Old Phu Quoc airport redevelopment, the expansion of the current airport, the new urban area to support the APEC meeting, the ambitious Phu Quoc Metro, and hundreds of empty cookie-cutter shophouses and villas in fake European new urban areas.

Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam, covering an area of about 574 sq km (similar in size to Phuket in Thailand). Over the last decade, Phu Quoc has gone from being marketed as the Paradise Pearl Island to becoming an island of theme parks, mega resorts, and European-themed urban areas. The scale of development here is unlike any other island in Southeast Asia.

I previously visited Phu Quoc in 2021 while I was living in Vietnam during the pandemic. Vietnam had no international commercial flights for over a year when I visited Phu Quoc, but domestic tourism was still operating. I arrived in Phu Quoc when some of the largest projects were being finished, and it was surreal to see these giant construction sites with very few visitors to the island.

I said I would return in five years to see how things were going, so I came back to Phu Quoc in January 2026.

2021 was a grim time to visit the island, and I wondered if there would ever be enough tourists to fill the rooms that were being built. Now in 2026, Phu Quoc has broken its own tourism records. The week before I arrived, Phu Quoc received 46 international flights, which was the largest number ever recorded in a single day.

I have never seen so many tourists in Phu Quoc, but they are not evenly distributed. There are still hundreds of empty shophouses and villas, while more still are being built.

There is so much going on in Phu Quoc that I didn’t get time to see everything. For this post, I will list everything like Lonely Planet does, starting with the main city and then working my way geographically from north to south.

Duong Dong

Duong Dong is the main town of Phu Quoc, and it is where I usually stay when I visit. There is a fishing fleet here, and you can find street food like in any other normal town in Vietnam.

There are hotels in the town, but most visitors stay near the beaches. Duong Dong is in the middle of the west coast (where most of the beaches are), so it’s a convenient place to rent a motorbike and visit different parts of the island.

One of the main tourist attractions in Duong Dong is the night market. It was announced that the night market would be suspended, so I visited it a month before it closed.

One of the things that intrigues me about Duong Dong is that the old airport is in the town. I keep a list of defunct airports in Southeast Asia, and old Duong Dong Airport is one of the easiest to walk to from the town centre (similar to the walkability of old Nha Trang Airport).

The growth of Phu Quoc can be marked from when the new Phu Quoc airport opened in 2012.

There is a plan to redevelop the airport site into a new urban area.

The airport remains undeveloped, and the runway serves as a public road.

There is also a plan to turn the eastern end of the runway into a public square.

A statue of Ho Chi Minh has been installed, but the area surrounding the square has not been landscaped.

Northwest Phu Quoc

The northwest of Phu Quoc is dominated by the Vingroup properties, which is collectively called Phu Quoc United Center. This area includes a fake Venice, a knock-off Disney, a zoo, more faux European apartments and shophouses, a casino, a golf course, and resort villas.

Grand World Phu Quoc

The centre of activity in United Center is Grand World Phu Quoc.

Grand World is built around a lagoon surrounded by colourful shophouses.

Grand World is loosely modelled on Venice, with Venetian-style gondolas plying the waterways.

I was here in 2021, and I was the only visitor among the workers who were putting the finishing touches to the area. Many of the shophouses now have businesses, but it is not a bustling urban area.

There are no name brands here, apart from Highlands (a Vietnamese cafe chain) and Lotteria (a Korean fast food chain that is everywhere in Vietnam).

The main architectural landmark is the Teddy Bear Museum.

Grand World feels like a theme park, but it’s a public area with no admission fees. It needs normal shops and people living there full-time for it to make it feel more alive, otherwise it will continue to be this place that is contingent on tourists to keep it alive.

One section of Grand World that might have promise is this area of medium-density apartment blocks.

This is being referred to as the French Architecture Precinct.

None of the street-level shops are occupied, and I couldn’t see any signs of life in the apartments.

Building shophouses and apartments where there is no demand will be a recurring theme in this report.

There are some hotels in this area that have opened.

There is a beach at Grand World, but only one section is fully public.

Most of the beach area is reserved for the resorts that are built on the seafront.

The main problem with Phu Quoc beaches is that there are no great seafront promenades, which is a theme I will return to later in this article.

VinWonders Phu Quoc

North of the Venice area is this area with English Tudor-style (or German half-timbered) shophouses. These shops were completed when I visited in 2021, but most of these shops are still unoccupied. Their main purpose is to serve as an elaborate prop for the VinWonders theme park.

VinWonders looks like a cross between Disney and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This was also complete in 2021, but unlike my 2021 visit, there were many people here in 2026.

There were enough people here for Starbucks to feel confident opening a branch here.

Long Beach

Long Beach is the original beach resort area of Phu Quoc. The beach starts at Duong Dong town and continues for about 20 km to the southern end of the island.

There are some sections that still retain the laid-back vibe that Phu Quoc was known for.

Long Beach extends south of the airport, but for this report, I refer to Long Beach as the section between Duong Dong and the airport.

The thing that annoys me the most about Long Beach is that there is no public walkway along the beach. Hotels front the beach, so you have to look for an alley in between properties to access the beach.

On some sections of the beach, there are no obvious places to get to and from the main road. I tried to walk through a resort to get back to the main road, but I was stopped by security.

There was an article on a local news site about how you can no longer see the sea in Phu Quoc. This is something I think about when I walk along the beach promenades of Nha Trang and Da Nang. These beach cities of Vietnam have an uninterrupted view of the beachfront from the city centre.

There are a few access roads, but they are badly landscaped. They should make some clearly defined access paths, perhaps with an archway with numbered gates.

Another problem with Long Beach is that it’s a skinny beach, so there is not a lot of public space between the sea and the hotel properties. There are some sections of beach where there is not 50 metres between the edge of the sea and the hotel property.

The main road that follows the beach is Tran Hung Dao. This road was being renovated with new trees and new pavement when I was here in 2021. There was no traffic, and it felt like a bleak time for the shops along this road.

Returning here in 2026, I couldn’t believe much traffic there was.

The trees were just freshly transplanted sticks in 2021, so this street will look better when the trees have grown out.

Another reason I prefer Long Beach is that there is still an element of regular Vietnam here with local shops and vendors.

Long Beach (South)

These are some of the main projects that are on Long Beach south of the airport. This area is flatter than the old resort area, and the land has been divided up into zones that have been allocated to different developers.

Sonasea Villas & Resort Complex

Sonasea Villas & Resort Complex by CEO Group comprises some international resorts and new urban areas that have been developed by the group.

One of the urban areas is the Sonasea Paris Villas project. This area comprises 318 identical villas, and every street has the same coloured villas.

This was completed when I visited in 2021, so I was curious to see if anyone was living here by now. Most of the villas are empty.

Some of the villas on the outer roads have been turned into hotels, and there are a few cafes here and there.

In the middle of the Sonasea area is the Sonasea Shopping Center. This is a pedestrian street lined with shophouses with a night market in the middle. I stayed on this street in 2021, and it was dead. There are now more stalls here for the night market, though I didn’t go to the market on this trip.

There are more restaurants here than the last time I visited, with restaurants representing the lands where tourists are coming from.

Another sign of life is the number of parked motorbikes behind the shopping centre.

From the shopping street, there is a dedicated walkway between resorts to the beach.

The beach here is wider than in the northern half of Long Beach. This is technically Long Beach, but on the map, it is Sonasea Public Beach.

Unlike the old Long Beach area, this section has a long public beach walk.

Phu Quoc Marina

South of the Sonasea area is Phu Quoc Marina by BIM Group. This is a similar project to SonaSea in that the land is divided into themed zones.

The Phu Quoc Marina development by BIM Group comprises 155ha with over 1km of coastline. The area is split into themed sections, with the InterContinental Hotel in the middle of the beachfront.

I visited two of the sections of Phu Quoc Marina: Phu Quoc Waterfront and Marina Square.

Phu Quoc Waterfront

Phu Quoc Waterfront continues the same playbook that is favoured by developers in Vietnam, by mass-producing identical buildings. The Waterfront development features light green Mediterraneanesque shophouses.

The Waterfront area is all pedestrianised, and it is built with a car park under the entire structure.

