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I had to go into Vietnam last week for some work. Had to connect to a domestic flight at HCMC, which invloved a six hours layover in HCMC airport. Decided then to rent a car and get into the city for some sightseeing. Here is a pictorial report of the visit,... HCMC airport into city centre is only about 15 kilometers... car and driver for four hours cost me US$25.00. I had already check in my luggage and therefore only had a handcarry. The last time I was in HCM was in 1996, and boy have the city changed. More building, more traffic and more tourists...... Talk about Singapore traffic and motor bikes, well in HCM if you have a weak heart, would suggest you close your eyes when riding in a car....

I'm thinking of bringing my parents and kids (total 6 of us) for a short vacation in Dec. My parents are in their early/mid 80s, and my mother can only walk very slowly, and not too long distance. They are also scared of cold, so we're thinking of going to one of the Indochina countries, for maybe 3-5 days. (After we come back, we'll likely go for another trip maybe a week or so, to Korea, but without my parents, who cannot tahan the cold...) I'm not familiar with any of these countries, so am hoping that anyone here who is, can provide some advice on which of Bangkok, Cambodia, Vietnam is nice and easy to go around? Kids are in S2 and S4, so have outgrown the theme park stage. I know it's not easy for their interests to match nicely with the grandparents, but they're quite close, so should be able to accommodate/compromise a bit. Any advice or suggestion is welcomed - as i'm just starting to read up and find out on this. Thanks.

