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[Hurricane88]

Ambulance found carrying tiger carcass after police chase in northern Vietnam

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 04/08/2017 10:37 GMT + 7



The frozen tiger inside the abandoned ambulance

Police in northern Vietnam have chased after a suspicious ambulance and discovered the vehicle as carrying a large frozen tiger carcass.

On April 5, traffic police in Thanh Hoa Province noticed a suspicious ambulance traveling on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the section going through Thach Thanh District, and signaled the vehicle to stop for a check.

The driver of the ambulance, carrying the license plate of the nearby Nghe An Province, ignored the order and instead sped up his vehicle, leading to a police chase.

After driving for about 1.3km, the get-away vehicle veered off the road and stopped on the sidewalk, with the driver fleeing on foot to the nearby Cuc Phuong National Park in Hoa Binh Province.

Upon checking the abandoned ambulance, police were stunned to find a frozen tiger weighing more than 180kg.

Officers have confiscated the tiger carcass and are investigating the case further.

[Hurricane88]

Written from Vietnam: It’s in the mail!

STIVI COOKE
UPDATED : 04/09/2017 10:27 GMT + 7

I knew instantly that I would never see it. Three months after Christmas, I was still waiting for a postcard sent by my mum. As my eldest brother noted over the phone, there was a little bit of Christmas cash tucked inside for me.

Considering that the Vietnamese postal system has always opened every single letter and parcel I’ve ever received, I knew the money would be taken.

Although I hoped I’d at least receive the card, minus the cash, it never came.

Among the banes of living in Vietnam, the postal service is a regular annoyance. Mind you, I was amazed seven years ago to get a parcel from my mum with all the great candy she sent still intact despite a horrid sticky-tape repair job on the box. Even my motorbike guy can plug a hole better than that. Maybe it’s because the postal service here is just too busy.

I’m not surprised that the forests are disappearing...the amount of paperwork here can be surreal sometimes. Want a job in Vietnam? A work permit, a housing contract, a bank account, probably a local motorbike license, a work contract, home country or local police checks, and multiple copies of your qualifications are just the beginning. Funny that the busiest photocopy shop owner in town drives a Mercedes.

And collecting each document involves sending all sorts of paperwork all over the place.

Imagine the risks with those original documents that are so hard to replace...

Online shopping is also an issue. Items ordered from overseas run the risk of being stolen in transit or being so slow in delivery that online retailers risk a hit to their reputation when their ‘speedy’ service doesn’t live up to its name.

Not to mention the costs businesses cover while waiting for important parts or materials. ‘Time is money’ is not just an idiom in Vietnam, it’s a reality.

I’ve ordered books for my school that never arrived, either somehow disappearing at customs in Ho Chi Minh City or simply vanishing like buffet food in front of Chinese tourists.

Costs have become an important factor in what I post both internationally and domestically. I have a children’s book that I’m trying to sell, yet the book’s value plus postal cost aren’t adding up very well and selling it has become a struggle. To date, I’ve not yet found a good alternative to the local postal service that meets my particular need of regularly sending small items around the country.

For the old hands, the expats who’ve lived here awhile, the private postal delivery systems have become an attractive alternative; FEDEX, UPS, and other companies work very well, although you pay through the nose for the reliability.

The difference between shipping companies, parcel delivery, and small postal items agents is blurring in Vietnam. If you were to judge by the number of trucks and vans, overloaded and hurling across Vietnam well above the speed limit, then business is booming. However, there’s a snag with their reliability.

By reliability I mean on-time deliveries and workers dealing with my mail and parcels in as efficient a manner as possible. Honesty is also an issue and problems arise when mail vanishes into thin air or is opened and then contents go missing.

Mangled packets are normal here; I’d die of shock if I got my mail in pristine condition. Judging by how the local motorbike taxi drivers pile stuff on their bikes, it’s a wonder that you can even recognize what it is by the time you receive it.

One time I had to get a new copy of my police check from Australia – unfolded – and it arrived wrapped in a roll with two huge rubber bands around it. It was marked in Vietnamese, ‘Không nếp gấp!’

However the final frustration is the local post office itself. Usually the staff are friendly and able to speak some English. I can understand dealing with mail that’s addressed in a foreign language can be daunting, however it seems strange when it can’t be found in a building smaller than a computer shop.

I remember having a furious argument in the Hoi An post office five years ago when I insisted they definitely had my envelope and the lady working, just as frustrated, threw open the cupboards behind her to show me it wasn’t there. My mail fell out of the bottom of the pile – a yellow and gold packet – and on to the floor.

I dryly commented, ‘That’s mine...’ and she sheepishly passed it over the counter not daring to look me in the eye.

Nowadays there’s a box with foreigner’s mail organized by name in the back room. Now that’s progress!

So if it’s in the mail, good luck!

[Hurricane88]

Fire engulfs police impound lot in southern Vietnam

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 04/09/2017 10:08 GMT + 7


Hundreds of motorbikes were burned down by a fire that broke out at the impound lot in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai on April 8, 2017.
Tuoi Tre

An inferno broke out at the parking lot housing impounded vehicles of a police unit in a southern Vietnamese province on the weekend, burning down hundreds of motorcycles.