Instead of building a logical street grid, the project is divided up into zones (Lotus Village, Coconut Village, Mango Village, etc)

This project had just opened when I visited in 2021. The combination of empty shops and no international visitors made it feel like I was on a movie set.

There are now numerous small hotels in this area, which can be seen on Google Maps.

More shops and restaurants have opened, but there is no buzz here like Trang Hung Dao Road on Long Beach.

One of the things that I mentioned on my last visit was these window shutters. Most of the shutters are closed, so the rooms are going to be in darkness on this tropical island.

The buildings would be improved if the properties removed the shutters. Another improvement is when individual properties start adding their own greenery.

Most of the shophouses are unoccupied and remain as empty shells.

A new addition is this night market area.

If you were wondering where the waterfront is, the Waterfront is next to the beach.

Next to the beach is the Sailing Club, which is a well-known beach bar in Vietnam. I go to their branches in Nha Trang and Mui Ne, so I was glad to see they were doing well here. This was the most lively business in the Waterfront area.

Marina Square

Inland of the beach and behind Regent Phu Quoc is the Marina Square project. While the Waterfront project is near the water, Marina Square is not anywhere near a Marina.

The Marina Square architectural style looks like an old European city (or at least the rebuilt post-war old towns in Europe).

This intersection is trying to emulate Oktogon in Budapest.

Marina Square is similar to Waterfront in that it has identical buildings with colour-coded areas.

This was practically finished when I visited in 2021, but not much has changed since my last visit. There were still more construction workers than tourists here.

Many of the shops had “For Rent” signs.

The shops are still empty shells.

A few of the buildings have been converted into hotels, and they offer a glimpse of what the precinct might look like when they are opened. The added greenery makes the walkways look more lived-in.

Meyhomes Capital Phu Quoc

At the southern end of Long Beach is the Meyhomes Capital project. This is a work in progress, but one of the main sections is open for business.

Like almost every other project I visited on this trip, there are hundreds of unoccupied shophouses.

At least Meyhomes has opted for a modern look instead of creating a fake European town.

There are a few cafes and restaurants, and this Cong Caphe was the only domestic brand I saw here.

There is one street with an unusual amount of green coverage. These trees look bigger than the trees on other streets, even though they are in the same project site. With the bikes and greenery, it looks more lived-in than any other street.

I continued driving further south and passed more construction sites within the Meyhomes area. This is the great mystery of Phu Quoc, in that they keep building more shophouses even though there is no demand for them.

Southern Phu Quoc

Southern Phu Quoc is dominated by the Sunworld projects. I ended up running out of daylight hours by the time I got to the southern end, so I only visited the Sunworld properties.

Sun Grand City New An Thoi

An Thoi is a fishing town at the southern tip of Phu Quoc. New An Thoi (or Sun Grand City New An Thoi to use its full name) is the very opposite of what you would think a Vietnamese fishing town would look like.

Sun Grand City New An Thoi is another new urban area that has been fashioned on a non-specific European city.

The website describes it as being “embellished from famous highlights of the world’s richest Mediterranean region”.

It’s the same story here as with the rest of the Euro-inspired urban developments – lots of empty shophouses.

It will look better when more shops are open, but where are all the shop owners and customers coming from?

Like the other places, they will be improved when the newness has worn off, and it starts looking more lived-in.

Sun Premier Village Primavera

After New An Thoi is Sun Premier Village Primavera. This area is also referred to as Sunset Town and Mediterranean Town.

I visited this site in 2021, and the apartment towers were still under construction at that point. This precinct is carved into a hillside that overlooks the sea. The apartment towers are on top of the hill, making them look even taller than they are.

Like Vingroup in the north with its Venetian theme, Sun Group has gone with an Amalfi theme in the south. There were more shops open here than in the other Euro projects I visited in Phu Quoc.

The streets in this area are named after Italian places (Taormina, Milan, Positano, Amalfi, Venice), and there are stairs between the hilly streets.

I have been complaining that the other places look too new and not lived in, so Sun Group have tried to speed up the aging process with some painted-on peeling plaster revealing fake bricks.

Part of the reason why there are more people here is the cable car to Hon Thom. Vietnam is the cable car champion of Southeast Asia, and Sun Group is the cable car king of Vietnam.

This cable car is the world’s longest non-stop three-rope cable car.

Sun Group found viral success with the Golden Bridge in Da Nang, so they have tried to replicate that with the Kiss Bridge. There is an entrance fee here, but at this point, I was done for the day, so I didn’t go. It’s built for the Gram (and other social media platforms), so here are some Instagram images to give you an idea of the bridge.

This precinct includes a tower that looks like it is supposed to be St Mark’s Campanile.

APEC Conference Area

APEC 2027 is being held in Phu Quoc, and a new urban area is being built to host the meeting. The area is a work in progress, but you can see it from the Sunworld area.

I wasn’t 100% sure where it was because there was no trace of it on Google Maps. It is being built on reclaimed land, and Google has not updated its satellite image yet (as of March 2026).

APEC is set to meet in late 2027 (the date is not set yet), so there is some urgency in getting this precinct finished. The project includes an $830M conference center, offices, and hotels.

The beach shown in this photo (Bai Dat Do) will be transformed into a “hotel city“, with two new hotels to be completed in time for APEC.

It was late in the day by the time I was near the APEC site, so I didn’t go to Bai Dat Do. I regret not going now, as I would have liked to see what it was like before it becomes “hotel city”.

Airport expansion

To support the APEC meeting (and the growing number of tourists), Phu Quoc International Airport is being expanded by Sun Group.

I got the ferry to and from Phu Quoc on this trip, so I got the bus to the airport to have a look around.

The terminal was overflowing with passengers, which was in stark contrast to the last time I was here during the pandemic.

I love Astana, but I was glad not to be in this queue.

The new terminal is being built next to the current terminal. None of the news articles mentions it, but it would most likely become the international terminal, while the current terminal would be the domestic terminal.

A second runway is also being built, which I saw construction for when driving on the other side. This will make Phu Quoc a bigger airport than Bali, which has one runway and is limited by geography from building a second runway.

The ambitious Phu Quoc Metro project

As if the plan to build a conference centre and hotel city for APEC and a new airport terminal by the end of 2027 wasn’t ambitious enough, Phu Quoc is also planning to build a metro line to connect the airport to the APEC area.

The Phu Quoc Metro will be 17.7 kilometres with 6 stations. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on the 19th of December 2025, which was 3 weeks before I visited.

The plan is to have the line ready by the second quarter of 2027, in time for the 2027 APEC Summit. Considering that Line 1 of the HCMC Metro took 12 years to build, and Line 2A of the Hanoi Metro took 10 years to build, this would be an incredible feat to build the line in less than 2 years.

A cheaper solution would be to build a BRT to the APEC area. The road to the south is wide enough to convert two lanes into a bus lane.

Future Phu Quoc updates

Under normal circumstances, I probably would have come back again in another five years to see what is happening. If the metro and airport are built on time before APEC, then I will come back and have another look. I also need to revisit the East Coast and visit some other projects that I missed.

I was hoping that this trip was going to be via Kampot in Cambodia. There has been talk of a ferry between Kampot and Phu Quoc, which was where I was before going to Phu Quoc. If it is operational on my next trip, I will go that way.

Travel plans and meetups

Greetings from Da Nang! After seeing my family in Australia and attending to other life and business admin duties, I returned to Vietnam and spent most of March in Da Nang.

Next month, I am taking some new (to me) train trips for research and general expansion of my transport knowledge in the region. I am getting the only international train from Vietnam (Hanoi to Nanning), and a high-speed train to Hong Kong (just to remind myself what high-speed feels like). I’m then going to Manila and then travelling overland through Luzon.

If you are in Hong Kong or Manila in April and want to meet up, send me a message, and I’ll see if our paths align.

Site updates and other sites I’m working on

I moved the newsletter from news.futuresoutheastasia.com (at Beehiiv) to futuresoutheastasia.com (at WordPress), but it has not been a smooth transition. It turns out some plugins in my WordPress setup broke the subscription function. WordPress support has been working out what to do, and they have found the problem, so hopefully it will be fully transferred next month.

I also moved my monthly newsletter about Southeast Asia railways to southeastasiarailways.com. This newsletter features new railway news as well as general travel articles that don’t get featured on Future Southeast Asia. Subscribe for monthly updates.

