ASEAN Welcomes East Timor, Asia's Youngest Nation, as 11th Member
Time for infographic artists and geography teachers in the region to update their work on ASEAN.
Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges
It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Origin of the Strange Lights You See Before Landing in Saigon
What are those astonishingly bright lights seen from an airplane window when approaching Saigon at night? I’ve had visitors ask me this on the drive home from the airport, and the question appears on Reddit every few months. I remember being befuddled myself the first time I witnessed the patchwork radiance.
My Mom’s Care Packages Remind Me That Home Can Fit Inside a Box of Food
“What do you guys crave? I’ll send some.”
New 12,000-Year-Old Skeleton Breaks Record of Oldest Human Remains Found in Vietnam
After analysis, scientists believe that a 12,000-year-old set of human remains found in Ninh Bình belonged to a prehistoric man who died from infection after being struck by a quartz-tipped projectile.
As Saigon Moves Forward, Xích Lô Lag Behind as Nostalgic Remnants of a Past Era
Among Bùi Viện's assortment of xe ôm drivers and street food vendors, Bible-toting religious enthusiasts and other colorful personalities, 66-year-old Nghĩa stands out for his kind eyes and walrus-like mustache.
Khôi Phạm in Vietnam
Wipha, Yagi and Luc-Binh: How Are Tropical Storms Named in the Pacific Region?
Wipha was the latest typhoon to batter Vietnam this year, sweeping through northern provinces like Hưng Yên, Ninh Bình, Nghệ An, and Thanh Hóa and causing dangerous floods. It was 2025’s third and probably will not be the last that Vietnam will have to endure this year.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Simple Pleasures of Having Your Hair Washed at the Hairdresser’s
I get my face shaved by sidewalk barbers; stop at every roving laminator I pass to have ticket stubs, photos, and doodles ...
Nguyen Hue Pedestrian-Only Promenade To Open This Month
It’s been months since crews began to tear up Nguyen Hue Street in order to transform it into the city’s first pedestrian-only thoroughfare. It looks like we’ll only have to put up with this construct...
Morning News Roundup: Ho Chi Minh City Suggests US Charity Supply Helmet Cameras To Traffic Cops
Vietnam Idol show hits licence issues [Vietnam News] HCMC multiplies new school model [SGGP] Vietnam to benefit from new wave of Japanese investment [Vietnam Net]
90,000 Vietnamese Workers on Strike at Factory That Supplies Nike, Adidas
Changes to social insurance laws have sparked a massive worker’s strike in Saigon’s Binh Tan District, shutting down a garment factory that makes shoes and clothes for companies including Nike and Adi...
Vietnam Scraps Airport Maintenance Plan After Airlines Cry Foul
Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAV) has delayed plans to perform extensive maintenance at some of the country’s largest airports, including Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Province Justifies Controversial Cable Car Project At World’s Largest Cave
Man wearing kilos of gold causes chaotic scene at Hanoi shopping mall [Vietnam Net] Vietnam’s voice in gender equality at IPU-132 [DTI] Water quality suffers in HCM City [DTI]
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Public Debt On Track To Unhealthy High Levels
Vietnam will suffer from “technology rubbish” if ministry does not act: scientists [Vietnam Net] Vietnam’s public debt on track to unhealthy high levels [DTI] Vietnam’s FDI disbursement surges in Q1...
[Photos] People Tempting Fate At Vietnamese Rail Crossings
Vietnamese rail crossings are notoriously unsafe due to poor signage and lack of barricades. But some pedestrians and motorists aren’t doing themselves any favours by crossing in front of oncoming tra...
Vietnam Considers Raising Visa Fee For Tourists, Overseas Vietnamese
Though Vietnam is struggling to keep its tourism numbers up, the country’s finance ministry has proposed raising visa fees for tourists and overseas Vietnamese.
Weekend News Roundup: Month-Long Road Closings In Downtown HCMC Start Next Week
HCMC leaders inspect key infrastructure projects [SGGP] More Vietnamese politicians use emails, social networks [Vietnam Net] MOET’s entrance-exam ban could lead to payments for seats at the best sc...
Vietnam Planning To Drop Death Penalty For Drug Crimes, Robbery
Vietnamese justice officials announced Tuesday that they plan to abolish the death penalty for a number of crimes including robbery and drug trafficking.
Vietnam Set to Become Southeast Asia's Economic Powerhouse: Bloomberg
There are numerous global and domestic trends that may be setting Vietnam up as the region’s economic leader, according to a recent report in Bloomberg.
Morning News Roundup: Drunk Drivers Should Be Charged Criminally - Vietnam Road Directorate
Drunk drivers should be charged criminally: Vietnam road directorate [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam ‘caught between a rock and a hard place’ as US-Russia rivalry deepens [Thanh Nien] Singapore Increas...
Saigon McDonald’s Chaos The Result Of “Dud” US$40 Million Marketing Campaign
If you happened to pass by the Dien Bien Phu McDonald’s on Monday night or anytime Tuesday, you probably found yourself in a massive plume of motorbike traffic headed directly for the fast food restau...
[Photos] At Least 16 Killed In Scaffolding Collapse In North-Central Vietnam
Last night at 8pm, iron scaffolding weighing thousands of tons collapsed on top of hundreds of workers at Son Duong Port, killing at least 16 and injuring 27.
Morning News Roundup: 5 Sentenced To Jail In Vietnam For Running Massive Porn-Sharing Website
Ha Noi to crack down on illegal taxi enterprises [SGGP] Vietnam wants full lifting of US arms embargo [Yahoo] Vietnam mulls national brand for rice [Bangkok Post]
[Photos] McDonald’s Giveaway Event Causes “Absolute Chaos” In Saigon
Thousands of people showed up to the McDonald’s restaurant on Dien Bien Phu Street this week for free food and swag, resulting in massive crowds, traffic jams and as one resident described it, “absolu...
The Saigon Post Office Is Being Repainted. Again.
When it comes to urban beautification projects in Vietnam, Hanoi’s recent tree massacre has been getting all the press. However, it wasn’t long ago that the Saigon Post Office’s new paint job was grab...
[Photos] Hanoi’s Streets Before And After 500 Trees Were Uprooted
Hanoi authorities may have halted the controversial plan to fell 6,700 of the city’s trees, but at least 500 have already been removed.
Morning News Roundup: Ha Noi Wants Vendors, Temporary Markets Gone
A book street for Ho Chi Minh City, why not? [Tuoi Tre] Hazards from games for children at funfairs in Vietnamese parks [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam to reform its aviation sector by 2020 [Vietnam Net]
Car-Sized Stingray Caught In River Outside Of Bangkok
While we see massive Mekong giant catfish pulled from the rivers around Saigon every few months, scientists in Thailand have one-upped us with this enormous stingray that may be the largest freshwater...
