Vietnam

  • World NewsVietnam to re-open popular tourist spots to vaccinated arrivals from December

    Vietnam to re-open popular tourist spots to vaccinated arrivals from December

    From December, Vietnam will open a number of tourist hotspots to vaccinated travellers from “low-risk” countries. According to a Reuters report, the Vietnamese government hopes to follow this with a full re-opening, currently planned for June 2022. The authorities recently confirmed they would re-open the popular island of Phu Quoc to vaccinated tourists from November. The country has been living…

  • World NewsTourism said to fuel Southeast Asia’s illegal wildlife trade

    Tourism said to fuel Southeast Asia’s illegal wildlife trade

    This article is written by Soraya Kishtwari and was originally published on China Dialogue under a Creative Commons licence. Tourist guides and information centres in Southeast Asia have been fuelling the illegal wildlife trade by facilitating consumption by tourists, several investigations show. Prior to Covid-19, shops trading wildlife items, from ivory bangles to tortoise shells, relied heavily on tourists, forming partnerships with travel…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesWeather warning issued as tropical storm Dianmu approaches

    Weather warning issued as tropical storm Dianmu approaches

    The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a warning for the North, Northeast, East and Central regions, as it monitors tropical storm Dianmu, which is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression. The TMD says the storm made landfall over the central Vietnamese province of Quang this morning and is about 260 kilometres southeast of Amnat Charoen province, in north-east…

  • World News15 people fled hidden in truck to escape Covid-19 in Vietnam

    15 people fled hidden in truck to escape Covid-19 in Vietnam

    A refrigerated truck travelling north from Southern Vietnam was discovered to be holding 15 stowaways trying to escape the Covid-19 surge. Vietnamese state media reported on the story of the 15 people, one of which was just 7 years old, attempting to escape from the south which has been overwhelmed with Covid-19 infections. According to reports from Ho Chi Minh…

  • World NewsVietnam to trial sandbox re-opening to foreign tourists on Phu Quoc island

    Vietnam to trial sandbox re-opening to foreign tourists on Phu Quoc island

    Vietnam will trial a sandbox project on Phu Quoc, re-opening the island to vaccinated foreign tourists by the end of the year. The plan has been confirmed by the Vietnamese PM, Pham Minh Chinh, according to a TTR Weekly report. The government hopes to attract 2 – 3 million foreign tourists through the Phu Quoc sandbox, although officials have not…

  • World NewsHo Chi Minh lockdown impacts global coffee supplies

    Ho Chi Minh lockdown impacts global coffee supplies

    Vietnam’s lockdown of its largest city and exporting hub, Ho Chi Minh, has resulted in global concerns about coffee supplies as the country is a major producer of robusta, a bean known for its bitter taste which is often used in instant coffee. The southern city under strict travel restrictions following an uptick of cases involving the highly transmissible Delta…

  • World NewsVietnam Covid-19 surges, Ho Chi Minh enters lockdown Monday

    Vietnam Covid-19 surges, Ho Chi Minh enters lockdown Monday

    With soaring Covid-19 infections, Ho Chi Minh City has issued a stay-at-home order enacting a strict lockdown that bans people from leaving their home starting Monday. The megacity of 9 million people has accounted for a full 80% of all Covid-19 deaths and 50% of Covid-19 infections in Vietnam and less harsh lockdown restrictions aren’t making headway. The deputy head…

  • World NewsCambodian union leader given 2 year prison sentence following comments that “incited unrest”

    Cambodian union leader given 2 year prison sentence following comments that “incited unrest”

    An influential Cambodian labour union leader has been handed a 2 year prison sentence yesterday over comments that the government says were insensitive and incited social unrest. His comments pertained to the country’s border. Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, has been in police custody for over a year following the government’s claims that Rong disseminated false…

  • World NewsVietnam considers strict regulations for social media live streaming

    Vietnam considers strict regulations for social media live streaming

    Regulations on social media live streaming could soon be tightening in Vietnam and affect so-called “influencers” who make money off of marketing. In an effort to crack down on “fake news” and offensive content, the country’s Ministry of Information and Communications is proposing regulations on the live videos streamed through Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Under the proposed measures, reported by…

  • World NewsVietnam issues final extension of stay for stranded travellers

    Vietnam issues final extension of stay for stranded travellers

    Foreign nationals who’ve been stranded in Vietnam can now avail of an automatic final extension of stay issued by the country’s Immigration Department. The automatic extension allows foreigners who arrived on visa waivers, e-visas, and tourist visas from March 1, 2020, to remain in Vietnam until July 31 and to depart the country without applying for an extension of stay.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsTropical storm Koguma brings heavy rain to North, Northeast