In any other country, this may not be a shocking sight. But this is Singapore, so it IS a shocking sight. Watch the video to see why! What happened? A camcar travelling along Kallang Road to Sim avenue was very impressed to see a family of 4 travelling on an e-bike at 60km/h. The mother was calmly leaning back as she took a call, the two children sitting there and the father expertly keeping the bike balanced. Never rode an e-bike before so riders, comment down below how difficult this would be! Behind the camera, someone can be heard saying “Steady Lah... Vietnam style!” For context, entire families taking a singular bike for transport is common in our neighbouring countries, such as Vietnam. Here’s one from India. And here’s another from Indonesia. Usually, this happens when the families are unable to afford a car, and so can only depend on bikes as public transport may not be considered safe or reliable enough. With how COE prices are going, we can all be grateful that our public transport is among the best in the world. Online chatter Quite a few thought the video was in Vietnam until the Singlish commentary started. Others were angry as there seemed to be no action taken by the authorities to prevent such dangerous behaviour on our roads, especially since they are going well over the 25km/h speed limit set for e-bikes. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Vietnam-to-make-Apple-Watch-and-MacBook-for-first-time-ever?utm_campaign=GL_techAsia&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=5&pub_date=20220818150000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Vietnam to make Apple Watch and MacBook for first time ever Country benefits as tech giant looks to build more products outside of China Producing the highly sophisticated Apple Watch would be a win for Vietnam as it attempts to further upgrade its tech manufacturing sector. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) CHENG TING-FANG and LAULY LI, Nikkei Asia tech correspondentsAugust 17, 2022 11:04 JST TAIPEI -- Apple is in talks to make Apple Watches and MacBooks in Vietnam for the first time, marking a further win for the Southeast Asian country as the U.S. tech giant looks to diversify production away from China. Apple suppliers Luxshare Precision Industry and Foxconn have started test production of the Apple Watch in northern Vietnam with the aim of producing the device outside of China for the very first time, three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia. Vietnam is already Apple's most important production hub outside of China, producing a wide range of flagship products for the American company, including iPad tablets and AirPods earphones. The Apple Watch is even more sophisticated, according to industry experts, who say that squeezing so many components into such a small case requires a high degree of technological skill. Producing the device would be a win for Vietnam as the country attempts to further upgrade its tech manufacturing sector. Apple has also continued to shift iPad production to Vietnam after COVID-related lockdowns in Shanghai caused massive supply chain disruptions. BYD of China was the first to assist with this shift, though sources told Nikkei Asia that Foxconn, too, is now helping build more iPads in the Southeast Asian nation. Apple is also in talks with suppliers to build test production lines for its HomePod smart speakers in Vietnam, the people said. On the MacBook front, Apple has asked suppliers to set up a test production line in Vietnam, two sources said. However, progress in moving mass production to the country has been slow, partly due to pandemic-related disruptions but also because notebook computer production involves a larger supply chain, multiple sources said. That network is currently centered on China and very cost-competitive, they added. "AirPods, Apple Watch, HomePod and more ... Apple has big plans in Vietnam, apart from iPhone manufacturing," one of the people with direct knowledge of the situation said. "The components for MacBooks have become more modularized than in the past, which makes it easier to produce the laptops outside of China. But how to make it cost-competitive is another challenge." Apple's diversification to Vietnam started with AirPods, which went into mass production there in 2020. The earphones were among the first Apple products whose assembly was shifted out of China after a trade war between Washington and Beijing broke out under former U.S. President Donald Trump. The move signaled a change of approach for Apple, which had depended on China for almost all of its production needs for decades. For Vietnam, Apple's shift -- and the U.S.-China tensions more broadly -- have been a boon. The number of Apple suppliers with facilities in the country has increased to at least 22 from 14 in 2018, according to Nikkei Asia's analysis of Apple's latest available suppliers list and interviews with sources. Many other major electronics manufacturers like Google, Dell and Amazon have also set up production in Vietnam to diversify beyond China, Nikkei Asia has previously reported. Eddie Han, a senior analyst with Isaiah Research, told Nikkei Asia that electronics makers are trying to strike a balance amid Washington-Beijing tensions. "Geographically, we find major international electronics brands such as Apple and Samsung trying to lower dependence on making products inside China. But on the other hand, these international players have adopted more China-based suppliers such as Luxshare and BYD for Apple, and Huaqin for Samsung to build more of their products," Han said. "Those are moves to balance the geopolitical impacts." "China's role as the world's most important factory has been challenged since the trade war and then later its energy and zero-COVID policies," Han said. "That really makes Vietnam, which is close to China, an ideal destination for many electronics makers as the nation gradually grows its supply chain ecosystem." Apple, Foxconn and Luxshare did not respond to Nikkei Asia's request for comment.