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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.

A seaport for landlocked Laos

Talking trains with Talk Travel Asia, Jokowi presses on with capital city relocation, Duterte opens door for Boracay casino, and more transport and infrastructure news in SE Asia.

James Clark

Sep 1, 2021

Laos has a number of new railways that are planned for the future, one of which being the Vientiane - Vung Ang railway project. Vung Ang is in Ha Tinh Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It’s the closest seaport to Laos, so building a railway there would efficiently connect landlocked Laos to a shipping port.

There have been news reports saying that this project will begin at the end of 2021. While these projected start dates are rarely reliable in Southeast Asia, it would coincide with the completion of the China-Laos railway in December 2021. This would make sense to keep the construction momentum going by starting a new project.

It might seem like an improbable route, but nothing will seem improbable once the railway from Boten to Vientiane is completed.

Latest Posts At Future Southeast Asia

Vientiane – Vung Ang Railway

The Vientiane – Vung Ang railway is a proposed railway that would connect Vientiane in Laos to the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam.

Podcast Interview

Speaking of railways (as I often do), I did an interview with Talk Travel Asia about the future of train travel in Asia. There is a lot of overlap with the infrastructure development I write about here, and general travel I write about at Nomadic Notes. It was good to talk about the future travel possibilities that will open up with these new rail projects.

Updated Posts

"The China Southern Power Grid Company has completed the installation of electricity transmission poles along the Laos-China Railway, saying the railway will be a green, low-carbon electrified railway."

Added to China-Laos railway

Malaysia

Country Garden shrinks its Malaysia staff as sales of Forest City’s property trickle to a stop amid Covid-19 travel bans

"Country Garden has cut its Malaysia staff to 500 as of June following three rounds of retrenchments over the last 18 months, from 1,700 in 2019. The company has sold fewer than 10 homes at Forest City in the past 18 months, according to salespeople who declined to be identified."

Added to Forest City Malaysia

Other News

Asia

Southeast Asia's economy could grow by US$12.5 trillion by 2070 if the fossil fuel-dependent region decarbonises

Bridging geopolitics and infrastructure in Southeast Asia

Cambodia

Cambodia, Vietnam boost expressway connection hopes

Laos

Chinese investors propose Laos-China-Vietnam triangle development

Malaysia

Prolonged Covid-19 pandemic: Risk of abandoned projects rises

Reduce development plot ratio to curb spread of COVID-19, says Penang councillor

Myanmar

China opens rail line with access to Indian Ocean via Myanmar

“The rail line stretches from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to Lincang, a prefecture-level city in China’s Yunnan Province opposite Chin Shwe Haw, a border trade town in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan State.”

Philippines

Duterte drops Boracay casino ban, opening door for Macao's Galaxy

“Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he will allow casinos on the resort island of Boracay in a policy reversal that opens the door for Macao's Galaxy Entertainment Group and local tycoon Andrew Tan to pursue integrated resort projects there.”

Trains for MRT-7 project set to arrive next week: SMC

Work on China-funded railway to start in March

“The government is aiming to start the construction of a China-funded rail line from Calamba, Laguna to Daraga, Albay by March next year, the Transportation department said.”

This is the PNR South Long Haul railway.