Da Nang and Hoi An to join forces, Japan’s Aeon Mall, Robert De Niro’s waiting (for his hotel to be built), the riverfront apartment boom, the resort coast, and would you still love Da Nang if the beach were gone? This is the annual construction update for Da Nang, Vietnam. This report includes notes from […]
Trip Reports
Vung Tau: The future beach district of Ho Chi Minh City
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 construction report (2024 edition)
Heritage buildings update, the temple-shaped National Bank building, the fake Paris on Diamond Island, bad urban planning on the Tonle Sap riverfront, a new urban area rises on a disappeared lake, the bird nest towers, and booming BKK1. Phnom Penh construction and infrastructure report (December 2024).
Poipet trip report: Construction and urban development in Cambodia’s wild-west casino city
Poipet has plans to transform this border town associated with casinos and scam compounds into an enthralling civilized city to attract national and international tourists. I spent a night in Poipet to see what it was like. Border cities in Southeast Asia have a reputation for being dodgy, and Poipet in Cambodia is no exception. […]
Singapore construction update: 2024 edition
This is an observation of construction and urban development in Singapore from my visit in April 2024. Functional footpaths and drainage I arrived in Singapore via the shuttle train from Johor Bahru. I wrote a construction report for JB, and the biggest frustration about JB (and Malaysia in general) is how hard it is to walk in […]
Johor Bahru construction update – 2024 edition
An update on construction projects in Johor Bahru, including the RTS Link to Singapore. I previously visited Johor Bahru in 2022 to report on construction and transport projects. There are now plans to build a 3-line light rail system, and Johor has dreams of becoming the Shenzhen of Southeast Asia. I made a metro concept map that JB […]
Da Nang construction update – 2024 edition
Updates on construction in Danang, including current and stalled projects in the city and along the coast. I’ve been a regular visitor to Danang over the last decade, and I have been watching the city’s rapid growth. While tourism numbers are now recovering after the pandemic, numerous big projects around the city have not restarted […]
Nha Trang construction update – 2024 edition
Vung Tau construction update: 2024 edition
