A video clip showing a Hong Kong tourist plunge into a lake in Pattaya, Thailand, after his bungee cord snapped has gone viral on social media this week. The tourist, identified only as Mike, went bungee jumping at the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park. He jumped off a 10-story-high …
Read More »Eaters enjoy train sounds at Hanoi pho joint
Pho Duong Tau (Train Street pho) has been one of Hanoi’s most famous eateries for decades. Open from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. the next day, the shop is a favorite late night haunt for many of the capital’s night owls. The restaurant’s daytime set up of 7-8 tables expands …
Read More »Foreign experts urges Vietnam to relax visa policies, improve tourism services
Foreign experts say that restrictive visa policy and poor quality of tourism services are the biggest obstacles stopping foreign tourists from returning to Vietnam. Martin Koerner, chairman of EuroCham Vietnam’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee, told at a tourism conference Wednesday that Vietnam’s visa policy remains complicated and restrictive compared …
Read More »HCMC taxi driver fined $890 for overcharging Japanese tourist
HCMC authorities fined a taxi driver VND21 million (US$890) and revoked his license for two months for gouging a Japanese tourist by charging him 10 times the actual fare. On March 14 the passenger took the taxi at Tan Son Nhat Airport for a seven-kilometer trip to a hotel in …
Read More »Foreign tourists call it a ‘waste’ not to leave Hanoi’s Train Street open
Despite the barriers prohibiting entry to Hanoi’s famous Train Street, it is still a popular destination for many foreign visitors who say it would be a “waste” to close down the attraction. Hanoi Train Street, famous for its makeshift coffee shops along the train track, runs for around two kilometers …
Read More »Swedish, Brazilian tourists detained in Thailand for visa overstays
Thai police this week arrested two foreign tourists carrying Swedish and Brazilian passports for overstaying their visas as part of the government’s expanded campaign to crack down on violators. The 34-year-old Swedish tourist who overstayed his visa by 75 days was detained Friday by Thai immigration police on Koh Samui …
Read More »Security ministry proposes extending e-visas to three months
The Ministry of Public Security has proposed prolonging the duration of e-visas granted to foreigners entering Vietnam from 30 days to a maximum of three months to help tourism recover. The e-visa will be valid for single-entry or multiple entries, according to a draft amendment to The Law on Entry, …
Read More »Vietnamese carriers race to resume direct routes to China
Domestic carriers plan to resume a series of direct air routes to Chinese cities from late this month, following China’s decision to allow its citizens to travel to Vietnam again. Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air said Wednesday it would restart air services to major cities in China, such as Tianjin, Zhangjiajie …
Read More »HCMC police recover Japanese tourist’s money from crooked taxi driver
A HCMC taxi driver who gouged a Japanese tourist by charging him 10 times the actual fare has been forced to return the excess amount after police stepped in. The police said Wednesday they are also considering fining against the 45-year-old man, Cong Ly newspaper reported. The passenger took the …
Read More »Vietnam travel firms race to improve service before Chinese tourists return
Travel firms are rushing to hire staff and upgrade the quality of hotel and restaurant services as Chinese tourists prepare to return to Vietnam beginning Wednesday. Nguyen Thi Hai Nam, deputy general director of Vietnam Global International Travel Group Co., said her company is working with partners to review the …
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