I spent a month in Ho Chi Minh City in January/February, which gave me time to update my hochiminhcitymetro.com site. I published a map last year of the future metro system, which is a replica of the map that is on display at the stations. This map is already out of date, but the official metro authority website doesn’t have any updated maps with the new lines and alignments.

The best map I have found so far is via VnExpress, who have published an updated map with 10 lines.

Weekly news

The weekly newsletter is now posted at futuresoutheastasia.com for paid subscribers. Upgrade to Premium to get the weekly news updates.

Here are the last month’s issues of the weekly newsletter:

• Future Southeast Asia News [25 Mar 2026]

Mekong region fuel shortages, Laos seeks approval for railway to Vietnam, Philippine rail revival, rethinking Bangkok’s busiest bus hub, Vietnam plans two new rail links to China.

• Future Southeast Asia News [18 Mar 2026]

Kratie Mekong Bridge nears completion, President Prabowo wants all train stations to be modernized, Laos eyes BRT expansion to airport and railway station, ECRL tracks laid from Kota Bharu to Gombak, Panay–Guimaras–Negros Bridge construction set for 2027, Bangkok metro projects update, Hanoi considers second airport.

• Future Southeast Asia News [11 Mar 2026]

Redesign of former Phnom Penh Airport, Fifth and Sixth Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges, Penang tackles land acquisition and relocation for Mutiara Line LRT, Bangkok Southern Purple Line and Western Orange Line on track for 2030 opening, investor selected for Phan Thiet Airport civil aviation project.

• Future Southeast Asia News [4 Mar 2026]

Cambodia approves new Ratanakiri airport, Indonesia to reactivate 12,000 km of railway lines, Trans-Borneo Railway feasibility study expected by mid-year, Visayas-Mindanao link feasibility study underway, U-Tapao Airport project to kick off on April 3, Vietnam PM orders emergency construction of HCMC-Long Thanh railway link.

Article updates

The proposed Chiang Mai LRT might start with an easy section first

Updated: Chiang Mai Mass Transit – Proposed 3-line light rail system

After over a year of no updates, Chiang Mai has announced a plan for the light rail transit. The line is the proposed 5 km southern extension of the Red Line.

The line isn’t particularly useful by itself, but it appears to be the easiest section to build of the Red Line, which will include ground-level and underground sections.

I walked the entire length of the proposed Red Line last year, and the road at the southern end of the line has enough room to sacrifice some lanes for a tramway.

This photo shows where the original alignment ends, with the proposed extension continuing along this road.

While it makes sense to start the line at the end instead of in the middle, there is a danger of the most useful section (from the airport to the old city) not being built. This would leave a 5 km tram line in the suburbs that doesn’t solve any traffic problems.

This transit system has been proposed since at least the early 2000’s, so if you are just finding out about this proposal, then don’t get too excited about it yet.

The Vientiane – Vung Ang Railway moves forward (with an impressive railway model to go with it)

Updated: Vientiane – Vung Ang Railway: proposed railway connecting landlocked Laos to a seaport

The Lao government has submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to move forward with the proposed railway from Vientiane to Vung Ang Port in Vietnam.

This has been planned for years, but it was good timing that they announced this while the country is grappling with fuel shortages. A direct link to a seaport will give landlocked Laos another path to import fuel.

This article (in Thai, translated here) shows an impressive model of the railway, including details of the mountains east of the Mekong River.

The Ha Long – Mong Cai Railway is a proposed railway connecting Ha Long City in Quang Ninh Province to Mong Cai on the Vietnam-China border. There is also a proposed Mong Cai-Van Don high-speed railway, which is a shorter route connecting the Van Don economic zone to the border.

China has built a high-speed railway from Fangchenggang to Dongxing, on the other side of the border of Mong Cai. This railway is also referred to in China as the China-Vietnam high-speed railway.

Van Don is approximately 50 km from Ha Long City, and a proposal has been made for an urban railway (monorail) linking Ha Long to Van Don.

If the railway is built, it will be the third railway connection between Vietnam and China (the others being Lao Cai-Hekou and Dong Dang-Pingxiang on the Hanoi-Nanning Railway).

Ha Long – Mong Cai Railway map

[Map of Ha Long – Mong Cai Railway.]

News Archive

2026

Vietnam, China sign cooperation agreement on planning two railways – [25/03/26]

“Vietnam and China have signed a technical cooperation agreement on planning two standard-gauge railways Hanoi – Dong Dang and Hai Phong – Ha Long – Mong Cai, marking progress in bilateral railway connectivity.”

2025

Haiphong – Ha Long – Mong Cai Railway planned post-2030 – [29/09/25]
“The 187-km Haiphong – Ha Long – Mong Cai railway line will be approximately 187 km long is part of the Master Plan for Vietnam’s Railway Network for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.”

Vietnam, China ink seven transport cooperation deals – [15/04/25]
“Four of the seven agreements relate to railway development. These include a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint committee for Vietnam–China railway cooperation and technical support from China for feasibility studies and planning of several standard-gauge rail lines, including Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong, Dong Dang–Hanoi, and Mong Cai–Ha Long–Haiphong.”

2024

Vietnam and China agree to build three key railway lines – [11/22/24]
“The agreement between the two governments to cooperate on the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong, Lang Son–Hanoi, and Mong Cai–Ha Long–Hai Phong railway projects is seen as a major step forward in infrastructure development.”

President Xi Jinping hastens construction of 3 Vietnam-China rail routes – [19/11/24]
“Last month, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport said it was drafting plans to invest $13 billion in building and upgrading two rail routes linking with China: the 156-kilometer Hanoi-Dong Dang route and the 187-kilometer Hai Phong-Ha Long-Mong Cai route.”

Vietnam invites China railway builder to join project linking 2 nations, begin in 2025 – [07/11/24]
“He also suggested CRCC join other key traffic projects of Vietnam, including the Hanoi-Lang Son railway, Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong railway, North-South high-speed railway, and border expressways linking Vietnam-China.”

Vietnam plans to invest $13 bln in 2 railways linking to China – [27/10/24]
“The 187-kilometer Hai Phong-Ha Long-Mong Cai is set to link Hai Phong city with Quang Ninh province and with China at the Mong Cai international gateway.

Running on 1,435-milimeter gauge, the project can have an investment of $7 billion and transport cargoes at 120 kilometers per hour and passengers at 160 kilometers per hour.”

Planning for two railway lines connecting China to be completed in 2025 – [25/10/24]
“Hai Phong – Ha Long – Mong Cai railway project, about 187km long, belongs to the railway line Quang Ninh – Hai Phong – Thai Binh – Nam Dinh; starting point at Nam Dinh Vu station (Hai An ward, Hai Phong city), ending point at the rail junction near Bac Luan bridge area (Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province). The route connects the northern coastal provinces and international transit connection with China through Mong Cai international border gate.

Estimated investment scale: 1.435mm track gauge, electrification, passenger and cargo transport; passenger train speed 160km/h, cargo train about 120km/h; total estimated investment about 7 billion USD.”

PM requests prioritized investment into railways linking with China – [24/10/24]
“He suggested the two sides continue enhancing high-level exchanges and meetings, and foster practical collaboration in all areas, particularly pushing ahead the construction of the three standard-gauge railways of Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong, Lang Son – Hanoi, and Mong Cai – Ha Long – Hai Phong to promote connectivity between the two economies.”

Vietnam Party chief welcomes China’s engagement in 3 railway projects – [20/08/24]
“…Li showed China’s readiness to improve the rail linkage between Vietnam and Europe via China and accelerate the feasibility study of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway. In addition, he agreed to make planning for the Dong Dang-Hanoi and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong railways.”

Vietnam plans 3 railway links with China under Belt and Road Initiative – [27/06/24]
“Speaking at the Vietnam-China strategic transport infrastructure development cooperation conference held in Beijing, Chinh said the three railway routes under consideration are Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong, Lang Son-Hanoi, and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong.”

[Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Vietnam-China strategic transport infastructure development cooperation conference in Beijing, June 27, 2024. Photo courtesy of the government’s news portal.]

Chinese giants keen on Vietnam metro railway projects – [25/06/24]
“Chinh also mentioned current bilateral cooperation in building transnational railway routes, including one connecting Hanoi, Lao Cai province and Hai Phong city; another linking Lang Son province and Hanoi; and yet another between Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city.”