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/Cambodia-holds-back-Vietnam-and-Thailand-in-trafficking-prevention?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220816190000&seq_num=2&si=44594 In its latest Trafficking in Persons report, the U.S. State Department downgraded Vietnam and Cambodia to its bottom tier and put Indonesia on a watchlist. © Illustration by Hiroko Oshima Cambodia holds back Vietnam and Thailand in trafficking prevention Porous borders, corruption preclude collective progress FRANCESCA REGALADO, LIEN HOANG and SHOICHIRO TAGUCHI, Nikkei staff writersAugust 16, 2022 06:00 JST BANGKOK/HO CHI MINH CITY/TOKYO -- Geography has helped Thailand and Vietnam compete for a large share of investment flowing out of China. But it has also thrown a wrench in their plans as trafficking persists along Southeast Asia's porous borders, especially in their shared neighbor Cambodia. In its latest Trafficking in Persons report, the U.S. State Department downgraded Vietnam and Cambodia to its bottom tier and put Indonesia on a watchlist. Governments fearful of losing U.S. investment and economic aid are typically motivated to aim for the first or second tiers. At risk of falling into the third tier, Thailand spent the past year improving agency coordination and prosecuting officials complicit in human trafficking. "Whenever the U.S. talks about this, there will be feedback to the Thai government and they want to work harder," said Jaruwat Jinmonca, vice president of Immanuel Foundation, an anti-trafficking NGO based in Chiang Mai. "If the ranking's too low, the government will speed up their work." The report came in the nick of time for Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. In the last hours of a parliamentary censure debate last month against his government, Prayuth was able to bring Thailand's rise in the rankings to his defense. But Thailand's upgrade provided no relief to Namtip, a 15-year-old girl who spent two months in Cambodian custody after being trafficked from Thailand -- or the more than 3,300 other victims counted in the report. "The law in each country is different," said Surachate Hakparn, assistant commissioner in charge of anti-trafficking for the Royal Thai Police. "We can help people who were trafficked into Thailand more easily than getting Thais back from overseas." Ging, 26, borrowed money to pay her way out of a trafficked labor camp in Poipet, Cambodia. (Photo by Francesca Regalado) As corporate interest in environmental, social and governance issues grows, developed countries have been monitoring human rights violations. In the U.S., a law that allows for import injunctions on products made with forced labor has been in effect since 2016. The European Union is expected to announce a similar ban this year. "Business and human rights issues are recognized as a common challenge among developed countries," said Susumu Tanaka, senior economist and leader of the business and human rights unit of the Japan External Trade Organization. As long as cases of human trafficking continue to exist, "those countries will have to consider the possibility of being left out of the global supply chain." In Thailand, trafficking of migrants from Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia is rampant in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, fishing, tourism and entertainment. A major step forward was enforcing rules against forced labor as anti-trafficking laws. Prosecutions and convictions slowed last year, which police attribute to the COVID-19 pandemic, but investigations increased from 133 in 2020 to 188 in 2021, and are expected to double this year. Surachate's division received a 73 million-baht ($2 million) budget this fiscal year to address migrant labor and human trafficking. This was part of the Royal Thai Police's 32.8 billion baht annual budget, and allocations for anti-trafficking efforts to other agencies. But for all its efforts and resources, Thailand cannot do anything about the lack of political will and resources of its southeastern neighbor, Cambodia. Open terrain, hills and rivers make up the 817-kilometer border, making it difficult to patrol and easy to cross. Cambodia has been demoted to Tier 3 this year as endemic corruption continues to hamper anti-trafficking efforts. The port city of Sihanoukville, in particular, has become a base for syndicates that traffic people to run online scams. In downgrading Vietnam in the TIP report, the U.S. said the country didn't do enough to identify and help victims, while convictions of traffickers declined for five straight years. The report said some officials allegedly facilitated forced labor in Saudi Arabia, while others allegedly harassed accusers in efforts to silence them. Vietnam said the report "contained