The aviation authority in northern Vietnam has fined a teenage passenger VND4 million (US$173) for using others’ personal documents to fly from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
Ngo Phuong Tr., 19, was found showing the ID of another person when the passenger was subjected to a security check at Terminal 1 at Noi Bai airport in the Vietnamese capital at 1:30 pm on August 14.
The passenger, hailing from Dong Anh District, Hanoi, was using an ID card under the name of Le Dinh Tr. to carry out procedures to board flight BL 767 scheduled to leave for Ho Chi Minh City at 1:45 pm the same day.
Anyone committing such an administrative violation shall be subject to a fine of VND3-5 million ($130-216), according to aviation regulations.
The Northern Airports Authority then decided to impose a VND4 million penalty on the offender.
Earlier, the authority had required the aviation security center at Noi Bai to transfer Nguyen Thi D. Th. to police after finding her using a fake ID card to board a plane.
Th., 17 years old and coming from Chau Phu District, southern An Giang Province, was discovered carrying an ID that included personal features failing to match the passenger’s.
She was about to board flight VN 1207 from Hanoi to Can Tho City, located in the Mekong Delta, on August 10.
The passenger then admitted to having lost her own ID card and resorting to faking it for VND2 million ($86) via social media service.
Hanoi FC talisman Nguyen Quang Hai scored a brace in grand style to lead his side past Altyn Asyr in the first leg of the AFC Cup inter-zone semifinal on Tuesday.
The Vietnamese side are now one goal clear ahead of the return game in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on Tuesday next week.
Quang Hai was no doubt the inspirer with a sensational free-kick and superb left-footed shot among an ocean of Ashgabat defenders to put Hanoi in the lead from one goal down.
The Central Asian visitors prefered a counterattack formation but they unexpectedly opened the scoring very early.
Four minutes into the game, Murat Yakshiyev beat the offside trap to get a pass from Myrat Annayev thanks to Duc Huy’s sloppy defence.
Yakshiyev subdued goalkeeper Nguyen Van Cong with a neat shot into the far corner to the amazement of the home crowd at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi.
The hosts quickly staged an offensive performance, creating many chances, including one denied twice by the woodwork in the 23rd minute.
Quang Hai’s delivery from the left side of the box was followed up by a Pape Omar Faye header that hit the bar, before Papa Ibou Kebe’s immediate effort was denied by the same bar again.
But Hanoi finally managed to equalize in the 41st minute.
Quang Hai curled the ball with his magical left foot into the net from a setpiece 22 meters from the goal line, leaving goalie Mammet Orazmuhamedov glued to his position.
In the second half, Hanoi kept attacking and Quang Hai scored again just after the hour mark.
The young star dribbled the ball in the box surrounded by at least three Altyn Asyr players before superbly firing a left-footer into the left corner on 61 minutes.
But just three minutes later, Van Dung made a mistake passing the ball to a visitor, leading to an equalizer by Altymyrat Annadurdyýew.
Relentless efforts by the hosts paid off in the 88th minute, when Hung Dung was tackled by Orazmuhamedov in the penalty area.
Van Quyet step forward to convert from the spot to make it 3-2.
Hanoi will have to be careful in the return game, having conceded two goals at home, as Altyn Asyr only need to win either 1-0 or 2-1 to enter the inter-zone final.
Hundreds of tire-puncturing nails have been found along a national highway in Ho Chi Minh on a daily basis, forcing some local residents to take matters into their own hands to prevent others from having a flat tire and falling victim to dishonest repair shops.
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters met Nguyen Van Thanh, a scrap collector hailing from the southern province of Tay Ninh, on Tuesday morning, when he was using a magnet to retrieve the sharp nails.
Along a 100-meter section of National Highway 1 in Thanh Xuan Ward, District 12, Thanh was able to collect hundreds of tire-puncturing nails weighing nearly 200 grams in total.
Most of the nails had a rhombus shape, blue color, and looked brand new.
“I had already removed the nails from the street yesterday, but they were littered along the roadway again today,” Thanh said.
Thanh often arrives at the location early in the morning when there are fewer vehicles to pick up the nails.
One of his friends, who drives a motor cart for a living, also helps him with the nail-clearing job.
“We don’t want other people to have a flat tire because of these nails,” Thanh stated, hoping that local authorities would have an assertive solution to this problem.
D., a resident in Thanh Xuan Ward, said he has also been collecting nails along the national highway since April 30.
“There were so many nails that I had to use a magnet to pick them up,” he stated.
“It can be very troublesome for motorcyclists with a flat tire as they have to push their vehicles until they find a repair shop.”
According to N.V.B., who frequently travels on this route, his tire was previously punctured on two consecutive nights.
The second incident was so serious that he had to change a brand new tire, which cost him about VND150,000 (US$6.45).