‘Determined to implement the Northern high-speed railway project – [25/06/24]
“Vietnam wishes to exchange and find opportunities for cooperation, and hopes that China will support Vietnam in design, construction, and technology transfer, especially in developing railway projects from Yunnan through Lao Cai to Hai Phong, Lang Son route to Hanoi, Dong Hung route to Mong Cai, to Hai Phong.”

Vietnam encourages Chinese investment in railway, energy projects – [24/06/24]
“In particular, the two sides agreed to connect standard gauge railways across the border by developing standard gauge railway routes of Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong; Dong Dang – Hanoi; and Mong Cai – Ha Long – Hai Phong, so as to create an important infrastructure system to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.”

2023

Vietnam, China to enhance railway connectivity under Belt Road Initiative – [14/12/23]
“They will also study the Dong Dang-Hanoi and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong standard-gauge routes at appropriate times.”

Ha Long-Mong Cai railway proposed – [25/10/23]
“The northern province of Quang Ninh has just proposed to the Ministry of Transport to add a railway project connecting Ha Long and Mong Cai cities into the list of projects to be carried out by the Vietnam Railway Authority.”

PM calls for expansion of railway links between Vietnam, China – [16/09/23]
“He suggested that the Power China explore cooperation in Vietnam’s priority areas, including infrastructure – one of Vietnam’s three strategic breakthroughs. Specifically, he proposed exploring the possibility of investing in China – Quang Ninh – Hai Phong and Lang Son – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway lines, with the commitment to translating these ideas into concrete actions and achieving tangible results.”

China begins construction of high-speed railway link to Vietnam – [09/08/23]
“The railway between Fangchenggang and Dongxing, in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, spans a distance of 46.9 kilometers (km), and has a designed speed of 200 km per hour. Infrastructure is being built with conditions to upgrade the travel speed to 250 km per hour in the future.”

Quang Ninh will have 3 urban railway lines – [27/03/23]

China-Vietnam high-speed railway to be completed before end of year – [24/02/23]

2021

China’s first high-speed railway connecting port bordering Vietnam cuts through all tunnels – [10/11/21]

2019

Adjusted master plan of Ha Long city to 2040, vision to 2050 – [30/06/19]
“Exploiting and using Yen Vien – Cai Lan railway, arranging corridors to reserve Ha Long – Mong Cai railway along Ha Long – Van Don – Mong Cai expressways to develop passenger and cargo transport.”

Billion-USD projects make 2019 promising for property market – [04/01/19]
“In the northeast province of Quang Ninh, the Vision Transportation Group (VTG), Hai Dang JSC, and Sunny World Property Development Corp Businesses proposed three large-scale projects with total investment amounting to 10-15 billion USD, in Van Don island, which is targeted to become a special economic zone.

Those include a high-speed railway route linking Mong Cai and Van Don, the Hon Net – Con Ong complex of seaport, industrial and urban areas, and the urban complex in the north of Cai Bau island.

The proposed Van Don – Mong Cai railway will have a length of 100km, connecting Mong Cai border gate with Van Don special economic zone, with the central station located at the North Cai Bau urban complex. It will be used for passengers and improve transportation.”

2018

$15-billion projects proposed for Van Don – [02/05/18]
“The three super projects in Van Don Special Administrative-Economic Zone are Mong Cai-Van Don high-speed railway, Hon Net-Con Ong deep seaport and industrial urban zone, and complex urban area in the north of Cai Bau Island.”

“…the Van Don-Mong Cai high-speed railway project will have the length of 100km, connecting Mong Cai border gate to Van Don special administrative economic zone with the central station located at an urban complex in the north of Cai Bau Island. It will be used for passengers and cargo transportation, as well as strengthen connectivity of transportation and urban infrastructure not only in Van Don but also across provinces.”

2017

Current status and strategy to development Viet Nam railway by 2020, vision to 2050 – [13/06/17]
This report from Vietnam Railway Authority mentions the railway in the section for the national railway network 2020-2030.
“To study the plan on building new routes connecting seaports, industrial parks and tourism”.
Ha Long – Mong Cai 150 km.

Greater Chiang Mai has a population close to one million people, making it the second biggest urban area in Thailand after Bangkok. With a growing urban area beyond the core of Mueang Chiang Mai District, there have been numerous plans over the years to build some form of mass transit system.

The type of rail system it will be has changed over the years, with tramways, light-rail, and metro-style railways proposed. The latest plan is for three light rail lines. I’ve named this fact sheet Chiang Mai Mass Transit, so that will cover any future combination of railways.

Chiang Mai Light Rail Transit System

There are three proposed lines for the Chiang Mai Light Rail Transit System.

1. Red Line (Airport – Chiang Mai University – International Convention Centre) – 15.65 km
This line starts from Chiang Mai International Airport – Chiang Mai University (Suan Dok) – Wattanothai Payap School – Chang Phueak Bus Terminal – Chiang Mai Rajabhat University – 700th Anniversary Stadium – Chiang Mai International Convention Centre – Nakornping Hospital.

2. Blue Line (Chiang Mai Zoo – Tha Phae Gate – Don Chan) 11.14 km
This line starts from Chiang Mai Zoo – Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna – Chiang Mai University – Nimmanhaemin Road – Wat Phrasingh Temple – Yupparaj Wittayalai School – Tha Phae Gate – Night Bazaar – Anusarn Market – San Pa Koi Market – Chiang Mai Railway Station – Big C Don Chan – Promenada Resort Mall.

3. Green Line (Mae Jo – Kad Luang – Airport) 13.81 km
This line starts from Chiang Mai International Airport – Far Eastern University – Nong Hoi Market – Montfort College – Regina Coeli College – Anusarn Market – Night Bazaar – Kad Luang – Prince Royal’s College – Dara Academy (Dara Witthayalai School) – McCormick Hospital – Arcade Bus Terminal – Central Festival – Mae Jo Intersection – Ruamchok Intersection.

Chiang Mai Metro System – Reviewing the routes of the 3 proposed transit lines

Links and Resources

Chiang Mai Mass Transit Project – Information page from the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.

Chiang Mai Mass Transit Project (Red Line Extension) Mae Hia Saman Samakkhi Intersection – Royal Park Rajapruek

Chiang Mai Public Transit Master Plan – Facebook page with news in Thai. The original site at cm-pmap.com is not working.

CHIANG MAI | Public Transport – skyscrapercity.com English page.

Chiang Mai Light Rail Transit (Red Line) – skyscrapercity.com.

Chiang Mai light rail transit – Wikipedia page.

Maps

Map of approximate location for Red Line.

[Map of proposed Chiang Mai Light Rail Transit System.]

[Map via chiangmaicitylife.com.]

[Map from bangkokpost.com (with Tha Phae Gate on the wrong side).]

[Map via mgronline.com.]

News Archive

2026

Chiang Mai’s Red Line tram aims to cut pollution and improve city transport – [25/03/26]

“The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has unveiled the findings of its study into the Chiang Mai mass transit Red Line project, covering the section from the Mae Hia Samakkhi junction to Royal Park Rajapruek. The proposed route is seen as an important part of efforts to tackle traffic problems and modernise transport in the northern city.”

MRTA advances Chiang Mai tram project, targets 2027 auction to ease traffic and boost tourism – [24/03/26]

“The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is advancing detailed feasibility studies and design for a 5-kilometer Chiang Mai tram linking Mae Hia and Ratchaphruek. The auction is targeted for 2027, with construction planned from 2028 to 2031, aiming for service launch in 2032. This aims to boost Chiang Mai tourism, facilitate travel, ease traffic congestion, and reduce pollution.”

2024

Train lines ‘won’t affect’ historical sites – [01/10/24]
“The plan to build an electric train route in Chiang Mai in particular, which was estimated to cost 30 billion baht, raised a lot of eyebrows, with critics fearing the construction of such a network will put some historical sites in Muang district at risk.

To address these concerns, Mr Suriya urged the MRTA to consider building a part of the line which passes the Old City area underground. The rest of the line could be built at street level, he said.”

Feasibility study of part of Chiang Mai electric rail system ordered – [30/09/24]
“Transport Ministry says more investment will be required for proposed underground tunnel in Old Town area.”

