Travelling around the world to find our way back home "We travel overseas to find our way back home," said Nguyen Le Tung. The 37-year-old market development manager at Boston Scientific, a leading manufacturer of medical devices with offices across 100 countries, studied and worked abroad for many years. He got his Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Webster University, Thailand, and got a scholarship from Arizona State University, the U.S., where he got a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering. He spent eight years in the U.S. After returning to Vietnam, he moved to Singapore to work for four years. He gained valuable insights into different working environments and cultures, and this experience has helped excel no matter where he goes. But, "each time I returned, I deeply felt that I was miles away from where I originally started. Since 2009, Vietnam has gone through significant changes in working environment and quality of life, which … [Read more...] about Overseas Vietnamese talents find fulfillment back home
Vietnamese need visa to singapore
Cities must go cashless to go smart
Cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City could see billions added to their budgets through cashless payments, Photo: Le Toan When wearable digital payments company Tappy Technologies Ltd. showcased its new contactless payment solution for everyday expenses at the Visa Asia-Pacific Security Summit in May, it mesmerised attendants with how digital payment functionality can now be embedded into traditional timepieces and jewellery. Money is now literally sitting on the wrist or a finger of a consumer, readily available on the go. “We embed a very flexible chip, which is waterproof and certified by all the payment card schemes, inside the form factors that you can see here [there was a plethora of watches, wristbands, and bracelets on display] – everything here is a payment device. So when you go to the store for a coffee and you’re wearing this nice watch – not a smart watch, it’s a regular watch – you’d just need a tap and that’s it, … [Read more...] about Cities must go cashless to go smart
Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam top 6.7m in five months
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam surpassed 6.7 million in the first five months of this year, up 27.6 per cent annually, the General Statistics Office announced on Tuesday. In May alone, the figure topped 1.16 million, down 13.5 per cent month-on-month. The number of Asian tourists hit over five million in five months, up 33.3 per cent while those from China was up 37 per cent, South Korea (62.1 per cent), Japan (6.6 per cent), Malaysia (12.5 per cent), Thailand (9.1 per cent) and Singapore (5.4 per cent). Meanwhile, the number of European visitors rose by 11.8 per cent year-on-year, including those from Russia (up 9.2 per cent), France (13.1 per cent), the UK (9.6 per cent), Germany (8.5 per cent) and Italy (18.3 per cent). Visitors from America and Oceania were up 13.8 per cent and 12.1 per cent, respectively. Major tourist localities saw a surge in tourist arrivals. The central city of Đà Nẵng … [Read more...] about Foreign arrivals to Việt Nam top 6.7m in five months
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay
Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay, illustration photo With globalisation encouraging visa-free travel all over the world, only 24 countries have visa exemptions in Vietnam, while other countries in the region have much higher numbers: 168 in Indonesia, 162 in Malaysia, 159 and Singapore and the Philippines, and 57 in Thailand. In order to attract more foreign tourists, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) sent a letter to the Vietnamese prime minister recently, asking for more visa exemptions for international tourists, especially ones from developed countries, who might indulge in long stays and luxury spending. According to TAB, since mid-2015, the visa waiver for tourists has helped raise the number of foreign visitor arrivals by 20 per cent, but difficulties have been caused by a lack of clarity regarding the visa waiver programme for five European countries – the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy – which will expire at the end of June. Talking to VIR, a … [Read more...] about Visa policy is keeping tourists at bay
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 24/3
SMEs benefit from State’s business support policies Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will benefit from many support policies of the State, especially those in information support; consultation; human resources development; startup and innovation; and value chain participation. Under Decree 39/2018/ND-CP recently issued by the Government, SMEs will be free to access information in the national information portal for supporting SMEs managed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and other information portals managed by ministries, ministry-level agencies, municipal and provincial-level People’s Committees. To help SMEs develop their human resources, the State budget will support at least 50 percent of the total cost of a business start-up and business administration training course for SMEs. Meanwhile, SMEs in advantaged areas and those owned by women will be exempted from tuition fees for training. Business households, which register to … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 24/3