Dau An Phuc, vice-chairman of District 12, told Tuoi Tre that members of the district’s youth union often patrol along the highway section to collect the nails and any objects that compromise road safety.
The administration has requested police units to carry out an investigation and identify those who have been scattering sharp nails along the route, Phuc added.
In Vietnam, some dishonest motorbike repair shops often scatter such nails on the roads to puncture vehicles’ tires, forcing commuters to use their service at exorbitant prices.
Vietnamese group VCCorp has informed that the pilot version of its “Lotus” social network will officially be launched on September 16.
According to VCCorp General Director Nguyen The Tan, the “Lotus” project has been developed by over 200 technical engineers of the firm, who are working in various fields of mobile application, artificial intelligence (AI), and Big Data.
The project was established, invested and implemented by VCCorp, with the participation of some other domestic companies and individuals.
VCCorp has mobilised VND700 billion for this project and it planned to raise another VND500 billion to develop this social network.
Designed by a group of user-experience experts, Lotus is a social network that goes in a different direction with the content as its focus, thus creating an effective platform to support content creators and individuals to create better contents for users, Tan said.
It will be made public in two forms on the website at http://lotus.vn, and mobile app.
Earlier, on July 23, a made-in-vietnam social network called Gapo was launched by G-Capital, with committed capital of VND500 billion. This network aims to have 50 million users by 2021.
Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HOREA) have recommended some solutions to ease the city’s low-priced house shortage amid rapid population growth.
According to the association, HCM City is now home to around 9 million people which shows an increase of 1.83 million against 2009 or a rise of around 180,000 people per year on average.
Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HOREA) have recommended some solutions to ease the city’s low-priced house shortage amid rapid population growth.
According to the association, HCM City is now home to around 9 million people which shows an increase of 1.83 million against 2009 or a rise of around 180,000 people per year on average.
Acquisition a further step in completing its e-commerce ecosystem.
Tiki officially acquired Ticketbox on August 20; a further step in completing its e-commerce ecosystem.
The event ticketing market in Vietnam is estimated to reach $40 million this year, an increase of 50 per cent against 2018, while cinema ticketing is expected to stand at $160 million by the end of the year.
The significantly increasing demand among Vietnamese customers for entertainment content and Ticketbox’s existing online platform makes the acquisition an essential move to complete Tiki’s “all-in-one” e-commerce ecosystem.
“Investing in Ticketbox aligns with our core value of ‘For Customers’,” said Mr. Tran Ngoc Thai Son, Founder and Chairman of the Tiki Corporation. “Along with the financial investment, we will also utilize our existing assets, such as technology, human resources, and processes, at Ticketbox to not only better serve Vietnamese customers but also promote the country’s entertainment industry.”
“Ticketbox has marked several milestones and we hope to contribute more to Vietnam’s entertainment industry,” said Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, Founder and CEO of Ticketbox. “With support from a trusted e-commerce platform like Tiki, I believe Ticketbox will further develop in the future. The acquisition is a positive for the domestic entertainment industry.”
Besides Tiki’s existing products and services meeting customer demand in FMCG, fashion – beauty, electronics, mom & baby, and healthcare products, etc., Ticketbox’s event and cinema ticketing service will also contribute to enriching Vietnamese lives.
Tiki has invested in “Tiki accompanies Vietnamese stars”, supporting 100 music videos in 2019. The Ticketbox platform is considered a further step in this project, supporting artists and event organizers in delivering more high-quality and large-scale events.
Audience members, meanwhile, also benefit from convenient ticket purchasing, with seat selection, fast online check-in, and safe payment methods.
Ticketbox also offers event organizers not only a cost-efficient ticket delivery solution but event communications and optimal online payment methods as well. It will also provide partners with deep-dive analyses and reports on customer behavior and interests, from which each partner will be able to effectively target their audience.
“Ticketbox is investing in big data and machine learning in order for event organizers and producers to gain a deeper understanding of their audience’s interests and then create suitable content at the most efficient cost,” said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Viet, Chief Technology Officer at Ticketbox. “We intend to create a connection between Tiki and Ticketbox platforms to benefit customers, for instance allowing them to use TikiXu from their Tiki accounts to purchase tickets on Ticketbox.”
Ticketbox’s business objectives are to sell cinema tickets from nationwide cinema chains with seat selections until November 2019 as well as to have over 5,000 events onboard until January 2020. The number of events is expected to increase two or three-fold each year.
Its development plan also includes a social network platform for its audience to share and review events and movies, etc., and even be connected with their idols.
Storms, floods, other disasters are not uncommon, but Vietnamese farmers can only lament: “Perhaps it’s just God’s plan.”
