Sydney hcmc

French tourist Laurine, who visited HCMC for the first time earlier this month, said before her trip to Vietnam her friends told her she should haggle at half the initial price when buying items in HCMC. When Laurine visited Ben Thanh in downtown area, she was impressed by the beauty of the century-old market with French colonial architecture. She dropped by souvenir stalls inside the market and asked to buy conical hats and small embroidered paintings, but vendors charged her over VND200,000 (US$8.22) for each item. She then negotiated with the vendors and bargained for 50-70% of the initial price. When the vendors refused, she pretended to walk away and they then chased after her, agreeing to sell each item for VND40,000-80,000. "Rip-offs have become a common issue at traditional markets in many Asian countries, not just Vietnam. Therefore, I was not shocked when I was overcharged, but I just didn't know what the real value of the item was, nor what I deserved for the amount … [Read more...] about Tourists wary of rip-offs in HCMC

Speaking at the Vietnam Socio-Economic Forum 2023 on Tuesday, the female leader said she hoped that the National Assembly and the government pay attention and soon issue policies for HCMC to deploy a financial center to ease capital flows, strengthen businesses' resources, and mark a step forward in Vietnam's development in the world financial market. Le Hong Thuy Tien, CEO of IPPG. Photo courtesy of Le Hong Thuy Tien Since 2016, IPP Group has hired the Sheerman Company (UK) to develop a project to establish financial centers in HCMC and Da Nang. Resolution No. 31 of the Politburo on the direction and tasks of developing HCMC with a vision to 2045 also sets the target to turn the city into an economic and financial center of Asia. Tien said through a financial center, Vietnamese businesses can access capital at reasonable costs, improve competitiveness, and receive training and transfers of high-quality financial human resources. The center also promotes the … [Read more...] about IPPG CEO emphasizes the need for financial center in HCMC

The MOU was signed in New York in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Mai said the MOU has a great significance for the two cities and it is not only symbolic but also demonstrates a commitment to promoting comprehensive, substantive, and effective cooperation between the two countries at all levels. The twinning will be a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation programs between the two cities in the fields of economics, finance, culture, and environment (especially projects related to climate change), science and technology, innovation, and education, according to Mai. Establishing twinned relationships between the two cities opens up space for businesses to connect, strengthen cooperation, and expand markets, the chairman added. Mai also said that as one of the world's most important financial centers, New York can support HCMC in realizing its goal of becoming a regional and international financial hub. … [Read more...] about HCMC strengthens ties with New York

In front of Tu Du Hospital on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1, makeshift advertising posters, stickers and graffiti-like scribbles can be seen all over the walls and electric poles, with contents ranging from loans to drainage services. As the location is often populated with people and their families awaiting medical treatment, it is a prime spot for these types of advertisements to sprout up. A security guard at the hospital said the hospital and local authorities frequently remove the unapproved decals, but they always return the next day. "They ride motorbikes, bringing with them stacks of advertisement posters and pasting them onto things before leaving immediately, making prevention difficult," the guard said. Unapproved advertisements have been a plague on many HCMC structures for many years. From the smallest alleys to major roads, people can always see such posters and scribbles on walls, electric poles, lampposts, et al. Even the trees have posters nailed … [Read more...] about Unapproved advertising a sticky issue for HCMC

The city's Department of Education and Training said in a Monday statement that private schools, including international schools, must separate their education and training activities from their businesses, including capital mobilization and financial investment. The order was made following a case in which parents showed up at the American International School Vietnam (AISVN) in Nha Be District last Thursday demanding the school pay its debts. The parents said they had signed contracts with the school's chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Ut Em, to let the school borrow money so that their children could study for free. The school said in a press release later that the loans were actually investments in the school and the sum would be returned within 5 to 15 years from the time the children matriculated at the school. Speaking to VnExpress on Sunday, a representative from the department said it would send an inspection team to the school on Wednesday to look into its financial situation. … [Read more...] about HCMC regulating financial operations at private schools

