Thứ Ba, 30 tháng 6, 2015

VNAT and MobiFone join hands to facilitate tourism




The event had the attendance of Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien; Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai; General Director of VNAT Nguyen Van Tuan; General Director of MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation Cao Duy Hai; representatives of the two sides and press.



The cooperation between the two sides will aim to support each other in promoting tourist attractions in Viet Nam, developing domestic tourism, and improving MobiFone’s customer service.



According to the agreement, the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism and Mobifone Telecommunications Corporation will coordinate to provide information about Viet Nam tourism via Halo Vietnam portal for MobiFone users; frequently update information about the country"s tourism for domestic and international MobiFone users; implement e-commerce in the tourism sector in the future.





The web portal will provide information about destinations, hotels, restaurants and leisure services in Viet Nam. In addition, it also allows visitors to assess quality of tourism destinations and give feedback on Viet Nam"s tourism environment. In the coming time, customers will be able to book tourism services online via Halo Vietnam.



Speaking at the singing ceremony, General Director of VNAT Nguyen Van Tuan said nowadays, smartphones are considered as an effective way of promoting tourism. The Strategy of Viet Nam’s tourism development identifies e-marketing a breakthrough solution. Therefore, the cooperation between the two sides will open a new vision of technology application into tourism promotion.



Pham Thanh




VNAT and MobiFone join hands to facilitate tourism

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VNAT works with 5 foreign Embassies in Viet Nam



General Director Nguyen Van Tuan works with Belarusian Ambassador


At the meetings, General Director Nguyen Van Tuan informed about Vietnamese Government’s approval of visa waiver for citizens of the Republic of Belarus (in 5 years) and the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy (in 1 year) from July 1, 2015. This will contribute to boosting bilateral cooperation and luring more tourists from these countries to Viet Nam.



The General Director called for the Embassies’ help in organizing presstrip delegations to Viet Nam to explore and popularize information about Viet Nam – a destination with beautiful landscapes, rich cuisine and friendly, hospitable people. VNAT intends to organize roadshows to introduce Viet Nam tourism in these markets with the participation of travel agencies and journalists.



The Ambassadors expressed their appreciation and pleasure to Vietnamese Government’s approval of the visa waiver and announced that the information has been provided extensively through media, social network. The Ambassadors also agreed to the proposal of General Director Nguyen Van Tuan and hoped that the visa exemption policy will be extended in the future to facilitate the exchange of tourists between Viet Nam and these countries.


Hong Nhung




VNAT works with 5 foreign Embassies in Viet Nam

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Can Tho trade fair starts Mekong Delta green tourism week




A performance at the opening of the fair



The week-long fair is a platform for business-to-business and business-to-client contacts, opening up export and tourism co-operation opportunities.



Lying at the gateway of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho city boasts huge tourism potential thanks to its criss-crossing rivers and canals, and unending rice paddies and orchards.



It is home to 18 garden-type eco-tourist and recreational sites, with three recognised as outstanding destinations – Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery, Cai Rang floating market and My Khanh tourist village.



Can Tho has 27 cultural and historical sites, including 12 national and 15 municipal relics, and more than 190 lodging facilities offering over 5,000 rooms.






Can Tho trade fair starts Mekong Delta green tourism week

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First buckwheat flower festival to be held in Ha Giang


The event will include cultural performances, a buckwheat wine festival, a photography exhibition and workshops on buckwheat products.


According to Deputy Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Tran Quy Duc, the festival aims to promote the cultural value of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, including the beautiful image of buckwheat in full bloom.


The event is expected to promote the province’s tourism potential and services with a view to attracting more investments, he added.


The buckwheat (Fagopyrum Esculentum) plant grows in clusters of small pinkish white flowers and produces triangular shaped edible seeds.


The ethnic H’Mong cultivate two crops of buckwheat every year, which bloom between April and May. The flowers are sensitive to sunlight, changing their colour from white in the early morning to pink in the afternoon.


Buckwheat in full bloom is a spectacular sight, drawing flocks of tourist to Ha Giang and its neighbouring mountainous areas, such as Lao Cai province.





First buckwheat flower festival to be held in Ha Giang

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Nha Trang Sea Fest expects to lure 150,000 tourists



With more than 50 cultural, sporting, and tourist activities, the event expects to receive 150,000 foreign and domestic tourists.




At a press briefing on June 29, provincial leader said that this year’s major activities will feature the seas and islands through which to reflect on the city’s peacefulness.


An exhibition featuring legal and historical evidence of Viet Nam’s sovereignty overthe Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos will be planned.




Seminars on the marine economy will be held along with programs highlighting the culture of the local coastal region, their self-motivation, and creativity. Other outstanding activities include beach cleanups and a salangane nest festival.


The 7th biennial festival, which began in 2003, covers cultural, arts, sports, and tourism activities bearing traditional and modern features and honoring the characteristics of the sea and islands as well as the potential of Nha Trang city and Khanh Hoa province as a whole.




