Chinese passenger caught trying to steal $5,000 on flight A Chinese passenger was caught attempting to steal USD5,000 on a Vietnam Airlines' flight from Jakarta to HCM City. Since early this year, Vietnam Airlines has reported 13 cases of theft. All violators have been Chinese. Xu Haisheng was taking the money from the two Japanese passengers when he was spotted by a Vietnamese passenger who informed the flight attendants of Xu's unusual behaviour. Xu had taken a suitcase which was being put in the overhead compartment, opened it and started searching. The two Japanese passengers named Awaji EiJi and Ozawa Hitoshi then verified that the suitcase belonged to them. After checking the luggage, they reported that there was USD5,000 missing from the suitcase. All suspected passengers were asked to stay in their seats for search before the plane took off. Then, when passengers took their luggage from the overhead compartments a bundle of USD fell out from underneath Xu's suitcase. At the … [Read more...] about Chinese passenger caught trying to steal $5,000 on flight
Cost effective ways to move across country
Seeking ways to paint a better FDI picture
Vietnam has shifted its focus from quantity to quality when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). But, the country must resolve inherent obstacles to improve its investment climate. Wonderful Theme Park was supposed to be a milestone for tourism development for Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and for the whole southern region. Introduced by Good Choice Limited Company from the US in 2008, the project was supposed to comprise residential and office buildings, world class hotels, a shopping complex, an entertainment theme park and an underwater aquarium. But four years later, this $1.3 billion project remains on paper. And last month the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee decided to revoke its investment certificate after the developer left without a word. Wonderful Theme Park is just one of many FDI projects which have seen their investment certificates revoked in recent years. Malaysia's Lion Group had its investment certificate for a $9.8 billion steel complex in Ninh … [Read more...] about Seeking ways to paint a better FDI picture
Low wage costs attract investors to Vietnam
For years, the sound and sight of thousands of motorbikes weaving through the narrow streets of Hanoi's old quarter has been an everyday occurrence.But recently, the street scene has changed. The 1980s Hondas have been replaced by brand new Piaggios. Young, well dressed Vietnamese speed by with Nokias and even iPhones clamped to their ears. Vietnam is booming. The economy is forecast to grow by 7% this year. Traditionally, the country's wealth has come from agricultural exports and low-cost industries like shoes and garments. But rice, coffee and affordable clothing are global commodities: basic items that yield very low profit margins. So, in recent years, the government has been working to attract higher value industries to Vietnam. Sweatshop no more Some 90 minutes south of Hanoi are the wide avenues and modern, purpose-built offices of Que Vo Industrial Complex. It is in Bac Ninh province, Vietnam's new industrial heartland. The deputy director of Que Vo, Nguyen Thu Huong is … [Read more...] about Low wage costs attract investors to Vietnam
Right wine right way to push Vietnamese food
Betty Pallard tasted wine for the first time when she was 13. Her family had urged her to taste something "delicious" as they celebrated the birthday of her grandfather, a veteran diplomat. It was delicious, as the adults had said. She has never been able to forget its taste, and her interest in wine, awakened then, has never waned. More than two decades later, Pallard, 36, is armed with a lot of knowledge about wines, and now plans to deploy it for a new cause - promoting Vietnamese cuisine. Pallard is well positioned for this unusual undertaking, having moved to Vietnam three years ago and taken Vietnamese nationality by virtue of being born to a Vietnamese mother. Given the custom in Western countries to serve wine during parties and even regular meals, not having wines as accompaniment to Vietnamese food when introducing it in foreign countries will not get it very far, she feels. However, she said that the awareness of combinations between food and wines is still … [Read more...] about Right wine right way to push Vietnamese food
A memorable visit to Viet Nam
We were privileged recently to make a highly successful state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This was the first time that I and many in our delegation had occasion to be in a country that had inspired us, for many decades, with an unprecedented example of heroism and self-sacrifice in the struggle for freedom and national independence. As we grew up in our own liberation movement and struggle, we accepted at least two of Vietnam's outstanding leaders, the late President Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho), and General Giap, as our own leaders. Constantly, we sought to understand what they stood for, what they said, and what they did, because we felt that all this was directly relevant to the victory of our own struggle. As members of the ANC Youth League and Youth and Student Section, we drew inspiration from the fact that in 1954 the Vietnamese people had scored a famous victory against the French colonial forces at Dien Bien Phu. For our education about this and other matters … [Read more...] about A memorable visit to Viet Nam