Thailand, Vietnam join hands to boost bilateral tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand in Ho Chi Minh City announced the upcoming launch of the co-joint tourism development program entitled “One million tourists in 2015” at the press conference at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, also known as part of the ongoing International Travel Expo 2010. According to TAT representative, the program, which is set to debut on Oct 3, will highlight six points, including review and discuss program policies for both countries at agendas to ensure the target, exchange information between two countries, exchange the media between two countries, invite each other to Trade shows and other events, support each other to do roadshows in two countries, and joint-promotion to foster the relationship between two countries. The program is co-organized by Tourism Authority of Thailand and Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The TAT spokeperson also figured out that, in the first seven months of 2010, Thailand has welcomed over … [Read more...] about Thailand, Vietnam join hands to boost bilateral tourism
Eek! Santa’s coming to Vietnam! Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Dear Santa,I wonder how you manage to get into Vietnam. Do you use a visa on arrival, booked by your elves? Or did the said elves have to wait in line at a consulate, pay the money and come back two days later? And since you’re on the job, how do you get your work permit so quickly?Mind you, Santa, you can get the visa faster in Cambodia than in Malaysia. Singapore is the most expensive embassy I’ve visited so far and the Australian Consulate has the smallest waiting area. Good thing you don’t have to travel overland, Moc Bai Border Gate is suffocating in the heat with nowhere to sit while waiting and Lao Bao Border Gate is a nice walk down the hill and back again from where the bus stops.And there’s no food stalls for reindeer, poor things.I wonder if customs will try to stop you at the border for sack inspection, ask for a detailed list of goods and recommend a good broker on your behalf when you’re accused of bringing in second-hand goods. Good … [Read more...] about Eek! Santa’s coming to Vietnam! Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Vietnamese talents: Leave or stay? Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Editor’s note: Giang Pham is currently studying in the Erasmus Mundus program for Master of Journalism, Media and Globalization in Denmark and Germany. He has also worked as a freelance photojournalist and writer for several media since 2013. Farewell, my friends!It was a Wednesday evening, October 12th 2016. At Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the main airport of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Viet Nguyen was bidding his farewell to his family and his friends before leaving for Germany on a 2-year Master Program in European Studies, European University of Flensburg. They gathered for a group photo, broadly smiled and gave Viet best wishes for his upcoming trip. Viet and his friends are a group of close friends, studying for a bachelor’s degree together in International Relations. Two months earlier, the group also stood here, saying goodbye to another classmate, Ha Phan. Ha left Vietnam in August for studying in the United States. However, she chose another path, she … [Read more...] about Vietnamese talents: Leave or stay? Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Eek! Santa’s coming to Vietnam!
Dear Santa, I wonder how you manage to get into Vietnam. Do you use a visa on arrival, booked by your elves? Or did the said elves have to wait in line at a consulate, pay the money and come back two days later? And since you’re on the job, how do you get your work permit so quickly? Mind you, Santa, you can get the visa faster in Cambodia than in Malaysia. Singapore is the most expensive embassy I’ve visited so far and the Australian Consulate has the smallest waiting area. Good thing you don’t have to travel overland, Moc Bai Border Gate is suffocating in the heat with nowhere to sit while waiting and Lao Bao Border Gate is a nice walk down the hill and back again from where the bus stops. And there’s no food stalls for reindeer, poor things. I wonder if customs will try to stop you at the border for sack inspection, ask for a detailed list of goods and recommend a good broker on your behalf when you’re accused of bringing in second-hand goods. … [Read more...] about Eek! Santa’s coming to Vietnam!
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 11/12
Investments in drugstore chains turn activeFPT Retail has recently confirmed its investment in the Long Chau drugstore chain, thus lengthening the list of tech retailers that are venturing into drugstore business.The Gioi Di Dong and Digiworld that have long been known as retailers of tech products have invested into drugstore chains as well.At a meeting on business operations at the Hochiminh Stock Exchange earlier this month, FPT Retail general director Nguyen Bach Diep said the company started injecting capital into Long Chau drugstores early this year on a pilot basis and would expand its investment in this sector next year.Revenue from drugstore business operations would be included in FPT Retail’s revenue as from 2019, Diep added.News about FPT Retail’s investment in the Long Chau drugstore chain broke early this year. But when reached by the media, the company said negotiations were ongoing and that there was no official information.Some of the well-known drugstore … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 11/12