Vietnam Insider - Page 1454 of 1515

Crossing Vietnam on foot with $5, a guitar and a smile

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2,300km is no walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination.

At first sight, Ho Nhat Ha doesn’t look like a professional athlete. Ha doesn’t have an impressive, muscular build, and most people don’t have to look up when they talk to him. Ha is one of the least likely people you would think could walk 2,300 kilometers (1,429 miles) across Vietnam in 113 days.

But he did.

Photo: Nhat Ha’s Facebook

The 31-year-old, based in Ho Chi Minh City, had been thinking about his unique trip for quite some time before actually doing it. There are plenty of options for someone who fancies a Vietnam experience: flights are not expensive, cars are popular and motorbikes are fun, but walking is the last thing that would spring into most people’s minds. It’s kind of crazy, they’d say.

That’s what Ha faced a year ago when he decided to walk across Vietnam. Despite opposition from his family, Ha started to plan and prepare for his ‘crazy’ journey. Ha quit his stable job to do freelance work, and started to train for the task. He walked 70 kilometers to a neighboring province, and on another trip, climbed and spent the night on Black Virgin, a 996-meter mountain northwest of Ho Chi Minh City.

The time was right on October 18, 2017, when Ha set off with three sets of clothes, 20 hardtack bars, a hammock, some medicine and a guitar. He began at the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, and headed for the north of Vietnam in Ha Giang Province.

As if walking the length of the country wasn’t enough, Ha decided not to take any cash with him on his journey. He kept VND1 million ($44) in his bank account just in case, and made money along the way by busking and writing songs for the people he met.

Every day, Ha walked around 30 kilometers, starting at 7 a.m. and finishing at 6 p.m. He only upped his pace in order to reach his hometown in time for Tet, Vietnam’s traditional Lunar New Year. To save money, Ha ate bread and instant noodles, and slept wherever he could find shelter, be it a market, a construction site, an abandoned house, or in the jungle.

Ha recalls one night in a market when he feared getting robbed.

Ha and his trusty guitar at the Ma Pi Leng Pass in Ha Giang Province. Photo: Nhat Ha’s Facebook

“I was just falling asleep when the sounds of motorbikes and people shouting woke me up. The junkies had arrived to use drugs. The most valuable item I had at that time was my phone, and I was ready to lose it,” he said. Fortunately, the addicts left and Ha went back to sleep, but not for long because the market he was resting in opened at 4 a.m.

The only time Ha had to withdraw money was the VND100,000 VND ($5) he took out as a last resort in Quang Ngai Province in south central Vietnam. “I planned to busk that night because I had run out of money, but a friend really wanted to show me around, and I couldn’t say no. Eventually I had to withdraw VND100,000 to stay at a homestay,” Ha said. That was the only money Ha spent from his emergency fund on the entire journey.

Ha did not expect to do everything on his own during the trip. In fact, one of the reasons he walked was to find out if Vietnamese people still had compassion and kindness for one another. He didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Many strangers talked to him, offered him meals and introduced him to friends and relatives for the next stage of his journey. It turned out he was not alone.

“There were times when things didn’t feel right, but I taught myself to smile and to say hello to people in new places,” Ha said. “A smile helps you to overcome the most challenging situations. It gives you the boost your heart needs to conquer any difficulties.”

Source: VnExpress

Most SE Asian stocks slip ahead of Fed decision; Vietnam up

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Most Southeast Asian stock markets edged lower on Monday, in line with broader Asia, as caution gripped investors ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting that starts on Tuesday.

With a 25 basis point rate hike seen as a done deal, a key focus is on whether Fed policymakers forecast four rate hikes this year in their “dot plot” projections, instead of three they projected at a December meeting.

“As far as equities go, I think people will be a bit more risk-off if there are more rate hikes than expected,” said Fio Dejesus, an equity research analyst with RCBC Securities.

Thai shares were the biggest losers in Southeast Asia, hurt by weakness in energy stocks. Oil and gas firm PTT Pcl dropped 2.2%.

Singapore shares fell for a fourth straight session, with financials among the top losers. Lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd declined 0.9%, while DBS Group Holdings Ltd slipped 0.6%.

Indonesian shares slipped, weighed down by consumer discretionary and materials stocks.

