Survivors of the sunken tourist boat Phoenix (Source: Xinhua/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand's authorities said on July 8 that rescuers are preparing to lift tourist boat Phoenix which capsized off the coast of Phuket island three days ago, killing at least 42 people and leaving 14 others missing. The boat was carrying 105 people, including 93 tourists and 12 tour guides, when it was pummelled by huge waves on the way back to Phuket from the popular snorkeling spot of Koh Racha. Police on July 7 said they charged the ship’s captain with negligence leading to damages, injury and death. The captain has denied the charges, police said. Divers and helicopters have joined the search for any survivors. Friends and relatives of those injured and deceased have arrived in Phuket to identify their loved ones. In an urgent circular issued on July 7, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism said travel companies across China should carry out security checks against … [Read more...] about Thailand prepares to lift sunken tourist ship
Tourist killed in thailand
Drastic plastic: Vietnam beach awash with tide of blue waste
There’s almost more plastic than sand on this long, tree-lined beach: Plastic helmets, plastic furniture and the plastic leg of a shop mannequin all jut out of an ocean of blue plastic bags. Just south of the capital Hanoi, the once-peaceful and clean beach of Da Loc in Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa province, has been slowly suffocating under the weight of plastic waste for decades. “Plastic bags have been waste here since the first day we started using them,” said Pham Thi Lai, 60, a local seafood processor. “They put everything in a plastic bag. If they’re preserving shrimp or preserving fish, they put it in a plastic bag,” Lai said of local fishermen, many of whom shuck clam shells and dry shrimp between the mounds of plastic waste on the beach. “When they finish they just throw the bags into the ocean. The trash floats to wherever the sea level rises,” she said. Vietnam is the fourth-largest contributor to marine plastic pollution … [Read more...] about Drastic plastic: Vietnam beach awash with tide of blue waste
Social News
Green trees neglected in Ho Chi Minh CityWhile some of the city’s trees have become common dumping grounds for local garbage, others are suffocating from cement poured over their roots.According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, trees along D2 Street in Binh Thanh District have had their roots buried under a layer of cement, making it difficult for the plants to be taken care of or watered.“They are still growing just fine. I protect these trees from being chopped down,” a resident explained.Several trees on the promenades of Hoa Hao Streets in District 11 have also been subjected to such neglectful treatment.“The concrete surrounding their roots has been damaged, causing soil to be washed into our houses,” a local said.“Since authorities have been unable to deal with the problem, we decided to fix it ourselves,” he continued.Meanwhile, green trees on a section of Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District have become … [Read more...] about Social News
Social News 10/2
Hoi An authorities seek solution to noisy bars, dinersAuthorities in Hoi An, an iconic tourist town in central Vietnam, are seeking solutions for dealing with loud music from local bars in an effort to restore a peaceful atmosphere to the vintage destination.Located in the namesake city in Quang Nam Province, Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and has long been famous for its tranquility and unique charm.Recent complaints by tourists, however, have local authorities worry that the destination may lose its tranquil charm due to loud music from local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops.The Hoi An People’s Committee announced on February 7 that it will invite local bar and hotel owners to reach a common ground on ensuring that business operations at certain venues do not compromise the interests of local residents and visitors.The meeting will be chaired by Nguyen Van Son, vice-chairman of the city’s administration and the man … [Read more...] about Social News 10/2
Wealthy Vietnamese turn their backs on ‘boring’ Tet for overseas travel
Nguyen Thu Huong won’t be making the traditional pilgrimage back to Ha Tinh Province to celebrate the upcoming Tet with her husband’s family this year. Instead, they are going to Singapore to enjoy shopping and sightseeing. Traveling overseas allows her family to bypass the crowds, clogged roads and boredom that can mark Tet in Vietnam. Huong, her husband and their small son have also visited Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong in previous years. “I don’t want a boring Tet, staying at home in Hanoi or going to Ha Tinh. Tet celebrations are always the same old thing - eating, drinking and watching TV galas - every year,” said Huong, 30, who works for the State Bank of Vietnam. “Traveling overseas is interesting, and it doesn't cost much more than visiting tourist spots in this country.” Huong is just one of many Vietnamese people who have decided to go abroad this Tet holiday, which starts on February 15. Many travel agents said they have … [Read more...] about Wealthy Vietnamese turn their backs on ‘boring’ Tet for overseas travel
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – January 26