certain inaccurate information that has not fully" reflected its increased efforts, including the enforcement of a law on guest workers, protecting children online and cooperating internationally on safe migration. "Vietnam has been following with keen attention the situation pertaining to domestic and cross-border human trafficking, so as to come up with suitable countermeasures," said Le Thi Thu Hang, a foreign ministry spokeswoman. Ging shows a job posting in a Facebook page run by traffickers. The page has more than 16,000 followers. (Photo by Francesca Regalado) While Thai authorities can often identify victims and track perpetrators through bank accounts, internet data and phone records, enforcement often falls to their poorly equipped Cambodian counterparts. Immigration authorities in Sihanoukville, where 15-year-old Namtip was detained, said her case was delayed because they could not verify her identity. Victims who spoke with Nikkei Asia said they witnessed patrols on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border accepting bribes from traffickers for safe passage. Syndicate bosses would brag to victims about how much they paid the police for each head, the victims said. Corruption also helps explain the situation in Sihanoukville, which has a special economic zone, in which around 100 casinos and numerous property developments are financed and operated by Chinese businessmen. Victims could easily find where they were held on a map -- large compounds with high walls and barbed wire, containing dormitories and casinos. These are often in or near urban centers, as they require high-speed internet to conduct financial scams and traffic more people. "In the past, trafficking was done person to person. But online, you can trick a hundred people at the same time," said Surachate. Cambodia National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun told Nikkei in December that the force is committed to its crackdown on groups kidnapping workers. A trafficking survivor reunites with family in Vietnam, where the U.S. says limits on independent unions and free speech made it hard to discuss workers’ rights and labor trafficking. (Photo courtesy of Blue Dragon Children's Foundation) In Vietnam, the ads beckoning people to work overseas are as diverse as the destination countries, from Facebook posts and handwritten posters near the woods of Dalat touting Kuwait to printed banners for Japan on a narrow road outside Hanoi. Some chancers end up being tricked into slave labor. Nam Thuy says it was a steamed bun laced with sedatives that did him in. In May, facing an avalanche of medical bills, he decided on a last resort -- selling an organ. Thuy told Nikkei in Ho Chi Minh City that he jumped into a Hyundai vehicle with strangers thinking they'd broker the procedure. On the drive, the 30-year-old ate the bun, only to wake up hours later on the road to Cambodia, where he remained for months. He and dozens of other Vietnamese were forced to adopt fake online identities to con people, he said. With a target of about $4,000, he used chats to get people to invest in fraudulent get-rich-quick schemes. "If you didn't meet the target, they shocked you, beat you or let you starve," he said, tugging away his medical mask to reveal missing teeth. More people became vulnerable to exploitation during the pandemic and have been trafficked to a greater variety of places, but "the root cause is still poverty," said Nguyen Tra My, an anti-trafficking officer at Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, which rescues Vietnamese trapped in China. "The trafficking landscape changed," she said. Trafficking victims receive art therapy in Vietnam. By one count, the country conducted 36,000 inspections yet reported no sex trafficking victims, the U.S. said. (Photo courtesy of Blue Dragon Children's Foundation) Thai authorities and nonprofits say trafficking cannot be eradicated as long as economic opportunities at home are lacking. The promise of 30,000-baht monthly salaries is enough to persuade people to ignore red flags and take the risk of illegally crossing the border. Ging, a 26-year-old single mother who was trafficked to Poipet, made only 9,000 baht per month at a local company in Saraburi Province. "It sounded like the recruiter really wanted to help me make money," she told Nikkei six days after her return from Cambodia. "I was making money as they promised, but I just couldn't have my freedom," she said. To buy back her liberty, Ging had to raise three months' salary and borrow 30,000 baht from her hometown. Namtip, the 15-year-old, thought she was signing up for a summer job between school terms to help her grandmother with expenses. Sua, who was desperate for work after losing his job at a bank during the height of the pandemic, was trafficked to a casino in Sihanoukville. "The amount of money they were offering should have been a red flag," he said. "It was too much." Sua now works with the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, a nonprofit group for trafficked and abused women and children. Part of his work is encouraging victims to provide testimony to the police as most fear being charged for illegal acts committed forcibly, or for crossing borders illegally. "If any country is weak on trafficking, we need to have some kind of sanction," said Pavena Hongsakul, a former Thai politician who runs her eponymous foundation.