Astra International Tbk PT fell 2.4% to its lowest close July 2016.

An index of the country’s 45 most liquid stocks slipped 0.1%.

Philippine shares recovered from early falls to close marginally lower with financial and consumer discretionary stocks leading the recovery. Ayala Corp ended 2% higher.

“You have to take into account that the Philippines has already been correcting for the past two weeks, so perhaps the valuations are now better than they have been recently,” said Dejesus.

The benchmark stock index has declined 3.8% year-to-date after gaining about 25% in 2017.

Malaysian shares closed slightly higher, helped by gains in financials and telecom services stocks. Public Bank Bhd gained 0.4%.

Vietnam shares rose for a sixth straight session, helped by real estate stocks and industrials, and posted their highest close since March 2007.

Source: Reuters

Fake wedding boom in Vietnam

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Vietnamese women looking to avoid the social stigma of having a child out of wedlock are increasingly turning to grooms-for-hire businesses that specialize in throwing fake weddings complete with fake grooms and guests for a hefty fee.

The AFP in February featured a company called Vinamost, which has around 400 wedding impostors available, and offers various packages ranging between $1,500 and $4,500.

With over 300,000 abortions recorded every year, Vietnam’s abortion rate ranks fifth globally and first in Asia.

Source: Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT

Alibaba to invest S$2.6b more in Lazada, replaces CEO

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Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group announced on Monday (Mar 19) it will invest an additional US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) in Lazada, two years after it acquired a controlling stake in the Singapore-headquartered e-commerce site.

CEO Maximilian Bittner will also step down and be replaced by current chairwoman Lucy Peng, Alibaba said in a press release.

The latest move will bring Alibaba’s total investment in the online shopping platform to US$4 billion. This is part of the company’s efforts to “accelerate the region’s e-commerce development”, Alibaba said.

In 2016, the Chinese company acquired a controlling stake in Lazada for US$1 billion. The following year, it upped its stake to 83 per cent with another US$1 billion injection.

Ms Peng will remain as chairwoman and will assume the additional role of CEO. She is one of the 18 founders and a senior partner in Alibaba Group. She replaces Mr Bittner, who has been CEO since 2012 and will transit to the role of senior adviser to “assist in the transition and future international growth strategy”.

“With a young population, high mobile penetration and just 3 per cent of the region’s retail sales currently conducted online, we feel very confident to double down on Southeast Asia,” said Ms Peng. “Lazada is well-positioned for the next phase of development and of Internet-enabled commerce in this region.”

Lazada was launched in 2012 and has a presence in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Last September, it announced it will sell select items from Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace in three more Southeast Asia markets – Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines – in addition to Singapore and Malaysia.

Source: CNA/kk

Saigon to install cameras to enhance security in central parks

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People have been shooting drugs, cooking, showering and sleeping in parks outside Ben Thanh Market and the Independence Palace.

Ho Chi Minh City is planning to install new security cameras in two major parks in District 1 to combat drug use and public indecency.

Officials from the central district said they will set up the surveillance cameras in the September 23 Park outside Ben Thanh Market and the April 30 Park in front of the Independence Palace.

Local media have been reporting ongoing drug use in the Ben Thanh park for a number of years. Cooking, showering and airing clothes are also prohibited in the parks, some of which have become shelters for homeless people.

Officials said they are also going to upgrade the toilets and lighting systems in the parks, and set up more exercise facilities.

The two central parks are among a limited number of green public spaces in the city of 13 million people.

Figures from the Administration of Technical Infrastructure under the Ministry of Construction a year ago showed that Vietnam’s biggest cities had only two to three square meters of green area per person.

That is a third or less than what the World Health Organization has recommended for a healthy urban life.

Source: VnExpress

Ho Chi Minh City to Brisbane non-stop on Vietjet

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Vietjet and Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), Queensland, Australia recently signed an agreement to open a non-stop service between Ho Chi Minh City and Brisbane, looking to boost the region’s integration and trade exchange. Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior leaders of Vietnam and Australia witnessed the signing ceremony in Sydney. The direct flight between the two cities is expected to commence in 2019.

