• Prek Tnaut families face eviction for river ‘restoration’ linked to elite company

• Railway residents told to make way for road construction

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Ambitious plans to build Indonesia a brand new capital city are falling apart

“A growing international profile has failed to attract funding for the president’s key domestic project.”

[Updated: Nusantara – New Capital City of Indonesia]

• Also in Nusantara news this week was the story about flying cars:

Gov't eyes flying cars for Indonesia's future capital city Nusantara

"Civil engineer Professor Mohammed Ali Berawi, deputy head of the Green and Digital Transformations Department at the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN), said that a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group is in place to develop and build an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) system in Nusantara."

There were a few news sites running this story, but I like that Coconuts went with an AI-generated image of an Indonesian cyberpunk city.

The news site Tempo went with the more realistic version of the flying car. Clearly the Tempo news team didn’t grow up watching Blade Runner.

• Sulawesi rail project part of Indonesia-centric development: minister

"The launch of the rail line’s operations is planned for May 2023, and is scheduled to be attended by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)."

[Updated: Sulawesi Railway]

• 100 Indonesian islands near Bali are up for auction at Sotheby’s: inside the uninhabited Widi Reserve archipelago, which is set to become an luxury eco resort – but you’ll need US$100,000 just to bid

• They’re building a shortcut in Canggu (but not the one you’re probably thinking of)

• PLN, Hyundai Kefico collaborate to develop battery swapping station for electric motorcycle

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos-China Railway unveils ticket reservation app on first anniversary

• First fruit transportation train launched on China-Laos Railway

• A year on, Laotians say high-speed rail link with China has brought them few benefits

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link project to continue under Anwar

[Updated: East Coast Rail Link]

• Malaysia PM Anwar halts $2b flood projects in widened dragnet, hints Treasury chief will be replace

“Soon after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reported for duty as Malaysia’s finance minister on Tuesday, he widened a dragnet on alleged misappropriation of funds under his predecessors.”

• Probe PN govt’s ‘stupid’ decision to cancel KL-S’pore HSR, Loke told

[Updated: Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High-Speed Rail]

• HSL lands RM64.3 million contract to build Kuching ART Rembus depot

[Updated: Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) Kuching]

• Bumpy road ahead for construction sector

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Philippine businesses attack Marcos sovereign wealth fund plan

• LRT-1 Roosevelt station reopens Dec. 5 amid new train schedule

• Mindanao railway attracting interest from ‘other countries’

[Updated: Mindanao Railway Project]

• Philtrak revives bid to build $5 billion electric railway system

“The consortium that had proposed to convert the idle 117-kilometer Panay railway into an electric road train (ERT) system is reviving its offer, this time on a broader scale with the inclusion of three more areas.”

[Updated: Panay Railway]

“Economic reforms led to a burst of spectacular growth, but the country needs a lot more if it wants to get rich.” By

Noah Smith

at Noahpinion.

• VN considering feasibility of North-South high-speed rail project

"Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang proposed that World Bank (WB) help Vietnam find suitable partners for the country’s North-South high-speed rail project.”

[Updated: North–South express railway Vietnam]

• Ho Chi Minh City to conduct test run of first metro line’s elevated section this month

• Hanoi's second metro line goes on test run

• Reclamation of land for Ho Chi Minh City airport’s new terminal proposed

• Samsung to increase Vietnam investment to $20B

• Ho Chi Minh City’s plastic ‘habit’ leaves piles of waste