MRTA plans rail systems in 4 provinces – [23/08/24]
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) plans to develop a light rail system in Chiang Mai. The agency estimates the cost will be 30 billion baht for Chiang Mai.

Electric mass transit seen as answer to PM2.5 woes – [12/01/24]
“CHIANG MAI: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin vowed to promote electric mass transit to help solve the nagging air pollution problem in this northern province.”

Chiang Mai transport set for major upgrades – [09/01/24]
“The railway system is divided into three main lines: a 12.5-km red line (12 stations), a 10.5-km blue line (13 stations), and a 12-km green line (10 stations). Meanwhile, the feeder bus system is expected to cover 89km on seven main routes and 85km on seven additional routes. The plan also involves the construction of a light rail transit train project between Nakhon Ping Hospital and Mae Hia Saman Samakkee intersection and a high-speed train system from the province to Bangkok, with the latter being a Thai-Japanese partnership project.”

2022

Chiang Mai to have rubber-tyred tram in 2028 – [01/11/22]
“The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) revealed its plans to finish a rubber-tyred tram project in Chiang Mai by 2028. Construction is expected to start in 2025 with a budget of 9.3 billion baht.”

2020

Tussle over Chiang Mai’s tramway – [16/03/20]
“Chamber of commerce urges all three lines be built at once, but MRTA says state has other mass transit priorities too.”

Bid for light rail system in Chiang Mai expected next year – [13/02/20]
“Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is expected to call a bid for the development of the light rail system or Red Line tram (Nakornping Hospital-Mae-Hia Saman-Samakkee Intersection) in Chiang Mai next year.”

2019

Chiang Mai rallies behind light rail – [02/08/19]

First public hearing for the light rail transit’s first route – [01/08/19]

MRTA will be surveying sites soon for the construction of the light rail transit system – [09/07/19]

Chiang Mai faces another eight year wait for Light Rail network – [18/01/19]

2018

Light rail construction approved for Chiang Mai – [16/07/18]

2017

Final meeting on Chiang Mai Light Rail Transit before it is sent to MRTA for approval – [04/08/17]

Tram or light railway? Above ground or underground too? Cheap or expensive? Chiang Mai meeting tomorrow – [03/08/17]

Public transportation network alternatives A and B – [22/06/17]

Another light rail transit system proposed for Chiang Mai – [23/05/17]

2016

PMAP Chiang Mai Public Transit Master Plan 2nd public forum held – [09/09/16]

2013

The Chiang Mai Monorail? A dream come true? Looks like it. – [18/07/13]

2000’s

Proposals for a Chiang Mai mass transit go back to the early 2000’s. 2bangkok.com has archived news articles from the likes of The Bangkok Post, where the original articles have since gone offline.
Chiang Mai Mass Transit News 2004-2006

The Vientiane – Vung Ang railway is a proposed railway connecting Vientiane in Laos to the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam. Vung Ang is the closest feasible seaport to Vientiane, thus the railway would enable landlocked Laos access to a deep seaport for shipping. The railway would also interchange with Vietnam’s North-South railway, opening up the prospect of a Hanoi-Vientiane railway service.

If the line connects to the Laos-China railway in Vientiane, the catchment area for freight shipment will extend into Northern Laos and Southern China.

The proposed line is 555 km in total – 452 km in Laos and 103 km in Vietnam. Each country has pledged to finance and build their own section. The total estimated cost is over 5 billion USD.

The Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province will be jointly developed by the two countries. Laos will hold a 60% stake in the project, and Vietnam with 40%.

A feasibility study was commissioned in 2015 by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and in 2017 it was announced that the project was viable.

In 2019 an Indonesian consortium announced it begin work on the Laos section in 2021. The leaders of Laos and Vietnam met in August 2021 and pledged to accelerate the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, though no dates were given.

In March 2022 it was announced that Laos would assume management of Vung Ang seaport in July, and then it was announced that the railway would begin construction in November 2022.

The project will now be built as a public–private partnership between Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PTL) and Vietnam’s Deo Ca Group JSC. The new construction timeline is to begin construction in 2026 and be completed by 2030.

This line will also form the first section of the proposed Vientiane – Champasak Railway.

Vientiane – Vung Ang Railway Map

This map shows the locations that are part of the project but not the actual station locations.

[Map of Vientiane – Vung Ang railway.]

Links And Resources

Feasibility Study for Railway Link between Laos and Vietnam

News Archive

2026

Lao–Vietnam Railway project: a new phase development strategy for regional connectivity (article in Thai) – [25/03/26] Translated article here.

Laos seeks approval for USD 1.3 billion railway to Vietnam – [24/03/26]

“The Lao government has submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to move forward with a planned railway linking Laos to Vietnam’s Vung Ang Port.”

2025

Laos–Vietnam railway construction to begin in 2026, operations targeted for 2030 [07/12/25]
“The strategic route will connect Vientiane to Vietnam’s Vung Ang Port, giving Laos critical access to maritime trade routes for the first time. The project is being implemented as a public–private partnership between Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PTL) and Vietnam’s Deo Ca Group JSC.”

Enhanced cooperation to boost Laos’ connectivity with Vietnam’s central coastal ports – [04/12/25]
“At the meeting, the two ministers also reviewed progress on other key transport infrastructure projects linking the two countries, including the Hanoi – Vientiane expressway and the Vung Ang – Vientiane railway.”

Laos, Vietnam agree to forge ahead with transport projects – [14/11/25]
“The governments of Laos and Vietnam have agreed to speed up joint ventures that will boost regional connectivity and economic growth, especially the Vientiane-Hanoi expressway, the Laos-Vietnam railway, and the Vung Ang seaport.”

Major infrastructure push targets road, rail, and waterway upgrades in Laos – [30/09/25]
“Feasibility studies and design work are currently underway for the Vientiane–Thakhek–Naphao line connecting to Vietnam’s Vung Ang port, the Kaisone Phomvihane City–Dansavanh route in Savannakhet province, and the Vientiane–Champasack Railway Project.”

Vietnam – Laos Prime Ministers agree to promote high-speed and railway projects – [30/05/25]
“…both PMs emphasised the need to strengthen connectivity between their economies in terms of transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and tourism, including accelerating the construction of Hanoi-Vientiane Expressway and the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway.”

Vietnamese PM meets with Lao counterpart on ASEAN Summit sidelines – [26/05/25]
“Economic cooperation took centre stage in their discussion as both PMs emphasised the need to strengthen connectivity between their economies in terms of transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and tourism, including accelerating the construction of Hanoi-Vientiane Expressway and the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway”.

Laos, Vietnam review bilateral cooperation, discuss plans for 2025 – [10/01/25]
“According to a report from the committee, infrastructure projects, such as the joint development of Vung Ang Port in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province, a railway to link Laos with the port and Vientiane-Hanoi Highway, will be prioritised to strengthen connectivity.”

2024

Laos, Vietnam take steps to complete agreed upon construction projects – [18/12/24]
“The two ministries also agreed to source funding to implement strategic projects such as the construction of an expressway between Vientiane and Hanoi, a railway linking Thakhaek, the capital of the central Lao province of Khammuan, to the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province, and other key transport projects.”

Lao, Vietnamese leaders advance plans for rail, road connections – [29/10/24]
“On 23 October, during a meeting at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Laos’ President Thongloun Sisoulith and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh agreed to expedite the Thakhaek-Vung Ang seaport rail link.”

Laos-Vietnam highway, high-speed railway face funding issues – [21/10/24]
“Laos’ large national debt has stopped progress on the railway and held back plans for a Vientiane-Hanoi expressway.”

S. Korea pleased to support Laos as vital logistics hub – [17/10/24]
“South Korea is pleased to consider Laos’ proposal for assistance with the construction of the Hanoi-Vientiane Expressway and the Vientiane-Vung Ang Railway.”

The Prime Minister talked about the cooperation plan to build highways and railways connecting Vietnam – Laos – [07/01/24]

2023

Lao officials, villagers in the dark about impacts of new railway – [24/10/23]
“The project to construct a route to a Vietnamese seaport is expected to be completed by 2028.”

Vietnam-Laos joint venture allowed to develop railway project – [19/10/23]
“A joint venture between Vietnamese infrastructure developer Deo Ca Group JSC and Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade) has been allowed to develop a railway project linking the two countries.”

