Vietnam welcomes first foreign tourists in nearly 20 months

14 Sept 11:48 Key points summarised by AI

Vietnam reopens its borders to international tourists after almost 20 months, welcoming over 400 vaccinated South Korean and Japanese visitors to Nha Trang.
This initial reopening precedes broader plans, with the resort island of Phu Quoc set to follow on November 20, aiming to attract at least 5,000 travelers.
Strict entry requirements mandate that foreign tourists must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and present negative pre-departure test results.
The move is a critical effort to revive Vietnam's economy, which has been severely impacted by prolonged lockdowns despite recent surges in Delta variant cases and a 32% full vaccination rate.

Suspected drug couriers killed in Phetchaburi; half a tonne of Ice seized

Yesterday 16:06 Key points summarised by AI

Two suspected drug couriers were killed in a shootout with narcotics officers in Phetchaburi province.
Authorities seized approximately half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice, during the operation.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night after officers tracked a network suspected of transporting large quantities of drugs to southern Thailand.
The suspects, identified as Chattharin and Rungarun, both 27, opened fire when confronted by officers, who returned fire, resulting in their deaths.