The LinkedIn Vietnam expat group is for any expat living in Vietnam, lived in Vietnam or intend to move to Vietnam.

• Use its discussion board to find recruits, make friends and to share suggestion related to legal, economy, culture, investments, housing, places to go anything or anything else related to being in Vietnam.
• Accelerate careers/business through referrals from Vietnam Expats Group members
• Know more than a name – view rich professional profiles from fellow Vietnam Expats Group members

Of course, don’t forget to use it to make party announcements!

Here’s the link to join:
http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1261757

Hope to see you in the group,

— The Vietnam Expats Group Team
Related: join the Vietnam IT Outsourcing Group on LinkedIn.

Vietnam is trying to catch up with fuel prices in other countries but this sudden increase was not known by many people and comes as a shock. Fifteen years ago I used to work at a petrol station in Holland and if prices were going up by just 1 cent, Dutch people would start to panic already. Can you imagine what would happened if petrol prices in Holland increase by 31% overnight?

Of course, those who are living in Europe will argue that petrol is cheap in Vietnam but compared to salary levels petrol prices are expensive. This increase will push the inflation for July and August 2008 even further up.

Petrol prices in Vietnam are lower than those of their neighbors and therefore traders smuggle a lot of petrol

each day to those countries. The increased prices will not stop the smuggling but will at least reduce it.

And more news on petrol: Foster Wheeler Nergy Limited (UK) signed a contract with Vietnam’s Nghi Son RP Company to design the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical (RP) project. The Nghi Son RP project (USD 6 billion investment) has a capacity of producing 200,000 barrels a day.

Technorati Tags: vietnam,petrol,inflation,price,Foster Wheeler,billion,investment,barrels,motorbike,diesel,cambodia,traders,smuggle

In 2001 the Vietnamese government already tried to implement this law but failed completely. This time however it has been the talk of the day and the government has done a very good preparation. It was well-known that this time the government would put word into action and would fine any person not complying with the rule. I do not know the exact amount of the fine but they are about 150.000VND – 200.000VND which is also approximately the cost for buying a new helmet.

It is not very convenient to use the helmet in Vietnam. It is too hot and you have to carry the helmet with you because leaving it on the bike will most likely mean that someone takes it. Yesterday and today I have hardly seen any drivers not wearing the rice cookers (as many call them) and even I comply this time. It feels funny to wear the helmet but at the same time: everybody in this country looks funny now. Isn’t it great to have fun with a few million people at the same time?

It is good to see that the government makes the effort to make traffic safer. So far a job well done and enjoy wearing the rice cooker on your head!