Can Coffee Save the Vietnamese Economy?
- Details
- Published on 22 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
As inefficient state-owned business drag down Vietnam’s economy with bad debt, other sectors must pick up the slack. In times of economic stagnation, the country has one fallback - agriculture.
Morning Links: Vietnam Plans Over 110 Television Channels by 2015
- Details
- Published on 22 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Vietnam police deny recent memo banning people from filming cops [Thanh Nien]
- Bus carrying Vietnamese robbed in Moscow [Tuoi Tre]
- Century-old temple inside bodhi tree slowly collapsing [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam Ponders Regulations on Free Chat Apps
- Details
- Published on 21 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Free chat apps such as Viber, Wechat, Whatsapp and Line have become extremely popular in Vietnam. Providing free chat and calls, domestically and internationally, these tools appear on the majority of smartphones in the country. But there’s one group that isn’t particularly happy about this trend – state-owned telecommunication companies.
How Much Do You Make? New Report Finds Growing Salaries in HCMC
- Details
- Published on 21 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Ever wonder what you're worth?
The recently released 2013 Robert Walters Global Salary Survey shows moderate growth in salaries for workers in the financial, supply chain, engineering, HR, IT, sales and marketing industries in Saigon.
"Encounter" @ San Art
- Details
- Published on 21 August 2013
“Encounter” kicks off this Wednesday with a lecture by renowned mathematician Professor Ngo Bao Chau. He is the fourth Asian to be awarded the Fields Medal (2010), the highest honour in mathematics, and the Simons Foundation recipient (2013).
Morning Links: Fire Rages Next to HCMC Backpackers’ Quarter
- Details
- Published on 21 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Vietnam Sends Plan for Relaxing Foreign Ownership Limits to Dung [Bloomberg]
- Vietnam court sentences Nigerian man to death for drug trafficking [Thanh Nien]
- Vietnam tourism to grant labor cross-ASEAN work certificates [Thanh Nien]
The Story of Saigon’s Opium Refinery
- Details
- Published on 20 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Many of you have probably enjoyed a meal in the courtyard at 74 Hai Ba Trung, which currently houses a number of high-end restaurants such as Vasco’s, Hanayuki, Annz and The Refinery; the latter being the most noteworthy as its name connects to the original use of this area – an opium refinery.
Wine, Grapes and Relaxation
- Details
- Published on 20 August 2013
- Written by Alfredo de la Casa. Photos by Thoa Kieu.
Although there are many reasons to visit Spain, including good weather, history and food, wine tourism has become one of the latest trends with foreigners and locals alike. You may enjoy drinking wine, but the next step is visiting the cellars.
Films Coming to Vietnam This August
- Details
- Published on 20 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
We know we’re a few weeks late, but here’s a list of films being released in Vietnam this month. Descriptions from IMDB.
Morning Links: Casinos to be Fined up to $10,000 if Serving Vietnamese Players
- Details
- Published on 20 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Ministry backs new airport plan [VNS]
- Viet Nam's first female film director dies [VNS]
- Overseas students’ series on life in US stirs Internet [Tuoi Tre]
Harley-Davidson Finally Opening Shop in Saigon?
- Details
- Published on 19 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
For a country with a motorbike obsession, this counts as huge news - iconic American motorcycle maker, Harley-Davidson, is finally opening a showroom in Vietnam according to a set of job postings on Vietnamworks (hat tip to Vietnam 720 for finding them).
Vietnamese Tech Startup of the Month – August Edition
- Details
- Published on 19 August 2013
- Written by Saigoneer.
As Vietnamese tech startups gain popularity and increased funding, the potential for growth in this market is massive.
TechinAsia, our favorite source for tech-related content in Vietnam, does an excellent job keeping us updated on the local startup scene.
Beautiful, 100-year-old Water Paintings of Vietnam
- Details
- Published on 19 August 2013
- Written by Saigoneer.
You know how much we love to post old photos of Vietnam. But every now and then it's nice to switch up the medium a bit, so today, we present some beautiful, turn-of-the 20th century water color paintings from French artist, Marius Hubert-Robert.
[Updated] 2 ‘Jungle Men’ Found Living in Vietnam Forest for 40 Years
- Details
- Published on 19 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
[Update Below] You may have heard the stories of Japanese troops, hiding on on small, secluded Pacific islands, unaware that World War II had ended. A similar situation played out this month in Quang Ngai where 2 men, scared by war, fled to the vast depths of the province’s remote jungles.
Earlier this month, villagers in Tay Tra District observed two men deep in the forest. Surprised by their behavior and dress, locals reported the sighting to authorities who set up a search team and found the pair five hours later.
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
- Details
- Published on 19 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
- Reporter charged for taking bribe from bar owner [Tuoi Tre]
- VN pearls have the world as their oyster [VNS]
- Vietnam cops arrested for receiving bribes from criminal [Thanh Nien]
12 Color Pictures of Saigon from Before WWII
- Details
- Published on 16 August 2013
- Written by Saigoneer.
With each passing day, Saigon's future becomes a bit more clear, and its past a bit more distant.
But fear not, for we've assembled a slideshow of colorized images from Saigon's colonial past.
VietJetAir Offering (Nearly) Free Tickets to Celebrate Milestone
- Details
- Published on 16 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
A few times per year, VietJetAir offers insanely low ticket prices and one of these promotions is fast approaching.
From August 21 – September 19, the budget airline is offering VND3,000 (US$.14) tickets for travel between September 5, 2013 and December 31, 2014.
Da Nang Taps IBM to Design Advanced Traffic System
- Details
- Published on 16 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Why is it that Da Nang keeps getting all the cool toys? As if free, city-wide WIFI weren’t enough, the city has signed a deal with IBM to install a high-tech traffic management system.
[UPDATED]Plan to Move Saigon's Electrical Wires Underground Facing Major Delays
- Details
- Published on 16 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
[Update Below] In an effort to clear Saigon’s skies, in 2009, city authorities signed off on a plan to move messy electrical wires underground. But the project, scheduled to be completed by 2015, is facing a plethora of technical and financial obstacles.
Morning Links: Vietnamese Man Pays Russian Boy $12,000 for Smashing Teeth with Golf Club
- Details
- Published on 16 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Over USD6 billion suggested for five PPP projects [dangcongsan]
Vietnamese forest devastated by Agent Orange restored to health [ajw.asahi]
Vietnam bid to stop traffic police bribes [Bangkok Post]