Julieanne Alroe, CEO and Managing Director of BAC, said travel between Queensland and Vietnam has been growing at an average 8 per cent per annum over the last five years and this new service would further stimulate the market. “It makes perfect sense for Vietjet to choose Brisbane, Queensland as its very first Australian port for direct flights given Ho Chi Minh City is one of Brisbane’s top five markets without non-stop services. We look forward to welcoming Vietjet to the Brisbane Airport family and further strengthening the ties between Queensland and Vietnam,” she said.

As the capital of Queensland, located in Southeast Australia, 900 kilometers from Sydney in the north, Brisbane is the third most populous city of Australia and known as “the new world city” by the locals. The city is renowned for its young, dynamic and friendly people with fast economic growth in recent years. With mild weather ranging from 15ºC to 25ºC in the winter and from 25ºC to 30ºC in the summer, Brisbane is becoming the ideal destination for international students and tourists, especially those from the Asia Pacific, including Vietnam.

Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh said: “Following the airline’s “Sky Connection” program, Vietjet has been well prepared for international aviation integration with high-quality and friendly services in order to connect Vietnam’s economic and tourism hubs with international destinations, including Australia – this amazing country that we expect to be soon connected with so we can offer more air travel opportunities to Vietnamese people and regional travelers. The Ho Chi Minh City-Brisbane route is also the first non-stop service between the two cities under the cooperation and support of Brisbane Airport Corporation and Tourism & Events Queensland. I believe that this service will soon be put into operation, meeting increasing travel demand of many people and tourists.”

Also, as part of the Vietnam Prime Minister’s official visit to Australia, Vietjet and Investec Bank PLC signed a MOU worth US$609 million to finance the purchase of five Airbus A321 aircraft at manufacturer’s list price.

By: Juergen T Steinmetz, Source: eturbonews.com

Travel back in time with these shots of Vietnam’s capital 60 years ago

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Hungarian photographer Rév Miklós tells a vivid story of Hanoi through the photos he took during a trip in 1959.

Dong Xuan Market, still one of the busiest markets in Hanoi today, in 1959. Rév Miklós was born in 1906 in Sátoraljaújhely and died in 1998 in Budapest. When he visited Hanoi in 1959, Miklós was president of the Association of Hungarian Photographers.

The corner of Trang Tien and Hang Bai near Hanoi’s iconic Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake.

A panel encouraging agricultural development stands by Hoan Kiem Lake.

Hang Buom Street in Hoan Kiem District. It used to be home to the Chinese community in Hanoi.

Hang Bac Street is still famous for its silver jewelry today.

Grandpa and grandson have a drink in the Old Quarter, a part of Hanoi that has been in existence since imperial times as early as the 16th century.

Two boys watch a movie at a mobile cinema on the street.

Two women ride bicycles wearing ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese long dress. These photos appear in a photo book by Rév Miklós that was published in 1960 in Budapest.

Many parts of the Old Quarter still look the same today.

Source: VNExpress

Online retail market may fall into Chinese hands: experts

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Three giant e-commerce corporations, Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com of China, have arrived in Vietnam.

There are no official figures about e-commerce market share for the last two years. However, Lazada was considered the leader with 30% of market share.

Alibaba in mid-2016 spent US$1 billion to acquire 51% of Lazada, which was called South East Asia’s Amazon.

In mid-2017, Alibaba poured another US$1 billion into Lazada to raise its ownership ratio to 83%.

Meanwhile, JD.com in late 2017 injected money into Tiki, and Tencent, a Chinese technology group in the world’s top 10, a big shareholder of Shopee.

According to Google, Lazada, Shopee and Tiki are three of the four most searched e-commerce websites in Vietnam.

Vu Vinh Phu, a retail expert, voiced concern about the presence of foreign e-commerce giants, which could ‘crush’ Vietnamese companies.

He stressed that Vietnam needs to learn lessons from the retail market. Many foreign retail chains have entered Vietnam and expanded their networks in the domestic market, such as Lotte, Aeon and MM Mega Market.

The same thing may happen in the online retail market.

“We must not let the grass grow under our feet,” Phu said, adding that the government needs to create a fair business environment and control trading activities to ensure the healthy operation of the market.

Meanwhile, deputy chair of the Vietnam E-commerce Association Le Hai Binh said he does not think the presence of foreign giants in Vietnam is a problem.

