All Vietnam Related TCSS / Info / Gatherings / Help Thread

[Oshimayuko]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

First time go vietnam and you want go beach...tell us how long you intend to stay...

HCM dun hv Songkran...other parts also dun have...

Stay around 4-5 days. Is HCM the recommended city? How does it fare as compared to BKK, the day activities. Night life probably similar.

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by Oshimayuko

Stay around 4-5 days. Is HCM the recommended city? How does it fare as compared to BKK, the day activities. Night life probably similar.

cannot compare to BKK...you maybe disappointed...

if you expect bkk so easi type then hcm is not the choice...best skip...

4 to 5 days then you can go only 1 beach if you want...best is nha trang in my opinion...but no night life...or Vung Tau nearby also no night life...

[Hurricane88]

Vietnam’s student-made vending machine dispenses ready-to-eat pho

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 03/25/2017 14:49 GMT + 7



A group of three students at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education has successfully created a vending machine that can dispense a bowl of cooked pho, bubble tea or ready-to-eat banh mi.

It took the team, consisting of Pham Ngoc Dien, Vong Ly Phu, and Nguyen Hao Quang, and their leader, Dr. Nguyen Truong Thinh, dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, nearly half a year to make the country’s first-ever pho vending machine.

The machine, standing 2.1 meters high, has a cooler section where the ingredients to make 50 bowls of pho, or Vietnamese rice noodle soup with beef, are stored at 5 degrees Celsius. Each bowl of pho requires 330g of noodle, beef and onion.

The boiler has two compartments, maintained at a temperature of 70 and 90 degrees Celsius, respectively, with one containing the broth and the other supplying hot water to boil the noodle.

After the customers select the kind of pho they want and make payment, the noodle will be taken from the cooler and boiled in the hot compartment.
The final bowl of pho will be provided on a tray with necessary eating utensil, herb, lemon, hoisin and hot sauce.

When the machine is about to run out of broth or bowl, it will automatically notify the operator via text messages. In case of technical problems, a fail-safe program will switch off the machine and notify the operator.

To ensure hygiene, all the machine compartments are made of stainless steel, with the broth tank and all the pipes easily removable for cleaning and maintenance.

Besides dispensing pho, the machine can also be used to make vermicelli, and other noodle soups.


The pho-, bubble tea-, and banh mi-dispensing machines are on display (from left to right).

Along with this project, Dr. Thinh also led two other student groups in creating vending machines that dispense banh mi, or Vietnamese breads, bubble tea, and che (sweet soup).

The banh mi-dispensing machine is made by Nguyen Minh Khoa, Nguyen Anh Luat, and Vo Minh Chi. It can hold 120 Vietnamese loaves of banh mi in a full load.

After customers choose the kind of meat fillings, the number of loaves, and make payment, the bread will be transferred from the cooler to the oven, where it is baked in one minute.

The ready-to-eat banh mi will be wrapped nicely in papers, served along with soy sauce and other necessary spices.

The bubble tea machine is created by the trio named Huynh Mach Anh Ninh, Tran Duy Thanh, and Luu Duc Trong Nhan.

It is able to make four different kinds of tea with two kinds of jelly, containing 120 glasses at full load.

The customers simply choose the milk tea, the quantity, make payment, and their order will be ready in one minute.


Research project sponsored by company

According to Dr. Thinh, the three projects are sponsored by a private company with a budget of VND200 million (US$8,800).

All the students participating in the three projects are seniors and the inventions will serve as their graduation theses.

Every year, the Department of Mechanical Engineering receives 30 to 40 orders from various companies asking to make machines with a wide range of functions such as peeling aloe vera skin, cutting fruits into cubes, cleaning banana leaves, among others.

After completing such projects, many graduates have been invited to work in the companies ordering the product while some go on to become entrepreneurs establishing their own companies and further developing their products.

[Oshimayuko]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

cannot compare to BKK...you maybe disappointed...

if you expect bkk so easi type then hcm is not the choice...best skip...

4 to 5 days then you can go only 1 beach if you want...best is nha trang in my opinion...but no night life...or Vung Tau nearby also no night life...

What do you mean by so easy type?

[Samkieu]

Originally Posted by Oshimayuko

What do you mean by so easy type?

My guess is easy sex available in bkk compare to hcm.

[Kittenz]

Originally Posted by Oshimayuko

What do you mean by so easy type?

clearly you havent bothered to do any research by reading any of the threads, answer one question lead to other questions, if you too busy to read other to busy to reply also, better you stay home or go on a package tour

[Hurricane88]

big ways Saigon is changing this year

By VnExpress March 27, 2017 | 12:00 am GMT+7

The southern metropolis is busy with a lot of plans. Which one gets you excited?

http://e.vnexpress.net/news/video/ne...r-3560794.html

[Hurricane88]

Saigon's plan for massive walking zone worries experts

By Huu Nguyen March 27, 2017 | 12:24 am GMT+7



Experts say that tourists won't want to walk long distances to get to hotels and restaurants, while vehicles will be squeezed onto nearby streets.

