Cities across Southeast Asia use Singapore as a measuring stick for development progress. “The next Singapore” is a phrase that is often used in this context. These cities try to emulate Singapore by building luxury apartments and landmark towers to attract high net-wealth individuals and family offices. Instead of looking up at skyscrapers, cities should […]
Editorial
Myths and realities of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link
Why there won’t be a high-speed railway from Singapore to China, and how Thailand and Malaysia have set back a truly unified system by years. The Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) is a planned network of railways to create a unified line from Kunming to Singapore. This is part of the Pan-Asian Railway, which envisions three […]
An Thuong Streets: how Da Nang inadvertently built a vibrant beach neighbourhood
An Thuong Tourist Streets is a neighbourhood on My Khe Beach in Da Nang. Despite the cringe name, this area is a model for how to build a walkable and vibrant beach neighbourhood. Other cities in Southeast Asia should take note. An Thuong Tourist Streets The An Thuong Tourist Streets (also referred to as An […]
Great Ring of Hanoi: concept for a large linear ring park around Hanoi
[Great Ring of Hanoi (view full size).] The Great Ring of Hanoi is a visionary project and proposal for the creation of a large linear ring park for the Vietnamese capital city, of such dimensions as to be visible even from space (like the great wall of China). It is a project that takes inspiration […]
Java Rail Pass proposal: putting Java train travel on the world tourism map
The Java Rail Pass is a proposed tourist rail pass to promote train travel in Java and diversify tourism beyond Bali. The island of Java has one of the most extensive railway networks in Southeast Asia, yet it barely registers interest on an international level. Indonesian Railways (PT Kereta Api Indonesia) has a website that […]
Bangkok should scrap the Light Red Line extension and build this instead
Bangkok is planning to build the Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway (the High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project). Bangkok is also planning the eastern extension of the Light Red Line commuter railway in the same corridor. The Light Red Line eastern extension is an unnecessary duplication of resources. The money and labour hours should be directed […]
How to fix Makkasan Station, Bangkok’s failed City Air Terminal
Makkasan Station is a station on the Airport Rail Link (ARL) connecting central Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport. It’s a grand station from the outside, but on the inside it’s a ghost town. [City Air Terminal at Makkasan Station, now off-limits to passengers.] The station was built with check-in counters for flights, so you could check-in […]
How to fix KL Sentral: ideas to fix the worst station in Southeast Asia
Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station is going to be redeveloped at the end of 2024. Here are some ideas to improve the station. KL Sentral opened in 2001, replacing Kuala Lumpur Station as the central station. KL Sentral was designed to handle 100,000 commuters a day, but it’s now handling 200,000 commuters per day. After over […]
Why the Thai Land Bridge is a bad idea
The Thai Land Bridge was proposed as an alternative to the Thai Canal. Here’s why it’s a bad idea. The Thai Land Bridge is a proposed transport corridor in Southern Thailand connecting the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand. The proposal is an alternative to the Thai Canal (also known as the Kra Canal), […]
Nonthaburi Civic Center: A missed opportunity to build a great transit hub
Nonthaburi Civic Center station is a Bangkok MRT station on the Purple Line, Pink Line, and the future Brown Line. Unfortunately for Bangkok, the station doesn’t provide an integrated transfer between lines. The urban rail transit system of Bangkok has been expanding at an impressive rate over the last decade. New lines have been added […]
