Illegal Vietnamese workers in Thailand in danger of arrestJust 12 Vietnamese workers have so far registered to work legally in Thailand, according to the Thai Ministry of Labour (MoL). Following the signing of an agreement on labour recruitment between the two countries, Thailand began recruiting a number of Vietnamese workers for construction and fishing jobs from September 2016 but Vietnamese workers have shown little interest in either of the fields. Sombat Nivesra, deputy director general of the MoL’s Employment Department, says that according to unofficial statistics, around 50,000 Vietnamese people are currently working in Thailand, with most of them being illegal workers who run the risk of being fined under the law of Thailand. At present, most Vietnamese workers arrive in Thailand with tourism visas and then illegally remain in the country. After that date, illegal workers will be fined in accordance with Thai regulations.

Netherlands to help Vietnam with smart city developmentVietnam is pushing on ambitious plans to develop smart cities towards green and sustainable growth with the assistance of the Netherlands, heard a seminar jointly held by the Ministry of Construction and the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam in Hanoi on March 29. Vietnam is pushing on ambitious plans to develop smart cities towards green and sustainable growth with the assistance of the Netherlands. The Netherlands will share its successful stories in the development of smart city, airport city and living conditions with Vietnam. Meanwhile, Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Nienke Trooster said that a smart city will experience significant changes, like the shift from fossil energy to renewable energy and self-driving cars. The urban areas contribute 70 percent of the nation’s gross domestic products (GDP).-VNA

Prime Minister: Mekong – River of cooperation and developmentPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has written an article entitled “Mekong – the River of cooperation and development” ahead of the sixth Greater Mekong Sub-Region Summit (GMS-6) and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Summit (CLV-10) scheduled for March 29-31 in Hanoi. Within GMS cooperation framework, countries and development partners raised nearly 21 billion USD for socio-economic development projects in six member nations. Mekong cooperation frameworks have created dialogue channels with Mekong river basin countries and attracted financial and technical support in the use and sustainable management of Mekong River water resources from development partners. Recognizing the importance of the Mekong region, Vietnam has been participating proactively and actively in all Mekong cooperation frameworks. The country has made contributions to GMS development cooperation via holding conferences and seminars, devising important documents, and promoting initiatives and financial support.

Vietnam, Belarus ink business cooperation dealsBusiness cooperation between Vietnam and Belarus will be further developed following trade deals inked between the two sides in the northern province of Hung Yen on March 29 in the presence of Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko. Trucks assembled in MAZ Asia joint venture. Currently, the province is home to 11 industrial parks, accommodating over 1,700 domestic and foreign projects, he said. Hung Yen will create optimal conditions and adopt preferential policies so that Belarusian projects can become operational soon, he stressed. On the occasion, Deputy PM Semashko and his working delegation visited the factory of MAZ Asia joint venture, which is under construction in Kim Dong district.-VNA

Vietnam posts highest first-quarter GDP growth in decadeVietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2018 rose 7.38 percent, the highest growth rate over the past ten years, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). In terms of economic structure, the agro-forestry-fishery sector makes up 10.34 percent of the GDP; industry and construction, 35.26 percent; and services, 43.77 percent. The processing and manufacturing industry became a spotlight of the economy in the period, with a growth rate of 13.56 percent, the highest level over the past seven years. The mining sector also posted a growth rate of 0.4 percent after sliding for two consecutive years. By March 20, 2018, credit growth hit 2.23 percent, while total payment means, up 3.23 percent, and capital mobilisation, up 2.2 percent, Lam said.

Vietnam attracts $5.8 billion in FDI in first quarterThe flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam in the first quarter of 2018 witnessed a significant yearly decline of 25 percent to 5.8 billion USD, but disbursement rose by 7.2 percent year-on-year to 3.88 billion USD. The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam in the first quarter of 2018 ​experiences a significant yearly decline of 25 percent. Businesses from Hong Kong registered to pour 689 million into Vietnam, making up 11.9 percent of the country’s total FDI, while those from Singapore injected 649 million USD, equivalent to 11.2 percent of the total FDI. The third largest recipient of FDI was the southern province of Binh Duong with investment worth 565 million USD. To fully capitalise on the FDI capital source in the new stage, the MoPI is drafting a FDI strategy for 2018-2023.

Prime Minister receives RoK’s former Minister of Policy CoordinationPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highlighted the importance of cooperation in the fields of knowledge, technical assistance and technology transfer via the Republic of Korea’s investments in Vietnam while receiving former Minister of Policy Coordination of the RoK Yoon Dae-hee in Hanoi on March 29. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Minister of Policy Coordination of the RoK Yoon Dae-heeThe PM said he is glad to see the former minister again and told him that the RoK has become one of the largest and most important investment and trade partner of Vietnam. He spoke highly of the RoK guest’s activities pertaining to technical assistance and the sharing of knowledge and experience. The former minister, for his part, said the Korean people are very keen to learn about bilateral cooperation with Vietnam, especially high-level meetings of the countries’ leaders. He spoke of his special attention to the knowledge-sharing programme between the two countries given it will contribute to Vietnam’s socio-economic growth.