The parking lot, about 1,000 square meters in area, of police in Tam Hoa Ward, Bien Hoa City, the capital of Dong Nai Province, caught fire on Saturday, resulting in multiple motorcycles being destroyed.

According to initial reports, the fire erupted at around 2:00 am. Officers from the provincial Department of Firefighting Police were swiftly dispatched to the scene.

The blaze was put out after four hours, the firefighting department reported, confirming that they had prevented the fire from gutting over 1,000 motorbikes at the facility.

However, a section of the impound lot had been devoured by the inferno, with some 320 vehicles completely damaged.

Competent agencies were still investigating the scene to determine the cause of the incident on the morning of the same day.



Regarding compensation, law experts stated that the police unit had the responsibility to ensure that all impounded vehicles were in their original conditions, as per government regulations.

If the police station had authorized a third party to look after the vehicles, such an organization would be responsible for paying the damages.

However, neither of the police or managers of the facility will have to make the compensation if the fire is considered force majeure, as long as the parking lot meets all requirements regarding fire safety.

Whether the incident is force majeure will be confirmed after authorities finalize their investigation.

If an individual is found to have ignited the fire, deliberately or unintentionally, that person will have to make the compensation, the law experts said.



The impound lot following the incident on April 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

[Hurricane88]

Vietnam transport ministry rejects proposed floor price for airfares

TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 04/08/2017 19:00 GMT + 7


Passengers board a Jetstar plane in Hanoi.
Tuoi Tre

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has officially commented on a proposal backed by two local airlines that minimum price be set for domestic airfares, saying for no reason should carriers be stopped from competing on cheap tickets.

The price floor for domestic airfares has been proposed by Jetstar Pacific and supported by Vietnam Airlines, which holds a 70 percent stake in the former carrier.

The two carriers apparently called for help from the transport ministry to deal with tough competitions from low-cost rivals.

No-frills Vietjet has openly opposed to the idea, saying the price floor is against both Vietnamese law on competition and international practice, as no country is currently imposing such price controls.

During a meeting on Friday, Minister of Transport Truong Quang Nghia said the proposed floor price for airfares will never be realized.

“The ministry’s stance in this issue is to keep the current pricing policy for air tickets unchanged,” Nghia said.

“Alternatively, we must increase the effectiveness of the state supervision and management on the aviation sector.”

The transport ministry said if an airline is capable of slashing its own ticket prices, “why should we not allow them to do so?”

“What regulatory body should do is to check if the discounted airfares and promotional ticket sales are done properly or not,” the minister added.

Nghia added that the aviation sector should focus its management on infrastructure to ensure service quality for passengers.

While the aviation infrastructure remains unchanged, the number of Vietnamese to travel by air has constantly increased, putting pressure on the management bodies.

The transport minister hailed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam for “doing a good job” in the Lunar New Year late January, the busiest season for local airlines.

The aviation watchdog has applied several effective measures such as increasing late-night services while reducing the number of flights during rush hours to avoid overloading, according to the minister.

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

All are guest stars appearance...so hv to pay guest fees ha...

Yah maybe you really need to pay them $$$ to appear here

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

haha...so what is the question again....

haha......so what is the topic again.........

Cheerios.......SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

PP not enough frequent flyers...and poor yield...

Actually on the contrary its quite packed every flight becos it is the only budget airline flying there from Sinkie now unless people decides to pay more for full-fledge airlines Tiger gave up this route last time mainly becos their timings sucks and most people still picked Jetstar over them

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

SGM jiu si SGM...no horse run...

Not bad lah kena praised by the Mighty Transcended One again somemore on Monday!!!!!! Wee-woo-weet !!!!!!

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

eh...I think good time to skip this place after rip-off...

I went once nia nia becos wanted to clear that off my punch list after that no more liao unless I have a lup lup to go along or else bored like shit there

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

Yah maybe you really need to pay them $$$ to appear here

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

Yes u pay lah...

Nowadays u can disappear on thursday....exended long weekend...

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

World bank loan them money mah...WHO dun give money...

Of cos lah if not they will not be called World Bank liao tio bo??? What I meant was they should be looking at reports or statistics on Agriculture, Economics, Poverty, Equity, GDP, Infrastructure.....ETC and not conducting specific reports on food safety which is more in the interests of the World Health Organisation

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

haha......so what is the topic again.........

Cheerios.......SS08 ^_^

The main topic

Tcss
You mia last thursday
I almost lodge police report on mia person
U the Supreme Grandmaster

[snipeshot08]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

Yes u pay lah...

Nowadays u can disappear on thursday....exended long weekend...

A Mighty Transcended One with Trillionaire status asking lowly peasants like me to pay????? die liao lor......

Shhhhhhh........dun make my smelly habits so obvious leh.......

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

Actually on the contrary its quite packed every flight becos it is the only budget airline flying there from Sinkie now unless people decides to pay more for full-fledge airlines Tiger gave up this route last time mainly becos their timings sucks and most people still picked Jetstar over them

Cheerios......SS08 ^_^

So in sumnary u rich man and tiger sucks...

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by snipeshot08

Not bad lah kena praised by the Mighty Transcended One again somemore on Monday!!!!!! Wee-woo-weet !!!!!!

Cheerios.....SS08 ^_^

U quickly go buy lottery...