Good morning! Hello to all new readers, and welcome to the latest edition of the Vietnam Weekly, written by Ho Chi Minh City-based reporter Mike Tatarski. There’s no audio version of today’s newsletter as I just returned from a brief work trip to Hanoi - there were more people I wanted to catch up with, but it was very last-minute.
On Tuesday, I published an article for paying subscribers about the collision of Tết traditions and reduced consumer spending power. Next week I’ll post a preview of the Vạn Thịnh Phát trial, which begins March 5 in HCMC and will be one of the largest in Vietnamese history: US$12.4 billion in stolen assets, six tons of documents as evidence, and almost 2,700 people summoned by the court. If you value the Vietnam Weekly, consider becoming a paid supporter for US$8/month or US$90/year.
On to the news.
More Expressway Criticism
Last August, I wrote about how several newly opened expressways faced criticism for dangerous driving conditions.
In its rush to improve highway connections for cars and trucks throughout Vietnam, the Ministry of Transport has decided to open expressways before the money is in place to build them to their planned final specifications.
As a result, multiple highways have some combination of just one lane in each direction, no lights, no rest stops, or other shortcomings.
This situation is getting intense attention again following the latest horrific crash on the Cam Lộ - La Sơn Expressway in Thừa Thiên Huế Province: an SUV driver attempted to pass a container truck on the narrow right-hand shoulder, clipped the truck, rolled and slammed into an oncoming container truck. (There is no lane divider.)
That expressway opened on December 31, 2022, and is notoriously dangerous. It is one of five car-only highways around the country with two lanes, and a few four-lane stretches intended for passing. Officials plan to expand these routes, but not until after 2030.
I’ve driven - or been a passenger - on several expressways in southern Vietnam, and they are all inadequate.
In response to Sunday’s deadly crash, the transport ministry ordered the Department of Roads to “overcome inadequacies” on the Cam Lộ - La Sơn Expressway.
Domestic media responded to the incident energetically, dispatching reporters and photographers to document risks on multiple highways: these include drivers continuing to dangerously overtake vehicles on the same expressway, people peeing on the side of a highway since there are no bathrooms for almost 200 kilometers, livestock blocking traffic, motorbike drivers illegally entering the road, etc.
VnExpress published tips for drivers before going on a highway and an explanation of rules stating that slower drivers must stay in the right lane to allow other vehicles to pass - that’s impossible on a two-lane road, but I’ve seen first-hand that few people do this even on bigger expressways.
One opinion writer argued that Vietnamese drivers aren’t ready for high-speed roads yet. This is true in some cases, but these highways are simply dangerous in how they are built. (Also don’t miss the Ministry of Public Security throwing Vietnamese drivers under the bus, saying they drive so dangerously that zero-tolerance rules are needed.)
Sadly, like the sleeper bus crash last September that led to the ongoing suspension of a major passenger bus company, it takes people dying for real change to be discussed. Fixing completed highways is far more difficult and expensive than revoking the operating license of one business.
The Curious Case of Ngọc Trinh
One of the stranger stories of the last few months (and one I’ve wondered is even worth discussing) is the saga of Trần Thị Ngọc Trinh, a well-known model.
Last October, Trinh attracted police attention for posting videos on social media depicting her performing stunts on a large-displacement motorcycle. The videos were filmed on empty roads in HCMC’s Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area and Saigon Hi-Tech Park.
Police fined Trinh VND8.5 million (about US$350) for the stunts and driving without a license for a motorcycle over 175 cc.
Things then took a turn.
On October 19, Trinh was detained for an investigation into charges of “disturbing public order.” Police argued that the model’s large social media following - nearly 7 million people on TikTok and over 3 million on Facebook - “adversely affected public order and safety, and negatively affected young people's lifestyle and thinking.”
Her driving instructor was also detained for “fabricating an organization's seal or documents and use thereof." I.e., the motorcycles had fake registration papers.
By this point, VnExpress took a noticeable interest in the case, running numerous English-language articles in the following weeks and months.
Following Trinh’s arrest, the outlet published a ‘reader’s view’ article stating that her “acts are harmful, and they accidentally vouched for young people doing the same dangerous thing, which endangers not only the drivers but also other travelers on the streets.”
On February 2, the HCMC People’s Court announced that it would try Trinh for “disrupting public order,” a charge that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years.
While I’m not dismissing the dangers of stunt driving, this seemed like excessive potential punishment.
In the end, Trinh received a one-year suspended sentence. Prosecutors argued for up to nine months in jail, but a panel of judges decided otherwise since this was not an “organized crime.”
The coverage from VnExpress remained strangely opinionated, with the following headline: “How model Ngoc Trinh got away with suspended sentence for motorbike shenanigans”
Since then, they have completely changed tune: on the 17th, the publication ran a story titled ‘Model Ngoc Trinh finds solace in family gatherings following suspended sentence’ sharing photos from Facebook depicting Trinh’s holiday family time.
This week they published another article with the headline ‘Model Ngoc Trinh showcases luxury fashion after suspended sentence.’ This included details on a Dior tote and Chanel shoes, including their prices.
The cynic in me thinks this is paid PR following the outlet’s previous negative coverage. Whatever the case, I always find such media oddities fascinating.
Extra Links:
Viet Nam’s mangrove forests under siege (Mekong Eye)
Insight 2023/2024 - Vietnam’s Balancing Act (Channel News Asia)
Confiscated Motorbikes Pile Up as Vietnam Goes After Drunken Driving (The New York Times)
Harvard, Oxford graduates power Vietnam's tech startup scene (Nikkei Asia)
In Hà Nội, a Martial Arts Master Preserves the Century-Old Tradition of Dragon Dancing (Saigoneer)
Have a great weekend!
Hi Mike, I enjoy reading these each week. I drive up and down the Phan Thiet expressway to HCMC regularly and constantly bemoan the poor driving and poor signage/driver education. So I was interested when you pointed to "an explanation of rules stating that slower drivers must stay in the right lane to allow other vehicles to pass". I have wondered whether this was actually a rule in VN. I. note that recently, big yellow signs have been placed which state in English.."Safe Stopping Distance". That's useful....but much more useful would be signs stating "Keep Right unless Overtaking". It starts with education.Cant blame drivers if they have not been told how to drive better.