Nha Trang Sea Fest expects to lure 150,000 tourists

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First half: Nearly 1.6 million tourists visit Thua Thien-Hue



The tourism sector raked in VND1.4 trillion (US$67 million) in revenue, a year-on-year rise of 2%.




The 2015 Hue Traditional Craft Festival, hosted on the occasion of national public holidays (April 30 and May 1), drew more than 100,000 visitors, up 22% from the previous year.




The Hue Relics Preservation Centre has to date welcomed nearly 1.1 million visitors, half of whom are from abroad, Director of the centre Phan Thanh Hai said.




Besides launching the Golden Tourism Week programme on April 22-28 and June 15-21, the centre has organised a wide range of activities to serve visitors such as music performances, royal parties and exhibitions.




The province plans to improve tourism infrastructure, such as completing construction of the Dien Bien Phu road to serve tourism in the southwest part of Hue imperial city – a UNESCO-recognised world heritage – while upgrading relic sites in the Hue Relics Preservation Centre, the Revolution and History Museum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.




The locality will also improve the quality of charter flights from Bangkok to Hue and vice versa and open at least six direct flights between the two sides.




Other plans will implement programmes to promote tourism investments in Hong Kong (China) and at the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) tourism expo.




First half: Nearly 1.6 million tourists visit Thua Thien-Hue

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Lao Cai province betters tourism services



In the second half of this year, local authorities plan to work with the Steering Committee for the northwest region to build a national tourism plan for 2017 and bolster tourism cooperation with eight northwest provinces.




The locality will coordinate with the management board from the EU, the French Aquitaine region and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to realise signed cooperation agreements on supporting tourism development and human resources training.




The province is also speeding up the implementation of transport infrastructure projects, especially in popular tourism sites such as Sa Pa, Bac Ha and Bat Xat while connecting transport networks between the province and its neighbours, upgrading several highways and expanding inter-provincial roads.




The provincial People’s Committee is also directing relevant departments and sectors to address issues such as public restrooms, environmental sanitation and waste treatment at tourist sites.




According to the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province welcomed over 1 million visitors in the first six months of 2015, a year-on-year rise of 15 percent.




The tourism sector fetched nearly 2.3 trillion VND (103 billion USD) in revenue in the period, a yearly increase of 15 percent.




Sa Pa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat and Muong Khuong are the most popular destinations with 20-30 percent growth in the volume of visitors.




Lao Cai province betters tourism services

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City welcomes 2.2 million visitors in first half of year



Of this figure, the number of foreigners is expected to have risen by 33% to an estimated 600,000, whilst domestic visitors are predicted to have climbed by 22% to an estimated 1.6 million.


Over the 6-month period, a total of 478 accommodation providers have operated in the city, and together they have provided 17,600 rooms for visitors, 3,400 higher than the same period last year.


The city is now home to 198 travel agencies, a rise of 25 against the same period last year, and the total number of tour guides working in the city is now nearly 1,800.




City welcomes 2.2 million visitors in first half of year

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In Vietnam, customers face more risks in card spanayment, but banks remain unhelspanful


While Vietnamese are encouraged to use their cards more often for payment, banks are apparently staying away from the risks the cardholders face in doing so.


Many bank cardholders have chosen to step forward and tell Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper their recent stories.


A cardholder named N.M. in Ho Chi Minh City told Tuoi Tre that upon receiving a notification that her credit card, which was still in her purse, was charged VND20 million (US$920) last month, she immediately phoned the call center of her card issuer, An Binh Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ABBank).


Since opening the card account three years ago, M.’s plastic had not incurred any transactions until May.


On May 5, she used the card to pay a deposit for a hotel room, but it failed. She then called the ABBank card center and received instructions from it on how to carry out online transactions, but she still could not make the deal.


But 13 days later, M. received messages from ABBank saying that she had used her card to pay for goods worth VND30 million ($1,380) in total via three transactions at a store in Singapore.


But since her credit card limit was capped at VND20 million, only two transactions worth nearly VND20 million were successfully done.


Though she immediately contacted the card center to ask the bank to simultaneously lock the card and block the transactions, on May 29, the lender asked M. to repay the money someone had spent in Singapore no later than June 3.


When she complained to the bank about her case, M. was told that she would still have to pay, otherwise the debt would turn into bad debt, and she would have to pay interest.


The lender added that it would reimburse her after verifying the complaint.


"The bank told me that since I had registered for online payment services and signed a contract for using the card at my own risk, I should deal with the problem myself. But why is it when there were three consecutive transactions with large sums deducted from my account, the bank made no response to confirm or issue a warning to me?” she told Tuoi Tre.


Similarly, N.T.Nam, an international debit cardholder of Maritime Bank, recently said that his card had been used to pay for 14 consecutive transactions totaling more than VND70 million ($3,220) at midnight one day last year.


The incident occurred in May 2014, but so far the bank has reimbursed just VND63.8 million ($2,930) while refusing to refund the remainder, worth over VND9.95 million ($457).


The delivery address for the goods bought with Nam’s card was in England, and all the documents for the 14 transactions were in foreign languages ​​and did not bear his name.