“The presence of foreign companies in Vietnam will benefit consumers as goods supply will be more plentiful, product quality will be better, and consumers will be able to receive better post-sale services,” Binh said.

“Most Vietnamese companies focus on niche markets and target specific groups of customers,” he said.

E-commerce is a ‘boundless business’. In the past, Alibaba with online trading floors in China such as AliExpress and Taobao, have sold goods to Vietnamese, but they are not managed by Vietnamese agencies, and do not pay tax. Vietnamese buyers do not want to receive high-quality post-sale services.

“As Alibaba has officially entered Vietnam through Lazada, Vietnamese customers can enjoy better services, while the ‘game’ will become fair as it also has to pay taxes like Vietnamese companies,” Binh said.

According to MOIT, Vietnam’s e-commerce revenue was US$5 billion in 2016, twice as much as the US$2.2 billion in 2013, accounting for 3% of total turnover from goods and services.

With the predicted growth rate of 35% per annum, or 2.5 times higher than Japan, the market value is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2020.

Source: VNN

Honor aims to break into Vietnam’s top 3 smartphone brands

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Vietnam’s crowded smartphone market has just become even more cut-throat with the arrival of Huawei Group’s Honor, which debuted last week. The brand also announced strategic collaborations with Vietnamese partners.

The new phone series, which are named Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X are priced between VND5 million and VND7 million ($219 and $306) and mark Honor’s first venture into the booming Vietnamese market. The Huawei-owned smartphone brand did not hide its ambition to become Vietnam’s top 3 smartphone brand in 2020, following Apple and Samsung.

The brand calls itself a “young, fun and innovative partner of young Vietnamese consumers,” targeting the price-conscious and trendy millennials in the ASEAN’s fast-growing economy.

Following the trend, Honor makes sure to emphasise the prowess of its smartphone cameras: competitive dual-lens 13MP + 2MP cameras on both the front and back of the phone.

“Vietnam is one of our key target markets in Southeast Asia, a strategic ground for Honor to continue offering the best state-of-the-art products and innovations,” said Akin Li, president of Honor in Southeast Asia.

Honor reveals the list of its strategic partners from across the globe

To boost its growth in Vietnam, Honor has announced strategic a partnership with Vietnam’s top gaming firm VNG, the distributor of the popular battle royale game Rules of Survival. Other partners include Singapore’s IGG, distributor of real-time strategy game Lords Mobile and the action-packed game inspired by manga series Honkai Impact 3, as well as Bigo Live, an app for live-streaming services.

Honor phones are also available for sale on top e-commerce websites such as Lazada, Shopee or Tiki, with flash sales to attract the first customers.

Upon entering Vietnam, Honor and Huawei will have to compete with fellow Chinese rivals such as Oppo, Xiaomi or Vivo. While Oppo goes down the celebrity endorsement route, Xiaomi chose to partner with Digiworld, a domestic distributor, to conquer the Vietnamese market.

According to market research firm GfK, 13.6 million smartphones were sold in Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2017, an increase of 3.1 per cent compared with the same period of 2016. The top selling brands are Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy series, and Oppo.

Source: VIR

Vladimir Putin wins Russian election with 74% of vote

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Result expected to be declared valid despite ‘some irregularities’ – extending Putin’s time in office to nearly a quarter of a century.

Vladimir Putin cruised to victory in Sunday’s presidential elections in a result that was never in question. His fourth term as president will extend until 2024, making him the first Kremlin leader to serve two decades in power since Josef Stalin.

With results still coming in, Putin looked set to exceed expectations by clinching more than 73% of the vote.

Putin 4.0: as Russian president prepares for fourth term, what next?
Read more
Turnout, which was seen as a measure of the Kremlin’s legitimacy in this uncompetitive campaign, was close to 60% as of 9pm GMT. The Kremlin had hoped to match the 65% who cast votes in 2012 and had initially sought 70% turnout.

“Thank you for your support,” Putin told crowds on Manezhnaya Square just under the Kremlin walls, wearing a black down jacket with a fur hood. “Everyone who voted today is part of our big, national team.”

Asked by a journalist about whether he would consider future runs for president, he responded: “What you’re saying is just silly … what, am I going to sit here for 100 years?”

