Thai baht travel money card

Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) has called for the adoption of the ASEAN Quick Response (QR) Code by all ASEAN countries at the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) meeting. The transactions carried out via ASEAN QR Code will use local currencies, KADIN Chaiman Arsjad Rasjid said after chairing the ASEAN-BAC meeting in Magelang district, Central Java of Indonesia, on March 22. He said that if a transaction is conducted in Indonesia, it will use the rupiah. Likewise, if it is conducted in Thailand, it will use the Thai baht, and so on, he explained. The QR code adoption will also reduce the cost of transactions, thus it can be the key for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and bigger business players in ASEAN to collaborate, he said. The ASEAN QR Code is one of the comprehensive legacy programs promoted by KADIN as a solution to strengthen digital transformation in ASEAN, which is one of the five ASEAN-BAC priority … [Read more...] about Indonesia hastens ASEAN’s adoption of regional QR Code

A street in Bangkok capital of Thailand. (Photo: AP) Bangkok (VNA) - Election campaigns are forecast to generate up to 120 billion THB (3.5 billion USD) for the economy of Thailand, said the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce . The centre’s director Thanawat Polvichai said political parties are going into full gear with campaigning for votes after the election date was set for May 14 by the Election Commission. The 120 billion THB generated while campaigning will push Thailand ’s GDP up by 4% in the second quarter, he said, adding that the Thai economy is expected to grow by 3-4% this year. However, rising production costs and inflation can affect the business sector’s profits and liquidity though the economy is believed to pick up in the second half of this year, according to Thanawat./. VNA … [Read more...] about Election campaigns may create 3.5 billion USD for Thai economy

Bangkok (VNA) – Thai police on March 22 announced that they had arrested 20 suspects, including five Indians and 15 Thais, for alleged involvement in a phone scam network preying on elderly Americans. According to local police, the scammers were arrested in Chon Buri, Rayong, Roi Et and Surat Thani on March 21, adding that all five of the Indian suspects were men and 11 of the 15 Thais detained were women. The police also seized 162 bank account books, 61 mobile phones, two cars, one pistol, land title deeds and other assets. The investigation dates back to last year, when US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Secret Service agents informed Thai police that Indian cyber criminals and Thai nationals had set up a phone scam network to trick elderly people in US into transferring money to them. The fraudsters, pretending to be US law-enforcement officials, preyed on the fear of their victims by telling them that they were being investigated for alleged money … [Read more...] about Thailand arrests phone scam gang targeting elderly Americans

Foreign tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City's Post Office. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Travel firms in Ho Chi Minh City have launched tours between Vietnam and China as soon as China decided to include Vietnam in the list of countries to which Chinese group tours can be conducted from March 15. According to the city’s businesses, more Chinese tourist groups will arrive in the city this month and April will be the peak time marking the return of Chinese tourists to Vietnam. On the contrary, the number of Vietnamese tourists booking tours to China will also increase, helping to stimulate demand in the tourism markets of the two countries in the coming time. The forecast is based on the huge tourism demand of Chinese tourists after about three years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnam being one of the Chinese tourists’ favourite destinations. In addition, Vietnamese businesses have developed high-quality and oriented products and services for specific tourist … [Read more...] about HCM City’s tourism shows positive signs with return of Chinese visitors

A community-based tourism and cultural village in Ha Giang's Meo Vac district. (Photo: VNA) Ha Giang (VNA) – With its advantages in terms of natural landscapes, rich cultural identities, customs and preserved traditional festivals, the northernmost province of Ha Giang has attracted attention from a large number of travel companies and tourists, and several potential community-based tourist sites have been formed. Ha Giang province is home to 19 ethnic groups which have their own cultural traditions and identities. The effective preservation and promotion of cultural values has helped the province in general and the ethnic groups in particular have a special attraction for travelers and those who want to learn about traditional ethnic culture. According to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trieu Thi Tinh, over the past years, the province has selected outstanding cultural products to develop to create more highlights for … [Read more...] about Ha Giang effectively develops community-based tourism