    Tropical storm Koguma brings heavy rain to North, Northeast

    Tropical storm Koguma is heading towards the Northern and Northeastern region of Thailand and is expected to dump rain on the area over the next few days as it weakens. The storm was centred over the Tonkin Bay off the northern coast of Vietnam yesterday morning and has been heading moving west at about a 15 kilometre per hour. The…

  • World NewsVietnam Ministry of Labour cracks down on illegal workers

    Vietnam Ministry of Labour cracks down on illegal workers

    In the struggles facing Vietnam with a new Covid-19 outbreak, the country has announced a crackdown on illegal foreign workers. The Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs has requested tightening on the rules and enforcement of expats working in Vietnam in an official announcement. They urged provincial and municipal officials to get strict on foreign workers and consider…

  • World NewsAll residents in Ho Chi Minh to be tested for Covid following outbreak in the city

    All residents in Ho Chi Minh to be tested for Covid following outbreak in the city

    A Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam’s largest city of Ho Chi Minh has driven the Vietnamese government to test all residents for the virus. While infections in Vietnam have remained low, a new cluster linked to a religious mission has been reported in the city and what a local officials call a “very dangerous” new variant was recently found in the…

  • World NewsVietnamese president asks US for help with Covid-19 vaccination efforts

    Vietnamese president asks US for help with Covid-19 vaccination efforts

    The President of Vietnam has written to US President, Joe Biden, asking for help with Covid-19 vaccines as his country battles a surge in infections. Over 4,000 new cases have been recorded since a fourth wave took hold at the end of April. The country has received 2 shipments of 2.5 million AstraZeneca doses through Covax, the global initiative set…

  • World NewsNew Covid-19 variant in Vietnam, a hybrid of Indian and UK strain

    New Covid-19 variant in Vietnam, a hybrid of Indian and UK strain

    A combination of the so-called Indian variant and UK variant of Covid-19 with rapid airborne transmission has been discovered in Vietnam. The country, like Thailand, locked down hard and early and largely avoided the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, only to have a new outbreak bring exponentially worse infections and death in April. The discovery of this new strain is contributing…

  • World NewsVietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City orders travel companies to suspend “vaccine tours”

    Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City orders travel companies to suspend “vaccine tours”

    Officials in Ho Chi Minh have ordered local travel companies to stop offering “vaccine tours” to the US, accusing operators of only selling 1-way tickets. The southern city’s Tourism Department claims there are hidden costs involved and travellers may even end up without a flight home. So-called vaccine tours have become popular recently, as wealthy citizens whose countries are struggling…

  • Covid-19 NewsTravel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control

    Travel bubble talks to pick back up once Covid-19 is under control

    Once the Covid-19 outbreak is under control, Thailand will pick back up on travel bubble discussions with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia. Travel bubbles could start as soon as October if the daily Covid-19 count significantly decreases by the end of the month. The country’s Covid-19 immunisation plan needs to be accelerated and the daily Covid-19 count…

  • World NewsVietnamese woman becomes first to die in Vietnam after receiving AstraZeneca’s vaccine shot

    Vietnamese woman becomes first to die in Vietnam after receiving AstraZeneca’s vaccine shot

    A Vietnamese woman is the first person to die in Vietnam after receiving the Covid-19 AstraZeneca shot. The Ministry of Public Health says the 35 year old developed anaphylactic shock after getting the first dose of the vaccine, passing away in Vietnam’s southern province of An Giang last Friday. “This is a very rare case in the vaccination against Covid-19.”…

  • World NewsVietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days

    Vietnam extends quarantine for overseas arrivals to 21 days

    Just the thought of 14 days in isolation has driven away many prospective tourists. Imagine 21 days in quarantine. If you want to travel to Vietnam, you’ll now have to go through the 3 week quarantine upon entering the country, Vietnam’s Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long announced yesterday. The country of 96 million people has kept cases low at…

  • Thailand NewsFree media threatened by Covid-19-inspired laws

    Free media threatened by Covid-19-inspired laws

    The International Commission of Jurists is warning that media and journalists in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam are seeing legal repression grow during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the group outlined the expanding threat. New laws that many claim violate human rights also serve to throttle the space…