Asked about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain, he said Russia did not currently have chemical weapons and it would be “nonsense” to think Russia would launch such an attack in the lead up to an election. Putin said that if the substance used in the attack had really been a military nerve agent, then it would have killed anyone targeted on the spot.

Russians had a choice of eight candidates, including the Communist Pavel Grudinin, whose title to a former state fruit farm has made him a millionaire, and Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Putin’s political mentor, who presented a liberal programme.

Putin’s campaign chairman declared turnout to be high and needled London by suggesting that may be a rally-round-the-flag response by voters to the accusations over the Salisbury attack.

“Right now the turnout numbers are higher than we expected. We need to thank Great Britain for that because once again they did not consider the Russian mentality,” said the campaign chairman. “Once again we were subject to pressure at just the moment when we needed to mobilise.”

Russian voters go to the polls – in pictures
Turnout was the main focus of the campaign in recent weeks, with the Kremlin launching a broad get-out-the-vote campaign, which included selfie contests and raffles of iPhones and even cars for voters. The opposition declared a boycott and sent observers across the country to monitor the voting process.

Monitors organised by opposition leader Alexei Navalny and others complained of ballot stuffing and other methods of increasing turnout in Sunday’s votes, but an official from Russia’s elections committee said no serious violations had taken place.

By: Andrew Roth, The Guardian

After 5 years of studying millionaires, I learned there’s a particular type of habit that will keep you from getting rich

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Author Tom Corley spent five years studying the habits of the rich, which he chronicled in his best-selling books.
He found many common habits among rich people, including reading, emphasis on building relationships, setting goals, and taking calculated risks.
Many people who never get rich often have something he calls “do-nothing habits,” like not reading daily, not networking with successful people, and not prudently investing money.
It’s not just what you do, but what you choose not to do, that determines your success.

I spent five years studying the daily habits of hundreds of rich people. In my bestselling books, “Rich Habits” and “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life,” I shared some of the important findings from that study.

During my research, I learned that the self-made rich adopted specific habits that enabled them to achieve their dreams and their goals. This included things such as:

Experimentation: Trying new things in order to uncover an innate talent or passion.
Reading: 30 minutes or more every day for self-education.
Building rich relationships: Forming connections with the right people — other future millionaires.
Goal-setting: Pursuing goals that are stepping stones to your dreams.

Taking calculated risks: Not being afraid to take the type of risk that requires you to do your homework before investing your money.
There are many others (over 300!) but I think you get the idea — the rich are habit-driven.

My research also led to another proprietary discovery. Those who were not rich also had habits. However, many of those habits were “do-nothing habits”:

Not reading to learn is a habit.
Not exercising every day is a habit.
Not eating healthy is a habit.
Not pursuing your dreams is a habit.
Not creating and pursuing goals is a habit.
Not returning phone calls immediately is a habit.
Not waking up early to pursue self-improvement is a habit.
Not saving money is a habit.
Not prudently investing your savings is a habit.
Not being frugal is a habit.
Not doing more than you are paid is a habit.
Not avoiding time wasters is a habit.
Not doing what needs to be done (procrastinating) is a habit.
Not networking with other success-minded people is a habit.
Not making happy birthday calls is a habit.
Not making life event calls is a habit.
Not taking personal responsibility for your life is a habit.
Not volunteering for a worthwhile charity is a habit.
Not being charitable with your money is a habit.

Many people have do-nothing habits. As a result, many people struggle in life. Some struggle financially, some struggle with poor health, and some struggle with their relationships.

Do-nothing habits are like a mirror: They reflect back the life you have chosen for yourself through inaction. Oftentimes, it’s not what you do that determines the circumstances of your life — it’s what you choose not to do.

By: Thomas C. Corley, Contributor

Source: This Insider

RoK President to pay State visit to Vietnam

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President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in and his spouse will pay a State visit to Vietnam from March 22-24.

The visit will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam and the RoK set up diplomatic ties on December 22, 1992. The two countries elevated the bilateral relationship to the level of strategic partnership in 2009.

According to Vietnam’s General Department of Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and the RoK hit 61.5 billion USD in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 41.3 percent.