Investors to do pre-feasibility study for Vietnam-Laos railway section – [17/10/23]
“The Ministry of Transport has allowed a joint venture between Laos Petrotrade and Deo Ca Group to conduct a pre-feasibility study for a section of the Vietnam-Laos railway project.”

Laos-Vietnam railway set to open for service in 2028 – [04/09/23]
“The Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PTL), in cooperation with Yooshin Engineering Corporation and Korea National Railway, will conduct a detailed design study of the railway before construction begins.”

Railway proposed to link Vung Ang to Laos – [24/08/23]
“A consortium has put forth a proposal to develop a 103-kilometer section of the Vietnam-Laos railway project with an investment cost of VND27,485 billion.

The consortium, consisting of Deoca Group and Petroleum Trading Lao Public (PetroTrade), has sought the Ministry of Transport’s permission to explore a railway route passing through Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, which share a border with Laos.”

How Vietnam’s infrastructure incapacity undermines its geoeconomic ambitions – [03/08/23]
“The lack of progress on the 555-kilometer railway linking Vung Ang to the Lao capital Vientiane contrasts starkly with the recently completed Kunming-Vientiane line.”

Laos-Vietnam railway construction could begin by year end: developer – [21/04/23]
“It is expected that the first section of the railway to be built will be the 139.18-km track between the Vietnamese border and Thakhaek – the capital of central Khammuan province.”

The Laos-Vietnam Railway will bring more convenient transport conditions for Asia-Potash – [17/03/23]

Deo Ca Group, Petro Trade join hands in Vietnam-Laos railway project – [01/03/23]
“As part of the deal, Deo Ca Group and Petro Trade will construct a 103-kilometer section of the railway between Vung Ang Port and Mu Gia Pass in Quang Binh Province costing VND27,485 billion.”

Deoca, PetroTrade plan $6.3 bln railway connecting Vientiane with Vietnam port – [01/03/23]
“Vietnam’s Deoca Group said on Wednesday it had set up a joint venture with Laos’ Petroleum Trading Lao (PetroTrade) to study the possibility of jointly building a railway connecting the two countries, with a possible price tag of 149.55 trillion dong ($6.31 billion).”

2022

Construction of Thakhek-Vung Ang seaport railway link expected to begin early next year – [22/12/22]

Vietnamese group Deoca, foreign partners aim to build railways in HCMC, Laos – [10/07/22]
“Deoca Group is working with foreign partners to study construction of Ho Chi Minh City’s Metro Line 2 and a railway connecting Vung Ang Economic Zone in central Vietnam to Vientiane.”

Laos-Vietnam railway project to link Vientiane with Thakhek – [01/07/22]

FLC Group to help build $5bn railway From Vientiane to Hà Tĩnh – [23/03/22]

FLC and Petrotrade sign investment and construction contract for railway project connecting Laos and Vietnam – [23/03/22]

Work on Vientiane-Vung Ang railway expected to start in November – [18/03/22]

Work on Vientiane-Vung Ang railway expected to start in November – [17/03/22]
“The railway, estimated to cost US$5 billion, is a proposed line that the Lao and Vietnamese governments have agreed to jointly develop…A feasibility study on the 554km railway has been completed, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade), Mr Chanthone Sitthixay, told the President of the National Assembly, Dr Xaysomphone Phomvihane, recently.”

2021

Laos-Vietnam friendship and solidarity year to be celebrated next year – [10/08/21]
“Laos and Vietnam have agreed to celebrate 2022 as Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year.”

Vietnam, Laos ink series of agreements – [10/08/21]
“In the working session with Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on the same day, the two leaders talked about measures to promote trade and investment, and the acceleration of some projects including Vung Ang No.1, 2, 3 port projects, the Hanoi-Vientiane Expressway, Vientiane-Vung Ang Railway, Lao-Vietnam Friendship Park in Vientiane, Nongkhang Airport and hospitals in Lao Houaphan and Xiangkhouang Provinces.”

[Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (L) and Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh on August 9. Photo: VNA]

Laos: Vientiane Logistics Park project prepares for soft opening, linking with Laos-China railway – [24/07/21]
“The TDP and VLP are set to connect to a number of mega trade infrastructure projects that are also part of the Laos Logistics Link. These include the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province, which the Lao and Vietnamese governments have agreed to jointly develop, the planned railway to link the Lao capital of Vientiane with the Vung Ang seaport”.

Viet Nam, Laos agree to seek investments for strategic transport projects – [26/06/21]
“Viet Nam and Laos have agreed to work together to seek investments for strategic transport connectivity projects, including the Ha Noi-Vientiane expressway and Vientiane-Vung Ang railway.”

Vietnam’s tug of war with China over Laos – [12/05/21]
“…Laos also has a strategic interest in maintaining a warm relationship with Vietnam. Being landlocked, Vietnam provides the best route for Laos to access the sea for trade. Infrastructure projects to connect Laos with Vietnam’s key economic centres, including a proposed railway from Vientiane to the central Vietnamese deep-water port of Vung Ang, are being considered. Chinese infrastructure financing has also left Laos with a heavy burden of debt and vulnerable to Beijing’s manipulation. Vietnam offers a counterweight to this trend. The best strategy for Laos is to walk the line between its two bigger neighbours and benefit from both.”

2020

Study set for Laos-Vietnam Railway Project – [13/10/20]
“Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade) has signed an agreement with the National Consulting Group Sole Co Ltd to conduct an environmental and social impact assessment to ensure the Laos-Vietnam Railway Project is developed in compliance with international environmental and social standards.”

2019

3rd Meeting of Working Group on Dry Ports [PDF] – [13-14 November 2019]
Logistics Strategy and Logistics Development Plan in Lao PDR.

Indonesia announces start date for $1.9bn Vietnam-Laos rail link – [22/10/19]
“The Indonesia Railway Development Consortium has announced plans to begin work in 2021 on a 400km rail line between Vietnam and Laos for a price of $1.9bn”

Indonesian consortium plans $2 billion Vietnam-Laos railway link – [22/10/19]

Laos plans to begin work on Laos-Vietnam railway in 2021 – [17/10/19]
“The Lao Government has entrusted the Petroleum Trading Lao Public Company (PetroTrade) to conduct a feasibility study on a Laos-Vietnam railway project, the Vientiane Times reported.”

Lao, Vietnamese PMs push for mega infrastructure projects – [05/06/19]
“The governments of Laos and Vietnam have agreed to jointly develop the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province.

It was reported previously that Laos would hold a stake of up to 60 percent in the project, while Vietnam will hold the remaining 40 percent. The Lao government envisages that the seaport will be a key trade route for the landlocked nation. 

The two sides signed an agreement earlier this year pledging to work together to fuulfil the planned project, known as the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway.

The 555-km railway will cover 452km in Laos and 103km in Vietnam.

Each side pledged to seek financing to build the section of railway on its soil, according to the agreement on exploring potentials to realise the railway project.”

Experts question need for proposed Laos-Vietnam rail link – [08/03/19]
“A railway connecting the Lao capital Vientiane with the port of Vung Ang on Vietnam’s coast may have trouble finding lenders to finance the project, plans for which were announced at the end of February by Lao and Vietnamese leaders, experts say.”

Laos, Vietnam seek funds for cross-border railway – [27/02/19]
“The two sides signed an agreement in Vientiane on Sunday, pledging to work together to realise the planned project, known as the Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, local daily Vientiane Times reported yesterday.”

Lao-Vietnamese Presidents agreed to further strengthen ties – [26/02/19]
“The Two sides agreed to further strengthen their great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with the signing of 9 cooperation agreements related to financial cooperation, construction of Vientiane-Vung Ang railway, electricity and mines development and other relevant agreements were also signed.”

2018

Vientiane – Vung Ang railway needs over 5 billion USD – [04/05/18]
“More than 5 billion USD is needed to build a railway linking the Lao capital of Vientiane with Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam, according to research conducted under a technical support project for the railway’s feasibility study.”

2017

Feasibility study says Laos-Vietnam railway doable – [11/12/17]
“Two years ago, Lao, Vietnamese and Korean experts and officials met in the capital of Laos to commence a study on the feasibility of a proposed 555km railway that would link Vientiane, passing through Thakaek (Khammouane) to Vung Ang Port in Vietnam. Last week, that feasibility study was declared complete. The railway was announced to be a viable project, worth pursuing.”