"The process of handling complaints with the bank was prolonged. Despite 14 consecutive purchases during one night with a large amount of money deducted, the bank did not have any warnings, such as direct phone calls to ask me for confirmation before the transactions were conducted.”


“I was further disappointed when the card department of the bank told me that under the terms and conditions of use of international payment cards, cardholders must be responsible for all transactions using their plastic or information relating to it, regardless of whether the cardholders have given permission for the transactions to be carried out or not," Nam said.


Another case is Ho Le Phong in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.


More than seven months after this incident, Vietnam International Bank (VIB) and Phong have yet to find common ground to resolve the issue.


Meanwhile, Phong continues to receive statements for interest paid as prescribed for using the bank’s card.


The incident began on October 20, 2014, when in just four minutes, from 3:51 am to 3:55 am, Phong received a series of messages reporting that his card had been used for transactions totaling $2,400 at a shopping center in the U.S. while sleeping at his home in the southern Vietnamese city.


Upon receiving Phong’s complaint, VIB representatives said that the bank had to peruse its payment documents to determine whether the transactions were conducted by Phong or not, and then they would figure out a solution.


After many meetings with Phong, the bank asked him to share the burden by paying half of the amount charged even though it acknowledged his card may have been hacked.


Be cautious when paying with bankcards


According to experts, cardholder information can easily be stolen in the process of making online payment.


Tran Quang Thoai, a card expert, said that in principle when disputes occur, the card-issuing bank should always defend the cardholders, and can help them recoup 80-90 percent of the money lost.


Another expert said in other countries, if cardholders can prove that they did not carry out a specific transaction, banks will then have to try to identify whether the errors were made by the places accepting the card with point of sale (POS) devices, and through the card issuer, they will get their money back.


According to Vo Do Thang, director of the Athena Network Management and Network Security Training Center, card users in Vietnam often find themselves stuck in a situation in which they have to believe in the honesty of cashiers in restaurants and hotels, as they hand over their cards to them to make payment.


In other countries, one of the most basic requirements when using a card to pay for purchases, meals, or hotels is that the holder should watch the cashier use their plastic on POS devices.


It is very common for hackers to break into the technology system and the database of local restaurants or retail stores to steal information, while the level of credit card security of those places has not improved much over the past years, Thang said.


Compared with previous decades, the security of international payment cards has not changed significantly, creating serious vulnerabilities for users, he added.


Tran Quang Chien, director of Vietnam Information Security and Communications Company, said cardholders should double check if the e-commerce websites they use are safe and have sufficient reliability for making online payment, as card numbers and security codes are often stolen from these websites.


The expert also issued a warning about the implementation of online payment on insecure or public computers.


"If the computer has been infected with a virus, malware or software to record keystrokes of the user, the loss of information, passwords and credit card data is quite probable," Chien added.


Vo Van Khang, a banking security expert and member of the southern region branch of the Vietnam Information Security Association, said customers should only register for credit cards at banks that have additional forms of authentication, such as 3D Secure, for online payment.


This feature will raise the security capacity of one’s credit card by asking the person who conducts a transaction to provide an additional password, he said.


This password will be sent to the cardholder by text message, email or security devices provided by the bank.


Also, cardholders should regularly monitor notifications regarding transactions via email or text messages provided by the bank to check if there are any unusual transfers.


For those who regularly use online payment services, Khang said they should choose another card, such as a debit card.




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In Vietnam, customers face more risks in card spanayment, but banks remain unhelspanful

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Vietnam fuel behemoth initiates spanetroleum spanort, bonded warehouse spanrojects on Phu Quoc


The Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) has begun executing projects worth more than US$250 million to construct an integrated petroleum service port and a bonded warehouse to store gasoline on Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam.


The groundbreaking ceremony was organized on Sunday on the island administered by Kien Giang Province.


Those two projects are among the important parts of PetroVietnam’s key oil exploration chain.


The integrated petroleum service port will be built on a total area of 116.5 hectares of land and 60 hectares of sea surface.


This VND4.2 trillion ($192 million) project is divided into three phases, of which the first is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2017.


The remaining stages will be implemented after 2020.


The port is planned to be a logistics base for oil and gas activities in the southwestern Vietnamese region, the Gulf of Thailand, and Myanmar.


The bonded warehouse project, which costs VND1.4 trillion ($64 million), will be built on a total area of 35.5 hectares of land and 60 hectares of sea surface.


The first phase is projected to finish by the fourth quarter of 2017 while the second will be carried out after that.


The two projects’ initial target market is Southeast Asian countries and their operations will be expanded internationally later on.


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Vietnam fuel behemoth initiates spanetroleum spanort, bonded warehouse spanrojects on Phu Quoc

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Fake Chinese dietary suspanspanlements, spanharmaceuticals, cosmetics smuggled into Vietnam in bulk


Fake Chinese dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics have been smuggled into Vietnam in large quantities this year, a national committee on anti-smuggling said at a conference last Friday.


They have been illegally transported in bulk in a more sophisticated way than before, the National Steering Committee on Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud, and Counterfeit Goods (Steering Committee 389) said during the event in Hoi An City in the central region.


