Vietnam Insider

After the boat capsized in Ha Long Bay and concerns about the impact of Typhoon Wipha, a group of 20 people from a technology company in Hanoi tried to postpone a team building trip to Ha Long (Quang Ninh) scheduled for this weekend. However, the travel company refused because the storm had passed and the deposit contract for the bay tour was not refundable. Unable to cancel the trip completely, the group kept the schedule but skipped the bay tour, only organizing fun activities on shore.

“The whole room was scared, no one dared to go down to the bay anymore. We negotiated with the tour company, accepting to lose the 5 million deposit for the boat trip to change to a safer schedule,” Anh Vu shared.

Brenda, a tourist from Mexico, said she had visited Ha Long Bay on a cruise from July 17 to 19 and was currently in Hanoi. Brenda’s group had gone on a cruise on the same day the Green Bay 58 capsized. The tourist said her group returned to shore earlier, around 12-1 p.m., so they were not near the accident site. She learned about the incident from a Canadian friend who was back home.

“When I heard the news, I was shocked, felt sorry for the victims and felt grateful that I was safe, but scared when I thought that I could have been the victim,” said the female tourist.

The Blue Bay 58 boat carrying 46 passengers and 3 crew members encountered a storm on July 19 while visiting Ha Long Bay route 2, causing the boat to capsize. 37 people died, 2 people are missing and 10 people were rescued.

Some boat and cruise ship owners in Ha Long said the tragic accident happened right when Typhoon Wipha was making landfall, causing many tourists to panic and cancel their trips. A boat owner who specializes in welcoming international tourists said most of the guests canceled their trips on July 24-2.

“The ship has 20 cabins, usually welcoming 20-30 guests at a time, the number of guests canceling about 10 people mainly falls this week,” the ship owner said, hoping that after 7-10 days, the psychology of guests and sea tourism activities in Ha Long will gradually stabilize.

A representative of Paradise Vietnam said that the company has proactively adjusted and rescheduled tours for tourists since July 19, waiting for official notice to resume operations. About 10-15% of guests have canceled or reserved their trips, the rest have mostly postponed their trips to the following week. The cruise also supports extending the reservation period for tourists to conveniently arrange. Currently, the cruise continues to accept new booking requests.

Dr Joe Othman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at RMIT University Vietnam, said that after accidents like the Ha Long boat capsize, most people are likely to experience a combination of emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, guilt and anger. For tourists, the most prominent emotions are fear and concern about safety. The concept of a “holiday” – which usually brings relaxation and a sense of escape – is disrupted, replaced by a sense of vulnerability. Tourists tend to worry about their own safety and have less trust in service providers.

For boat owners, the emotions are often one of guilt and “what if” anxiety – they may wonder what would happen if they or their boat were in such a situation. Since Ha Long is a small city where people tend to be closely connected, the cruise operators can feel the collective pain and sense of community responsibility.

“While not immediately, some business owners may start to worry about their livelihoods, as the reputation and tighter regulations could impact future customer traffic,” said Joe Othman.

Dr Justin Matthew Pang, Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management, RMIT University Vietnam, said “during this sensitive time and in the future, ship owners need to be aware of their responsibility to ensure passenger safety”.

According to him, all ships should apply the highest safety standards, from controlling capacity, arranging enough life jackets, requiring life jackets to be worn throughout the journey, to providing first aid kits and full rescue equipment. Ship owners should install signs indicating the location of life-saving equipment, and show videos or illustrate safety instructions before departure, similar to the procedures on airplanes. These actions will raise awareness, gradually form a safety culture, and eliminate subjective behaviors. In the long term, this is also a way to build a type of tourism that prioritizes safety, is sustainable, and is managed by responsible standards.

Dr. Justin Matthew Pang cited the 2014 example of the MV Sewol ferry carrying 476 people, including 250 schoolchildren, capsized while traveling from Incheon to Jeju, killing 304 people and sending shockwaves throughout South Korea. “It took years for South Koreans to gradually overcome their grief, tighten safety standards, and build grassroots community oversight organizations,” Pang said.