Tourism see strong start in Q1, grows 30 percentThe tourism industry saw a strong start in 2018 as the international tourist arrivals to Vietnam reached over 4.2 million people in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 30.9 percent year on year. Foreign visitors to Vietnam reach 4.2 million people in the first quarter of 2018, up 30.9 percent year on year. According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnam welcomed more than 1.3 million visitors in March, the third consecutive month the foreign tourist arrivals exceeded a million. The continuous expansion of the tourism can be partly attributed to Vietnam’s active tourism promotion overseas since the beginning of the year. The country expects to welcome 1 million Russian guests by 2020.

Shares end three-day rally on fears of volatilityShares declined for the first time in the last four trades as investors still kept a cautious view on the market outlook amid global volatility following the US-China trade tension. The southern market index has expanded more than 4 per cent this month. On the Hà Nội Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index closed off 0.51 per cent at 131.88 points. Liquidity here also dropped to about 42 million shares worth VNĐ707 billion being traded, down 5.3 per cent in volume and 15.5 per cent in value compared with Wednesday’s figures. Asian and US stocks declined for a second day on Thursday over fears China could target a broad range of US businesses if trade spat worsens.

According to the magazine, the list features 30 young influencers, innovators, and entrepreneurs across Asia, who are challenging conventional wisdom and rewriting the rules for the next generation. Nguyen Van Quang Huy, 28, is the co-founder and CTO of Holistics, providing data infrastructure and business intelligence (BI) services for B2B customers. He also co-founded Grokking Vietnam – a not-for-profit organization that supports Vietnamese IT programmers and engineers. Pham Anh Duc, 29, is the co-founder and CEO of online healthcare discovery and listing platform ViCare.vn. Launched in 2015, ViCare currently has a listing of some 50,000 clinics and around 40,000 doctors.

Thousands of Vietnamese online stores to go bankcrupt by Facebook blocking APIFacebook has just blocked API, affecting a large number of Vietnamese online businesses utilising the social network as a trading platform. A large number of online sellers are affected due to Facebook's blocking APIOn March 27, many large fanpages and online services simultaneously announced problems related to applications developed on Facebook and Messenger in Vietnam. Almost none of the relevant apps like Facebook Shop and third party apps using application programming interface (API) collecting user data work. Tung also said that all the websites’ features and apps related to Facebook user data are affected. API currently cannot work in VietnamOn March 26, Facebook announced changes related to APIs and third-party applications to all developers using the Messenger platform.

U.S. transfers six metal shark patrol boats for VNVice Admiral Midgette’s visit coincides with the official handover of the Coast Guard Region 4 Station from the U.S. to Viet Nam, comprisingUS$20 million worth of infrastructure and equipment. Region 4 Metal Shark boatsThe handover includes a training center, a maintenance facility, a boat lift, vehicles, a navigation simulator, and six brand-new fast-response Metal Shark boats—capable of reaching up to 50 knots. This official transfer of Region 4 Station on Phu Quoc Island is another significant milestone in the bolstering partnership between the U.S. and Viet Nam and demonstrates U.S. support for a strong, prosperous, and independent Viet Nam that contributes to international security and the rule of law. Ambassador to Viet Nam, Dan Kritenbrink said, “This fall, we plan to break ground on the Region 3 facility in Vung Tau” and hailed that this is “a truly exciting moment” in the fruitful U.S.–Viet Nam partnership. Region 4 Metal Shark boats will serve to deter bad actors from committing crimes against or near Viet Nam.

Senior officials meet in Hanoi ahead of GMS-6The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Senior Officials’ Meeting convened in Hanoi on March 29 in preparation for the upcoming sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6) on March 31. Senior officials reviewed the last-minute preparation work and finalised draft documents for submission to GMS leaders. Reports on the 25-year cooperation of GMS and GMS e-commerce cooperation will be recorded at the GMS-6. Senior officials from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand highly evaluated the careful preparation of Vietnam and welcomed the host’s initiatives. The GMS Programme is the most complete cooperation programme that involves Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.

This year’s theme for the annual regional tourism event is “Online travel, Vietnam tourism looks toward the fourth industrial revolution”. The fair offers many opportunities for visitors to discover new tourism products and services through hi-tech applications. A KTO representative says the number of Vietnamese tourists to the RoK increased from 160,000 in 2014 to 320,000 in 2017. The VITM attracts thousands of visitors on its first day, as travel agents launch an impressive range of promotional programs. There are also spaces for art performances and to sample the cuisine of Vietnam and other countries.

Hanoi to host international piano festivalThe 2018 International Piano Festival will be held at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi from August 11 – 18. The 2018 Hanoi International Piano Festival will be held from August 11 – 18. Le Anh Tuan – Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, while Professor and People’s Artist Dang Thai Son will be Art Director of the event. The council of international professors include: Prof. Susumu Aoyagi from Japan, Prof. Tai-Cheng Chen (the US-Chinese Taipei), Prof. Tran Thu Ha (Vietnam), Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron (Poland), and Prof. Dang Thai Son (Vietnam – Canada). Prof. Dang Thai Son will present ten scholarships worth US$300 each to ten outstanding competitors, along with a number of other awards.