Ep 164: South East Asia’s Top 10 New Airport, High-Speed Rail & Transport Projects, with James Clark, Future South East Asia

About This Episode

15 Feb 2023 • 32.00s

“A groundbreaking moment in the history of rail travel in South East Asia.” Wherever you travel in South East Asia, it’s hard to miss the transport infrastructure being built out on a vast scale – often with financing and technology from China. This will be a feature through the 2020s and beyond - albeit with countries like Japan, South Korea and maybe India joining in.

This week, Gary is joined by James Clark, Producer of the Future Southeast Asia newsletter, to discuss the region’s Top 10 airport, high-speed rail and other travel and transport infrastructure projects. These range from new airport terminals in Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia to South East Asia’s first high-speed railway due to open later this year, and another scheduled for 2026.

Plus we discuss a metro system in Vietnam, a railway upgrade connecting Bangkok and Thailand’s southern beaches - and the potential issues for passengers ahead of the cross-border opening of the China-Laos railway.

View All Episodes

Latest Episodes Catch up with the pods you may have missed

Play
7 Mar 2026 • 16m26s

Ep 289: War in Iran & Lebanon Raises New Questions for South East Asian Travel Economies: Pre-Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

“We don’t know when this war is going to end, but already we are seeing a great degree of uncertainty return to travel and tourism in South East Asia.” One week after the US and Israel began attacking Iran and Lebanon, what are the short-term outcomes for travel in the region - and what are the risks waiting up ahead? This week, Gary is in Seoul and he asks some of the structural questions the travel industry will be thinking about as a major economic shock looms.
Play
2 Mar 2026 • 28m31s

Ep 288: ASEAN's Air Travel Outlook: Where are the Hotspots & Slow-Motion Markets?: Start the Week with The South East Asia Travel Show

“Vietnam’s international air market is the biggest story in South East Asia.” ASEAN’s breakout travel and tourism star leads the bullish projections about air travel, but structural issues in South East Asia’s biggest market, Indonesia, drag down the overall 2026 outlook. Longer-term, sustained growth is predicted, but where are the hotspots to watch, and which are the slow-motion markets? This week, Gary is joined by Singapore-based aviation consultant Brendan Sobie to dissect the travel outlook from the skies above ASEAN.