Study recommends 150km speed for Vientiane-Vung Ang railway. – [01/12/17]

Govt takes step to develop VungAng Seaport – [25/05/17]
“During last month’s visit to Laos by Vietnam’s Prime Minister, the two governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to work together to develop the Vientiane-Thakhaek-Muya railway, linking Vientiane with the VungAng seaport.”

Plans gather steam for railway linking Vientiane to Vietnamese seaport – [18/05/17]

Vietnamese Prime Minister pays an official visit to Laos – [26/04/17]
“The two Prime Ministers also signed and witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements on a joint venture project to develop Vung Ang Port as a Lao-Vietnamese port; the building of a railway stretching from Vientiane through Thakhek, Mayu, and Ton Ob to Vung Ang”.

2016

A Vietnam-Laos railway could be on the horizon – [10/03/16]
“The study, funded by the International Cooperation Agency of Korea (KOICA), will review the planning, potential railway site, traffic demand forecast, economic analysis and financial feasibility of the proposed railway”.

Feasibility study for Laos-Vietnam railway begins – [25/02/16]
“A feasibility study for a railway linking the Lao capital of Vientiane with Vung Ang seaport in central Ha Tinh province of Vietnam has begun, a senior Lao official has said.”

2015

South Korea to help Laos with rail link plan – [19/10/15]
“The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will provide US$3 million (Bt106 million) in aid to help Laos conduct a feasibility study for a railway link from Vientiane to Vung Ang, Vietnam.”

Vietnam to add new line to China-Southeast Asia rail network – [08/10/15]
“A rail link is now being planned between the central province of Ha Tinh and Laos capital city Vientiane, as part of a network between China and Southeast Asian countries.”

RoK finances 550 km railway feasibility study – [22/07/15]
“The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has provided a grant of US$3 million for a two-year feasibility study for the proposed 550 km railway. The study will be conducted through 2017.”

2010

The Study on the Development Plan of Thakek-Vung Ang Gateway between Lao PDR and Vietnam – [March 2010]
(The New East-West Corridor for North-Eastern Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam) Study Report

One Central Saigon (formerly known as Spirit of Saigon and One Central HCM) is a double-tower development in Ho Chi Minh City. The two towers of 48 and 55 floors are connected by a podium, and its central location opposite the Ben Thanh Market is set to make this development a defining landmark of the city.

The two towers feature a distinctive design of a cantilevered overhang at the top of each building representing dragon heads. Below each “head” is a cantilevered glass cube representing pearls in the mouth of the dragons.

The height of the two towers is 240 metres and 218 metres. By comparison, the nearby Bitexco Financial Tower is 264 metres, and Saigon Centre is 193 metres.

The project will host office space, a hotel, luxury apartments, and retail in the podium. The basement will be connected to the underground mall and walkway of the metro system. Ben Thanh station will eventually be a junction for three metro lines, making it one of the prime locations of the city.

One Central Saigon has been through years of delays since it was first proposed in 2010. Originally the project was called “The One Ho Chi Minh City” before it changed was renamed Spirit of Saigon. It was renamed One Central HCM in 2021. The Ritz Carlton had originally signed on to be the signature hotel of the project. They had dropped out of the project, but now they are back as the hotel. The apartments will be branded under Masterise Homes.

Work was underway on the site in 2014 and the 6-level basement was completed in 2017. After that the project stalled. In 2018 the investor Bitexco transferred it to a subsidiary, Saigon Glory. Work on the site resumed at the end of 2019 and stalled again. Work has since resumed in 2026.

Location

Address: Block bounded by Tran Hung Dao, Pho Duc Chinh, Le Thi Hong Gam, and Calmette,, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Links and Resources

Client: Saigon Glory, a subsidiary of Bitexco Group.
Architect: Arquitectonica
Structural engineer: LERA
Engineering: DSA Engineers
News: skyscrapercity.com

News Archive

2026

Work restarts on long-stalled twin-tower project across Ben Thanh Market – [17/03/26]
“A twin-tower project across the landmark Ben Thanh Market in downtown HCMC has restarted construction after years in limbo, with completion expected in about 30 months.”

2025

HCM City moves to revive two long-stalled downtown mega projects – [15/11/25]
“The city has recently approved adjustments to the project, including a 48-month extension to its construction timeline and partial legal clearance for transfer of ownership, paving the way for potential resumption.”

2024

Mammoth project in Ho Chi Minh City’s Ben Thanh quadrangle transferred to Hanoi-based property firm – [21/10/24]
“Bitexco Group officially transferred all of its stakes in Saigon Glory, the developer of the big-ticket One Central HCM project situated in the Ben Thanh quadrangle, to a real estate company in Hanoi at the beginning of October.”

Truong My Lan’s $632M payment ‘legitimate’, Bitexco Group tells court – [10/10/24]
“Investigators found that in 2018 Bitexco agreed to sell a property project called The Spirit of Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 to Truong My Lan’s company Van Thinh Phat Group at the price tag of VND22 trillion.”

Hanoi developer takes over delayed mega project in downtown HCMC – [28/09/24]
“Eastern Hanoi Real Estate Co., Ltd, the new owner of the project, was established on May 23, 2019, with a charter capital of VND517 billion ($21 million). Its initial shareholders were Eastern Real Estate Investment and Trading LLC (50%) and Pham Quoc Nhat (50%). Nhat, 58, also served as its legal representative and CEO.”

Bitexco Group to transfer stake at Saigon Glory for bond repayment – [27/09/24]
“Bitexco Group has reached an agreement to transfer its 100 per cent stake in Saigon Glory, the developer of the luxury One Central HCM twin towers in central HCM City, to Eastern Hanoi Real Estate Company Limited.”

The Spirit of Saigon 500 million USD changes hands: Who is the Hanoi tycoon who took over the super project? – [26/09/24]

2023

Bitexco subsidiary reports $6M loss for 2022 – [04/06/23]
“Property developer Saigon Glory, a subsidiary of Bitexco Group, reported a loss of VND152 billion (US$6.47 million) for last year.

The company, which is building the 8,600-square-meter One Central HCM twin towers in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, has a debt obligation of over VND27.3 trillion, 36% of them being bonds.”

2021

[Construction view from Ben Thanh Market – 18/06/2021.]

[Construction view from Tran Hung Dao – 18/06/2021.]

[Construction view from Ben Thanh Market – 31/05/2021.]

[Construction view from Tran Hung Dao – 26/05/2021.]

[Construction – 22/04/2021.]

Renovation plan proposed for HCMC museum – [22/03/21]
“According to the museum, after construction of a commercial skyscraper began next door in 2012, three of its buildings have subsided and suffered cracks to their walls and floors.”

[Name change to One Central HCM – 19/03/2021.]

[Ritz-Carlton – 11/03/2021.]

[Ritz-Carlton and Masterise Homes sign – 11/03/2021.]

[Removing podium scaffolding – 30/01/2021.]

[Podium side view – 30/01/2021.]

[Concreting – 29/01/2021.]

[Construction – 28/01/2021.]

[Construction – 12/01/2021.]

2020

[Concreting night – 04/12/20.]

[Museum and Spirit of Saigon – 29/09/2020.]

Saigon skyscraper investor submits museum repair plan – [26/09/20]

HCMC museum’s century-old buildings face threat from skyscraper construction – [22/09/20]

[Construction – 06/08/2020.]

[Construction – 07/06/2020.]

[Construction – 23/04/2020.]

[Construction – 23/04/2020.]

The Spirit of Saigon sees signs of progress after long delay – [18/03/20]

[Construction – 15/03/2020.]

[Construction – 15/03/2020.]

2019

Coteccons starts construction the superstructure of Spirit of Saigon project – [14/10/19]
Coteccons are building the 10 podium floors of the project.

2017

[Abandoned Spirit Of Saigon site.]

2016

[Basement construction – 13/11/2016.]

2012

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. announces first hotel in Vietnam, with development of The Ritz-Carlton, Saigon – [July, 2012]

Thailand is spending billions of baht in double tracking its antiquated metre-gauge railway network, which will not significantly improve train speeds. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s grand master plan is making Thailand’s plan look mediocre by comparison. Here is what Thailand is planning, and what they should do instead.