Now that I am married, I will now have part two. Living the rural retirement in vietnam. Not sure how this thread will end up. Heheh. @Carbon82 don't link the two threads ok? This is separate topic. For those who missed the story behind my marriage, the thread is here

Facebook Removes Accounts With AI-Generated Profile Photos Facebook on Friday removed what it called a global network of more than 900 accounts, pages, and groups from its platform and Instagram that allegedly used deceptive practices to push pro-Trump narratives to about 55 million users. The network used fake accounts, artificial amplification, and, notably, profile photos of fake faces generated using artificial intelligence to spread polarizing, predominantly right-wing content around the web, including on Twitter and YouTube. Facebook’s investigation connected The BL to The Epoch Times, a conservative media organization with ties to Chinese spiritual group Falun Gong and a history of aggressive support for Donald Trump. Ostensibly a US-based media organization, The BL network’s pages were operated by users in Vietnam and the US, who Facebook says made widespread use of fake accounts to evade detection and funnel traffic to its own websites. It represents an alarming new development in the information wars, as it appears to be the first large-scale deployment of AI-generated images in a social network. https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-removes-accounts-ai-generated-photos/#intcid=recommendations_wired-right-rail-popular_b5c81ee4-f065-4e23-81be-216273db9d3f_popular4-1 In below, the left, admins for “Patriots for President Trump,” nine out of 15 of which used AI-generated faces, researchers said. On the right, admins for “President Trump KAG 2020," eight out of 16 of which are fake faces, according to a report...