Here are today’s leading new stories: Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had bilateral meetings with leaders of Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar on the sidelines of the ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, India, on Thursday. -- United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis joined talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich and met with State President Tran Dai Quang and Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi on Thursday, as part of his ongoing visit to Vietnam. Society -- The Hanoi People’s Procuracy on Thursday suggested that Trinh Xuan Thanh, former chairman of PetroVietnam Construction Corporation, a subsidiary under state-run oil and gas group PetroVietnam, be sentenced to life in prison for embezzling VND14 billion (US$616,502). -- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has stated that all roadwork across the southern hub will be ceased from February 8 to 23 to allow local residents to prepare for and celebrate … [Read more...] about Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News – January 26
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/1
Vingroup, T&T to develop urban railway projects in HanoiThe government of Hanoi City has proposed the Prime Minister allow Vingroup and T&T Group to develop three urban railway projects which the city plans to complete by 2025, Tuoi Tre newspaper reports.The two domestic investors will use their capital to make pre-feasibility studies for these projects.When the projects were announced, many investors expressed interest in Hanoi. However, only Vingroup and T&T Group have registered to take part.Both of them proposed implementing the projects in the build-transfer (BT) format. Particularly, Vingroup registered to build the 38.4-kilometer metro line No. 5 which connects Van Cao and Hoa Lac and metro line No. 2 from Tran Hung Dao to Thuong Dinh with a length of 5.9 kilometers. Meanwhile, T&T Group is keen on metro line No. 4 connecting Me Linh, Sai Dong and Lien Ha, and measuring 54 kilometers in length.The two investors said they would use their own finances to study the … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/1
Social News 5/1
Quang Binh one of the top ten destinations in Vietnam: Trip AdvisorIn 2017, Central Quang Binh Province ranks fourth among the top ten Vietnamese destinations after Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hoi An, according to the travel website Trip Advisor.Dang Dong Ha, vice director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said Quang Binh is known as the kingdom of caves and is a paradise waiting to be discovered on interesting tours of fascinating locations like Son Doong, Tu Lan cave system, Da Nhay beach, Thien Duong cave, Phong Nha-Tien Son, Chay River, and Toi cave.Quang Binh welcomed 100,000 foreign visitors for the first time in 2017, a year-on-year rise of 120%.Mr Ha attributed such a rise in popularity to the localities’ efforts in improving service quality and new tourism products, organizing a variety of promotional programs for local tourism like Quang Binh cave festival, and hosting Miss Grand International, all of which lured more visitors to the province. 21 explosions … [Read more...] about Social News 5/1
Thailand: 239 killed in traffic accidents in New Year holiday
A road accident in Thailand (Source: Thailandnews.co) Bangkok (VNA) – Traffic accidents claimed 239 lives in the first four days of the 2018 New Year holiday (December 28 - 31) in Thailand, according to the country’s Road Safety Directing Centre. Statistics showed that 2,500 people were injured in more than 2,300 traffic accidents in the period. On December 31 alone, as many as 65 people were killed while 714 others wounded in 678 accidents across Thailand. The number of deaths decreased 14.6 percent whilst that of the injured fell 11.7 percent year-on-year, respectively. Most of the accidents occurred in the three provinces of Sisaket, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani, which usually attract large numbers of tourists on holidays. Thai police set up 2,005 checkpoints on the last four days of the year to conduct road safety checks. Nearly 50 percent of the accidents were caused by drink driving, while 26.4 percent were attributed to speeding, said the centre. In addition, … [Read more...] about Thailand: 239 killed in traffic accidents in New Year holiday
Ever-resilient Thai tourism may bounce back after floods
Thailand's worst floods in 50 years have hit tourism at the start of the high season, but the country has recovered quickly in the recent past from all sorts of scourges and some tour operators are hopeful a recovery might start next month.Floodwater in some areas of the capital, Bangkok, and other provinces has started to recede, and the inner city and upmarket shopping districts have remained dry, but some in the tourist sector are still concerned."Trips from Japan have all been canceled since last month and there are no new bookings now. They're a bit afraid of the situation but I think they will come back next month," said Euamthip Panjai of All the Best Travel."But tourists from other countries are still coming and many of them go to Pattaya and Phuket," she said, referring to two seaside destinations south of Bangkok that are flood-free.Central Plaza Hotel, a big locally owned group, said it was seeing some impact from the floods, but it was a mixed picture, with poor business in … [Read more...] about Ever-resilient Thai tourism may bounce back after floods