However, the Steering Committee 389 did not give any details about the volume of fake Chinese dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics imported into Vietnam at the conference on finding solutions for coping with counterfeit goods and products infringing intellectual property rights.


Many Vietnamese enterprises have registered their brand names identical to existing protected trademarks to deceive consumers into buying their fake dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, the committee said.


Those local firms mainly outsource their products, labels, and packages from Chinese manufacturing facilities, and then smuggle the goods into Vietnam for repackaging and reselling, with “Made in Vietnam” labels stuck on the surface.


The Steering Committee 389 has discovered a local firm storing 80 kinds of labels and packages for dietary supplements printed in China, and then importing them into Vietnam so that it could flexibly label and repackage bogus products for reselling domestically.


Hanoi police earlier this month found a Vietnamese company employing a similar trick, seizing over 20 metric tons of fake goods and detaining three people involved in the case.


In May, Steering Committee 389 data showed that Vietnam imported a huge volume of dietary supplements, mostly from China, worth more than VND2.4 trillion (US$110.4 million) last year.


In the first five months of this year, with nearly 500 registered local importers, the value of the dietary supplements brought into Vietnam from many sources, including China, topped VND1.4 trillion ($64.4 million).


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Fake Chinese dietary suspanspanlements, spanharmaceuticals, cosmetics smuggled into Vietnam in bulk

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Landmark tower lifts bar to international standards


Advertorial — The revised Law on Housing, which comes into effect in July, eases restrictions for foreigners to own property in Vietnam. This progressive legislation is expected to reinvigorate the market by offering non-nationals attractive conditions for buying a house.


According to Marc Townsend, general manager of CBRE Vietnam, the new regulation has opened the door for foreigners who are keen to get on the property ladder here. Foreigners will soon be able to buy unlimited numbers of condominiums with an ownership period of 50 years, which can be extended subject to applicable laws. Significantly, the government’s new law allows foreigners to lease, mortgage, contribute as capital, gift and bequest property.



As a result, real estate analysts are looking forward to bright prospects in the future, and have predicted that foreign buyers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and western countries may occupy up to 10 percent of the buyers in high-end projects.


Vingroup – the biggest property investor in Vietnam – is currently implementing the Vinhomes Central Park (VHCP) urban township, a green city located along the bank of the Saigon River. Together with Ba Son and Khanh Hoi, VHCP is a key element of the “miniature green city” redevelopment.


Located in Binh Thanh District in the increasingly trendy eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City, the township is designed with a building density of just 16 percent. There will be 14 hectares of green space and river frontage along a one kilometer stretch of the Saigon River. VHCP will also be the first urban township to have a luxury marina.



The Landmark complex is part of VHCP. Landmark 81 – the highest ever building in Vietnam – will be located in the heart of the Landmark complex. Landmark 81 promises a lavish view and a “New York-style” living space for its end users. Billed as one of the ten tallest buildings in the world, upon its completion, it will become an iconic feature of the Ho Chi Minh City skyline. The ultra-luxury facility, slated for opening by the end of 2017, is being heralded as groundbreaking in terms of quality.


Covering an area of 141,000 square meters, Landmark 81 consists of a five-star, 260-room hotel, with roughly 250 apartments, a range of luxury restaurants, an open-air sky bar, an observatory and a shopping mall. Landmark 81 is expected to be highly sought-after, not just by end users, but by investors as well.


According to a study from CBRE Vietnam, Landmark 81 is expected to bring about a higher rental yield, approximately up to 15 percent higher than other rivals in the same market segment, such as The Manor, which has a rental yield of 7.2 percent, and the Saigon Pearl with 6.5 percent. These high yields, according to the developer, will be obtained through the project’s many advantages, including its ideal location, low construction density, and its coverage of the biggest park by the river in Ho Chi Minh City.



Moreover, Landmark 81 will benefit from a convenient transportation system, a secure living standard, and the Vincom shopping center. Also, despite its higher cost, the developer has decided to use Low-E glass for this building due to its environmental benefits.


Vingroup is the biggest developer of real estate in Vietnam with many high-end properties including multi-function complexes in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Da Nang and many other provinces throughout the country. In addition to its domestic and international plaudits, most recently the company won the “Best Developer in Vietnam” award at the Southeast Asia Property Awards in Singapore last October.




Foreign buyers are cordially invited to the CBRE Exclusive Event at Vinhomes Central Park on July 1. Please join us and seize this unique opportunity of a 5 percent discount before the next launch and price rise. Hotline: 090 246 8087.




Landmark tower lifts bar to international standards

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Vietnam’s foreign tourist arrivals slumspan 11% in first half of 2015


Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has criticized the tourist industry for failing to make use of its potential and advantages for growth as Vietnam posted yet another decline in foreign tourist arrivals in the first half of this year.


Only 3.8 million international tourists visited the Southeast Asian country in the first six months, an 11.3 percent drop from the first half of last year, according to the General Statistics Office.


In June, Vietnam’s tourist arrivals suffered the 13th consecutive month-on-month slump, with more than 529,400 visitors, down 1.9 percent compared to the same month last year.


