NÔM: A Fine Dining Experience that Functions like a Museum Visit
But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad
“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show SubwayTakes. The reasoning goes that the term expat, short for expatriate, is racist because it ...
HCMC's Đồng Khởi Among World's Top 20 Most Expensive Retail Streets, Report Says
Saigon’s very own Đồng Khởi has once again made the list of world’s commercial streets with the highest annual rents.
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-lik...
Uyên Đỗ in Hanoi
A Slice of Life in Coupon-Era Hanoi via Colorful Vintage Lottery Tickets
What can tiny sheets of paper reveal about a whole time period?
Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?
Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát ...
Linh Phạm in Hanoi
A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists
My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the im...
Uyên Đỗ in Vietnam
How the National Lottery Reflects Vietnam's Socio-Economic Realities Through Time
For nearly a century, lottery tickets and their strings of lucky numbers have occupied a special role in Vietnamese society: both as a lifeline for dreams of better fortune and as a mirror reflec...
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
From Kuy Teav to Hủ Tiếu: How a Phnom Penh Classic Became Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang
Originally from Cambodia, made popular by Chinese vendors and enjoyed by local diners, hủ tiếu Nam Vang captures the essence of Vietnamese history in one hearty bowl of noodles.
Pride Fest, Cambodia's Most Ambitious LGBT Event to Date, Is Coming This Week
On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames thei...
At Culinary Frank's Cozy Saigon Cafe, YouTube Food Comes to Life on the Plate
“Every restaurant is a miniature society,” says Phương Phạm (Frank Phạm), a Melbourne-based Vietnamese chef and famous YouTube food blogger who recently returned to Saigon to open his passion project,...
Biên Hòa Cafe Embraces Industrial Design for a Transient Existence
If your dwelling is temporary, how much care do you pay to your surroundings?
World Economic Forum Names Vietnam Health Startup Among Promising Tech Companies
Selected because of its contributions to digital health care, Docosan was one of 100 companies globally to receive the distinction.
Inside the Backbreaking Work of Quảng Ninh's Coal Miners
“I am a person with two skin tones.”
Private Company Wants to Build $1.3bn Launchpad in Phú Quốc for Space Tourism
Conglomerate Thaigroup hopes to build the nation's first spaceship launchpad to facilitate space tourism.
[Photos] At Hanoi's Astronomy Park, an Earth-Bound Journey to the Stars
Vietnam's major cities are infamously short on green space, so any new park is noteworthy — particularly when they are as uniquely designed as the Astronomy Park in Hanoi's western suburbs.
In Q3 of 2021, Vietnam's Economy Shrinks for the First Time Since 2000
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, combined with severe lockdown restrictions, has led to Vietnam's worst economic quarter in decades.
Vietnam's NanoDragon Satellite to Be Launched Into Orbit From Japan on Friday
To infinity, and beyond!
Pandemic Pushes 80m People in Asia Into Extreme Poverty, ADB Data Shows
The global pandemic has undone decades of economic improvement in some nations.
Covid-19 Outbreak Dampens Saigon's Trung Thu Spirits as Bakeries Forgo Moon Cakes
It will be a Trung Thu like no other this year in Saigon, as the city undergoes the strictest movement curbs yet.
IMF Predicts Vietnam's Economic Growth Rates Will Top ASEAN in 2022
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Vietnam's economy will grow 7.2% in 2022, making it the strongest in ASEAN.
Standard Chartered Predicts 7.8% GDP Growth for Vietnam in 2021
It's going to be a good year, according to a recent report.
Vietnam's Textile Industry Exported 1.37bn Face Masks in 2020
During a year when Vietnam’s textile industry was hurt by plummeting demand, local producers found a silver lining in face masks.
Vietnam's 2020 Economic Growth Lowest in 10 Years
But it still performed exceptionally well in the global context.
Vietnam's Brand Value Increases 29% Thanks to Good Pandemic Response
Thanks in large part to Vietnam's stellar response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's national brand value rose 29% to US$319 billion in the past year.
[Photos] An Idyllic Slice of 1957 Cambodian Life
Vietnam isn't the only country in the region to change dramatically over the last several decades.
1.1m People Have Left the Mekong Delta in the Past Decade, Report Says
The impacts of climate change, hydroelectric plants, and a faltering economy have resulted in an exodus of people from the Mekong Delta.