Boy group Westlife. Photo from Westlife's Facebook The group announced the news with a post on their Facebook account saying: "VIETNAM! We are so excited to be coming back with the Wild Dreams tour on November 22, 2023." The event organizers have confirmed that Vietnam is one of eight stops in Asia, along with Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand. The show’s seat map and ticket prices are set to be announced this week, while tickets for the show will be available for sale starting September 26. The setlist is expected to include many of the group’s best hits, from "Uptown Girl," "Seasons in the Sun," to "Flying Without Wings" and "No One’s Gonna Sleep Tonight." Westlife were formed in 1998 in Dublin, Ireland. The group disbanded in 2012 before reuniting again in 2018. The current members of the group include Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. They are holders of four Guinness World Records, including the … [Read more...] about Westlife to hold show in HCMC

Van Phuong, who lives in District 7, said he signed a contract with AISVN's chairwoman Nguyen Thi Ut Em in 2018 to lend the school VND5 billion (US$205,000). With such loans from their parents, the children would be allowed to study for free at the school in Nha Be District until they graduate from high school or move to another school. As stated in the contract, the loan is interest-free, and the school will pay it within 90 days after the students move to another school or finish their 12th grade. "My children moved in 2022 but the school has paid us nothing," Phuong said. He added that the school had promised to pay the debt twice, in January and May this year, but has defaulted until now. "When signing the contract, I simply thought that my two children could get access to an international education free of charge if I lent them the money, which is a long-term benefit. I did not expect the school to break its promise like this," he said. In the same situation, Thanh … [Read more...] about Parents accuse HCMC international school of dodging debts

A representative of the HCMC Greenery Parks company on Wednesday said around 100 trees up to 15 m high on numerous streets of districts 5, 7, 8 and Nha Be were uprooted amid thunderstorms on Tuesday. An uprooted tree lies across a street in HCMC's District 5 on September 19, 2023. Photo by VnExpress The felled trees damaged three motorbikes and a car in District 7, as well as several power and telecommunication lines, disrupting communication and traffic. The Binh Minh golf course in Nha Be District received especially severe damage when 11 metal poles were felled by the winds. Each of the pole costs around VND100 million ($4,115) to be installed. Several metal poles at a golf course in HCMC were felled by strong winds, September 20, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van There were no casualties, and the owner of the course has contacted authorities to help with cleaning it up, as well as shuting down the course as the damages incurred were too great. … [Read more...] about 100 trees felled, roofs blown off in Saigon thunderstorms

AMO, the organizers of the concert in Vietnam announced the price of the tickets and the seating chart on their Facebook page. There are eight price stamps for the tickets, with the lowest being VND850,000 ($35). "For this special concert of Westlife, the organizers divided the Thong Nhat Stadium into eight zones and they are all 100% seated, which will help the fans enjoy a great show with the four gentlemen from Ireland," AMO said. The capacity of Thong Nhat Stadium is 15,000. The tickets will start selling from 9 a.m. on September 26 on Ticketbox. This is the second time that Westlife have held a concert in HCMC. The first was in 2011. The poster for Westlife's upcoming concert in HCMC. Photo courtesy of AMO Vietnam is one of eight stops in Asia as a part of Westlife’s The Wild Dreams Tour , along with Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand. The setlist is expected to include many of the group’s best hits, from … [Read more...] about Westlife concert tickets in Vietnam as high as $164

The 37-year-old woman had the abortion at the Y Hoc Sai Gon clinic, but she was only able to transfer VND9 million while she was on the operating table. Staff then held her at the clinic against her will, demanding that she pay the rest of the money before the procedure could continue. The woman’s family called the municipal Department of Health on September 19 to report the matter and request an intervention. A representative of the health department inspectorate said on September 21 the unit had cooperated with local authorities to raid the clinic after the report was made. The representative said that at the time of the raid, there were two patients in the waiting room at the clinic. All the patients were there for abortions, but there was no gynecologist at the clinic at the time. The location also failed to show documentation of the patients’ diagnoses. The patients had been directed to the Tu Du Hospital, HCMC's ob-gyn hospital, for their health to be checked. The … [Read more...] about Abortion clinic extorts $1,100 from patient