The numbers of tourists entering Vietnam in the first half by air, road and sea all declined 9.1 percent, 19.7 percent and 26.5 percent, respectively.


Industry insiders are hoping that the situation will improve starting July 1, when Vietnam begins scrapping visas for visitors from five more European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain and England.


The free-visa policy is expected to lure back European tourists to Vietnam, whose packages have become costlier as the euro is weaker against the U.S. dollar.


Vietnam takes pride in its political stability and natural landscapes as potential and advantages to attract visitors, but the tourist industry has only posted "unaccepted results,” Prime Minister Dung complained as he chaired a tele-meeting with local administrations on Monday.


The premier said more efforts should be put on developing tourism, and asked relevant agencies to look to Myanmar.


“[Myanmar] will welcome five million international tourists this year and Vietnam expects to receive only seven million, so what do you comrades think?” he said from Hanoi.


“The result is unacceptable given our stable politics, beautiful nature and many other things.”


The Ministry of Planning and Investment joined the discussion by proposing that more measures be taken to have better results, besides the free-visa travel policy.


The visa exemption granted to the five Europe countries only allows a 15-day stay for each entry within one year from the effective day, according to a directive signed by the premier.


Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh suggested visitors from other countries should also be allowed to enjoy the visa waivers and that policy should be applicable to longer stays.


“We should scrap visas for most other countries, except those that are hit by wars or have unstable politics, to encourage tourists to come to Vietnam,” he said.


International visitors, especially investors, should also be allowed to stay in Vietnam for three months, rather than just 15 days, the minister added.


“Foreign investors pour billions of U.S. dollars into Vietnam and are frequent international flyers, and they thus always complain about the short allowed stay,” Minister Vinh said.


“There must be specific measures to solve this problem.”


Vietnam currently applies a one-sided free-visa policy to eight countries, including Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Belarus.


The nation also has a visa-free policy for nine other Southeast Asian countries, including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.


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Vietnam’s foreign tourist arrivals slumspan 11% in first half of 2015

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Vietnam's Bspanhone recalled for software uspangrades less than fortnight after delivery


Although Bkav is trying to market its Bphone as the world’s leading smartphone, the road now proves rough for the Hanoi-based company, as it is recalling the first batche of handsets shortly after delivery for software upgrades.


Those customers who had the Bphone delivered to their doors on June 18 will have to return it to the manufacturer for software upgrades, Do Thu Hang, director of public relations with Bkav, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday.


The Vietnamese company, known for its Bkav antivirus software, had previously said the upgrades would be done online.


Bkav took the wraps offits brainchild, the Bphone, on May 26 and officially put it on sale a week later.


Delivery has been delayed many times and the new date is July 3, according to the company’s spokesperson.


The Internet security firm-turned-smartphone maker recorded 11,822 orders in its first day of sales, but refused to say how many phones had been delivered in the first batch on June 18.


The recalled products will have their firmware upgraded by Bkav engineers, whereas their cameras will also be improved to “enable them to take better photos than the iPhone 6 Plus,” Hang asserted.


Bkav has consistently asserted its Bphone is capable of rivaling Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S gadgets.


The products will be returned on July 3 with a gift voucher of VND200,000 ($10), applicable to purchases at vala.vn, which is Bkav’s shopping site and the only channel via which the Bphone is distributed.


Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang hailed the Bphone as the world’s best smartphone at the launch ceremony, attended by more than 2,000 people, in Hanoi last month.


However, the device has been hamstrung by a series of scandals since the launch, which illustrates that it is nowhere near the world level.


On June 5, Bkav began displaying demo versions of the Bphone at two FPT Shop mobile phone stores, one each in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, for users to have a first-hand experience.


However, only three days later, the company suddenly removed these devices from shelves, apparently because they had received negative comments from those who tested them out.


The demo versions reportedly have screens with poor display and slow performance quality that is even lower than some low-cost handsets, with Bkav protesting that these are only “demo, experimental versions rather than the official commercial devices.”


Bkav said it has developed its own operating system, called BOS, for the Bphone.


The platform is in fact developed from the core of Google’s Android, and local tech enthusiasts have also discovered that Bkav has yet to sign a Mobile Application Distribution Agreement with Google.


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Vietnam"s Bspanhone recalled for software uspangrades less than fortnight after delivery

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Vietnam’s realty giant gets $100mn from Warburg Pincus-led grouspan in fresh funding


The largest owner and operator of shopping malls in Vietnam has received a fresh US$100 million investment from a consortium led by a U.S. fund, in one of the country’s largest investments by a private equity firm.


A follow-on minority investment of approximately $100 million has been given by a consortium led by an affiliate of Warburg Pincus to Vincom Retail, the retail unit of Vingroup, Vietnam’s leading property firm, the Vietnamese company announced Monday.


Warburg Pincus is a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing, whereas Vingroup is the largest publicly-traded real estate developer and one of the largest companies by market capitalization in Vietnam.


