The Thai Land Bridge has been 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 […]
Editorial
What Yogyakarta can learn from Siem Reap (and vice versa)
Yogyakarta Trip Report: Yogyakarta should look to Siem Reap’s street reconstruction project, and Siem Reap should have an airport rail link like Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Central Java. The city is 20 km away from the Borobudur temple complex, which is the largest Buddhist temple in the […]
Ho Chi Minh City’s unwelcoming airport bus
The airport bus from Ho Chi Minh City’s new airport terminal is a confusing, slow, and unwelcoming experience. This lack of coordination for a simple bus service does not bode well for transport links to the future second airport. Tan Son Nhat International Airport’s Terminal 3 (T3) officially opened for commercial flights on April 17, 2025. […]
Improving bus services between Da Nang and Hoi An
Da Nang and Hoi An are now the same city as part of Vietnam’s provincial mergers of 2025. With the merger, the new city should promote the current bus connection, improve bus stations, and start an airport and railway station bus service to Hoi An. Da Nang is experiencing an economic boom as it positions […]
Redrawing new districts and geographical zones in Ho Chi Minh City
A proposal to create new districts and geographical zones in Ho Chi Minh City. These new designated areas would act like postcodes and not another government body. On July 1, 2025, Ho Chi Minh City merged with the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This was part of the nationwide merger that […]
Why are there no great coastal cities in Indonesia?
Indonesia comprises over 17,000 islands and has a population of over 280 million people. With so many islands and so many people, why are there no great coastal cities that are famous destinations? Indonesia comprises over 17,000 islands and has a population of over 280 million people. With so many islands and so many people, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