Vietnam suffered nine storms that killed 200 people and caused losses of more than VND20 trillion ($860 million) last year. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization show that the bird flu epidemic has claimed 1.8 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 125 lives between 2014 and 2017. So far this year, the African swine fever has been responsible for the death of over 2.2 million pigs in Vietnam and a loss of more than VND3.6 trillion ($154 million).
Eight years ago when I was working as manager for a company processing tra fish in the Mekong Delta’s Dong Thap Province, the annual flooding destroyed a tra fish pond just next to the area I managed.
All the fish in that pond had grown enough for harvesting when disaster struck. The owner, a farmer named Phu, told me: “I couldn’t imagine the floods would come that fast, There was no time to prepare for anything.” And he stood there, looking as though his soul had been sucked out of him. Not surprising. He had just watched assets worth over VND6 billion ($257,000) swept away in the raging Mekong River.
Several days later, I heard that he had sold whatever was left of his pond to a tra fish processing firm and accepted to work as an employee for that company. The floods had inflicted a huge loss and put his family deep in debt.
“Perhaps it’s just God’s plan,” he said, sighing, when I met him again last year.
After Phu lost his fish pond, disaster struck the company I worked for. It lost more than VND3 billion ($130 million) as the tra fish was infected with the Edwardsiella ictaluri disease, which causes multifocal white lesions on the liver, spleen and kidney of the fish. All solutions we tried to prevent and treat the disease failed to save the fish, and up to 80 percent of them died.
I remember to this day the workers taking turns spend all day just removing dead fish out of the ponds. Our company was not alone. A series of other tra fish firms encountered the same situation.
Phu and my company were just two of many instances where a farming family or agriculture or aquaculture company had been left empty-handed in the blink of an eye, no thanks to epidemics and natural calamities.
Now let’s just imagine this: a rich man’s luxury car gets swept away in the floods. What happens next? Yes, that’s right. He collects insurance. The contrast is striking. Both the car and the fish pond costs billions of dong, but most farmers and agriculture companies I know, can collect no insurance.
Epidemics and natural disasters are virtually occupational hazards for farmers. They invariably inflict heavy damage that farmers take a very long time to recover from, if ever.
Despite being a key economic sector for the country, agriculture is much less protected than other sectors.
There is no government or other entity that can accurately predict all the risks and eventualities in agriculture, so policies to keep farmers safe from them are not there. This is why it is very important that the governments create some “shockproof mattresses” for farmers to take the fall, when they are hit by unforeseen circumstances.
Key solution
Agricultural insurance is a key solution to the problem.
With insurance, people like Phu and companies like the one I worked for could have resumed their fish-farming business. This also means that the economy itself could make more progress if it was supported by agricultural insurance.
The government is not unaware of this and has issued some incentive policies to support those investing in the agricultural insurance sector, but so far, not many companies have expressed interest. On the other side, farmers do not care much about getting insurance for their farms.
There are many reasons for this standoff, but the core issues of the agricultural insurance problem are costs and benefits.
Agriculture is a sector with a lot of threats. When damage occurs, the cost of inspecting and assessing it is high. In order to make a profit, insurance businesses will have to collect high premiums and offer low compensation and at the same time, inspect its customers very carefully.
Such policies are obviously not attractive to farmers, who need decent compensation and pay low insurance premiums via quick and simple procedures.
While this looks like a lose-lose situation, the bigger picture is that the entire economy can benefit significantly from agricultural insurance.
Farming households that get adequate compensation can work to recover their business, companies in the production chain can guarantee their revenues and, as a result, the nation’s economic growth is maintained.
The market, therefore, needs the government to work as the motivating force.
There are successful approaches that indicate the way.
In South Korea, the local and central governments support farmers with more than 70 percent of the insurance premiums, and compensation is more than 1.8 times the total investment, making agricultural insurance more attractive to South Korean farmers.
Another solution is to design insurance packages for specific risks or threats. In the case of Phu, for instance, since his tra fish pond was near an embankment, he could be insured for specifically for an embankment breach.
If something like the “embankment breach insurance package” exists, the insurance firm could be more assured because they do not have to pay compensation in case of an epidemic or even extreme weather conditions like drought. The compensation scope will be considerably narrowed, leading to lower insurance premiums that would also make it easier for farmers to accept the package.
In the meantime, while waiting for a “shockproof mattress” from the government, farmers should be instructed to equip themselves with handy protective measures.
Associations and cooperatives should be a source of support for farmers, generating reserve funds through members’ contributions each year for use only in emergency situations.
One thing we can be certain about. For now and in the near future, diseases and natural disasters are going to be part of “God’s plans” and the agriculture sector will bear their brunt.
All stakeholders, including millions of farmers out there, can work together for an effective agricultural insurance policy.
I think it is not too farfetched to say that if this task is done successfully, farmers, the sector and the economy itself will able to enjoy stable growth that mitigates risk impacts.
And when this happens, we can take firm steps towards sustainable development.
