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 ...
Free WIFI Coming To Downtown Saigon During Tết
The Saigon Postal Corporation (SPT) will install hot spots providing free WIFI all along Hàm Nghi Street for the Tết holiday this year.
26,000 Old Quarter Residents To Be Relocated In 2017
Hanoi authorities have set a 2017 moving date for 26,000 Old Quarter residents who will be relocated to a new residential area in Long Bien District which lies just across the Red River.
Weekend News Roundup: Cops Seize A Ton Of Marijuana Growing In Southern Vietnam
Robotic engineering course launched in primary schools [SGGP] Vietnamese tea industry sees recovery brewing [Nhan Dan] Deforestation continues to deplete nation's wealth [Vietnam Net]
Temperatures In Saigon Reach 21-Year Low?
If you’re a Hanoi native, you’ve probably felt right at home on your commute to work in recent days.
Japan Announces Plans to Build Mind-Blowing Underwater City
A Japanese architecture firm, Shimizu, has revealed its plans to build an underwater city that could be finished as early as 2035. The spherical underwater structure, dubbed the Ocean Spiral, is slate...
Morning News Roundup: Auto Manufacturers Worried About HCMC’s Proposed Restrictions On Cars
WB keeps Vietnam’s GDP growth at 5.6% in 2015 [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam airliner makes emergency landing as Chinese baby develops convulsions [Tuoi Tre] Schools ordered to check students' medical hist...
Morning News Roundup: Separate Jails Proposed For Transgender, Gay Prisoners
Vietnam plans for transport restructuring by 2020 [Vietnam Net] Investigation team on collapsed tunnel in Lam Dong set up [Vietnam Plus] Power group continues proposing power price increase [SG...
Hong Kong Man Detained After Strapping 94 iPhones To His Body
In the grand scheme of things, smuggling electronics is a less risky proposition than say, drugs, but that doesn’t mean it’s an act without consequences as one Hong Kong man learned the hard way.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Airlines Attempts To Bar Striking Pilots From Working For Other Carriers
Changes to area code, digital prefixes to happen in phases [Vietnam Plus] Ha Noi air traffic control centre begins operations [Vietnam News] Samsung requests $15.5 mil tax break to start HCMC factor...
Restaurateur Arrested for Buying Stolen Dogs in Southern Vietnam
Police in Binh Duong Province, just outside of Saigon, arrested a man last Thursday when he was pulled over with 10 dead dogs stacked on the back of his motorbike.
Morning News Roundup: HCMC To Offer Downtown Electric Bus Tour For $1
Rough waves destroy homes in central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam’s Got Talent contestant drinks acid by mistake [DTI News] HCM City to add more 23 CNG buses [SGGP]
$14 Million Approved For Restoration Of Hanoi’s 112-Year-Old Long Biên Bridge
The fate of one of Vietnam’s most beloved and storied structures took another positive turn last week when the government approved a $14 million restoration package for Long Biên Bridge.
Saigon Post Office To Be Repainted Yet Again Following Complaints
Following public outcry and criticism from street vendors, historians, artists and tourists, Saigon Central Post Office officials have announced that they will repaint the iconic building after consul...
Weekend News Roundup: HCMC's Underground Parking Lot Plan Appears To Implode
Foreign banks look local for CEOs [Vietnam Net] MobiFone to offer 2 million new 10-digit numbers [Vietnam Plus] Unemployment rate projected to rise in HCM City [Vietnam Plus]
HCMC Seeks To Set Limits On Cars, Motorbikes
To combat the mind-numbingly horrible gridlock and worsening pollution in the city, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation is seeking the government’s approval to limit the flow of personal...
Repair Date Set For Vietnam’s Undersea Internet Cable
The operator of the Asia America Gateway cable has announced that repairs will be completed on January 23.
Major Changes Announced For Vietnamese Phone Numbers
On March 1, Vietnam will change up the area codes of 59 provinces and restrict mobile phone numbers to 10 digits.
Morning News Roundup: HCMC Cabbie Returns $11,600 Vertu Phone To Passenger
Vietnam upholds life sentence in largest-ever white collar case [Thanh Nien] Vietnamese-American wins $46,700 claim against eye hospital [Tuoi Tre] Cabbie in Vietnam metropolis returns $11,600 Vertu...
Vietnamese Taxi Companies Finally Drop Fares As Fuel Prices Plummet
After government pressure, Vietnam’s taxi companies have announced that they will lower their fares to bring them inline with plummeting global oil prices.
Are Sharks to Blame for Vietnam’s Broken Internet Cable?
In the many breaks that have occurred along the Asia America Gateway internet cable since it went online in 2009, Vietnamese telecoms have been unable to determine the culprit. According to The Indepe...