The Ha Long accident could leave a deep scar on the local tourism industry. The government needs to reinforce its duty of care to passengers and force cruise operators to put safety first to restore trust from both tourists and the community.

Safety consultants should be invited to Ha Long to study the impact of tropical storms, sharing standards and best practices with residents, businesses, industry leaders and maritime associations.

“The lesson from Sewol reminds Ha Long that this cannot be considered an isolated accident, but must be seen as a wake-up call to raise maritime safety standards to the highest level, otherwise the consequences can be long-lasting and hurt the whole community,” said Dr. Pang.

Source: vnexpress.net

According to the announcement from the Henley Passport Index (HPI) in the third quarter on July 22, Vietnam ranked 84th globally, up 7 places compared to the announcement in the first quarter (91st) and 3 places compared to 2024. The highest passport ranking Vietnam has ever held in the 20-year history of the HPI is 78 (in 2006, 2007). Vietnam ranked 79 (in 2008, 2009), 81 (in 2013, 2014) and 84 (2010, 2025).

Passport rankings reflect the level of integration and openness of a country. Vietnam’s image improved on prestigious rankings will help Vietnamese tourism increase its credibility, attract investment, expand international cooperation, and contribute to promoting the flow of international tourists to Vietnam (inbound tourism).

According to Head of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) Secretariat Hoang Nhan Chinh, the passport’s increase in rank is primarily due to Vietnam’s proactive foreign policy, multilateralization and deep integration in recent years.

Strengthening international relations through high-level visits by leaders of the Party, Government and National Assembly of Vietnam has helped the diplomatic sector negotiate visa exemption agreements, sign cooperation agreements with many destinations, and significantly improve the national image through international activities.

In addition, Vietnamese passports have also been upgraded in terms of technical quality and security, including the issuance of chip-embedded passports from 2023. The immigration management system is increasingly professional and modern (such as automatic immigration), in line with international standards, helping to increase trust with partner countries.

According to HPI, Vietnamese citizens can now enter 51 destinations without a visa or only need to apply for an e-visa, a visa at the border, or an ETA (electronic travel authorization) out of a total of 227 countries and territories. This benefit is similar to the 91st position at the beginning of the year.

According to General Director of AZA Travel Company Nguyen Tien Dat, Vietnamese tourists traveling internationally and leaving a good image in the host country could also be the reason why Vietnam does not increase visa-free destinations but also does not decrease them.

“Vietnamese tourists abroad behave civilly, spend a lot and rarely violate the laws of the host country,” said Mr. Dat.

Although the Vietnamese passport rose seven places, the number of visa-free or visa-free destinations remained at 51, suggesting that the rise in ranking may have come from the decline of some other countries.

“The unchanged number of visa-free destinations is a reminder that we still have much to do to substantially improve the power of the Vietnamese passport,” said Mr. Chinh.

The most powerful passport in the world today is Singapore, with citizens of this country being granted visa-free access to 193 destinations (down two points from 195 points in the first quarter announcement). According to experts from Mint , a subsidiary of HT Media, one of India’s largest media and entertainment groups, Singapore’s passport is powerful thanks to the following main factors: good diplomatic relations with many countries; a safe, civilized country with high GDP; and people who do not stay behind to work illegally.

In order for Vietnam to both increase its ranking and the number of visa-free destinations, we can learn from the formulas that Singapore has achieved. In addition to promoting bilateral cooperation, Vietnam can expand the list of unilateral visa exemptions for countries with good diplomatic relations. This will not only attract international tourists to Vietnam, but also facilitate the reciprocal visa exemption policy for other countries. At the same time, the government can negotiate for other countries to issue e-visas to Vietnamese citizens – as a simple form of entry to their countries.

The image of a safe, tourist-friendly country also contributes to making countries more confident when relaxing entry regulations or visa approval for Vietnamese citizens.

Vietnam also needs to focus on managing the image of its citizens abroad, limiting illegal residence, law violations or illegal migration. “This is a factor that greatly affects the goodwill of cooperation from developed countries,” said Mr. Chinh. Travel companies that bring Vietnamese tourists abroad (outbound) need to have reminders, instructions and regulations for tourist groups to know and implement this well.