345,000 used condoms washed, dried & to be resold in southern Vietnam, those involved arrested source: https://mothership.sg/2020/09/condoms-recycled-vietnam/ Vietnam police confiscated approximately 345,000 used condoms that had been cleaned and were to be resold as new, state media reported. Footage by state-owned Vietnam Television (VTV) showed dozens of large bags containing the used contraceptives that lay strewn across a warehouse floor in the southern province of Binh Duong. The bags weighed over 360kg, police said, which is equivalent to around 345,000 condoms, according to VTV. The owner of the warehouse said they had received a “monthly input of used condoms from an unknown person”. S$0.23 per kg A woman detained during the operation told police the used condoms were first boiled in water then dried and reshaped on a wooden phallus. The cleaned condoms were then repackaged and resold. VTV said it was not known how many of the recycled condoms had already been sold. The detained woman said she had received US$0.17 (S$0.23) for every kilogram of recycled condoms she produced. Neither she nor the owner of the warehouse provided any comment.

Da nang Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. Da Nang is the 3rd largest city of Vietnam, they call it a touristy city. It's a popular base for visiting the inland Bà Nà hills to the west of the city. South of Da Nang toward Hoi An is Marble Hill, these 5 limestone outcrops are topped with pagodas and hide caves containing Buddhist shrines (copy from wiki). Da nang is famous for its beaches they called it Hawaii of the East. Many 5* resorts and spa resorts build along the long stretch of the beach all the way to Hoi An. First day arrived at Da nang around 8pm, queue up at the taxi stand, there is no visible sign and we just follow the little crowd (like 3-4 people) waiting. There was an airport staff managing the queue and will ask where you are going, please be careful when he assign you to another guy whose taxi is not in the queue cos those are not charge by meter. You can be charged 4-5x the meter fare but if you arrange for hotel transfer, it will probably about the same but you feel safer then taking public transport. Our hotel is 3min walk away from the river and 5 min walk to the dragon bridge. There are 2 streets with many eateries and more variety if you go somewhere further by taxi. Day time walk around in Da nang you will see many Korean tour group. The Han central market is a must to visit in Da nang, you get reasonable price as the local also shop there. Almost all the stalls sell G7 kopi. The market is divided into 2 floor, ground floor for dried food, wet market, household necessities & food stalls. Upstairs were clothing, shoes and fabric. .................................... more to come!

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/05/29/vinfast-vietnam-us-sales-electric-crossover/ Vietnam's VinFast plans to sell Pininfarina-designed electric crossover in the U.S. Vietnam's first home-grown automaker, VinFast, has its sights set on the American market. It plans to introduce an electric crossover before the end of 2020 and start selling it on our shores the following year. Founded in 2017, the company's range includes updated variants of the sixth-generation BMW 5 Series and the third-generation X5 named Lux A2.0 (pictured) and Lux SA2.0, respectively. It also sells a badge-engineered version of the Chevrolet Spark called Fadil. None of these cars are headed our way. Instead, the first car it hopes to sell here is a new model tentatively scheduled to make its debut at the 2020 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. VinFast hasn't unveiled the car yet, and we don't know what it will be called, but the company is enlisting the help of big names to make its dream of gaining a foothold in the American market a reality. Pininfarina will design the crossover, and LG Chem will provide a battery pack expected to deliver up to 310 miles of driving range. There's no word yet on how the company will distribute its cars in the United States; it will presumably need to find a distributor, though it could choose to handle sales in-house. Pricing information remains under wraps, too. "We expect to launch a test program in January 2021 and mass-produce the cars by July 2021," a spokesperson for the firm told Reuters. This timeline suggests the first VinFast models will arrive as 2022 models. VinFast is far from a household name, but Reuters noted it's part of Vingroup, which is one of the largest private conglomerates in Asia. It has stakes in a diverse selection of sectors including real estate, retail, healthcare, and technology. It sold 5,124 cars in the first quarter of 2020, a figure that puts it in fifth spot on Vietnam's sales chart.

has anyone tried vietnam coffee before, for e.g. the G7 brand? is it good in terms of taste and aroma? anyone knows where to get vietnam coffee?