Dams, Sand, Rice: The Life and Possible Death of the Mekong Delta
What would Vietnam be without the Mekong Delta?
Hanoi Aims to Reach $12,000 in Average Income in Next Decade
Hanoi is aiming to double the city’s per capita income in the next 10 years by leaning on the encouraging economic growth rates of recent years.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 26: Urban Decay
What happens after the cho thuê nhà signs go up?
Vietnam Ranked 2nd in ASEAN in Efforts to Reduce Inequality: Report
Only Thailand rated higher than Vietnam in the region.
Even With Stellar Pandemic Response, Vietnam's Consumer Confidence Drops Sharply
A recent survey found that the figure fell to its lowest point in roughly 20 years.
Saigon Aims to Reach Over $12,000 in GDP per Capita by 2030
Saigon's GDP per capita in 2019 was US$6,862.
Covid-19 Could Cost Da Nang Tourism $1.1bn This Year
Life in Da Nang is slowly returning to normal after the third wave of COVID-19 infections, though economic ramifications will remain.
Vietnamese Youths Hardest-Hit by Employment Crisis During Covid-19 Pandemic
Unemployment amongst youths in Vietnam is expected to double as a result of the economic havoc caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
[Photos] Inside a Ben Thanh Devoid of Tourists, Forlorn Kiosks and Mass Closures
Plump mangosteens, cheap iPhở shirts, freshly ground coffee, and paper cut-outs of city landmarks — there was a time when the northern gate of Ben Thanh Market was lined door-to-door with dynamic shop...
Over 30m Workers in Vietnam Impacted by Pandemic: Labor Ministry
While Vietnam has thus far avoided serious public health impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, it has not escaped the economic ravages of the global emergency.
Upscale Fusion Fare Mingles with Japan’s Izakaya Culture at NOMU
What exactly is fusion food?
The Week in Focus: Social Distancing Regulations Eased Off
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
IMF Predicts 2.7% GDP Growth in 2020 for Vietnam as Other Economies Contract
The COVID-19 pandemic will dampen Vietnam’s economic growth for 2020, though the country will be in a better position than most of its better-off peers.
This Week in Focus: New Cases Slow and Social Distancing Fines
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each week, we digest the most important stories from the capital, the rest of Vietnam and beyo...
Planning Ministry Earmarks $2.6bn of Financial Aid for Workers Affected by Covid-19
Some major sectors of Vietnam’s economy have had to close to limit the spread of Covid-19, sending scores of workers into temporary unemployment. How will they be supported during this period of hards...
Vietnam Moves up 23 Spots in Economic Freedom Index
The country ranked 105th out of 180 nations.
Vietnam Launches Campaigns to Revitalize Tourism Industry Hit by Coronavirus
The campaigns are the effort to compensate for the losses in tourism revenue due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Almost 2m Foreign Tourists Visited Vietnam in January, a Record Number
Vietnam's tourism industry saw unprecedented growth in international arrivals last month, though the timing of this success — right in the middle of a coronavirus outbreak — is unfortunate.
Air Pollution Is Costing Vietnam's Economy $10.8–13.6bn a Year, Research Shows
Air pollution has been a daily annoyance for many Saigoneers, but how does this urban ailment translate into economic terms?
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: To a Saigoneer, Phnom Penh Is Same Same, But Different
Is it possible to even recognize everything that has changed after 10 years?
Vietnam Should Aim to Become High-Income Nation by 2045, PM Says
After Vietnam finished 2019 with impressive growth rates, leaders are optimistic that the country is on a stable trajectory to join the ranks of upper-middle-income or even high-income nations within ...
Vietnam Down 10 Places in Global Gender Gap Index, Ranks 10th in Asia-Pacific
Vietnam’s gender equality ranking has dropped during the past year compared to 2018, but most Asian countries also share the same fate.
Vietnam’s Economy Expands by 6.8% in 2019, World Bank Says
In a press conference held Tuesday, World Bank officials said Vietnam’s GDP has expanded by 6.8% in 2019, while public debt has fallen by almost 8% since 2016.
'The Third Wife' Nominated for 3 Independent Spirit Awards
The controversial film got nods for Best Cinematography and Best Editing, while director Ash Mayfair was nominated as 'someone to watch.'
Brian Letwin in Food Culture
Can Coffee Save the Vietnamese Economy?
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.
