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Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand is set to open three new “smart” piers on the Chao Phraya River this year to help reduce traffic problems and offer improved transport links between road, rail, and river. The Rama VII Pier, Tha Tian Pier, and Kiakkai Pier will be upgraded to become smart piers this year, deputy spokeswoman of the Thai Government Tipanan Sirichana said on January 30. The government planned to upgrade 29 piers into smart ones by 2025, at a cost of about 942 million THB (28.77 million USD). They will be equipped with real-time displays to inform commuters of boat arrival times. The facilities will also have free WiFi and mobile-phone charging stations, with a design that offers support for wheelchair users. The smart piers will have a landmark-worthy aesthetic and will connect to other transport platforms, she said, adding that they will also accept digital payments, including prepaid cards and mobile payments. Six smart piers at Sathon, Memorial Bridge … [Read more...] about Thailand to open more smart piers

Despite the high demand for housing, the transaction volume stays low due to the high prices compared to people’s average income. The scarce supply of new projects remains a key factor keeping demand for housing high in Hanoi’s real estate market in 2023. Locals looking at a real estate project in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times During the last months of 2022, transactions in the real estate market stayed in stark contrast to the previous boom period. Experts suggested that this was due to several laws regulating the market not being completed, coupled with a sharp decline in liquidity as a result of the government's direction to restrict credit flows in high-risk fields and tighter regulations on corporate bond issuance. The sharp drop in transaction volume and supply, coupled with the high demand for housing, means that prices continue to rise. Data from the Vietnam Association of Realtors (VARS) showed in the fourth quarter of 2022, Hanoi has … [Read more...] about Demand for housing in Hanoi forecast to rise in 2023

​Vietnam is considered to be one of the few safest countries in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2017 report of the Australian Institute for Economic & Peace. The 2017 report highlights how terrorism remains unevenly spread throughout the world. Central America and the Caribbean continues to be the least affected region. There were only 12 deaths recorded in 2016, which accounts for less than 0.4 per cent of all terrorism deaths. Meanwhile, 94 per cent of all terrorist deaths are located in the Middle-East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Vietnam is one of the safest countries in the world. The 2017 GTI report highlights a turning point in the fight against radical Islamist extremism. The main positive finding shows a global decline in the number of deaths from terrorist attacks to 25,673 people, which is a 22 per cent improvement from the peak in 2014. Terrorism has fallen significantly in the epicenters of … [Read more...] about Vietnam: One of the safest countries in the world

The sum was sourced from the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Fund for the Poor. At the event, representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese People Association in Vientiane presented 70 gifts, each worth USD 360, to teachers there. Speaking at the event, Rector of the school Sivanhhuong Phengkhammai hailed the activity as a source of encouragement for teachers to fulfil goals set for 2022-2023 academic year as well as a manifestation of the Vietnamese party, state and government’s support for education in Laos. Located in Dong Paleb village, Chanthabouly district of Vientiane, the school was built in 2005. Managed by the Vietnamese People Association in Vientiane under the direction of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, the school is now home to over 1,000 students, including those from pre-school through high school levels with curricula built by the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports. Source: VNA … [Read more...] about Aid presented to teachers of Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi highlighted the time-tested relationship between the Vietnam and Russia in all spheres, saying it is a precious asset of the two countries. The ambassador said 2023 is a year of great significance to the bilateral ties as the two countries will celebrate the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's arrival in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). It’s also an opportunity for both nations to review their achievements. Several works will also be inaugurated in the year to celebrate the special ties, including a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in St. Petersbur, he added. Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko confirmed that Vietnam has always been one of Russia's closest and most reliable partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The Southeast Asian country is still Russia's largest trading partner in ASEAN despite changes in the region and the world. For his part, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of … [Read more...] about 73rd anniversary of Vietnam – Russia diplomatic ties marked

"We have to be determined to improve the traffic infrastructure in the region within this government term [2021-2026], especially the expressway system," the prime minister said when meeting with authorities in the Mekong Delta. Between now and 2026, the region should build an additional 463 kilometers of expressways, he said. As per a master plan for traffic infrastructure development, the region is set to have six expressways measuring 1,166 kilometers long in total. They are to be funded by either state funds or via the public-private partnership format. Until now, only four expressways have been completed, running a combined total of 171 kilometers in length. The delta now has eight expressway projects that are either under construction or still waiting for investment procedures to be completed. The eight projects will cost a total VND94.4 trillion (US$4 billion). PM Chinh ordered that related agencies and localities where the projects go through must speed up work so … [Read more...] about PM wants Mekong Delta expressways tripled in length by 2026

Chiang Mai, Thailand (Photo: Thaiairways) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand's tourism industry expects foreign arrivals to exceed 30 million in 2023, higher than government estimates of 25-27.5 million. Making the forecast on January 31, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) predicted foreign and domestic tourists will generate over 3 trillion baht (91 billion USD) in revenue this year. However, TCT President Chamnan Srisawat warned the huge volume of visitors will pose challenges for the Thai tourism industry, which is still recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tourism businesses are still suffering liquidity and labour shortages, he explained, while some are missing out on new opportunities. The council is tackling the problems by cooperating with the Office of SMEs Promotion to help entrepreneurs tap new trends like wellness- and metaverse-based tourism, he said, adding that it is also liaising with the Government Savings Bank and National Credit Bureau for access to … [Read more...] about Thailand expects to serve 30 million foreign arrivals this year

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a mission to visit the construction site of a section of the eastern North-South Expressway that runs through Can Tho city and Hau Giang province, which is being built by the Defense Ministry’s Army Corps 12 (or Truong Son Construction Group). The Prime Minister had an online meeting with the corps' affiliated units working on different localities across the country at the corps’ headquarters. Addressing the event, the government leader highly praised efforts of the army corps in task implementation and asked the corps’ affiliates to further boost progress and ensure quality of construction bids, contributing to beautifying the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the current context. The Prime Minister also requested relevant agencies to closely work together to complete site clearance and prepare a sufficient supply of construction material for highway projects. He also suggested relevant authorities consider developing inland water transport … [Read more...] about Prime Minister asks Army Corps 12 to speed up progress of major transport projects