Trip Reports
Bangkok construction update: 2023/2024 edition
The groundscraper of Sukhumvit, big projects surrounding Lumphini Park, legal drama for the massage parlour magnate at the Chuvit Garden project, Central Groups expanding mall empire, another iconic 60s hotel is gone, taking liberties with place names, and more. Welcome to the 2024 Bangkok construction update. This is a snapshot of major projects around Bangkok […]
Hanoi construction update: 2023 edition
Starlake City, Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi, Tay Ho View, land use around the metro, Tien Bo Plaza, Hello Kitty World, heritage updates, North Hanoi Smart City. This is the Future Southeast Asia construction update and trip report for Hanoi in 2023. The previous report was in October 2022, so this report covers updates in the […]
Ho Chi Minh City construction update – 2023 edition
This is the 5th annual Ho Chi Minh City construction update at Future Southeast Asia. Corruption scandals plague One Central HCM and IFC One Saigon, Ben Thanh Station, Grand Manhattan Novaland, and Thu Thiem New Urban Area. This is the 5th annual Ho Chi Minh City construction update at Future Southeast Asia (here are the […]
Melaka trip report: Little Dubai in the Strait of Malacca
The controversial land reclamation area of Melaka Gateway, Malaysia’s mania for ugly carpark podiums, a 9-tower project connected by a skybridge, a proposed 88-storey tower, and the Melaka Monorail. Melaka in Malaysia is a historic port city that was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008. This is the Melaka that most […]
Trip Report: Jakarta construction update
Part 1: A summary of the big construction projects in the city that, contrary to media reports, is not being abandoned. The last time I was in Jakarta was in September 2019, which was about one month after President Joko Widodo announced that the capital would move to Borneo. In the four years since that announcement, […]
Trip Report: Medan
An airport train, the massive main square redevelopment, Jakarta-style Superblocks arrive, and the rejuvenation of the old city area that could put Medan on the tourist map. Medan was the first place I visited in Indonesia, which is an unusual introduction for an Australian. I was arriving from Penang across the strait, and I wanted […]
Kuala Lumpur trip report: 2023
The KL city skyline continues to bulk up, Merdeka 118 (2nd tallest building in the world), the second-tallest building in KL, and more 300m+ buildings that look small in comparison. Kuala Lumpur is one of my most frequently visited cities in Southeast Asia. While I spend more time in Penang, I will always take the […]
Phitsanulok trip report
The provincial city with a preposterous plan for a 5-line mass transit system, and how the proposed high-speed rail to Chiang Mai could transform its fortunes. Phitsanulok is a city in Central Thailand (or Lower Northern Thailand, depending on how you define regions). It has the distinction of being a crossroads city, with major North-South […]
Trip Report: Hoi An 2023 construction update
The Da Nang-Hoi An resort coast, more new urban areas, the fragile beaches of Hoi An, and the hidden casino resort from Macau. Hoi An is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, and there are some days when it feels like half of the visitors to Vietnam as there at the same […]