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam regretted that some contents of the remarks made by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue and on his Facebook page did not objectively reflect the historical truth, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng has said. She made the statement in response to reporters’ queries on Tuesday about the Singaporean Prime Minister's speech at the dialogue and the information posted on his personal website on May 31 saying Việt Nam had “invaded” and “occupied” Cambodia. Việt Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had discussed the issue with its Singaporean counterpart, she said. The contribution and sacrifice of Việt Nam in the joint efforts with Cambodian people to end the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime had been widely recognised, Hằng said. On November 16, 2018, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) issued a verdict on the crimes against humanity committed by the Khmer Rouge. The ruling reflected the objective historical truth, enforcing justice and ensuring fair restitution for victims, and was welcomed by the international community and the United Nations, she said. The recent accomplishments of ASEAN are the result of joint efforts by all member nations throughout the history of the association, the spokesperson said, adding that each member was deeply aware of the importance of strengthening intra-bloc solidarity based on mutual respect and common principles. As an active and responsible member of ASEAN, Việt Nam will continue working with other members to build a strong community with a central role in the region, the spokesperson said. —VNS https://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/520904/viet-nam-issues-statement-on-singapore-pms-speech-at-shangri-la-dialogue.html#MlxxxV4fd3fewqos.97

The unspoil beautiful nature of Vietnam village, Vietnamese are living their lives relaxing and blend into nature harmony.

free plane tickets ... but still gotta pay taxes and fees ... last two days !! place seem to have improved a lot since i last visited there a few years ago.

Hi, I'll be going to HCMC, Vietnam around the CNY period, and this will be my first time there as well, so thought of asking for advice from people here that have been there. Any recommendation for hotels there? Plus, what's there in HCM worth visiting? thanks

Brought the family for a quick getaway recently, and we chose to go to Hanoi for a quick getaway. This was our first time in Hanoi. No idea what to expect. The return flight to Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines looked reasonable (less than $1,000 for the four of us, so why not. Let's do something different. In this thread, I'll post the videos that I've been making from this trip, just 3 nights away. At Singapore Changi, while waiting for our flight on VN660, spotted this Hello Kitty Eva Air Boeing 777. This must be one of the cutest planes on the planet right now. This video is the flight review of Singapore to Hanoi on an Airbus A321 jet. The flight time was just over 3 hours. First time on Vietnam Airlines, and didn't know what to expect. Turned out to be significantly better than expected. Service was good. Food was good. Plane didn't have personal In-flight entertainment system, but that was fine, given that the flight was short (and the price was good). Enjoy the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFVHW2B1ee0 Boy Gets Tangled in Huge Kite and Falls to Death - Vietnam A five-year-old boy was accidentally picked up by a huge kite and then fell down from a height of 20 meters, dying on Sunday in Ho Chi Minh City. The victim was Van Minh Dat, whose parents sell beverages to kite fliers and watchers in the Dong Dieu area in Hoc Mon District. This is an area where people often fly kites of various colors and sizes in the afternoon, attracting a lot of spectators, especially children brought by their parents. At about 4:00 pm yesterday, Dat was standing next to a huge red kite that was about to be flown on a pilot basis by the Saigon Kite Club in preparation for a kite festival to be held in Vung Tau, a seaside city about 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, soon. While a group of people were trying to fly the kite, whose wingspan is 18 meters wide, Dat managed to get under the kite’s wing without anyone noticing, according to Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper. When the kite picked up enough air it flew up, taking Dat along with it, as the boy’s legs had accidentally become tied around strings on the kite’s wing, Nguoi Lao Dong said. At that time, some witnesses dashed to pull the kite back down but they failed, the newspaper said. When the kite reached a height of about 20 meters, the strings unwound from his legs, causing him to fall to the ground. Witnesses took the boy to the Hoc Mon General Hospital for emergency aid but he died soon after. Meanwhile, the kite was pulled down to the ground. Local police have detained a number of people involved in the case for investigation. Dat’s family lives in Hoc Mon’s Xuan Thoi Dong Commune.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-23/how-bikini-airline-helped-to-create-vietnam-s-first-woman-billionaire First Vietnamese Billiionaire....and a dragon lady more billionaires to come hope have chance go Vietnam for "biz" trip with bikini clad stewardess

