Thailand beat its target for tourist arrivals in the first quarter, recording 6.15 million visitors in the January to March 27 period, government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Wednesday. The government had set a target of 6 million arrivals in the three months ending in March this year. The Tourism …
Read More »Expensive air tickets discourage travel plans during Reunification Day holiday
Many people are hesitating to make travel plans for the long holiday break to celebrate Reunification Day and Labor Day due to expensive tickets on domestic air routes. Hoai An from Hanoi planned to visit Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s biggest island in the south, with his family during the five-day holiday. …
Read More »Russian tourist triggers public anger after posing nude on Bali’s Mount Agung
A Russian tourist dropped his pants and posed for semi-naked photos on Mount Agung, a sacred destination in Indonesia’s island of Bali, sparking public anger from locals. The tourist was reportedly part of a group of at least seven foreigners who climbed the mountain without registering as hikers, according to …
Read More »Tourist has lucky escape in Thailand as bungee rope snaps
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, …
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