In 2017, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) unveiled a 20-year master plan for rail development. The PDF report can be found here:

Rail Development Master Plan to Facilitate Special Economic Zones, Tourism and Local Area Development

Bangkok Post published a summary if you don’t feel like slogging through a 158-page report: OTP unveils 20-year master rail plan.

The plan involves converting the metre-gauge single-track railway network to a double-track network, as well as building standard-gauge high-speed railways.

At the time of the report, the single-track network was 3,763 km, while the double and third-track networks were 280 km. The plan proposes reducing the single-track network to 770 km while increasing the double and third-track networks to 5,625 km. The plan also includes 2,506 km of high-speed railway.

My biggest issue with Thailand’s railway development plan is that they are building this dual-gauge railway system when they should have phased out the metre-gauge railway completely and invested in a modern standard-gauge railway.

I’ve already written about the mixed-gauge mess of Thailand’s railways, so I will be ploughing some old territory here. There have been some recent developments and regional news stories that have got me thinking about Thailand’s rail development plan again.

The Chiang Mai high-speed railway and the Lopburi Bypass

The 20-year master plan includes the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed railway. The Bangkok-Phitsanulok section was proposed to be built in the middle-term phase (between 2022 and 2026), and the Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai section in the long-term phase (from 2027 to 2036).

We are now in the final year of the middle-term phase, and the Chiang Mai high-speed railway is technically still alive, but the probability of it being built is low.

While the prospects of a standard-gauge railway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai are slipping away, the State Railway of Thailand are continuing their plan to double-track the current metre-gauge railway on the Northern Line.

The double tracking of the Lop Buri-Pak Nam Pho section is a 145-kilometre line which includes a 19km elevated section (the longest elevated railway in Thailand). The elevated section bypasses Lopburi, and a new station (Lopburi 2) has been built to serve trains that use the bypass. The old Lopburi station is still used for local trains.

The Lopburi bypass opened in December 2025, and I took the train from Chiang Mai to Lopburi so I could see the bypass for myself.

Lopburi 2 Station is on the elevated section, about 8 km west of Lopburi city. Most of the express trains on the Northern Line use this station, and a free shuttle service operates between Lopburi 2 Station and Lopburi Station.

I took the shuttle to Lopburi Station, and after staying in Lopburi, I took the commuter train from the old Lopburi Station to Bangkok.

The line that goes through Lopburi is still used for some through services, but what surprised me more was that the line is still used for freight. What was the point of building a city bypass if freight trains are still going through the city?

The Lopburi bypass is a substantial amount of concrete that resembles a structure that would serve a high-speed railway, but this is for diesel trains on the metre-gauge railway.

If Thailand were still considering building a high-speed railway to Chiang Mai, it would need to construct another viaduct for the high-speed railway.

Thailand is currently building a high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, and it is also double-tracking the existing single-track metre-gauge railway in the same corridor. If the Bangkok-Chiang Mai high-speed railway were ever to be built, then the Northern corridor would also have the same duplication of railways as the Northeastern corridor is currently undergoing.

Vietnam is planning what Thailand should have done

Vietnam’s economy shifted up a gear in 2025, and the rest of Southeast Asia is taking notice. The rise of Vietnam has been acknowledged at the highest level in Thailand, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stating that it is a “nightmare” to see Thailand’s economy lagging behind Vietnam’s.

While reviewing Thailand’s unambitious 20-year master plan, I can’t help but compare it to Vietnam’s ambitious high-speed railway plan. Vietnam plans to build a high-speed railway from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. 

The line will be a standard-gauge double-track railway with a top speed of 350 km/h. It will reduce travel time between the two cities from 35-40 hours to about 5.5 hours, and it will make flying between some cities redundant.

Like Thailand, Vietnam currently has a single-track metre-gauge railway system with trains powered by diesel engines. Vietnam did consider upgrading the metre-gauge line, but a report in 2013 concluded that it would be cheaper to build a new line than to rehabilitate the old line. 

To be fair to Thailand, Vietnam is talking big, but they have no track record of building any new national railway lines. The high-speed railway plan has been talked about since 2005, and the last time they tried to rebuild a railway, they gave up halfway through. 

Cities in Vietnam have also been slow to build urban railways, with Hanoi breaking the record in Asia for the longest time to complete a first metro line, while Ho Chi Minh City took 12 years to build the first metro line that was supposed to take 6 years.

What Thailand’s 20-year master plan for rail development should have looked like

The current 20-year master plan involves double-tracking the current metre-gauge network while planning to build high-speed railways in the same corridors. 

To quote the master plan:

“Development of master plan. It will help to transport passengers and rail freight faster, safer and more punctual. The dual system will reduce delays and uncertainty. Because of waiting It also increases the frequency of service. It is expected that the train will be able to service at an average speed of 90 km / hr. and the car can be served at an average speed of 70 km / hr. The hourly rate of all services is expected to increase to 80%.”

The double tracking will improve service frequencies as trains will no longer have to wait at passing loops for other trains to pass. There will be some speed improvements, but ultimately, it won’t be enough to shift travellers from air travel to train travel.

What the master plan for rail development in Thailand should have done was to systematically phase out the metre gauge railways, one region at a time. 

All the lines should be standard-gauge, with a high-speed railway in the Nong Khai-Bangkok and Bangkok-Padang Besar corridor, as well as Bangkok-Chiang Mai. For the other lines, a semi-high-speed railway (160 km/h) like the Laos-China Railway would have been sufficient.

Thailand needs to be more ambitious

Renovating the old system instead of building a modern railway is symbolic of the malaise that Thailand currently finds itself in.

There has been a lot of self-flagellation in the local media over the last year about how Thailand’s economy is adrift. In February 2026, the Financial Times published an article about how Thailand became the ‘sick man’ of Asia, and the title has stuck. That title is unfair (I would say it is the Philippines), but the article got more people talking about the economy.

Articles in the local media continue to compare Thailand’s lagging economy with Vietnam’s rise, but this article’s headline mentions the bigger problem:

Thailand is spooked by Vietnam’s ascent – but what’s scarier is Bangkok’s lack of big ideas

Economic rivalry with your regional neighbours is good, as it keeps your own economy competitive. Thailand’s tourism industry has been coasting on its “Land of Smiles” reputation for decades, so the rise of Vietnam has been a wake-up call. The Bangkok Post ran with the headline, “war room touted amid Vietnam rivalry“, which could have been more tastefully written given the two countries’ history.

Bangkok has been throwing around some big ideas, but those ideas have been like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks. Some ideas include casinos, a Disney park, and the Land Bridge project.

Build the high-speed railway instead of the Land Bridge

I have already written about why the Thailand Land Bridge is a bad idea. As an alternative, I would suggest fast-tracking the proposed high-speed railway from Bangkok to Padang Besar.

The Land Bridge is being championed as an economic boost for the south, but a high-speed railway passing through the major cities will be more beneficial. For example, Hat Yai is still recovering from the catastrophic flood of 2025. There was the usual post-disaster talk of how to help Hat Yai recover, but one thing that will not help it recover is the Land Bridge.

If Thailand is prepared to spend one trillion baht on something, then spend it on the high-speed railway.

The current train from Bangkok to Hat Yai Junction takes between 14 and 16 hours to cover the 945 km distance.

When I calculated the travel times of the Vietnam high-speed railway, I used the Beijing-Shanghai HSR as an example. It has an operating speed of 350 km/h, and averaged out, it takes 291.9 km/h.

Using this metric, a high-speed railway at 350 km/h would travel from Bangkok to Hat Yai in about 3 hours and 15 minutes. Not only would this be competitive with air travel, but it would also transform the cities in the path, such as Hua Hin, Chumphon, and Surat Thani. With a high-speed railway to the south, why not make a branch to Phuket instead of the proposed metre-gauge railway?

In the master plan document (3.4.4 Necessity of High-Speed Rail System Development in Thailand), it states:

“The high-speed rail system will bring a new era for travel and new experience to passengers. It will be also an important key to national development as it will decentralize growth and prosperity countrywide.”

A high-speed railway would be more beneficial for the south than the Land Bridge, and it would make train travel fast enough for people to consider switching from air travel.