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=878184115536331 Do not try this at home.

Just back from a trip to viet/china. I can say is Vietnamese drivers give way to each other. Though they use the horn everytime, none of them loses their patience. Even though there are so many bikes, i am surprised the accident rate there is low i heard even though they break traffic rules like beat red light etc. Cars coming usually give way to them. Singapore drivers? Horn them, they point u middle finger. You wanna filter in, they accelerate and speed up instead, making u stuck behind.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_s3TUjhJPg[/media] http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/ceiling-collapses-during/1342866.html Twelve Singapore players were scheduled to appear at the tournament, but none were injured at the Ho Chi Minh venue. Did they shout "Happy New Year"?

@Sabian : are you there?

Joke, if cant afford then don't bid, let Singapore host the major event VIETNAM PM COULD PULL PLUG ASIAN GAMES http://www.thanhniennews.com/sports/vietnam-pm-could-pull-plug-on-asian-games-25086.html Vietnam built a number of stadiums and sporting venues for the 2003 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that have rarely, if ever, been used since. Hanois 1,000th Birthday celebration in 2010 prompted another massive bout of wasteful spending as a number of streets, bridges and other infrastructure built for the event collapsed or quickly deteriorated due to rushed and sloppy construction. In a country that has been notorious for squandering taxpayers money on hosting extravagant and unnecessary events, the public has been less than jubilant since Hanoi was picked to host the 2019 Asian Games (Asiad) two years ago. Facing strict criticism over the high (and seemingly escalating) cost of hosting the sporting event amid economic difficulties and a lack of sports infrastructure, Vietnam is considering withdrawing from the regions largest sporting event, which would have made it the first Southeast Asian nation for 20 years to host the showpiece competition. At a regular meeting of the central government on April 1, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to submit a detailed plan on hosting the quadrennial 2019 Asiad. Dung said so far the ministry only reported to the National Assembly, Vietnams legislature, about hosting the event. "I havent heard anything and I am not clear on anything, he said at the meeting. Dung said relevant agencies have to handle the issue thoughtfully. We agreed to host Asiad but it should only be carried out, with approval from the Prime Minister, when there is a feasible plan. Otherwise, [Vietnam] wont host [the event], he said. Dung instructed his deputy Vu Duc Dam and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh to report to him about the issue this week. The ball will then be in Dungs court to decide whether Vietnam will host the event. Earlier, at a meeting to discuss the issue last Saturday, Deputy PM Dam had told relevant agencies to consider withdrawing from hosting the event. Despite several ministry representatives saying it would be very difficult for Vietnam to do so, Dam instructed relevant agencies to touch base with the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) and involved partners on a withdrawal plan. People who say Vietnam will have to pay fine of $1 million to the Olympic Committee of Asia is incorrect. There has never been any case of paying fines under such circumstances in the past, he said. However, he said it would be difficult for other Asian countries to host the event if Vietnam withdraws from hosting the 2019 Asiad. Currently, no other Asian countries are eager to host Asiad for Vietnam. Indonesia competed for hosting the event and lost but currently, they are not prepared to host Asiad. Turkmenistan used to be interested in the event but they just won the race to host the 2017 Asian Indoor Games and will be unable to host another continental sporting event in such a short time. Vietweek asked OCA about what would be in the offing should Vietnam pull the plug, but had yet to get a reply at the time of going to press. In 2012, Hanoi won the vote over Surabaya of Indonesia in a two-city race. Dubai reportedly pulled out at the last minute saying it wanted to focus on future bids. Earlier, four other potential bidders, including Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi and Hong Kong had withdrawn, mostly for financial reasons. Questionable plan Ever since, critics have said that organizing such a big event would result in an economic burden and that the actual cost of hosting the Asiad would be much higher than the estimated amount. When bidding for the event in 2012, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism estimated the cost would be US$150 million, which was already criticized as too high for Vietnam. But at a meeting last month, Deputy Finance Minister Do Hoang Tuan Anh quoted a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plan as saying that the government will have to prepare around $300 million for the event, almost doubling the initial estimate. The figure did not include VND820 billion ($38.67 million) in estimated expenses for the training of Vietnamese athletes who would take part in the Games, he said. In several documents about hosting the 18th Asiad, the finance ministry showed it was suspicious of the sports ministrys plan, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported. In a document dated January 2013, the finance ministry said the Asiad would be much bigger than South East Asian Games 2003 but the planners only estimated cost as 1.2 times higher. In another document last July, the finance ministry asked how the sports ministry would enlist private investment for 72 percent of the cost as planned. The finance ministry has repeatedly asked the sports ministry to reconsider hosting the event because Vietnams economy is in the doldrums and the state exchequer should prioritize urgent social welfare issues. Last week, Vuong Bich Thang, general director of the Sports Department, said the cost would not exceed $150 million and that was is reasonable to host Asiad with that amount. We think what residents are concerned about the most is whether the money will be wasted or siphoned off during carrying out the plan, he said. Not the right time Bui Quang Vinh, Minister of Planning and Investment, told Tuoi Tre in an interview on March 31 that Vietnam should not host the Asiad. The ministry of planning and investment has said $150 million is not enough to host the Asiad, he said. Former chairman of Vietnam Olympic Committee Ha Quang Du said this is not the right time for Vietnam to host the Asian Games. Relevant authorities should listen to the opinions of the public to see if they should continue with the plan or not, he said. Its not right to say hosting Asiad is to promote the countrys image. During dozens of years of economic reforms, we have done a number of things to promote the country and the world knew about us, he said. He also said that unlike the World Cup, an Asiad would not have significant impact on attracting international tourists. Le Nhu Tien, a senior lawmaker, said he was concerned by high costs for hosting the event the most. He said Qatar spent $2.8 billion for the 2006 Asiad and China spent nearly $20 billion for the event in 2010. South Korea spent $1.62 billion, how could Vietnam host the 18th Asiad with $150 million? he said. Who will be responsible if costs for the event increase several times? Vietnam hosted the South East Asian Games in 2003 and many facilities built for the event have been criticized as wasteful because they have not been used for sporting purposes later. Nguyen Sy Cuong, another lawmaker, said sports minister Hoang Tuan Anh had not responded to his question during a recent meeting about how sports authorities would plan to use the facilities after the major event. There is a reality that [sport authorities] only focused on receiving money without caring about permanent use. Many sport facilities have been used for other purposes, he said. I think Vietnam should withdraw and should think that being fined once [for withdrawing] is still not worse than wasting money on costly sport facilities that can be used only once.

Ang Mo size trying Asian hole .... from yahoo : Woman Gets Stuck in Ho Chi Minh Hiding Hole Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is famous for its network of Củ Chi tunnels and holes, used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat. These days, the holes and tunnels are a common tourist attraction. To maximize concealment, the holes were built quite small, which can cause issues for today’s tourists, as this poor woman found out for herself during a recent trip to the hiding holes of Ho Chi Minh City. Credit: Hendrik Beese video link : http://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/woman-gets-stuck-ho-chi-102239455.html

...I will integrate into the country so well that no one else will know that I am from Singapore. Rather than me paying for my own studies in sg, with Vietnamese classmates on scholarship at the expense of taxpayers! Hope? What hope?