Urban parks of Southeast Asia

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

Hello from Chiang Mai. I will be here for the next two months, so let me know if you are in town.

This week I started working through some articles about urban parks in Southeast Asia. I have set up an index page for urban parks.

The first article is a fact sheet for Benjakitti Park: A forest and wetland park in the heart of Bangkok. It’s a miracle that this park exists, considering how close it is to the prized commercial area of Sukhumvit Road. If the former tobacco monopoly land had been redeveloped in the 2010s, it probably would have been sold off to developers.

In the news section, I have an editorial about building pocket parks in Southeast Asia.

Future Southeast Asia articles

Latest article

• Building pocket parks in Southeast Asia

The case for building multiple small parks now, while planning bigger parks in the future.

Recent articles

• Vung Tau: The future beach district of Ho Chi Minh City (Premium)

Vung Tau construction report, featuring the proposed merger of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province into Ho Chi Minh City, Front Beach projects, Back Beach redevelopment, and updates on proposed urban and inter-provincial railways.

• Penang Turf Club redevelopment: How Penang should look to Singapore for inspiration

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport set to open on July 10 pending final review [Cambodia Investment Review]

• Phnom Penh-Poipet railway upgrade project moves forward with major feasibility study [Construction Property]

• Govt prepares for Phase Two of Funan Techo Canal project [Khmer Times]

• Infrastructure for a new era: The impact of the Cambodia-Korea Friendship Bridge on economic development [The Phnom Penh Post]

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Rempang Eco City excluded from Prabowo's list of 77 national strategic projects [Tempo]

• Indonesia to develop Makassar Port as new export hub [Antara News]

🇱🇦 Laos

• Laos breaks ground on $360 million hydropower project for Vietnam export [Lao News Agency]

• Thailand urges Laos to reconsider Sanakham hydropower dam location [The Laotian Times]

• Laos begins transition to underground power, communication cables [The Laotian Times]

• Renovation of Vientiane’s Sithong Road to be completed by year-end [The Laotian Times]

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Gov’t plans direct KL-Bangkok cargo rail service to boost Asean trade [The Star]

• Malaysia’s Forest City: will funds from family offices be a lifeline for ailing project? ($) [SCMP]

• Anwar: Development must uplift the poor, not just build icons [WATCH] [New Straits Times]

• ‘Empty land next to Jinjang MRT should be turned into carpark’ [The Star]

• Lack of planning foresight leads to City of Elmina’s traffic woes stretching far and wide beyond township [Focus Malaysia]

• Are elevated highways ruining Kuala Lumpur and Selangor’s scenery? [Latest Malaysia]

 🇵🇭 Philippines

• Makati Subway 'no longer feasible' due to SC ruling, says developer [GMA Network]

"Philippine Infradev Holdings Inc. is finally tossing the shovel for the multi-billion dollar Makati Subway System as the underground intra-city railway project was rendered unviable by the Supreme Court ruling transferring several areas of Makati City to Taguig City."

• No funding, no timeline: Bicol, Mindanao rails hang in the balance [The Philippine Star]

• LRT-1 rehab cost doubled to P1.48 billion [The Philippine Star]

• PHL seen to leverage opportunities from ADB meeting in Milan [BusinessWorld]

• Tarmac cleanup: NAIA to remove 27 planes after years of idleness [Bilyonaryo]

• Study for relocation of Zamboanga airport underway [The Philippine Star]

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Changi Airport T5: Construction contracts worth about $4.75b awarded [The Straits Times]

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Thai State Audit Office has only itself to blame for tragic collapse of building [Fulcrum]

"Dubious partnerships, corruption, and poor construction materials seem to have caused the destruction of the 30-storey building in the 28 March quake."

• BMA clears THB 37 billion Green Line debt; Remaining amount pending legal decisions [The Nation]

• Thai airport authority launches ambitious plan to develop land around six airports [The Nation]

"The event invites investors and businesses to explore commercial opportunities around AOT's six airports: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, Phuket, and Hat Yai."

• U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City project to sign on June 18 [The Nation]

🇻🇳 Vietnam

• Prime Minister directs on Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project [Lao Dong]

"The Prime Minister requested to speed up the progress, complete procedures, and start the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project on December 19, 2025."

• After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City can build a marine economic zone with special status like Dubai. [Vietnam.vn]

"After merging with Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, Ho Chi Minh City will possess a significant length of coastline and can completely learn from Dubai by building a maritime economic zone with special status, similar to the Dubai Maritime City model."

• Transit-oriented focus the right strategy [Vietnam Investment Review]

"The Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho railway project will help create transit-oriented development for provinces and cities along the route. NAI Vietnam’s research and investment director Tran Nhat Quang, along with research head Cao Nhat Nam, look at how railway stations can become mixed-use urban centres, develop logistics, and enable the Mekong Delta to grow."

• Gov’t reviews over 2,200 stalled projects [The Saigon Times]

• Property heavyweight Sun Group’s affiliate to build $491 mln opera house in Hanoi [The Investor]

• Longest sea-crossing bridge in central Vietnam completed [Tuoi Tre News]

Thanks for reading the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter. Feel free to leave a like or comment on the topics of this week’s news.