  • Thailand NewsThailand eyes travel bubbles again with low-risk countries

    Thailand eyes travel bubbles again with low-risk countries

    Thailand is eyeing travel bubbles once again with low-risk countries like Singapore, Laos and Vietnam. Sports and Tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says officials from Thailand and Singapore are discussing forming travel bubbles, as Singapore already has experience forming green routes with other asian countries. “We have acknowledged that Singapore has previously run the travel bubble with Australia and New Zealand.…

  • Crime NewsMan’s genitals cut and flushed by jealous girlfriend

    Man’s genitals cut and flushed by jealous girlfriend

    Ever felt like your sex life has been flushed down the toilet? A man in Taiwan experienced that literally when his girlfriend cut off his genitals while he slept and flushed them down her toilet on the evening of March 30. The story, first published by the website Mothership the day after the incident, involves a 52 year old man…

  • World NewsNorth Korea severs ties with Malaysia over “unpardonable” US extradition

    North Korea severs ties with Malaysia over “unpardonable” US extradition

    The reclusive country of North Korea has confirmed a severing of diplomatic ties with Malaysia after its one-time ally agreed to extradite a North Korean citizen to the US. According to the Bangkok Post, Pyongyang has described the extradition as an “unpardonable crime”, accusing Malaysia of responding to US pressure with blind obedience. The country’s foreign ministry has announced that…

  • Crime NewsMore methamphetamine found on Thailand beach, suspected to be linked to sunken vessel

    More methamphetamine found on Thailand beach, suspected to be linked to sunken vessel

    More packages of methamphetamine have washed up on a Thailand beach, this time on the shore of Koh Chang, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Trat. Police have speculated that the drugs, all in similar packaging, may have been from a vessel that sank while carrying a shipment of drugs from Vietnam. In earlier reports,…

  • World NewsCambodian dog slaughterhouse shut down, owner says he is “ashamed”

    Cambodian dog slaughterhouse shut down, owner says he is “ashamed”

    After increasing calls to end the dog meat trade, a Cambodian slaughterhouse is shutting down, with its owner saying he is “ashamed.” Ouk Mol, the owner, says the dog slaughterhouse has killed more than a million dogs since opening in 1995. According to Four Paws animal rights group, Cambodia slaughters between 2 to 3 million dogs per year, while offering…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Home-made Thai vaccine ready to start trials | February 11

    Thailand News Today | Home-made Thai vaccine ready to start trials | February 11

    Thailand’s Health Minister, Anutin, is now claiming that the first stage of human trials of a locally-produced vaccine brew will get underway next month. The local Thai vaccine is a joint collaboration between the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the Faculty of Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University. It’s understood the vaccine has performed satisfactorily in animal testing, showing an ability to…

  • World NewsOutbreak in Vietnam linked to the more contagious UK variant of Covid-19

    Outbreak in Vietnam linked to the more contagious UK variant of Covid-19

    The more contagious UK variant of Covid-19 is linked to a new outbreak in Vietnam with 276 people infected in 10 provinces and cities, according to the country’s health minister. The new cases are a major uptick for Vietnam, which has only recorded 1,850 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic last year. Vietnam had its…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Monk busted over ‘ice’ alms | January 29

    Thailand News Today | Monk busted over ‘ice’ alms | January 29

    Police arrested a 45 year old Buddhist monk for allegedly getting high on methamphetamine at a temple in the north eastern province of Buriram. The monk allegedly told police that a follower gave him the drugs as a merit gift and convinced him to take it. Local police say they received a complaint from the Baan Kok Mueng temple’s abbot…

  • Thailand NewsNew forum to tackle Mekong challenges

    New forum to tackle Mekong challenges

    For nearly 20 years, activists have called against the development of hydro-dams and water projects along the Mekong River. But now, the campaign is taking the next step with plans to focus on taking action at the policy level. It took 2 decades, but activists have now launched the “Mekong People’s Forum.” 200 people attended the forum including local villagers, conservationists,…

  • World News15 Asia-Pacific countries form the world’s largest trade bloc, the great RCEP reset

    15 Asia-Pacific countries form the world’s largest trade bloc, the great RCEP reset

    After 8 gruelling years of negotiation, 15 countries have signed onto the largest free trade bloc in history. In a joint statement, the leaders of the countries, signatories of the trade deal, say RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) will form a crucial part of economic recovery once the pandemic is over. The deal excludes the US, which withdrew from a…