The latest funding brings the total investment in Vincom Retail to date by the Warburg Pincus consortium to $300 million, making it one of the largest investments by a private equity firm ever in Vietnam, according to Vingroup.


The Warburg Pincus consortium made the first investment of $200 million to help build out Vincom Retail in May 2013.


Vincom Retail, the largest shopping mall operator in Vietnam, currently has 20 malls in operation or under development.


The existing prime assets of Vincom Retail include Vincom Dong Khoi and Vincom Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City; Vincom Ha Long in the northern province of Quang Ninh; Vincom Ngo Quyen in the central city of Da Nang; and Vincom Ba Trieu, Vincom Long Bien, Vincom Mega Mall Royal City and Vincom Mega Mall Times City in Hanoi.


The Vincom Retail malls are home to more than 700 domestic and international brands, with many major tenants, according to Vingroup.


Vincom Retail has more than tripled the size of its portfolio since it first partnered with Warburg Pincus two years ago, according to Vingroup CEO Duong Thi Mai Hoa.


“The follow-on investment by the Warburg Pincus Consortium is a vote of confidence from our investors in our strong performance to date and our long-term vision for both Vincom Retail and Vietnam,” Hoa said.


Vincom Retail is accelerating completion of its under-construction malls and developing broader retail platforms, such as VinMart, VinDS, VinFashion and VinPro, so the fresh investment will be of great help, she added.


Warburg Pincus, meanwhile, is so pleased with the growth and performance of Vincom Retail since the initial investment that it was willing to provide the new funding, according to managing director Jeffrey Perlman.


“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Vingroup and Vincom Retail management teams to build the preeminent retail franchise in Vietnam,” he said.


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Vietnam’s realty giant gets $100mn from Warburg Pincus-led grouspan in fresh funding

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Thứ Hai, 29 tháng 6, 2015

The 22 must-see sites in HCM City


1. Sit-own coffee: The park area that is blocked by the Reunification Palace and the Saigon Notre Dame has long become famous among local and foreign tourists as a special space where they can sit down on the ground to enjoy coffee and chat.


The 22 must-see sites in HCM City


2. The “Pho Tay” (streets for foreign backpackers) includes the streets of Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham and adjacent neighborhoods in District 1. Most households here provide travel services, food at soft prices.


3. Thu Thiem Tunnel is the tunnel crossing the Saigon River, linking District 1 with Thu Thiem new urban area. With superior structure and design, Thu Thiem tunnel is the century work of Saigon.


4. Anh Sao (Starlight) Bridge in the new urban area of Phu My Hung, District 7. The bridge spans Thay Tieu canal to The Crescent  area.


5. Bitexco Financial Tower, which was named among the top 20 impressive skyscrapers in the world by CNN.


The 22 must-see sites in HCM City


6. Turtle Lake is the folk name of the Cong Truong Quoc Te, a traffic roundabout with a fountain, connecting the three roads of Vo Van Tan, Pham Ngoc Thach and Tran Cao Van, located in District 3.


7. Ben Thanh Market has long been a symbol of the city.


8. Cholon is the name of the area including Binh Tay Market, District 5 and the surrounding areas, home to the community of Chinese Vietnamese.


9. Bach Dang consists of the harbor and the park of Bach Dang on the bank of the Saigon River.


10. Saigon Central Post Office is an European – Asian architectural work. After more than 100 years, it is still a post office and a tourist attraction.


The 22 must-see sites in HCM City


11. East-West Highway and Vo Van Kiet Boulevard is a route through the center, reducing traffic congestion on the Saigon Bridge and the main axises of the city.


12. The Saigon Opera House was built in 1911, based on the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The theatre, designed by famous architect Broger Harloy, has 900 seats.


13. Nguyen Hue pedestrian street (District 1) only opens for tourists in the evening. This is also the location of a metro station that will be completed in 2016.


14. Vincom Center is the first energy-saving building in Vietnam.


15. Diamond Plaza is the destination for sightseeing, shopping and dining thanks to soft prices and stunning design.


16. Nhieu Loc Canal: After being renovated into a green, clean and beautiful canal, it has become a destination of local people and tourists. Boat tours on the canal will be offered from September 2015.


17. Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, the Reunification Hall is one of the important historic sites of Saigon. The Palace was built on an area of 4,500 m2, consisting of three main floors, 1 terrace, 2 mezzanines, ground floor, 2 basements and a rooftop helipad.


18. Museums: Museums in HCM City have their own unique architecture and the specimens on display.


19. Notre Dame Cathedral is the biggest church in the city.


The 22 must-see sites in HCM City


20. Phu My is not only the first cable-stayed bridge of Saigon but also the most modern bridge of its type in the world. The bridge has six lanes and it connects Thu Thiem New Urban Area (District 2) and Phu My Hung (District 7).


21. Phu My Hung Urban Area (District 7) is one of the most modern urban areas in Saigon.


22. Food Streets: Saigon has many streets where restaurants sell similar products, for example Ha Ton Quyen street with sui cao, Nguyen Canh Chan road with fruits and Vinh Khanh with snail…




The 22 must-see sites in HCM City

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Co Tu people’s insect dishes






Quang Nam, Co Tu people, insect, pupal bees


Among the insects that are used to prepare dishes by Co Tu people are grub, flying termite, cicada, ant eggs, pupal bee and worm.


