International News
Singapore Road Collapse Kills One
A raised highway collapsed while under construction in Singapore in July, killing one and injuring 10, all of them foreign workers. According to the BCA and Land Transport Authority (LTA) investigation BCA said “a support structure (girder) and platform (deck slab) for one portion of the viaduct collapsed during concreting works”. Eleven workers, from China, […]
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Bangkok Selects Bombardier for Monorail
Two huge infrastructure contracts for Bangkok’s monorail were awarded to Canadian engineering firm Bombardier in August. The Khae Rai-MinBuri northern line will stretch for 35km and operate with 42 trainsets while the eastern Lat Phrao-Samrong line will run for 30km and use 30 trainsets. The driverless trains will run at speeds of up to 80 […]
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Work Starts on Malay Rail Connection
Work officially began on the construction of Malaysia’s flagship infrastructure project, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) on 9 August. The USD13 billion project will connect Port Klang on the west coast near the capital Kuala Lumpur to Kelantan near the Thai border with 23 stations in between. Under the One Belt, One Road initiative, […]
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Scg Sign Jv for Viet Petro-chemical Plant
Thailand’s construction material giant Siam Cement Group (SCG) has signed a joint venture agreement with Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to build the first petrochemical plant in Vietnam. The USD5.6 billion project, located 100km from Ho Chi Minh City in south Vietnam, will see construction of a one million ton ethylene cracker, the development […]
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China Clarifies Overseas Investment Ruling
After a period of uncertainty, China has formally clarified new rules on overseas investments. The new legal framework comprises three categories; banned, restricted and encouraged. In a positive sign for the region, companies engaging in the nation’s ambitious One Belt One Road initiative lie in the ‘encouraged’ category. The new rules will likely have an […]
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Thailand Approves Rail Link
After years of negotiations, Thailand’s cabinet finally gave approval to construction of the first phase of a high-speed railway to the Laotian border in July. The approval followed the issuing of an executive order by the nation’s military government. Phase one will be the 250-km line between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima which is expected to […]
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Pressure Builds for Thai Kra Canal
Pressure is mounting on the Thai government from a powerful domestic and Chinese lobby group to approve a study into building an international shipping canal. The proposed 140km twin canal project would provide access across Thailand’s Kra isthmus, allowing ships to avoid the Straits of Malacca. Located between Sumatra and the Malay peninsula, the straits […]
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Us Firm Wins Malaysia Mass Transit Contract
A US firm has won a lucrative contract on the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line in Malaysia. Jacobs Engineering will provide design consultancy for all the track-work and associated infrastructure, and use building information modeling (BIM) throughout the construction process. The Dallas company has been targeting transport infrastructure project in […]
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Japanese Go Ultra-luxury in Phuket
A leading Japanese property developer has entered into a joint venture to create an ultra-luxury residential project in Phuket, Thailand worth an estimated USD174 million.
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Philippines Bans Workers to Qatar
The Philippines has banned workers from travelling to Qatar after four neighbouring Gulf States imposed a blockade on the tiny emirate in protest at alleged links to terrorist funding at the start of June. There are over 140,000 documented Filipino workers reside in Qatar, with many working on huge construction and infrastructure projects related to […]
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