Paul Christiansen in Saigon
Loneliness Too Waits for the Bus
We are all in this, but not together.
Thoughts I've Had While Stranded in Murky Floodwater on Saigon's High-Tide Days
I’m willing to forgive nearly everything about Saigon. It’s a sign of a sustainable relationship, as I still wish to coexist in peace with this city. To me, Saigon’s midday, even when the searing sun flares the strongest, is when the trees are the most glorious. The sudden bouts of torrential rain are indeed a nuisance, but I tell myself that at least the streets can get a wash after a dusty day. But there’s one thing that never goes away and that I can never write off; something I can’t, for the life of me, find reasons to romanticize or defend. Those are the infuriating floods that submerge Saigon streets every time the tide is high.
Saigon Sees a 10-Year Low of 18°C. What Are the City’s Highest and Lowest Temperatures?
This January, Saigoneers have been enjoying an unusually pleasant stretch of weather, with daytime temperatures hovering around the mid-20s and dipping to 18–20°C late at night and in the early morning.
Vietnam Bans Unskippable Ads, Requires Skip Button to Appear After 5 Seconds
If things go our way, YouTube’s notorious unskippable ads might be a thing of the past come this February.
Grindr Year-End Report Names Vietnam as Country With Biggest Top Shortage
Ever since Spotify launched its first global Wrapped function a few years ago, December has turned into an exciting season of stats-driven year-end reviews. “Wrapping” is now a tradition embraced by numerous apps, such as Strava, Duolingo, YouTube, Reddit, and of course, Grindr.
When Donations Are All Womenswear, Men in Flood Zones Turn Necessity Into Fashion
Vietnam’s South-Central Coast region is going through an especially grueling time of the year as both the local people and authorities have to deal with the aftermath of historic rainfall and flooding. Still, amid the mourning and strenuous rebuilding efforts, moments of levity shine through — a testament to the resilience, optimism, and incredible humor of the Vietnamese people in the face of hardships.
Đắk Lắk, Khánh Hòa Are Next Victims of 2025's Historic Flooding. Here's How to Help.
After nearly a week of constant downpour, many provinces of Vietnam’s Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions have suffered severe flooding and landslides, causing catastrophic damage to local infrastructure, economic activities, and deaths. This has been yet another month of loss and destruction for Vietnam in 2025, which is shaping up to be the most devastating year in recent history due to consecutive powerful typhoons and atypically high rainfall.
After Years in Limbo, Saigon's Metro Line 2 Is Officially Breaking Ground in Jan 2026
After years under development limbo, Saigon’s Metro Line 2 has finally gotten an official date for breaking ground, but will this timeline stick?
104-Year-Old Great-Great Grandmother Fights Off Robber
Taking advantage of the elderly will inevitably result in some bad karma, a lesson a Dong Nai man quickly learned after attempting to rob Vo Thi Bai, a 104-year-old woman.
Weekend News Roundup: Air Traffic Controller Suspended For Near-Collision
Authorities seek to control viral internet series [DTI News] Hanoi water pipeline breaks 9th time [DTI News] Official: Progress made on reducing HIV transmission [SGGP]
[Video] Thief Receives Epic Beating After Failed Motorbike Theft
We’ve seen plenty of videos of things being stolen on Vietnam’s streets, from motorbikes to iPhones. While the thief seems to execute his caper successfully more often than not, the video below is an ...
Morning News Roundup: ASEAN On Verge Of Borderless Economy
Vietnamese youth shortest compared to peers in nearby countries: expert [Tuoi Tre] Aussie man dies in Vietnam motorbike accident [Tuoi Tre] Excessive arsenic content found in water of Hano...
Chinese Man Detained For Stealing $5,000 on Vietnam Airlines Flight
On Tuesday, a Chinese man was caught stealing $5,000 from 2 Japanese passengers on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Jakarta to HCMC, reports Tuoi Tre.
Is Vietnam Committing Tourism Suicide?
A recent piece in Thanh Nien looks at how the country’s pristine beaches, rivers and mountains are being literally ripped apart in the name of development. While much of this environmental degradation...
[Map] New “HCMC Region” To Include Vung Tau, Long An, Others
HCMC is about to get a whole lot bigger. Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to create the Ho Chi Minh City Region by 2030 that will better integrate key economically areas into the ur...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Says Chinese Tourist Number Up By 34%
Viettel proposes slashing mobile phone charges [Nhan Dan] Girl, 18, dies after 10 day self-starvation to lose weight [SGGP] Vietnam drugmaker DHG to expand as antibiotic curbs bite [T...
Satellite Photos Of Japan’s Super Typhoon Neoguri Are What Nightmares Are Made Of
Super typhoon, Neoguri, the largest storm on earth is bearing down on Japan with 270kmph winds and generating 13m waves. These satellite images capture the vastness of the deadly storm.
Morning News Roundup: Fire Badly Damages Millennium-Old Temple In Central Vietnam
Vietnam's economy forecast to grow 5.8% in 2014 [DTI News] Vietnam Grounds Helicopter Fleet After Crash [WSJ] Fire badly damages millennium-old temple in central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre]
Starbucks To Open Its First Hanoi Location
After opening 6 stores in Saigon, American coffee giant, Starbucks, is gearing up to open its first store in the capital, according to VN Express.
[Video] Death Toll Reaches 19 In Hanoi Helicopter Crash
According to reports from Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien, the death toll in yesterday morning’s military helicopter crash has reached 19.
Morning News Roundup: Three Consecutive Earthquakes Hit Quang Nam
Vietnam Stocks Set for Best Year Since 2009, VNDirect Says [Bloomberg] FDI to continue flowing into Vietnam, experts [SGGP] Renowned Vietnamese writer To Hoai dies at 94 [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam To Get Its First International Fashion Week
Vietnamese fashionistas rejoice! At a press conference and ceremony held by MultiMedia JSC and FIDe Fashion Week on July 6, it was announced that Saigon will host Vietnam’s very first international F...
Respected Chef, Shane Brierly Killed In Road Accident
Longtime Vietnam expat chef, Shane Brierly, died last Thursday night in a traffic accident on Phu Quoc Island, shocking many of his friends, Twitter followers and those who knew him as a first-rate ch...
16 Dead In Hanoi Helicopter Crash
According to VNExpress, early this morning, a helicopter crashed in Village 11, Thạch Hoà, Thạch Thất District, Hanoi, injuring many people.
Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam To Become Electronics Production Capital Of The World
Police detain 6 in $37.7mn gambling ring in central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam anxious as fate of China-detained fishermen remains unknown [Thanh Nien] Need for childcare in HCM City reach...
80% Of Vietnam's Ad Agencies Now In Foreign Hands
According to a report by Thanh Nien, wholly Vietnamese advertising agencies will soon be a thing of the past as foreign companies are snatching them up in droves. Industry insiders say tht 80% of...
25% Of Flights In Vietnam Have Been Delayed Or Canceled This Year
For frequent Vietnamese flyers, it probably comes as little surprise that 25% of the country’s flights have been either delayed or canceled this year, up from 16% from last year.
[Photos] Abandoned Bangkok Mall Becomes Urban Koi Pond
In Bangkok, there is an abandoned mall that looks like a scene from a post-apocalyptic future where nature has begun to slowly reclaim the world's urban jungles. Think I Am Legend without the diseased...
