Lunar new year

Bangkok (VNA) – The acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may subside in the second half of 2020 or earlier, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan said on February 23, expecting that the country’s tourism would recover after its Songkran New Year festival. Speaking at an event in Phatthalung province, Pipat stated that the disease has had serious impact on Thailand. "Although the virus has caused damage to the tourism industry in the first half of the year, I am confident the situation will return to normal in the second half or after the Songkran Festival, when China will likely produce a vaccine against it," he added. According to him, when the summer comes, coronavirus will not be able to withstand the heat and the situation in many countries, including Thailand, will improve. He shared that the government is preparing to introduce financial measures to help disease-affected businesses. Thailand served … [Read more...] about Thailand expects tourism to recover after new year festival

Vu The Du, a parishioner, said the new church would have a similar design to the old. The statue of Jesus at the top of its facade will be placed in exactly the same position, he added. … [Read more...] about New Bui Chu Cathedral to retain former glory

Gushing about its beauty and architecture, the group said it "cannot begin to describe the intangible historical values that this particular cathedral possesses." They stressed that with renovations in 1974 and 2000, the cathedral is "strongly built to stand for centuries." … [Read more...] about Controversy over 135-year-old church swings towards demolition again

With consumer spending projected to increase at an average rate of 10.6 percent, from US$145 billion in 2020 to US$211 billion in 2024, on the back of incomes rising at an average rate of 6.8 percent per annum, the analysts expected that there is still solid demand for more beer amongst the Vietnamese as they get increasingly wealthier. … [Read more...] about New rules put brakes on alcohol sector

There have been jobs I’ve had or cities that I lived in where I gave myself a “completion date” and would count down towards it. Dating back to the final months of my university degree in Montreal; the end of my one-year contract at China Daily; my final days at the Timmins Daily Press. All of those times when I could spit out the exact number of days at that lay ahead before I’d be moving on. … [Read more...] about Saigon: why a year here became nine