Vietnam tourist hotspot Nha Trang tightens oversight of foreigners

Under a new directive, provincial authorities told departments and localities to strictly enforce existing rules governing the residence and activities of foreigners, procedures for handling cases involving deceased foreign nationals, measures to address vagrancy and begging, and plans to maintain security and public order in tourism areas, according to Khanh Hoa Online.

Provincial police have been assigned to lead inspections and strengthen controls over foreigners' entry, exit and stay in the province, with an emphasis on early detection of irregular or abnormal cases. Authorities will develop standardized procedures for receiving reports, verifying identities, handling violations and carrying out deportation when required, in line with Vietnamese law and international practices.

Funds collected from administrative penalties in the immigration sector will be used to cover related costs, including fines, transportation and return air tickets for repatriation. Local police units have also been instructed to step up inspections at hotels, tourist apartments and residential areas to ensure proper temporary residence registration.

Foreign nationals facing difficulties such as illness or lack of financial resources will be supported and placed in care or medical facilities while authorities verify their status and complete procedures for their return home.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been tasked with requiring hotels and international travel companies to strictly comply with temporary residence reporting rules and to promptly alert authorities if foreign guests lose identification documents, leave accommodation under suspicious circumstances, or show signs of vagrancy. The department will also work with tourism promotion agencies and industry groups to remind visitors to comply with residency regulations and to roll out an emergency support hotline for foreign tourists.

The Khanh Hoa Tourism Association has been asked to mobilize businesses to assist independent travelers who encounter unexpected incidents and are unable to pay for accommodation, medical treatment or airfare home.

Health authorities will oversee medical facilities and reception centers providing care for foreign nationals in difficult circumstances, while the provincial People’s Committee Office will serve as the focal point for coordination between Vietnamese agencies and foreign diplomatic missions in handling consular cases.

At the grassroots level, local governments are being told to raise public awareness of regulations related to foreign nationals and encourage community participation in supporting authorities and identifying violations.

The directive came after several violent encounters involving foreign tourists in Nha Trang.

Three bar employees in the beach town were arrested last week after allegedly chasing and beating foreign tourists with sticks and metal bars in retaliation for a coworker whom they claimed was assaulted by one of the tourists earlier.

Another bar in Nha Trang was fined early last month after a video recorded by local residents circulated online during the New Year holiday, showing a group of staff members wielding shovels and chairs against two tourists. The specific cause of the dispute was not disclosed