According to the city’s businesses, more Chinese tourist groups will arrive in the city this month and April will be the peak time marking the return of Chinese tourists to Vietnam. On the contrary, the number of Vietnamese tourists booking tours to China will also increase, helping to stimulate demand in the tourism markets of the two countries in the coming time. The forecast is based on the huge tourism demand of Chinese tourists after about three years of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Vietnam being one of the Chinese tourists’ favorite destinations. In addition, Vietnamese businesses have developed high-quality and oriented products and services for specific tourist segments. Accompanying the business community, the city’s Department of Tourism has just coordinated with the Zhangjiajie city People's Committee in China’s Hunan province and the Vietnam Global International Travel Group Joint Stock Company to organize a tourism promotion conference in Zhangjiajie … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism shows positive signs with return of Chinese visitors

Martin Koerner, chairman of EuroCham Vietnam's Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee, told at a tourism conference Wednesday that Vietnam's visa policy remains complicated and restrictive compared to regional neighbors such as Thailand and Singapore. Thailand already extended its tourist visas to a maximum stay of 45 days for over 50 countries while Vietnam currently exempts only citizens of 25 countries from requiring visas with maximum stays of 15 days. EuroCham has proposed the government expand visa exemptions for more countries, including all European countries, the United States, Australia and New Zealand and prolong the duration of visa-free stays to 30 days. "However, we have seen slow progress in achieving this," Koerner said. "The country needs to implement a tourism development strategy quickly to compete with its regional competitors." Nuno F. Ribeiro, a Portuguese lecturer in hospitality and tourism at RMIT University, also proposed Vietnam waive visas for more … [Read more...] about Foreign experts urge Vietnam to relax visa policies, improve tourism services

The remarkable work invites visitors to enter a space of immersive light projections, following in the footsteps of the Seven Sisters as they traverse the Western and Central deserts of Australia. Songlines (or Dreaming) are central to the existence of Australia’s First Nations’ (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) peoples, mapping the routes of Ancestral beings as they traveled across Australia, creating the land and its people. They are a way of holding and passing on knowledge to new generations. Australian Consul-General Sarah Hooper said that the exhibition is an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the cultures of Australia’s First Nations people. An explanatory video featuring Margo Neale, Senior Indigenous Curator and Head of Indigenous Knowledges at the National Museum, can be viewed on the Australian Embassy Facebook page. The exhibition is free to enter and is opened to the public at The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di in Thu Duc city every … [Read more...] about Multimedia installation exhibition celebrates Vietnam-Australia diplomatic ties

Superior visa policy Foreigners can enter Vietnam by air or sea, stay in a transit area and transfer to Phu Quoc to get this visa exemption. This is the only place that meets the conditions required for visa waiver: It has an international airport, has a definite geographical boundary, is separate from the mainland and so having foreigners does not jeopardize Vietnam's defense, security, social order, or safety. Hon Thom, the world's longest cable car, is on the south of Phu Quoc. Photo by Anh Duong Transportation to the place is convenient by air, sea and land, and visitors can enter and exit through three international border gates: Phu Quoc International Airport Border Gate, Ha Tien International Border Gate and Duong Dong Port International Border Gate in Phu Quoc. There are many daily flights to Phu Quoc from India, Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia... Tourists can easily travel by taxi and bus. People who have bought tickets to Sun World Phu Quoc will get … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc, ideal tourist destination with special visa exemption

Phu Quoc is currently the only destination in Vietnam with this unique visa policy. According to current legal regulations, from July 2020, foreigners and Vietnamese holding foreign passports entering, exiting, and residing in Phu Quoc Island are exempt from visas for a temporary stay of no more than 30 days. Foreigners can enter an international border gate (including air and sea), stay in the transit area at that border gate, and then transfer to Phu Quoc Island to be exempt from visas following this regulation. Phu Quoc is famous for its beautiful and dreamlike beaches Phu Quoc has this visa policy because it is the only island that meets the conditions of visa exemption for foreigners under Vietnamese law. It has an international airport, definite geographical boundaries, is separate from the mainland, supports the nation's socioeconomic development policy, and does not jeopardise national defence, security, social order, or safety. As an isolated island located … [Read more...] about Visa exemption means international tourists can visit Phu Quoc for up to 30 days