Nomadic Notes Newsletter (September 2025)
[Penang Update] The Little Osaka of Thailand, the Koreatown and Chinatown in a Northern Vietnam city, and where to stay in Quy Nhon.
Welcome to the Nomadic Notes Newsletter. This newsletter summarises the latest posts at nomadicnotes.com, site updates, and other unblogged ramblings.
Travel updates
Hello from Penang! This is usually a monthly update, though I missed last month. I was in Chiang Mai for the previous two months, and I’m now in the favourite city for visa runners from Thailand.
I’m in Penang to review some transport and construction projects on the island. One of the projects I am most looking forward to is the light rail from George Town (the old town) to the airport. The railway will also connect to the mainland via a bridge. There is an image of the bridge on the official website.
It would have been great if they extended the long-distance train to Penang, but this will at least connect the island to the mainland trains.
After Penang, I will get the train to KL.
Latest posts at Nomadic Notes
• Notes on Sri Racha – The Little Osaka of Thailand
Sri Racha is a city on the Bay of Bangkok in Chonburi province. The city is between Bang Saen (the closest beach to Bangkok) and Pattaya, and it is part of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area.
• Notes on Bac Ninh: The booming manufacturing powerhouse near Hanoi
On the railway to China, the hidden ancient citadel, and visiting the Koreatown and Chinatown in this booming manufacturing hub of Northern Vietnam.
• Where to stay in Quy Nhon – City beaches, coastal resorts, and quaint fishing villages
Quy Nhon has not broken out like Da Nang and Nha Trang (yet), so it’s a good place to see a coastal city with few international tourists.
What I’ve been working on / My other sites
The Travel Wire
I curate the best reads that I find each week and post them at The Travel Wire.
Future Southeast Asia
Most of my weekly writing is at the Future Southeast Asia Newsletter.
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James Clark – Penang, Malaysia.