*Lam Trong Nghia is an agricultural expert working in the Mekong Delta. The opinions expressed are his own.
Internet speed in Vietnam is ranked 89th out of 207 countries and territories and far behind some of its regional peers, according to a survey.
With download speed of 7.02 megabytes per second, Vietnam’s internet speed ranking is down 14 places from last year, according to the survey done by Cable, a U.K. broadband, TV, phone and mobile provider.
The ranking was based on data collected over 12 months from May last year, analyzing over 267 million speed tests worldwide.
Vietnam’s average broadband speed was recorded as 10 times slower than Singapore at 70.86 Mbps, more than three times lower than Malaysia (23.86 Mbps) and more than two times slower than Thailand (18.21 Mbps).
It is however, ahead of Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Timor Leste.
This year, Singapore has been dethroned and pushed into second place in terms of internet speed by Taiwan, which tops the world with average broadband speed clocking at 85.02 Mbps. Jersey is third with 67.46 Mbps, followed by Sweden with 55.18 Mbps.
The top 20 fastest-performing markets are in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, while the slowest are mostly in Africa.
Downloading an HD movie of 5GB in size would take only nine minutes in Singapore, while it would take over one hour and a half in Vietnam, the survey said.
Around 64 million people in Vietnam, or over half of the country’s population, are online.
Vietnam currently has six submarine cable systems, plus a 120 gigabit channel that runs overland through China. Frequent undersea cable ruptures have given Vietnam a reputation for unstable internet connections.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities have decided to organize fireworks to celebrate the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2) this year.
The high-altitude fireworks will take place within 15 minutes, from 9 pm to 9:15 pm of September 2 at Thu Thiem Tunnel area in District 2 and Landmark Building and Vinhomes Urban Area Park in Binh Thanh District.
At the same time, the low-altitude display will be held at Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11.
The city intends to use private funding for the fireworks shows.
Last year, HCM City also marked the National Day with fireworks at Thu Thiem Tunnel and Dam Sen Cultural Park.
Apple has applied a new warranty policy which appears designed to eliminate unofficially distributed iPhones. It has also taken drastic measures to prevent the use of locked iPhones.
An iPhone XS Max 512 GB sold for VND44 million at the time it was launched in Vietnam. Just half a year later, the price dropped to VND40 million. People could even buy the product at lower prices at small private shops.
iPhone is known as the high-end product line which always keeps prices stable. The manufacturer rarely runs sale promotion programs or offers discounts.
In the past, Apple did not allow authorized resellers to cut the selling price independently and it would refuse to cooperate with resellers if they violated the principle.
However, Apple seems to become more ‘easygoing’, according to Nguyen Huy Tan, the representative of a retail chain in Hanoi. Sales agents now can take the initiative in running sale promotion programs to lure more buyers.
Tan said the move shows that Apple is becoming more interested in the Vietnamese market. Meanwhile, users can more easily access the products, rather than buy products imported to Vietnam through unofficial channels.
“For the majority of users, an authorized product would be safer and more convenient for their long-term use,” Tan commented. “For retailers, the distribution would help them better control the supply and product quality. ”
The move shows that Apple wants to ‘kill’ unofficially imported and distributed products in Vietnam. Starting July 31, Apple only provides warranty service if customers can show invoices proving that they bought genuine products from authorized resellers.
“The new warranty policy won’t have too much effect on users and private shops which sell unofficial imports. However, this will affect customers’ decisions,” said Quang Trung, the owner of a private shop in Hanoi.
What worries Trung and other retailers is whether Apple will apply other measures in the future to eliminate unofficially imported products from the market.
Trung complained that the business is getting more and more difficult. Many retail chains have had to scale down because of stiff competition from other chains and authorized resellers because unofficially distributed iPhones no longer enjoy a global warranty and distributors have to be responsible for the warranty.
Recently released policies have also made locked iPhone users suffer. On iFan forums, many members complain their iPhones have connection issues, and the givey sim, which helps unlock iPhones, cannot work.
Vu Phuong, the administrator of the locked iPhone users’ community, said Apple not only blocked ICCID, but neutralized White-SIM, a kind of givey simcard which can automatically fix errors.
“Even after about 10-15 years of learning English, [students] mostly can’t say anything”
The Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam has once again expressed concerns that the quality of foreign language instruction in the country is preventing English proficiency goals from being met, the PIE News reports.
The ministry recently revealed that the average English scores over the last three years were below 5.0 on a ten-point scale, with attainment significantly lower outside the major cities.
According to PIE News, the Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages in the National Education System 2008-2020 project set targets to drive up the standards of language learning in the country, with English as a particular focus. However, many stakeholders see the targets as over-ambitious and not achievable with the country’s current resources.