Ho Chi Minh City has plans to make more than 220 hectares (544 acres), or nearly a fifth of its downtown area, exclusive to pedestrians, but experts are questioning the effects of the switch and the challenges it will pose for residents.

The walking area will stand in the heart of the city, covering 7.35 kilometers, and include parts of Dong Khoi, Hai Ba Trung, Le Duan, Le Loi, Ly Tu Trong, Mac Dinh Chi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Nguyen Du, Pasteur and several small streets in District 1.

The area has been selected due to the large number of offices located there, such as the city hall and the People’s Court, as well as popular destinations such as Ben Thanh Market, the Opera House, Tao Dan Park and the Saigon Zoo.

If approved, electric buses, a monorail and a subway system will be set up in the area by 2020.

Several parking lots will also be set up on the nearby Le Lai, Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Thi Nghia and Nguyen Huu Canh streets, according to a proposal that the transport department will submit to the city’s government for review in the next two months.

Initially, the vehicle restrictions will only apply during weekend nights and holidays.

The city plans to start with streets connected to Nguyen Hue.

However, many experts have said that building such a large walking zone will do more harm than good.

Pham Xuan Mai, a transport lecturer at the HCMC University of Technology, said the plan will have widescale impacts on people’s lives.

Mai told Thanh Nien newspaper that the plan should only be used for tourist and cultural centers, but this is not that case.

“People living in that area will not be able to drive home, and businesses will lose customers,” he said, referring to hotels and restaurants that will find it hard to attract enough customers willing to walk long distances.

Architect Doan Huu Doan also said that the new plan will not solve the city’s traffic problem as vehicles will be squeezed onto other streets.

Before HCMC opens more walking streets, it should develop public transport and solve the severe lack of parking lots, Doan said, as cited by Thanh Nien

The megacity, the most crowded city in Vietnam, is home to nearly 13 million people, including migrants. By the end of last year, vehicles in the city had increased to 8.5 million, including more than 600,000 cars, according to official figures.

[Hurricane88]

What’s it like living in tenements waiting to collapse in Saigon?

UPDATED : 03/26/2017 11:52 GMT + 7



Dozens of thousands of residents in old, worn-out apartment buildings throughout Ho Chi Minh City have experienced decrepit living conditions and serious pollution while facing imminent risks of collapse.

After some 50 years of survival, these apartment buildings have become dilapidated, overcrowded and perilous, undermining the safety of thousands of local residents.

City officials have had plans to demolish many of the places but they have remained barely standing for years due to a lack of funds from the government.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters have recently visited Ngo Gia Tu and An Quang Tenements in District 10, two of the most tumbledown buildings in the metropolis.

continue reading here
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/40248/...apse-in-saigon

[Hurricane88]

The best places to work in Vietnam

By VnExpress March 25, 2017 | 12:00 am GMT+7
Foreign companies dominate the list of best employers.

Unilever has once again been named the best company to work for in Vietnam, according to an annual list that has also found many other foreign companies among the favorites.

The 2016 "Best Places to Work" survey, conducted by solution firm Anphabe and market research firm Nielsen, named dairy giant Vinamilk the second best, which was unable to dethrone the fourth-year champion.

They are followed by Nestle, Microsoft, IBM. Foreign firms secured 15 positions among the 20 best companies. (See the complete top 100 here.)

This year's survey, the biggest, collected feedback from 26,128 employees working in 24 different sectors. Rankings were based on salary levels, bonuses, welfare and work-life balance for employees.

As usual, the survey tends to favor big companies, so even if many small and medium-sized companies in Vietnam may offer a great working environment, it is highly unlikely that they can make the cut.

Jobseekers and employees in Vietnam are increasingly demanding and paying more attention to benefits and a good workplace culture.

In recent years, Vietnam has also become an emerging destination for top talent from overseas.

The country has been ranked among the best destinations for a successful expat career thanks to good work-life balance and employment benefits, according to HSBC.

The London-based bank's Expat Explorer survey questioned 26,871 expats from more than 100 countries and territories between March and May 2016 based over their satisfaction with their careers, personal finance as well as economic, culture and life aspects in the host country.

[Hurricane88]

Chinese tourist influx to Ha Long Bay brings smiles, grimaces

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 03/26/2017 16:03 GMT + 7



Quang Ninh Province, which prides itself on the UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, has received thousands of Chinese holidaymakers to spend the weekends in March, which has brought both opportunities and challenges to local tourism agencies.

The Mong Cai border gate, the main entrance for Chinese tourists to get to the northern Vietnamese province, normally welcomes 8,000 to 10,000 entries a day, up to 3,000 of which are from China.

However, over the last weekends, the number of visitors passing Mong Cai spiked to 15,000 a day, with Chinese arrivals accounting for up to 70 percent.

On the morning of March 25, a 45-seater tour bus was spotted every two to three minutes at Tuan Chau International Port in Ha Long City, the province’s capital city.

Most of the excursionists were from China.

In less than three hours, more than 250 orders were issued to tourist ships to dock and cater to 5,000 tourists.

The crowds even bulged toward noon.

The waiting lounge teemed with commotion and dialog, mostly in Chinese.
The parking lot was packed with more than one hundred 45-seater buses carrying Chinese tourists.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, most travel firms chose Bai Chay Resort as their guests’ rest stop.