Finally, it is necessary to continue upgrading the technical infrastructure for immigration, digitizing data and integrating biometrics, ensuring that Vietnamese citizens have transparent and reliable records when entering foreign countries.

Mr. Dat said that the biggest impression of Vietnam in the eyes of many international visitors is safety. According to the report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2024, the two highest-rated indicators of Vietnam are price (ranked 6th out of 119 destinations) and safety (ranked 23rd).

Everyone wants to go to a safe place and every country wants to welcome tourists from friendly and safe destinations. Therefore, instead of the option of too many visa exemptions, Vietnam can make its passport stronger thanks to its “internal strength”. “Every country wants to welcome rich and civilized tourists”, Mr. Dat said.

Source: vnexpress.net

The famous British travel magazine Time Out has selected the most economical countries for tourists, based on the real-life experiences of reporter Lola Méndez. She has spent 5 years traveling in Southeast Asia and considers this region attractive to tourists on a limited budget. From 12 pounds a day (about 420,000 VND), you can “eat well, sleep comfortably and explore fully”.

Vietnam came second on the list, with an average cost of £15 a day (about 520,000 VND). “Vietnam has the cheapest beer. Draft beer is usually less than 20,000 VND a glass. A full meal with bread costs less than 25,000 VND at street stalls. Travelers can also rest comfortably in highly rated dorms or guesthouses (8 points or more on Booking.com), with prices starting at 80,000 VND per night,” the British reporter wrote.

Lola Méndez believes that Vietnam is a place that offers “a great experience”. In addition to the basic costs mentioned above, the magazine also rates Vietnam as a place with many rich cultural experiences, with 100,000 VND for a ticket to a traditional water puppet show, many temples and museums are free to visit. In Da Nang, Than Tai Mountain has an entrance fee of more than 40,000 VND.

Transportation is convenient and affordable, with prices under VND13,000 for public transport, while rides from apps like GrabBike are often under VND30,000, and over VND700,000 for a train ticket from Hanoi to Hue.

Laos is rated as the cheapest country in Southeast Asia, with a cost of £12 a day. Accommodation in Luang Prabang and Vientiane starts at £11 a night. Accommodation in Vang Vieng starts at just £5. Street food, such as sticky rice with grilled pork, is usually £1 or less, and Lao beer is under £1.

Along with that, the British magazine also suggests that backpackers can go to Cambodia, with prices equivalent to Vietnam. Meanwhile, Singapore and East Timor are the two Southeast Asian countries with the highest costs.

Source: vnexpress.net

The Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival has been held annually since 2009 in the city of Yulin, southern China. During the 10-day festival from June 21 to June 30, more than 10,000 dogs will be slaughtered, and shops will also sell cat meat, fresh lychees, and wine.

The festival was first held to mark the summer solstice. Eating dog meat is a tradition in China, believed to bring good luck and good health. Some people also believe that dog meat helps prevent disease and enhance male sexual performance.

According to animal rights activists, dogs and cats are brutally butchered with batons in public and hygiene standards at the festival are poor. There are also reports that dogs are transported from all over China to Yulin in cramped conditions, with some of the animals wearing collars, suggesting they are stolen pets.

According to the Independent , between 10 and 20 million dogs are killed each year for food, and although the festival is new, the custom of eating dog meat dates back at least 400 years. Over the years, the Yulin Festival has been the focus of international criticism. The Yulin city government has repeatedly stated that it cannot stop the festival because it is not considered an official event.

However, a 2017 survey found that nearly 75% of Yulin residents do not regularly eat dog meat, despite the traders’ efforts to promote it. A 2016 nationwide survey found that 64% of Chinese wanted the Yulin festival to end, and 69.5% had never eaten dog meat.

Dr Peter Li, a China policy expert, said the Yulin festival was a “bloody spectacle” but did not reflect the character and eating habits of the Chinese people. In 2020, Mr Han Changfu, former Minister of Agriculture of China, also opposed dog meat consumption but no ban was issued.

