Mrt 3 june 29 2017

Thailand's health minister on Wednesday discouraged tourists from visiting the country only to smoke weed, just two months after new laws were passed that have largely decriminalised the drug. "We don't welcome those kinds of tourists," Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters when asked about recreational marijuana use among foreign visitors. In 2018, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to legalise cannabis for medical use. In June, the entire plant was decriminalised, leading to widespread recreational use. Despite the government's pleas against getting high, cannabis businesses with special smoking rooms have been a hit with locals and visitors. But those smoking in public risk facing a three-month jail sentence or fines of up to 25,000 baht ($705.82). Anutin's comments come even as foreign arrivals start to pick up in the tourism-reliant country. Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expects 8 million to 10 million arrivals this year, above an earlier forecast … [Read more...] about Pot-smoking tourists not welcome in Thailand, says health minister

It was in 2012 that lightweight overpasses were put on the table for discussion as traffic congestion became a gravely serious problem at the Thu Duc Intersection in the then Thu Duc District (now part of Thu Duc City) and the Hang Xanh Intersection in Binh Thanh District. Built with steel girders, lightweight overpasses have a shorter lifespan yet cost less and take less time to build compared to those with concrete girders. When needed, the overpass can be disassembled and moved to other places. Though many experts were against the idea of building such overpasses, the city decided to go for it given the urgency of solving congestion at the two intersections. Costing VND277 billion ($11.83 million) and VND188 billion, respectively, the two overpasses in Thu Duc and Binh Thanh were put into use in January 2013 after just six months of construction. The overpass (L) at Thu Duc Intersection in Thu Duc City runs next to the metro line, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran … [Read more...] about Lightweight overpasses unlock HCMC gridlocks

* Military Region 4 (MR4) held the tenth congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union for the 2022-2027 tenure in Vinh city, Nghe An province. According to a report delivered at the congress, over the past five years, under the leadership and directions of the Military Region 4 Command and the Department of Political Affairs, MR4 has carried out youth programs and movements in an effective and comprehensive manner, achieving all set targets, implementing the five-year action program (2017-2022), building a strong military region, and meeting the requirements of military-defense missions in the new situation, among others. In the next five years, MR4 will further promote youth union’s activities and youth movements to build a healthy and strong Youth Union organization, a comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” unit, and improve the efficiency of coordination activities with other agencies and units. At the congress, the participants elected 17 delegates to … [Read more...] about Military units hold Youth Union Congress

The approval of Vietnam’s circular economy development plan, announced in June, aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent of GDP by 2030 (as compared to 2014). The commitment at COP26 by Vietnam to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is considered the main call for investment into green technologies and friendly-environmental projects, as well as approval of plans such as the aforementioned circular economy one. These messages have sent a strong signal regarding the country’s direction towards low-carbon, green development, and a circular economy, and could be a new driving force for Vietnam’s sustainable socioeconomic development, helping to improve its competitiveness and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. While governments have committed to lowering CO2, companies are also following suit for the good of the planet, Photo: Shutterstock As a result, numerous groups have made decisions in terms of investment and other operations … [Read more...] about Green standards top policies for fresh foreign ventures

Angkor Wat, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the tourist icon of Cambodia. (Photo: Khmer Times) Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia expects to welcome 1.2-1.3 million international tourists in 2022, said Director General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism Thong Rathasak. Recovering fast from the COVID-19 downfall, Cambodia is banking on increased arrival of foreign tourists this year, compared to the last two years. According to Rathasak, the Southeast Asian nation served over 500,000 foreign visitors in the first half of this year, and this was a good comeback compared to the number of 200,000 tourist arrivals last year.. COVID-19 was a big lesson as Cambodia n people learned to coexist with a pandemic, he said, hoping that people who left the tourism sector would come back and rebuild their businesses or careers. For Cambodia, 2022 started well as it got the chance to organise the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which was … [Read more...] about Cambodia eyes to serve 1.3 million foreign tourists in 2022

The image of Ao Tien high-class tourism urban area has been shared widely on social networks in recent days. (Photo nld.com.vn) Quang Ninh (VNS/VNA ) - The People's Committee of northern coastal Quang Ninh province has refuted information that it has allowed a project to conduct sea encroachment and subdivide land plots for sale, which seriously undermined the conservation of the UNESCO-recognised Ha Long Bay . The committee said the information circulating online about a development project encroaching into the bay in recent days was "not true." The image circulated was taken at in Ao Tien high-class tourism urban area project in Van Don district. The area was in Van Don economic zone, not in the Ha Long Bay, the province stressed. In recent days, the image of an urban area with divided land plots and an island in the middle of the area locating right close to Ha Long Bay has been shared widely on Facebook, stirring strong opposition about greed-driven … [Read more...] about Quang Ninh refutes allegations of sea encroachment in Ha Long Bay