Groups of Chinese tourists are a common sight along Ha Long-Cai Dam Streets in Bai Chay Ward as they take a stroll and do the shopping, particularly in the late evening, when Ha Long Bay is closed to visitors at the end of the day.

According to Dang Tuan Ha, vice-director of Tuan Chau International Port, the locality normally received less than 3,000 tourist arrivals per day in March in previous years.

Vu Duc Truong, one of the tourist accommodation providers in Ha Long City, said Chinese arrivals have surged by over 30 percent against the same period last year.

“Chinese vacationers have booked all of our 300 rooms. They typically check in at around 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm and check out early the next morning,” he added.

Nam, owner of a boat which usually carries Chinese holidaymakers, noted a 50-percent spike in contracts in March compared to the post-Tet (Lunar New Year) period.

A tourism expert attributed this rise to the soaring travel demand among Chinese nationals, particularly after rumors have circulated that China has banned its citizens from going on trips to South Korea.

“The easy traffic access between Quang Ninh-Hanoi and southern Chinese provinces, lax tourist visa policies, low travel costs coupled with intensified promotion efforts have also resulted in higher Chinese arrivals,” this expert stressed.

Industry insiders have attributed the unusual spike of Chinese arrivals to Quang Ninh to the fact that travel firms in China are offering affordable tours to the Vietnamese province at this time of the year, so middle-income Chinese holidaymakers have grabbed the opportunity to travel.

Trinh Dang Thanh, vice-director of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, embraced the influx as a great opportunity to boost the provincial tourism sector and prove its magnet to international travelers.

The surge in tourist numbers will also add a considerable amount in terms of border entrance fees to the province’s budget, and lure investors to build hotels, resorts, offer recreation services and improve traffic infrastructure.


A female tour guide (holding the flag) is seen guiding a group of Chinese vacationers in Ha Long City during a weekend in March 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

“This will help accelerate the economic shift from the mining industry to tourism, and create jobs for many locals,” he stressed.

Thanh, however, admitted the incursion might bring problems and worsen services without proper management.

“Overcrowding may put pressure on environmental protection, security and order. A number of service providers have not operated properly or adopted ploys to lure guests, marring the overall tourism environment,” he added.

Many shops selling food and souvenirs to Chinese vacationers have also showed signs of dishonesty.

A big issue for local tour operators are the dirt cheap prices offered by Chinese tour organizers that spare the tourists from all costs except airfare.

These organizers will squeeze the remainder from their customers during the actual trip.

Illegal Chinese guides take the tourists to affiliate shops where they are ripped off and the extra money goes into the pockets of the tour organizers and guides.

Many of such Chinese-run shops often change their illegal status and names, while Chinese tour guides use fake guide certificates or none at all, particularly on peak days.

At a recent meeting addressing tourism issues, Nguyen Duc Long, chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee, initiated a campaign to rid the local tourism environment of undesirable activities and restore its image.

Competent agencies will carry out tight inspections on travel firms and impose stringent sanctions on violators.

However, several tourism insiders think Vietnam needs a long-term strategy to tap into the Chinese tourist market.

“We need to clearly define the market and take proper care of Chinese tourists. We should never dismiss them as cheap holidaymakers as they usually book high-class hotels and their overall expenses are high,” one of them said.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, Ngo Hoai Chung, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, asserted measures must be taken to ensure no discrimination against any group of tourists and all vacationers can enjoy their stay in Quang Ninh to the fullest.

The VNAT had a working session on March 22 with the province’s leaders to better tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Pham Trung Luong, former deputy head of the Tourism Development Research Institute, pointed out that “zero tour packages” offered by Chinese travel firms have contributed little to the local coffers and hardly benefited Vietnam’s tourism industry.

He called for better state control and closer inspection as well as measures to raise awareness among local people and service providers so that they will not collude with fraudulent Chinese counterparts to do harm to their own country’s tourism industry.

[Hurricane88]

Clip dance on the background music "Bong bang bang bang" of the host staff, Vietnam Airlines pilot fever

DINH NGUYEN, THE INTELLECTUAL YOUTH 26/03/2017 21:47

Vietnam Airlines has launched a music video clip entitled "Flying to Vietnam", which is popularized in the music of "Bong bang bang bang" on the occasion of its founding anniversary. Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (26/3).

On the occasion of the 86th anniversary of the foundation of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (26/3) and the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Youth Union, many of Vietnam Airlines Has just made a video clip in the style of music film "Fly to Vietnam" is popular on the song "Bong bang bang bang" exciting and exciting.

http://kenh14.vn/clip-nhay-tren-nen-...2616141695.chn

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

still I cannot be bothered wat dun concern me...

Well when we are stuck in a queue in another cuntry custom behind a whole bunch of them practically shouting across the hallway to their friends in another queue leh we will not be able to say we cannot be bothered liao.....

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

sarpork your own xnn.com...

Mighty One says sarpork his favourite website, I must sarpork !!!!!!

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

nowadays I dun chew...only bite...swallowed...cannot bite dun chew...

Now you sounds like the Zoe Tay commercial

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^