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 […]
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 […]
Da Lat–Thap Cham railway restoration
The Da Lat–Thap Cham railway was an 84 km railway that connected Da Lat in the Central Highlands to Thap Cham on the main North–South railway of Vietnam. The proposed restoration would rebuild a new line along the same route. The original railway was completed in 1932 and ran until 1968. For the full history, […]
Unified Grand Central Station – Metro Manila
The Unified Grand Central Station (also called North Triangle Common Station) is an under-construction urban rail transit station in Quezon City, Metro Manila. This transport hub will connect LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, MRT Line 7 (under construction), and the Metro Manila Subway (under construction). With four lines converging on the station, it will […]
Kampot and Kep (Cambodia) construction and tourism development
Trip report from my visit in December 2024, including the two-tower apartment project in Kampot Town, the Tiktokification of tourism landmarks, and land reclamation in Kep. Kampot and Kep are the southernmost provinces in Cambodia. Kampot Province includes the charming colonial-era riverside city of Kampot, and Kep is reawakening as a coastal tourism destination. Kampot […]
The Thai Canal – The proposed canal across the Isthmus of Kra in Southern Thailand
The Thai Canal (also known as the Kra Canal) is a proposed canal that would cut across the Malay Peninsula in Southern Thailand. This man-made waterway would connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand, providing a maritime shortcut by rerouting shipping away from the Strait of Malacca. The canal of approximately 100 km […]