“If anyone wants to get a higher salary or go abroad, they need to learn English. All students in Vietnam must study English at school from grade one and do about three lessons per week,” Hieu Nguyen of GrowGreen Vietnam told The PIE News.
English language school English First’s English Proficiency Index currently ranks Vietnam 41st out of 88 countries and regions, between Uruguay and Russia.
“In Vietnam, the parents often care too much about the mark. They just want their children to get good marks and be better than the other kids,” Hieu Nguyen continued.
“At school, 90% of students can’t communicate in English well because they hardly speak English. They just know grammar, reading and tests. Even after about 10-15 years of learning English, they mostly can’t say anything, although they can read well sometimes.”
One of the key issues is the lack of qualified teachers in the country, particularly in state schools.
“Foreign language teachers must guarantee their teaching language proficiency level as two degrees higher than the general standard of school level. Accordingly, the high school teachers need to gain the level of C2 [in order to teach at a B2 level],” noted Thuong Nguyen in her paper Vietnam’s National Foreign Language 2020 Project after 9 years: A Difficult Stage.
Nevertheless, the survey shows that upper secondary school teachers with the level of C2 only constitute a low percentage of 0.1%.
“As such, many students head to training centres for additional tutoring,” the author explained.
“It is very common [to do extra classes], especially in a big city. But teaching English is different from big cities to other provinces,” Thuc Doan Nguyen, the head of the overseas study centres at ILA Vietnam, told The PIE News.
And while English is the main second language in Vietnam, Thuc Doan Nguyen noted that in the cities some people are beginning to learn Japanese and Mandarin.
Outside of the major cities, particularly around the Mekong Delta and the northern mountainous regions, finding teachers continues to be a challenge.
According to the EF English Proficiency Index, English proficiency has improved in the country since 2011 but not enough to meet the 2020 targets.
Western European woman was killed and her male friend was seriously injured after a truck slammed into their motorbikes in the Vietnam’s northern province of Ninh Binh Tuesday.
Their names and nationalities have not been revealed but preliminary information from the local police was that they were from Western Europe. Le Hoang reports on VNExpress.
At around 5 p.m. they were riding on National Highway 1A in Tam Diep Town, two hours south of Hanoi, when a truck carrying construction materials hit them from behind.
Police examine a road crash site in Ninh Binh Province where a foreign woman driving a motorbike was killed by a truck on August 20, 2019. Photo credit: VNExpress/Lam Son.
The woman died on the spot after being dragged under the truck while the man fell and was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Local authorities said the gloomy weather and heavy rains had caused poor visibility at the time of the accident.
According to VNExpress, road crashes are a leading cause of death in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour. More than 18,720 accidents occurred last year, killing 8,244 people and injuring nearly 14,800, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.
Nguyen Coffee Supply’s Sahra Nguyen, the first-ever Vietnamese-American importer, roaster, and supplier of beans from Vietnam, takes us on a caffeinated journey through the remarkable coffee scene of Vietnam.
Coffee from Vietnam has been sold in the United States for a long time, but ask any connoisseur and they will probably be unable to tell you where to find it, despite the fact that Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee beans in the world after Brazil. So in the third wave movement of coffee, which prioritizes transparency from bean to cup, why does no one know that this is the source of so much of America’s coffee?
This is the question that drove Sahra Nguyen, founder ofNguyen Coffee Supply, to research where all these beans were ending up. “It does get imported here, but not as a fresh coffee bean,” Nguyen discovered. Instead, Vietnamese beans end up as supermarket coffee and instant coffee, “so once it starts hitting the shelves, no one knows it’s Vietnamese coffee.”
Being channeled through the commercial grade coffee market segment is what has prevented Vietnamese coffee beans from being elevated alongside so many other countries’ beans during the recent coffee revolution. Lower value products like instant coffee or ground coffee might sit on the shelves for years, falsely characterizing Vietnamese coffee beans as having an inferior flavor. “These beans have been trapped in this cycle of poverty where they can’t elevate or advance their production,” Nguyen explains.
And the fact that these beans have been used for cheaper products fuels a false narrative that this is all they’re good for, when in fact it has more to do with the fact that Vietnam has been supplying coffee beans well before consumers cared as much about flavor and the quality of life for workers than they do today, meaning there was no new market opportunity as artisan coffee has grown in popularity because Vietnamese beans were already dedicated to the commercial grade market.
Despite facing resistance in the coffee industry from those buying into the inferior bean narrative without looking deeper as to why that characterization exists at all, Nguyen knew there was something good behind it all—and Nguyen Coffee Supply is changing the game by currently sourcing single-origin green coffee beans from Da Lat and fresh-roasting in Brooklyn. “I know it because the U.S. has been buying them,” she says, adding that another blindspot in the Vietnamese coffee bean story is the assumption that there’s no coffee culture at the source.
