Business

From rooms kitted out like medical clinics where couples can play "doctors and nurses" to grottos where it is permanently Christmas, Japan's "Love Hotels" cater to almost every taste, offering a few hours of reasonably-priced privacy in a crowded country.

Coffee growers in the Central Highlands are feeling optimistic as the value of coffee has increased considerably.

The northern province of Quang Ninh will host an international scientific seminar on special economic zones over March 20–21.

Foreign companies have come to dominate the Vietnamese fast food market, which is seen by many to have great potential for development.

Shops have been turning cheap white roses into blue ones by soaking them in chemicals to meet the high demand for Valentine's Day, bringing big profits on the occasion.

Analysts are predicting that 2014 will be a more successful year for the Vietnamese real estate market, after the year began with an increase in the number of apartment transactions.

Flappy Bird developer Nguyen Ha Dong, who earned around VND 210 billion from the game, may have to pay around VND 10 billion in income taxes, experts said.

Vietnam’s private airline VietJetAir has signed a USD9-billion contract with Airbus to buy 100 aircraft.

As many as 115 foreign and domestic shipbuilders and maritime groups have registered to attend the 7th International Exhibition of Shipbuilding, Marine Technology, and Transportation (VietShip 2014).

Economist Bui Kien Thanh said the Vietnamese monetary system will see three major obstacles in the way of a full market recovery in 2014, including bad debt.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on aviation safety at the ASEAN-EU Aviation Summit in Singapore on February 11-12.

President Truong Tan Sang has praised the efforts of more than 50,000 staff at the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group in fueling national economic development and contributing to fulfilling national defence and external relations tasks.

The special consumption tax levied on beer, wine and tobacco will increase by 10-15% as from 2015 in a bid by the government to reduce consumption of these products.

A decision by Fitch Ratings has resulted in a revision of its outlook on Vietnam’s long-term credit rating to positive from stable, affirming its B+ rating.

The People’s Supreme Procuracy has decided to prosecute Nguyen Duc Kien, the founder of ACB bank, along with eight accomplices, on several charges.

Sun Group plans to put Asian Park, an amusement centre in Danang city, into operation by the end of this year.

Deep in the Mekong Delta, two Frenchmen have their heads buried in a sack of cacao beans. The pair – co-founders of Vietnam's first artisan chocolate maker – resurface, murmuring appreciatively.

Taiwan technology giant Foxconn group has signed a letter of intent to invest up to $1 billion in Indonesia as it seeks to diversify production away from China, officials said Sunday.

The number of foreign tourists arriving in Vietnam during Tet holidays posted a year-on-year increase by 20.8%, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.