In order to catch grubs, which mostly appear after the flooding season, Co Tu people dig areas where soil is mixed with sand along the banks of rivers and streams. This insect is then grilled or fried. It can also be used to treat joint pain.


Dishes from ant eggs require a lot of effort to make. After finding an ant nest, people use flat bamboo baskets to screen to separate eggs from ants. The process sounds easy but must be done carefully to ensure that the eggs are not broken. Ant eggs are added to cake’s stuffing or served with sticky rice and sour soup.




Quang Nam, Co Tu people, insect, pupal bees


There are different types of pupal bees. Apart from being an effective drug to treat certain deseases, pupal bees are used to wrap in lolot leaves for grilling, or fried with garlic, served with rice paper, or cooked with rice porridge.


One of the special dishes made from insects by Co Tu people is worm fried with cassava leaves. In spring, kassod trees start having new buds and lure a type of worm that is locally called “green worm”. The worm fried with cassava leaves is a specialty of Co Tu people and it is normally served in special occasions.




Quang Nam, Co Tu people, insect, pupal bees


Another unique dish of Co Tu people is made from bamboo borer worm. The worms are found inside bamboo trees during the year before they become butterflies in the ninth and tenth months of the lunar calendar. After the worms are dipped in boiling water, they are mixed with pepper, chilly, salt and scallion heads in a bamboo cylinder before they are served as a special treat in winter.




Co Tu people’s insect dishes

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Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City




Ho Chi Minh City, Notre Dame Cathedral, tourist attraction

Notre Dame Cathedral is located in Paris Commune Square. After their conquest of Saigon (the former name of Ho Chi Minh City), the French settlers wanted to build their own church. Its construction lasted from 1877 to 1880 and drew heavily from the classic religious architectural style of Europe. Nguyen Huu Thai, an architect specializing in colonial buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, says French style buildings in Ho Chi Minh City were built in different periods, Notre Dame Cathedral being built in the first period: “Notre Dame Cathedral was built during the time of the French governors. During this period, all buildings were built in the military style which means the streets were straight and there were major buildings situated at major intersections. The main buildings of that period include Norodom Palace which is now the Independence Palace, and Notre Dame Cathedral”.


The Cathedral was designed by architect Jules Bourard, an expert in religious architecture. Based on the model of Notre Dame de Paris but smaller, it combines Romanesque and Gothic style. The building is considered the finest work in the 19th century. Thai again: “At that time, all the building materials were imported from France. The outer wall of the cathedral was built with red bricks made in Marseille. Although they are not glazed, these bricks still retain their bright red and are not overgrown with moss. “



Ho Chi Minh City, Notre Dame Cathedral, tourist attraction

The cathedral is 91 meters long and 35.5 meters wide. Its height is 21 meters. In 1895, two towers housing six bronze bells were added. Crosses were also installed at the top of each tower. The six bells are named according to their musical note: sol la si do re and mi. The sol is the largest bell. It sounds only once a year on Lunar New Year’s Eve, when other five also echo. Their sound can be heard in a radius of 10 km.



Ho Chi Minh City, Notre Dame Cathedral, tourist attraction

Inside the cathedral, the nave contains 12 columns that represent the twelve apostles. The chapel’s white marble is carved with six angels. In front of the cathedral is a square where the intersection of four streets forms a cross. In 1959, a 4.6 meter sculpture representing the “Virgin of Peace” was carved out of white marble imported from Italy in the center of the square by the Italian sculptor Ciocchetti.


More than a century after its construction, Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City retains its incredible beauty. It is a place of worship for local Catholic and expatriates and also a major tourist attraction.





Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City

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Tourist boats seek to return to Bach Dang Wharf






The six firms are Tau Ben Nghe Co. Ltd., My Canh Travel Service Co.Ltd., 168 Floating Restaurant Co. Ltd., Ben Du Thuyen Co. Ltd., VinaExpress JSC and Quang Hung Transport Service Co.


They said in a document sent to leaders of the city in mid-June thatthey had been struggling with a host of difficulties since the citydecided to not renew the operation license of Bach Dang Wharf andordered boat operators to leave the wharf from March 30.


Restaurant boats have not found new berths while hydrofoil operatorshave had difficulty looking for appropriate piers to pick up theirpassengers. Some have had to go to other provinces or sold their boatsto cut losses.


Tau Ben Nghe, My Canh Travel Service, 168 Floating Restaurant and BenDu Thuyen have asked the Saigon Port Authority for assistance but to noavail. These firms said they would have to dismantle their boats if theyhit the dead end.


They proposed the city government and relevant agencies considerpermitting boat operations at Bach Dang Wharf. They wanted the localgovernment, the HCMC departments of transport and planning-architectureto help them find a passenger pier for their boats in the daytime and aplace for restaurant boats to operate at Bach Dang Wharf at night untilwork starts on an upgrade project at the wharf.


