Construction report for Vung Tau, "the beach of Saigon"

Indonesia revives capital city move, Philippine's longest bridge, moat renovation in Bangkok, and more news for transport and infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

March 31, 2021

Greetings from Phu Quoc, Vietnam. With international travel still not on the horizon, I’m making the most of my time in Vietnam by writing new construction reports for 2021.

My plan for the Construction Reports on Future Southeast Asia is to provide annual updates on construction projects in major cities. These are cities I visit frequently, such as Bangkok, KL, and Phnom Penh.

To get the 2021 account started I visited Vung Tau, which is a beach city near Saigon. That was a relatively easy report as the city is compact, and that report is this week’s new article.

I’m now doing a construction report for Phu Quoc, and that is going to take more time to compile. The island of Phu Quoc is about the same size as Phuket, and there is construction happening everywhere. I’m not going to be able to see everything, so I’ve just marked off the main sites on a map.

Many of the projects here are massive plots of land that are built by a single developer, so they end up building these identical villas and shophouses. Here is a sneak preview of what to expect.

The prevailing theme is fake European towns, and there seems to be a massive oversupply of shophouses that would have been an oversupply even before the pandemic. I will be making a Future Phu Quoc post that lists all these projects, and a separate editorial on what is going on here.

Latest Posts At Future Southeast Asia

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Indonesia

Malaysia

Other News

Cambodia

“This week it emerged that Koh Meas, 'Gold Island', could be the latest patch of undeveloped land within a stone’s throw of Phnom Penh to be consumed into the urban sprawl, as the Khun Sea Import/Export Company was granted a 50-year lease for the area.”

“Ministry cites fear casino operator's project could impact World Heritage Site.”

Malaysia

“A close examination of two flagship BRI-related infrastructure projects in Malaysia reveals the complex reality of China’s financial statecraft.”

Philippines

“The Government of the Philippines (GOP) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has begun preparations for sub-structure works of the 3.169 km Panguil Bay Bridge Project.”

Expectation vs Reality be like...

I would like to do a round-up post of expectations vs reality of buildings in Southeast Asia. If you would like to make a suggestion let me know.

Singapore

Thailand

“Navigating Bangkok's pavements is like walking in a mine field or an obstacle course. But everybody who has ever travelled in the city on foot knows that.”

“Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is preparing to turn the historic Phadung Krung Kasem canal into a new city attraction, complete with walkways and a park.”

“A new car, truck and passenger ferry service between Chon Buri and Songkhla will start soon, which could later include a stop in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has said.”

Vietnam

“More than 10 years after they were first proposed, high-speed railroad plans remain mired in concerns and disagreement over speeds and cost.”

“Ill-conceived tourism policies are eroding away Vietnam’s robust socio-economic relationship with the sea, and compromising holistic commercial opportunities that could benefit the country’s development for generations to come.”

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