Girders Installed On Saigon’s First Metro Line
- Details
- Published on 08 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Brian Letwin.

If you’ve zipped along the North-South Highway in recent days, you’ve probably noticed a girder-laying machine doing its thing just off of Thao Dien Street.
[Video] Heartbreaking Film Shows The Hopes And Dreams Of The Mekong’s Boat Children
- Details
- Published on 08 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Last week, Mai Huyen Chi released “Down the Stream,” a short film that explores the lives of boat children in the Mekong Delta.
Vietnam to Get 3 New Internet Cables
- Details
- Published on 08 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Following constant ruptures to the Asia-America Gateway (AAG), Vietnamese telecommunication firms and government agencies are planning to build three new cables to ensure that the country's internet users can enjoy a dependable connection.
Weekend News Roundup: Court Agrees To Pay $360,000 To Wrongfully Imprisoned Man
- Details
- Published on 08 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Brian Letwin.

Vietnamese argue over bridal photo shoot on university campus [Tuoi Tre]
Young Vietnamese build free, low-cost playgrounds for kids from recycled materials [Tuoi Tre]
Cost to build road set to hit new high with Hanoi's $80 million plan [Thanh Nien]
84% Of Vietnamese Students Admit To Plagiarism
- Details
- Published on 05 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

At a conference on academic integrity in Vietnam held on May 29, a university official announced the results of a survey that found 84% of students have plagiarized significant portions of their writing.
Vietnam To Launch Spratly Island Tours
- Details
- Published on 05 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Vietnam has announced a new tour to the Spratly Islands in the midst of growing tensions over territorial claims in the East Sea.
Repair Date, Maintenance Period Announced For Vietnam’s Broken Undersea Internet Cable
- Details
- Published on 05 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Vietnam’s internet connection should return to normal speeds in two weeks as teams rush to repair the snapped Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable that lies off the coast of Vung Tau.
Morning News Roundup: Hanoi Traffic Officer Caught On Video Throwing Driver’s Papers Away
- Details
- Published on 05 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Sexual harassment turns increasingly sophisticated at Vietnam workplaces [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam to promote Son Doong Cave at SEA Games [Tuoi Tre]
Hanoi traffic officer caught on video throwing driver’s papers away [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam Set To Drop Visa Requirements For 15 Mystery Nations, Establish US$100 million Tourism Fund
- Details
- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Another week, another hopeful sign that Vietnam is committed to reforming its cumbersome tourist visa policies after 12 consecutive months of falling international arrivals.
[Photos] Saigon House Recaptures City’s Fading Charm
- Details
- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

The Saigon House (perhaps located in District 6 due to the presence of Chinese-style shrines out front), seeks to recreate the lost Vuong Hong Sen's dwellings that once dotted Saigon-Gia Dinh.
Vietnam Pushes Ahead With High-Speed Rail Line
- Details
- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

While Saigon may soon be getting its eagerly awaited metro and BRT systems, a considerably larger infrastructure project is slowly gaining steam – a north-south high-speed railway.
Vietnam’s Cities Are Losing A Lot More Than Their Old Buildings: Experts
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- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Zelda Rudzitsky.

“A city is enriched by accumulation over generations. Accumulation incorporates destruction but keeps enough fabric to retain cultural identity, while obliteration erases everything including the cultural fabric.” (Hoanh Tran)
TPP Deal Could Add 30% to Vietnam’s GDP
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- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

At a conference in Saigon last week, Charles H. Rivkin, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, said that if passed, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement is expected to add 30% to Vietnam’s GDP over the next 10 years.
Morning News Roundup: First-Day Sales Of Vietnam’s Bphone Hit Almost 12,000 Handsets
- Details
- Published on 04 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Alberto Prieto.

Vietnam's Saigon Port plans to raise at least $19 mln in IPO [Reuters]
First-day sales of Vietnam’s Bphone hit almost 12,000 handsets: manufacturer [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam scrap vendor finally lays her hands on $31,000 fortune [Thanh Nien]
[Video] Beautiful Timelapse Takes You Through SE Asia In 5 Minutes
- Details
- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

You may remember Dylan Ozanich and his girlfriend who, after a 1,800km road trip from Hoi An to Phnom Penh a few months back, gifted their Honda Dream to a Phnom Penh coconut vendor. This happened to be just one stretch of their Asian adventure that took them through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.
June Movies at Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
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- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Zelda Rudzitsky.

This month’s films show us that it’s possible to make a great sequel from an 80s classic, that Twilight has accidentally done something good for cinema and that Hollywood producers can’t always constrain indie filmmakers.
Ministry: No Power Cuts During Extreme Heat Wave In Vietnam
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- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Rising temperatures are no match for Vietnam’s electricity grid, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Check Out This Hardcore American War-Era Board Game
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- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

As the US scaled up their military presence in Vietnam during the mid-1960s, anti-American propaganda followed suit throughout communist nations in Asia. While much of this was manifested in well-know propaganda posters, the scorn sometimes took on other forms. Like board games.
Passengers Complain Of Missing Property At Noi Bai Airport
- Details
- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Numerous cases of stolen property have been reported at Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, prompting VietJet to lodge a complaint with airport authorities and an increasing distrust among passengers.
Morning News Roundup: Government Tells Local Authorities To Return Beaches To People
- Details
- Published on 03 June 2015
- Written by Saigoneer.

Half of Vietnam’s population infected with parasitic worms: doctor [Tuoi Tre]
3,000-Year-Old Axes Found in Vietnam [Archaeology]