At the end of last year, the transport department informed theoperators of tourist and restaurant boats at the wharf that the citygovernment would not renew the wharf’s operation license upon expiry onDecember 31. However, the city government later told the department toallow the boats to stay until the middle of January.


The department said the decision was to upgrade Bach Dang Wharf in linewith a zoning plan for the area. After the upgrade project is finished,the government of HCMC will decide whether to let tourist boats operateat the wharf or not.




Tourist boats seek to return to Bach Dang Wharf

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Renowned Vietnamese Pho restaurants in foreign countries


The restaurant owners keep the traditional flavour of the Vietnamese Pho as if they were in their homeland.



Pho Bang in the US


The restaurant is located at Chinatown-the most crowded neighbourhood in New York City.




Vietnamese Pho restaurants, overseas Vietnamese, travellers, attract visitors

It is also listed as the best 10 Pho spots in New York City by Thrillist-a leading US food, drink and travel website.


According to the website, Pho Bang attracts visitors thanks to cheap price (about US$7-US$10 per bowl) with meaty and herbaceous flavour.


Customers can only pay an extra buck or two to request a super-sized bowl.


Maisond’Asie in Switzerland


Maisond’Asie (Asian House) has lured a huge number of international tourists and overseas Vietnamese living and working in the country.




Vietnamese Pho restaurants, overseas Vietnamese, travellers, attract visitors

The restaurant, located near the Geneva Train Station, is decorated with many Vietnamese traditional musical instruments.


Each bowl costs 17 francs (VND400,000).


Little Saigon in RoK


Little Saigon is one of the first spots in Seoul to serve Pho.


The service is friendly, abundant and responsive even on busy Saturday afternoons. Waiters stand around waiting to help at any time.


The price of each bowl is around 8,000-12,000 won (VND150,000-VND230,000).


Restaurant An in Australia




Vietnamese Pho restaurants, overseas Vietnamese, travellers, attract visitors

The restaurant serves traditional Vietnamese rice noodle soup, northern style -Vietnamese Pho which is prepared with rice noodles topped with beef or chicken, fresh picked herbs and bean sprouts.


Each bowl costs AUD18 (VND 300,000).





Renowned Vietnamese Pho restaurants in foreign countries

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Breathtaking scenery in Ba Be National Park


It was officially recognized by UNESCO as the third Ramsar site in Vietnam and boasts being one of the 20 most beautiful freshwater lakes in the world— overflowing with wildlife, springs and caves.


The Tay ethnic people live there and tourists can say overnight at their house for the cost of VND150,000-200,000 per night.
























An ideal ecological tourism site





An interesting place for children in summer










Ba Be Lake in early morning



















Breathtaking scenery in Ba Be National Park

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Travel agencies updated on entry laws for foreigners





The law, which took effect onJanuary 1, 2015, includes 9 chapters with 55 articles regulatingdetailed issues related to visas, entrance and exit, transit andresidence as well as the rights and obligations of foreigners andagencies, organisations and individuals in charge of providing theabove-mentioned services to foreigners.


The regulation onfixed- and long-term visa exemptions stated in the law has attractedattentions from travel firms. It is expected to make tourism promotionactivities more effective and draw more foreign tourists to the country.


LuuDuc Ke, Director of Hanoitourist, said visa exemptions for citizensfrom five countries – the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – is animportant measure contributing to promoting tourism development.


Theevent offered a good chance for travel firms to share their experiencesin creating favourable conditions for foreign visitors in followingentrance and exit procedures.


Previously, the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism (VNAT) worked with the Embassies of Belarus,the UK, France, Spain and Italy in Vietnam to introduce information onthe country’s policies and tourist attraction activities. It alsorequested assistance from agencies in promoting and providinginformation on Vietnam’s tourism to their countries’ communications andtravel firms.


A plan to attract arrivals from the exempted countries will be implemented this year, VNAT revealed.


With active support from the Government, ministries and sectors, thenumber of international tourists to Vietnam is expected to surge in thecoming time.





Travel agencies updated on entry laws for foreigners

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Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa







Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa


To get to the islands or reefs in the Spratlys, tourists have to undergo short journeys by canoe.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


The islands in the Spratlys such as Truong Sa Lon, Sinh Ton and Phan Vinh will appear in front of you with the greenery of trees, or buildings. To have full views of the floating islands, visitors should climb up the lighthouse.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Meanwhile, the reefs appear only with concrete blocks amid waters.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


It is very common to see naval soldiers standing solemnly to defend the country’s sovereignty.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Those who love photography have the opportunity to take beautiful photographs of everyday life in Truong Sa.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


During their free time, soldiers are busy planting vegetables or taking care of poultry.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


On reefs, every space is utilized to grow vegetables.  


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Pagodas were built on islands in the Spratlys to serve the spiritual needs of people.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Relaxing moments for soldiers.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Many reefs have inhabitants living on them.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


The square almonds are a “specialty” in Truong Sa.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


A flower tree created by naval soldiers from snail shells.


Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa 


Watching the sunrise in the Spratlys.





Stop-overs on the journey to Truong Sa

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