The closure of the Penang Turf Club presents a rare opportunity to redevelop a large area of land on the island. Penang should look to Singapore for racecourse redevelopment inspiration before they build another uninspiring car-dependent development. The Penang Turf Club was founded in 1864, making it Malaysia’s oldest remaining horse-racing club. However, there has been […]
Pattaya construction and transport report
Trip report from January 2025: Walkability and bad street layouts, Pattaya construction notes, the ghost tower, future high-speed railway and monorail, Jomtien Beach as a future apartment hotspot, and air quality. Pattaya is on the eastern side of the Bay of Bangkok in Chonburi province. I visited Pattaya in January 2025 after visiting Sri Racha. This […]
How to fix Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville should be a booming beach resort comparable to coastal cities in Vietnam. Instead, it’s better known for its abandoned towers, scam compounds, and shady casinos. Here is how to fix it. Sihanoukville is a coastal city in Cambodia that is home to the largest port in the country. It also has some of the […]
Merging provinces in Southeast Asia
Vietnam is planning to merge 63 provinces and municipalities down to a total of 34. Should other countries in Southeast Asia consider provincial mergers? Vietnam provincial mergers of 2025 Vietnam is divided into 57 provinces and 6 centrally governed cities (municipalities). The government is currently planning to merge provinces, bringing the total number to 34. A […]
Sri Racha Trip Report
The Little Osaka of Thailand, bad design of Sukhumvit Road (like Bangkok), seaview apartments (shame about the beach), and the future high-speed railway to 3 airports. Sri Racha (or Si Racha) is a city in Si Racha district, Chonburi province, on the eastern side of the Bay of Bangkok. The city is part of the […]
Malaysia Airports: Map of every commercial airport
Southeast Asia Airports > Malaysia Airports News and information about current and future airports in Malaysia. Index Malaysia airports map International airports in Malaysia Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Kuching International Airport (KCH) Labuan International Airport (LBU) Langkawi International Airport (LGK) Malacca Airport (MKZ) Miri Airport (MYY) Penang International Airport […]
Hanoi’s plan for public space around Hoan Kiem Lake
An ode to the Shark Jaw building in Hanoi, turning tram depots into opera houses, more lakeside demolition for metro construction, and thoughts on if Hanoi should go full Haussmann. Hanoi authorities have announced plans to demolish one of the most iconic buildings in the city. Ho Guom Plaza at the northern end of Hoan […]
Bangkok construction update (2024/2025 edition)
Another mall at Siam, the future “Shinjuku of Bangkok”, more classic hotels that have been lost, the South Sukhumvit Innovation District, and a mega project in Chinatown. This is the annual Bangkok construction update, where I visit the most prominent construction projects around the city. Bangkok is one of my most visited cities in Southeast […]
Phnom Penh Metro: proposed urban rail transit system and airport railway
The Phnom Penh metro is a proposed urban rail transit system in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The term metro is used loosely here, as there have been various forms of rail systems proposed over the years. Proposals have included sky trains, subways (another word for metro), light rail, and monorails. Plans for an urban railway in […]
Cleaning up roadside rubbish in Cambodia
What Cambodia can learn from other countries about cleaning up plastic waste on national roads. In January 2025, Cambodia launched the ‘National Roads Without Plastic Waste’ campaign. The goal is for Cambodia’s national roads to be free of plastic waste by the end of 2025. It’s a lofty goal, but I salute their ambition. One […]