Like most places that produce coffee, coffee is a mainstay of the local diet in Vietnam, and a coffee culture exists despite its lack of visibility on the international stage. “Vietnamese coffee is centered around the robusta, with a bolder flavor, darker nutty flavors,” Nguyen explains, sharing that Vietnam is the number one producer of robusta beans in the world (with arabica on the rise). But it’s the diversity of coffee culture that appeals so much to Nguyen, “whether it’s having coffee on the street with stools on the sidewalk, or specialty coffee cafes with roasters in the shop,” noting that the hierarchy seen in American coffee culture doesn’t exist in Vietnam.
Coffee lovers should take the time to explore what Vietnamese coffee has to offer, and nowhere is better to do so than at the source. Nguyen shares her suggestions for those seeking a diverse exploration of coffee culture in Vietnam, from specialty coffee shops to traditional holes in the wall around the country.
The Workshop in actionErics Kun for Nguyen Coffee Supply
SAIGON (HO CHI MINH CITY)
The Workshop
The Workshopis one of Saigon’s leading craft and specialty coffee destinations, considered the top three as far as reputation and quality and a pioneer in the industry. It can be a little tricky to find, as it’s upstairs in a nondescript building, but once inside it feels like you’ve stumbled onto a local gem. “This is one of the few places that creates blends using Vietnamese beans with non-Vietnamese beans, including Ethiopian arabica beans,” Nguyen says, speaking to their wide range of coffee beans for guests to sample. Nguyen suggests trying Catimor, an interesting variety that undergoes a washed process in the highlands of Da Lat.
Bosgaurus Coffeeroasts in-house 5 days a week. It stands out for its use of arabica, a less common bean in Vietnam. They’re also home to the winner of the Vietnam National Barista Championship. From a design standpoint, the cafe is stunning, inspired by a laboratory. Nguyen describes how the “baristas stand behind a 9.6 meter-long bar suspended from the ceiling,” surrounded by entirely glass walls. The menu spotlights the quality and versatility of Vietnamese arabica beans, the up-and-coming variety behind robusta.
“Sourcing from seed to cup, Bosgaurus promotes arabica sua da—a very interesting take on Vietnamese coffee (ca phe sua da), which is almost always made with robusta. They tend to roast lighter to showcase the coffee’s complexity while also allowing regional differences to shine through.” Nguyen suggests trying the “Arabica Sua Da”, which is arabica coffee and condensed milk.
La Vietis a straightforward name essentially sending the message that “this too, is Vietnamese coffee,” appropriate considering they’re one of the early pioneers of specialty coffee in Vietnam. Preparations such as pour overs and espresso are newer to the country, and by bringing this onto the scene La Viet changed the notion that Vietnamese coffee could only be something sold in plastic cups on street corners. “Like Bosgaurus, they spotlight arabica beans and aim to change the narrative to include those beans in what we traditionally consider to be Vietnamese coffee.” Check out the Bloody Cold Brew (which is spicy) and the Cold Brew Margarita for an adventurous treat.
An Affogato at La VietErics Kun for Nguyen Coffee Supply
BUON ME THUOT
G20 Cafe
G20 Cafeis one of the most popular cafes in Buon Me Thuot, which is a renowned coffee producing area. “It’s beautiful with an entrance lined with cherry blossom trees,” Nguyen muses, adding that besides being one of the most Instagram-friendly cafes in Buon MeTuot, the cafe showcases the long traditions of coffee production in the region. It’s worth noting that they also offer a limited amount of civet and elephant coffee produced nearby, which isn’t always an ethical production method. These coffees are digested by elephants and civets, then extracted from their waste. “This is said to imbue the coffee with great flavor and textural properties,” Nguyen describes of the resulting coffee variety.
Address: Tân Lợi, Thành phố Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk Province
The World of Coffee Museum
Less of a cafe and more of an essential stop for coffee lovers touring Vietnam, the recently-openedWorld of Coffee Museumis built in the style of the long houses used by many of the ethnic minority populations who have traditionally farmed the land and grown the coffee of the region. “Vietnam is actually incredibly diverse with 54 distinct ethnic groups that have their own customs, languages, and attire,” Nguyen explains.
In addition to getting coffee, visitors can learn more about the long history of coffee production in Vietnam, which was first introduced in colonial time by the French. “Vietnamese coffee is unique not just for its quality and range, but for the interesting historical circumstances through which it came to be” Nguyen says. At the World of Coffee Museum many artifacts from all around the world in the early, pre-electricity days of coffee production, brewing, and consumption can be found.
Address: Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Tân Lợi, Thành phố Buôn Ma Thuột, Đắk Lắk 630000
Vietnamese coffee is both beautiful and deliciousErics Kun for Nguyen Coffee Supply
NHA TRANG
Generally, the specialty coffee scene has not quite reached Nha Trang, but because it’s a booming destination for tourists, this is a place to watch for craft coffee culture.