Vietnam’s exports to the RoK reached 14.8 billion USD, while its imports from the East Asian country stood at 46.7 billion USD, up 30 percent and 45.3 percent against 2016, respectively.

The two countries have set a target of 100 billion USD in two-way trade by 2020.

The RoK was the second largest foreign investor in Vietnam last year, just behind Japan, with total registered capital of 8.49 billion USD.

In terms of accumulative investment, the country ranked first among 125 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with total investment capital of 57.7 billion USD by the end of December 2017.

Source: -VNA

Startups call for investment at Global Demo Day 2018

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10 outstanding startups from both Korea and Vietnam will gather and shine in Korea – Vietnam Start-up Pitching Event and Routable Event, taking place consecutively on 22nd March and 23rd March in Hanoi.

The annual event, jointly organized by the K-ICT Born2Global Centre (B2G) and the Vietnam Silicon Valley Accelerator (VSVA) offered opportunities for startups to find investors and receive experts’ advice on refining their business models.

Detail information about upcoming events:

Event 1: Korea-Vietnam Startup Pitching Event

Time: 1:30 PM, 22nd March 2018

Venue: Crystal Hall, 2nd floor, Hanoi Grand Plaza Hotel, 117 Tran Duy Hung, Trung Hoa ward, Cau Giay Dist., Hanoi

Event 2: Roundtable

Time: 2:00 PM, 23rd March 2018

Venue: VSV Corner, 24-26 Ly Thuong Kiet Str., Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi

K-ICT Born2Global Centre (B2G) is one of the global IT promotion and SME support organizations operated by the Republic Korean Ministry of Science. Their Centre’s primary goal is to deliver value-added localization services to Korea’s emerging technology companies who seek presence in global markets.

Vietnam Silicon Valley Accelerator (VSVA) is the first accelerator in Vietnam and now still is the leading and most active early-stage funding in Vietnam.

Edited: Daisy Nguyen

Vietnam Online Business Forum opens

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The Vietnam Online Business Forum (VOBF) 2018, the second of its kind, opened in Hanoi on March 14 to the welcome of investors following the 2017 success.

The VOBF will also come to Ho Chi Minh City on March 16.

In his opening speech, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of E-Commerce and Economy Dang Hoang Hai said after two decades of the Internet’s presence in Vietnam, e-commerce has been exploding and become popular in the lives of businesses and people.

Statistics showed that e-commerce has grown over 20 percent, and particularly 25 percent in 2017 – among the world’s fastest.

Hai hoped that the forum, with the participation of prestigious exerts at home and abroad, will discuss new e-commerce trends, outstanding technologies and innovative business ideas.

The E-Business Index released by the Vietnam E-Commerce Association (VECOM) showed that online retail and marketing, tourism and payment saw the most impressive growth. Specifically, online retail revenue increased by 35 percent while shipping services revenue grew from 62 percent to 200 percent.

The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam reported that online transactions using domestic cards in 2017 rose by nearly 50 percent in volume and 75 percent in value year-on-year. Several affiliated marketing companies posted 100-200 percent growth.

According to the VECOM, the rate of room reservations via online travel agents increased by over 30 percent annually from 20 percent in 2016, pushing the online tourism earnings by more than 50 percent.

Dang Thuy Ha, Director of Consumer Behaviour Research at Nielsen Vietnam, said nearly 4 billion people worldwide are forecast to subscribe to Internet by 2020. Trends such as Big data, virtual reality technology, sharing economy and cashless payment will be increasingly popular. Revenue from sharing economy is expected to near 300 billion USD by 2025.

There are 59 million Internet subscribers in Vietnam now while 91 percent of the population used smart phones, nearly 80 percent of them live in rural areas. The Vietnamese spend 25 hours per week on average on the Internet.

VECOM Chairman Nguyen Thanh Hung said Amazon will officially enter Vietnam this March, firstly launching a project with VECOM to support small and medium-sized enterprises.

VECOM General Secretary Tran Trong Tuyen commented that Amazon’s penetration into Vietnam will facilitate the development of eco-system, sales solutions and logistics services, as well as bring goods to consumers at more competitive prices.

Vietnam’s e-commerce market is forecast to see intense competition this year, he said.

