Salgado exodus

At 3 p.m. on February 5, Tran Nguyen Thuy Trang was supposed to be in her office in downtown Saigon. Instead she was at the Mien Dong (Eastern Region) Bus Station in Binh Thanh District, about to get a bus for Phu Yen Province. The 28-year-old woman had booked a bus ticket for February 10, two days before the first day of the Lunar New Year, but she was worried that the latest, fast-spreading Covid-19 outbreak would derail her plans. "I am afraid Saigon will have more Covid-19 infections and I will not be allowed go home for Tet , or they will ask me to quarantine myself before I can be with my family," Trang said on the phone as she waited for her bus. Many other migrant workers in the southern metropolis were also at the bus terminal, worried eyes peering out from their masks. For millions of migrants workers and students, Tet is the only opportunity to reunite with their family every year. Many are racing to get to their hometowns earlier this year because of worries … [Read more...] about Early start to Tet exodus over pandemic fears

Each year, the Lunar New Year creeps up on us, slowly bubbling up to a dramatic apex, then, just like that, the new moon begins, signaling the start of a fresh chapter. Last year was definitely the Year of the Rat, sneaky, slimy, and carrier of scary diseases. Phew! How glad we all are to see that water buffalo coming at us for this year. And it’s a golden buffalo to boot! Through some nuance between the zodiac signs and their complementing elements, this year represents metal, specifically gold, so, sit back and relax, we’ll all finally become wealthy this time around. As Tet looms nearer, it’s a game akin to musical chairs, the music suddenly cut off when one business after another bangs down its shutters to begin preparation for the big event. We sense it and feel it; as traffic picks up, the general level of intensity grows, the card games in cafés are more numerous and raucous, and people shop until they drop. It makes perfect sense that it’s such an epic event – it’s … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Tet: Don’t take out the garbage!

The Hanoitimes - Big companies like Apple, Nintendo, and Samsung and their supplier have switched out to limit damage. Vietnam’s property market is likey to receive inflows of foreign investment after big countries encourage their companies to relocate manufacturing bases out of China after problems arising during the global pandemic. Vietnam set to become manufacturing hub The Southeast Asian nation set to get a second round of tonic from global companies diversifying their production bases in the region as the coronavirus outbreak exposes the concentration risk in China, according to South China Morning Post . It stands to benefit as the exodus from “the world’s factory” accelerates, burnishing its appeal as an alternative to China since the likes of Apple, Samsung and their suppliers switched out to limit the damage caused by higher tariffs in the US-China trade war. Analysts say industrial and residential property in the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh … [Read more...] about Vietnam set to become shelter for foreign real estate investment post-Covid-19

The Hanoitimes - On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the US-Vietnam diplomatic relations, US companies shared with Hanoitimes their expectations about opportunities for their investment expansions in Vietnam. Dr. Mason Cobb, chairman of Victoria Healthcare International Clinics After Vietnam achieved the middle income status and ODA decreased, the Vietnamese government became more accommodating for investment and that continues to this day. Dr. Mason Cobb, chairman of Victoria Healthcare International Clinics However, it is still not a truly level playing field with local companies. The attitude and perception, and spirit of cooperation has become much warmer and more understanding than during that difficult middle period. More importantly, the company’s mission in healthcare as primarily helping Vietnam build a world-class healthcare system. To that end, the company brings Vietnamese to the US and bring educational and other assets to Vietnam to … [Read more...] about US companies continue to see tremendous investment opportunities in Vietnam

Leaving big cities: A transitory fad or a consistent trend? By Nguyen Minh Hoa Living closer to nature or in the countryside is now a way of life - PHOTO: THANH HOA Titles such as “Farewell to Moscow,” “Departing Seoul,” or “Goodbye Kuala Lumpur” have made the headlines in the international press these days, suggesting a phenomenon in which many people left metropolises for the countryside. In Vietnam, a similar fact has also happened when residents departed HCMC and Hanoi to live in rural areas. Most of them did so because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, will they return to their cities after the pandemic is over? The industrial revolution which broke out in Europe and North America at the beginning of the 17th century also triggered the mass exodus from villages to cities which were huge industrial hubs. Ever since, such a move, be it fast or slow, has never halted. The world is now home to truly “megacities” that may house up to 40% of the national population … [Read more...] about Leaving big cities: A transitory fad or a consistent trend?