By 2024, according to the Global Anti-Dog Meat Coalition, Yulin had made many positive changes, such as adding Chinese cultural propaganda activities before June 21 to avoid attracting attention to the festival. During the festival, new dog meat stalls were significantly reduced and some familiar stalls also disappeared.

However, the Yulin dog meat festival has not disappeared and animal protection organizations are still actively calling for opposition to this event. The International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA), founded in 1981 in Switzerland, sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; and the National Health Commission of China in May to protest.

The global experience with Covid-19 is a sad example of the danger to all of humanity, so they hope that China can change this outdated tradition and adopt an innovative, animal-friendly approach.

Source: vnexpress.net

The body was discovered at 2:30 p.m. on July 26 in the Hang Trong area of Ha Long Bay, about 10 kilometers from the capsized boat. Because the body was deformed, authorities took a DNA sample and the result was that it was Mr. Thai.

On July 19, Mr. Thai, his wife and two children from Hanoi boarded the Blue Bay 58 to visit Ha Long Bay. At around 1:30 p.m., the ship encountered a storm and capsized, causing 46 passengers and 3 crew members to fall into the sea.

Mr. Thai gave his life jacket to his 10-year-old son, who then went missing. His son was in the overturned ship’s hold until 5:55 p.m. when two rescuers approached and saved him. Mr. Thai’s wife and daughter died.

On July 23, at the National Children’s Hospital, Major General Tran Van Phuc, Director of Quang Ninh Provincial Police, visited, supported 200 million VND and sponsored Mr. Thai’s son until he was an adult.

The Green Bay 58 capsized, killing 39 people, the largest boat accident in Vietnam in the past 20 years. Previously, on February 26, 2022, a canoe carrying 39 passengers from Cu Lao Cham Island to Cua Dai Port (Da Nang) capsized, killing 17 people . In July 2011, a tourist boat carrying 21 people sank in Ha Long Bay, killing 12 people , mostly foreign tourists.

A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 people hit a bird while attempting to land at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province on December 29, 2024. The plane aborted the landing and accelerated but was unable to gain altitude. The plane attempted a belly landing but was unable to decelerate, veered off the runway and crashed into a concrete wall at the end, breaking into pieces and bursting into flames, killing 179 people.

South Korean investigators have not yet released a final report on the disaster, but more information about the condition of the plane’s two engines is beginning to emerge.

According to an update from investigators on July 19 seen by Reuters , both engines were damaged by the bird strike. The left engine was less damaged than the right, but it shut down 19 seconds after the impact.

The right engine experienced a “turbocharger failure,” emitting flames and black smoke. However, investigators said it “still produced enough thrust to fly,” according to the five-page update.

The investigation is expected to last for months as experts try to reconstruct the plane’s technical condition and what the crew was aware of at the time of the crash. Experts note that most air accidents are caused by a combination of factors and conclusions should not be drawn based on incomplete evidence.

Public opinion is now focused on the possibility that the pilot mistakenly shut down the less damaged engine. Chosun reported that the Korea Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) raised this theory with the victims’ families last weekend, saying that the pilot should have shut down the right engine but may have mistakenly flipped the switch to shut down the left engine.

However, the new information adds to the confusion, as it raises the possibility that the right engine, despite its severe damage, could have kept the plane flying longer.

The document does not say how much power the engines still have or what the state of the systems connected to the two engines is. Greg Feith, a former investigator with the US National Transportation Safety Board, said the document contains some new information but leaves out more, making the problem “more mysterious.”

The victim’s family has criticized the pilot-engine-mistake theory, saying it places blame on the pilot without considering other factors, such as the concrete wall at the end of the runway.

By global standards, civil aviation accident investigations aim to discover the cause of the accident without assigning blame or liability.

On July 27, a representative of the Department of Maintenance of Transport Infrastructure Works (Hanoi Department of Construction) said that a D400 mm water pipe (400 mm in diameter) of the Clean Water Company was leaking. The water pressure eroded the mixture of crushed stone and crushed stone dust, creating a sinkhole.

For nearly half a month, the Hanoi Clean Water Company had identified a clean water leak but had not yet found its location until the sinkhole appeared. Immediately after that, the unit repaired the pipeline, leveled and spread rocks to restore the road surface.