Get updates delivered straight to your inbox
May 20, 2024 news
Drivers avoid Vietnam smart carpark on comparatively high prices
Vietnam’s cities have a carpark problem. Built around motorbikes most cities are cramped with narrow streets and very little room to park a car. Car numbers, however, have continued to grow and as a stop-gap vehicles are being parked just about anywhere space can be found.
Ground broken on second terminal at airport in Vietnam capital
For context, at the end of last year, the President of Vietnam Airlines noted that overcrowding at Vietnam’s airports was costing the national carrier US$20 million a year. Indeed, overcrowding has become a huge problem–Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City was built for 28 million visitors a year but welcomed 34 million arrivals in 2022. Similarly, Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport was built for 25 million visitors a year but was expected to finish 2023 with 30 million arrivals.
Chinese EV makers looking to expand in Vietnam
One of the side effects of all of the attention Vietnam’s Vinfast has received is that it has exponentially raised awareness of electric vehicles among Vietnamese consumers. Furthermore, there is a lot of status that goes along with owning a car in Vietnam. That said, Vietnam’s GDP per capita is still only around US$4,000 which makes owning a car of any kind challenging for most Vietnamese. In this context, smaller, cheaper Chinese EVs could find a welcome home south of the border.
Alibaba to build a data centre in Vietnam
Vietnam’s data localisation laws have been a point of contention with cross-border service providers concerned about the security of their data stored in Vietnam. These regulations also contravene some trade agreements like the Comprehensive and Progressive Transpacific Partnership Agreement which prohibits member states from requiring firms to store data locally.
Ultra-luxury smart phone firm adds another Vietnam retail store
The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals–persons with a net worth greater than US$30 million–has grown exponentially in recent years. According to Frank Knight estimates, Vietnam had 1,059 of these uber-rich at the end of 2022.