An Cafe
“This cafe is popular among locals, which makes it unique” Nguyen says. The design is fantastic, constructed entirely of wood with pictures of Vietnamese jungles and greenery to create the sensation of being inside a tropical tree house. It showcases the versatility of Vietnamese coffee—not just for traditional ca phe sua da but also espresso and creative slushes. AtAn Cafe, the owners import beans from a farm in Da Lat and grind the coffee fresh on site.
Address: 40 Đường Lê Đại Hành, Tân Lập, Thành phố Nha Trang, Khánh Hòa 650000
HANOI
Atelier
Specialty coffee took off first in Saigon, but Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, is a close second. Like some of the others mentioned on this list (and like Nguyen’s business, Nguyen Coffee Supply),Atelieris promoting “fine robusta” as a way to communicate that robusta can be just as good as arabica in specialty applications, Their signature drink, the hatsukoi, incorporates espresso with steamed milk, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. They also serve a shakerato and a pandan coffee in the summer. “Here, we see the creativity and willingness to experiment of young upcoming baristas in Vietnam,” Nguyen says. This is a chic cafe with clean, modern, and minimal design.
Address: 65A Phố Tôn Thất Thiệp, Điện Bàn, Ba Đình
Blackbird
While it does carry specialty coffee,Blackbirdis more of a relaxed hangout spot for newcomers and coffee experts alike. “Located in the Old Quarter, it’s a convenient stop if you don’t want to go too far out of the way to try some great Vietnamese coffee,” Nguyen advises. Both arabica and robusta are offered here, and the cafe is a modern, progressive establishment that showcases many sides of Vietnamese coffee, focusing specifically on coffee sourced from within the country.
Address: 5 Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
Cafe Dinh
Cafe Dinhis “a little piece of history frozen in time,” according to Nguyen. Like a well-preserved time capsule, this cafe captures what coffee shops looked like during Vietnam’s tough times in the 1990s. “Before we speak about specialty coffee, we must recognize and pay homage to the longstanding establishments that pioneered the way we drink coffee today,” Nguyen says. Hanoi’s famed egg coffee, featuring a whipped/stirred yolk, is a specialty here. This is one of Hanoi’s oldest cafes, accessible only through a narrow hallway and tight staircase. Inside, the vibe is old and traditional, with tiny stools and tables, people smoking cigarettes. Nguyen suggests trying to snag the coveted balcony spot. This is not a specialty cafe, as they’re using ground coffee, but it’s delicious and as “classic” as it can get in Vietnam.
Address: 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
By Ali Wunderman, a freelance journalist focusing on food and beverage, travel, wildlife and the environment, and outdoor adventure, among a wide range of topics.
Vietnam will join the Formula 1® calendar in 2020 with a new race in the capital city, Hanoi. The inaugural race will take place in April 2020 and will begin “a thrilling street race in the heart of the city”.
In many other countries, brand owners are helping their fans experience the fun and excitement of the race through a number of interactive events and activities.
Matthew Marsh, champion racer, Formula 1 TV analyst and CEO of EDJ – a motorsport consultancy, talks to Vietnam Insider about how his work with sponsors in other countries, as well as sport marketing opportunities in Vietnam.
As a specialist consultancy helping brands assess (and enter into) partnerships in motor sport eg. F1 and MotoGP. What do you think about the opportunities for the brands owner in Vietnam ?
The Grand Prix in Hanoi in April 2020 makes the topic of Formula 1 relevant. It’s also fresh because, as far as I can see, brands in Vietnam have not used the theme previously.
Consumers associate F1 with positive brand values such as: performance, exclusivity, international, premium.
And the sport offers many opportunities for authentic story-telling because it’s such a large and complex business. Of course team-work and success are themes that can be used across many sports. With Formula 1 there’s also technology, innovation, logistics, data analysis… and so on.
There’s a perception that a partnership in Formula 1 must be hugely expensive. It doesn’t have to be! And there are a number of ways to make it very cost-effective. For example F1 teams create a library of high-quality moving images. These can be used by their partners who avoid the high cost of shooting a TV commercial from scratch.
Matthew Marsh and Dung Duong, Contributor @ Vietnam Insider
You have worked with Budweiser, Epson, Gillette, Hisense and NTT Communications. How did you support them to promote their brands in motor sport?
EDJ operates like a media agency. We’re focused exclusively on one medium – motor sport! We know very well all the rights-holders ie. the leagues (such as F1), the events (Vietnam GP, etc), the teams (Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, etc) and the athletes (Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, etc). But we’re completely independent and consider the brands to be our clients.
We start by understanding the business or brand objectives. Then discuss the type of marketing activities and tools that will be required to achieve those objectives. With a clear understanding we can engage with rights-holders and help brands negotiate for the marketing benefits they actually need.
