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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.

The big city skyline of Kuala Lumpur

10,000km of railway in Indonesia, updates on Thailand's big rail projects, and more construction and transport news in SE Asia.

James Clark

Jul 13, 2022

Greetings from Penang. It’s good to be back in Malaysia after being away for over two and a half years. I will be looking at apartment projects around Penang, especially along the proposed light rail. There is also an ongoing land reclamation project (though not the big one)

I started this Malaysia trip in KL, and I spent my days there looking at some of the biggest construction sites in the Golden Triangle area. That was enough to keep me busy for the week, so I will be back to do a report on the urban rail expansion in KL.

As I said on the Future Kuala Lumpur page, I think KL has the best skyline in Southeast Asia. This week’s article has a look at the progress of the biggest projects.

Latest Posts At Future Southeast Asia

Kuala Lumpur construction update – 2022 edition

News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

• The social costs of Chinese transnational crime in Sihanoukville

“Unrestricted and unregulated development has allowed crime to flourish, and eroded the trust between Cambodians and Chinese expatriates.”

• Chinese exodus stalls building construction in Sihanoukville

• Developers target a ‘protected’ forest in Cambodia

• China's zero Covid-19 policy is undermining construction of the New Siem Reap Angkor International Airport

• Cambodia launches “My Second Home” programme to encourage foreign investment

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• National railway network to span 10,000 km by 2030: ministry

• Indonesia, China agree to speed up work on Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway

[Updated: Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway]

• Land development in new capital to complete next August: Hadimuljono

[Updated: Nusantara – New Capital City of Indonesia]

• Greater Jakarta LRT project sets completion deadline in early 2022

• Indonesia's 1st underground pedestrian crossing being built in Jakarta

🇱🇦 Laos

• Hundreds of land concession projects revoked

“Land lease and concession agreements that were approved for hundreds of development projects have been revoked as many of the projects could not be identified, while others had not been carried out, the government has told the National Assembly (NA).”

• Road completed between Bokeo Airport and Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone

“The ADB and JICA are currently funding extensive upgrades to the country’s railways and urban mass transit systems.”

• Groups demand anew for repeal of Bulacan airport law

[Updated: New Manila International Airport]

🇸🇬 Singapore

• Singapore's sky-high car prices are warning for global cities

• Amazon said to ink big office lease at IOI Central Boulevard Towers

• The biggest risks to Singapore’s primacy in Asian finance are at home

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Thailand plans $37 billion smart city to support industrial hub

• Govt pledges to finish high-speed rail link to China by 2028

[Updated: Bangkok–Nong Khai High-Speed Railway]

• Construction of 3-airport high-speed railway link starts in October

[Updated: Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway]

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

• Timor-Leste’s aims to launch direct flights to Battambang

It would be great if East Timor was more connected to the rest of Southeast Asia, but a Dili-Battambang flight would be an extremely unlikely city pair.