Source: VNA

LGBT in Vietnam: a promising path toward equality

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Vietnam is playing its part in the worldwide trend of fostering an open-minded public attitude to the LGBT community with several steps toward marriage equality and a growing number of local residents willing to offer their indiscriminate support for homosexual celebrities.

Decades ago, sexual orientation was a hot button issue in the Southeast Asian country, where anyone who wished to break from traditional gender norms risked public and familiar condemnation.

Several stories reported by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper demonstrated the risks faced by children who came out to their families, including the pressure to hide their sexual identities, heavy criticism, and a fear for their personal safety.

The current Vietnam, however, is beginning to open its arms to all, regardless of sexual orientation.

A supportive community

On March 9, a transgendered Vietnamese singer was crowned Miss International Queen 2018 in a two-week pageant held in the seaside city of Pattaya, Thailand.

Huong Giang, the newly appointed beauty queen, overcame scores of transgendered contestants to reach the top of the podium, earning praise by LGBT and non-LGBT people alike from her homeland.

In Vietnam, public support for this community not only manifests itself in such beauty competitions, but in social campaigns as well.

VietPride is a popular event in Vietnam, offering a platform for the LGBT community to spread a positive message of self-affirmation and acceptance.

The 2016 VietPride was co-hosted by groups in Hanoi as well as the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam.

Ted Osius, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam at the time, put the embassy’s support behind the event to spur a positive shift in the perception of the LGBT community in the country.

The former ambassador also led 1,000 young Vietnamese on a city-round bicycle tour meant to show support for the LGBT in the nation.

VietPride 2017 saw over 2,000 youths gather on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in Ho Chi Minh City to spread a message of acceptance and self-respect.

LGBT college student Tran Quang Thien said: “I felt so at home joining the parade because I felt comfortable just being myself surrounded by so many like me.”

Mai Thuy from Tay Ninh Province, northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, acknowledged that the Vietnamese society is developing a much fresher view of the LGBT community.

“I think we should not discriminate against them [the LGBT],” Thuy said while attending VietPride 2017.

“We should show them empathy and encouragement.”

Rights groups in Vietnam are also playing their part in the newfound confidence emanating from the country’s LGBT community, particularly when it comes to denouncing attacks from the media.

Tao Quan, an annual Lunar New Year comedy show broadcast by VTV, Vietnam’s national television channel, raised eyebrows amongst LGBT supporters during its 2018 program by allegedly portraying the LGBT group in a negative light.

The Institute of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE) voiced their objection against the show and demanded an omission of all LGBT-related jokes.

Numerous Tuoi Tre readers also aired their disapproval of the controversial program.

“On Lunar New Year’s Eve, we rural people have nothing to watch except the VTV program, but disappointingly, it was full of discriminative language,” a reader named Tam opined.

“That’s why the kids here grow up prejudiced against their LGBT peers. Some of them [the LGBT] resort to quitting school or even committing suicide.”

Same-sex marriage legal? Well, it’s NOT banned!

One factor contributing to the rising comfort levels of the LGBT community might be polls revealing the positive shift in public attitude.

The Institute of Sociology, the Healthy Strategy and Policy Institute, and iSEE ran a government-supported nationwide poll on public opinion about same-sex marriages in 2013.

Results revealed the majority (72.7 percent) of interviewees said that legalizing same-sex marriage would not negatively affect the family lives of those involved, and 33.7 percent advocated the policy change.

Not surprisingly, those who know a homosexual were twice as supportive of making same-sex marriages legal than those who have never come into contact with an LGBT person.

This large-scale study preceded a shift in the country’s law regarding the matter.

Before 2014, the Vietnamese Marriage and Family Laws considered same-sex marriage an illegal offense. Offenders might face a fine of VND100,000-500,000 (US$4.5-22).

In 2014, however, the amendments to Point 2 of Article 8 in the Vietnamese Marriage and Family Laws stated, “The State shall not recognize marriage between persons of the same sex,” and the fine was lifted following Decree 110/2013/ND-CP.

In other words, same-sex marriage is no longer an illegal act, but still lacks government recognition.

Aside from the lack of legal protection from the state, same-sex couples can now enjoy a public wedding ceremony and live together without government intervention.

Source: Tien Bui