For some it’s brand exposure, for others use of team logos and imagery, perhaps hospitality for clients and prospects – or a theme for internal engagement.
Our job is to help brands leverage these benefits at an affordable price.
Matthew Marsh raced at the Le Mans 24 hours race in 2007 and ‘09
How did you become a motor sport consultant?
I used to race cars myself. To make progress I needed commercial support. So I had to work out why brands would spend money with me. This taught me to find out what was needed and then deliver it – cost-effectively.
For example I often competed in supporting races at Formula 1 Grands Prix – such as the Porsche Carrera Cup. For some of my commercial partners this was a way for them to be involved in the big event in a way that was both less expensive but also gave them and their guests a direct and emotional involvement.
These days I still think and work the same way. I just don’t need to wear a crash helmet and the suit I wear isn’t fire proof…
Why brands-owners in Vietnam should use the Grand Prix (and the rising interest in F1) for brand marketing or business development?
We’ve talked about the relevance of Formula 1 in the minds of consumers in Vietnam. And ‘image transfer’ by association with the sport. Plus the themes that are authentic in F1 and can be applied to brands, products and services.
Beyond this there’s the way a Vietnamese brand could use association with Formula 1 to aid international expansion. A partnership in the sport says: “we’re serious.”
And Formula 1 is famous for it’s high-end client entertainment. A Grand Prix is much more than a motor race – it’s a lifestyle event!
Did you have any reservations about working with brands owner in Vietnam as a foreign consultancy?
I’m British but I have been living in Asia for almost 30 years – based in Hong Kong and with business dealings across the region. I enjoy very much visiting Hanoi and Saigon and doing business here. It’s a fast-growing economy with a lot of enthusiasm and a good sense of humour.
Rapid Shift from Unorganized to Organized clinics in Vietnam Coupled with Rising Demand for Dental Care Services especially in Cosmetic Dentistry Services have led to Growth in the Dental Services Industry of Vietnam: Ken Research
“Increasing number of people availing dental services due to the increased dental problems among the Vietnamese population is one of the main reasons for the growth in the industry.”
Analysts at Ken Research in their latest publication “Vietnam Dental Services Market Outlook to 2023 – By Organized and Unorganized Clinics, By Cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Hanoi, Haiphong, Binh Duong, Can Tho, Khanh Hoa, Nghe An, An Giang and Others), By Dental Care Services (Prosthodontics, Endodontics, Cosmetic Dentistry, Implantology, Orthodontics, Periodontics and Others), By Domestic and Foreign Customers” believes that the companies operating in dental services market of Vietnam can expand their market share by penetrating in the rural areas of the country as that segment in not captured majorly up till now and encourage dental tourism to attract more foreign dental patients. The market is expected to register a positive CAGR of 5.6% in terms of revenue generated through dental services and a CAGR of 2.0% in terms of total number of dental clinics during the forecast period of 2019–2023.
Increasing Dental Problems amongst Vietnamese Citizens: In accordance with the Teeth – Jaw – Face Hospital, more than 90% of Vietnamese people are suffering from dental problems and 85.0% of Vietnamese children are suffering from tooth decay during the year 2018. In addition to that, the proportion of people with tooth decay will increase by 6.64% in those aged 45 years or older in the near future. The growth in the dental problems is increasing the demand for the dental services in Vietnam.
Technological Advancements in Dental procedures: All the clinics in Vietnam use cutting edge technological equipment for instance, digital dentistry, 3D-printing, advanced dental turbines and others which makes the dental treatment efficient and ensures safety in terms of usage. The human error is minimized by the use of this equipment thereby, creating a positive impact on the market.
Rapid Shift from Unorganized to Organized Dental Clinics: Customer preference for organized clinics is increasing majorly due to various reasons such as the wider geographical presence in the country and multiple value added services that these clinics provide to their patients. Some services include guaranteed quality of treatment which rectifies any dissatisfaction, which allows transferring the treatment to other cities as well. For foreigners these transfers of treatment services plays a significant role as they need not stay in a particular city to get treated for a longer period of time. Whereas, other value added services include storage of medical records, payment histories and treatment plans. Organized dental clinics are striving hard to expand their operations in different regions within Vietnam in order to cater to a higher population set and also tap the foreign patients visiting for the dental treatment. Organized clinics which have more than one branch charge a little high as compared to unorganized clinics having a single branch.
Increase in Demand of Cosmetic Dentistry: In recent years, the demand for dental health care and treatment especially cosmetic dentistry was observed to increase. In parallel, there is an explosion of dental services, especially in big cities. The patients visiting for the cosmetic dentistry is high as they are more concerned about their teeth i.e. dental health and smile. Majority of the people coming for the cosmetic dentistry were observed to be women / females in Vietnam.
