Many Vietnamese women denied entry to Singapore without clear reasons

[webfact]

Many VN women denied entry to Singapore without clear reasons



VIETNAM: -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked local ministries to help it seek clarifications from related agencies in Singapore about their recently denying the entry of many Vietnamese, mostly women, according to Thanh Nien News.

In its letter to the Ministry of Transport, the CAAV quoted many airlines operating flights between Vietnam and Singapore as saying that many of their customers were not allowed to enter Singapore, even though they presented all necessary documents.

Since arrival carriers were obliged to bring the passengers back to Vietnam, the issue has caused extra fees and troubles for both passengers and airlines, CAAV said, asking the ministry to work with the foreign ministry to require clarifications from Singaporean authorities.

A representative of an airline told Thanh Nien that every year the carrier lost VND10 billion (US$451,000) to fix problems caused by Singapore’s denial of Vietnamese entries.

CAAV also sent a letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, asking it and Singapore’s immigration authority to provide relevant airlines with lists of Vietnamese who are not encouraged to visit the country.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/many-vn-women-denied-entry-to-singapore-without-clear-reasons


-- Thai PBS 2015-07-23

[BigBadGeordie]

Perhaps Singapore has enough Vietnamese female rugby players with the number 2 on the back of their shirt?

[Artisi]

Is there really any need to ask such a stupid question ☺☺☺

[sammygood]

is happy soapy massage not a good reason?

it's just a hobby, you know, just to pay the bills

[sgtsabai]

Singapore denies them entry for the same reason Lao allows them in. I think you can read between the lines.

[Docno]

Yes, this started a few months back. One Vietnamese female friend of mine (a university grad who was formerly in Singapore on a student visa) visited Singapore a month ago for the birthday of her best friend's daughter. She told me that every Vietnamese on her Vietnamese Airlines flight was sent to the dreaded 'office' on arrival in Singapore and required to wait for an individual interview. An elderly lady repeatedly requested to be allowed to use the washroom but was refused. My friend eventually was allowed in, but the treatment of that lady left her with a new and negative impression of the place.

This happened to Thais some years ago. They basically disappeared from the pub scene, and it was the Vietnamese (and some Chinese) who took their place. Now those pubs are almost devoid of women because the Vietnamese are being turned away.

One thing to note: Singapore's 50th national day is coming up. In the past, there was a general 'cleanup' of massage parlours and pubs in advance of national day (the logic escapes me). May this is a big clean-up for a big national day.

[Docno]

And it's not just Vietnamese. My Thai gf has been coming to Singapore to spend time with me for almost 5 years. Only on her last two visits has she been hassled at the airport. Most recently, the immigration officer asked "why doesn't the guy marry you?". On her previous trip, she got the office interview. Something strange happening on the little red dot.

[Deli]

How can they celebrate the National Day, when they clean up and keep out all the fun ?

[kg1947]

And it's not just Vietnamese. My Thai gf has been coming to Singapore to spend time with me for almost 5 years. Only on her last two visits has she been hassled at the airport. Most recently, the immigration officer asked "why doesn't the guy marry you?". On her previous trip, she got the office interview. Something strange happening on the little red dot.

................................................................................................................................................

They look at the "RATIO" of ladies working in Geylang, Orchard and if a particular national

start to dominate the scene , that's what happened . kind of " population control " in the

" leisure & entertainment industry " .... Thai ladies have gone through this before .

[Barin]

As far as I know, having lived for 1 year in Singapore, there are much more Vietnamese prostitutes working at Orchard Towers bars, than the Thai ones.

Please correct me if I am wrong...

[chinostar]

Barin, what a stupid remark. Your observations, if correct, have nothing to do with immigration officers who act as they will. This is a free world and anyone traveling with the proper documents should have access to any country.

[TheKnave]

Barin, what a stupid remark. Your observations, if correct, have nothing to do with immigration officers who act as they will. This is a free world and anyone traveling with the proper documents should have access to any country.

Free world?

Now there's a stupid remark. Try traveling in it, and get back to us...

[mango66]

is happy soapy massage not a good reason?

it's just a hobby, you know, just to pay the bills

not py the bills

you mean play the balls :-))))))

[Artisi]

Barin, what a stupid remark. Your observations, if correct, have nothing to do with immigration officers who act as they will. This is a free world and anyone traveling with the proper documents should have access to any country.

Free world?

Now there's a stupid remark. Try traveling in it, and get back to us...

Ill-informed and niave in the extreme.

[Kannikapor88]

A representative of an airline told Thanh Nien that every year the carrier lost VND10 billion (US$451,000) to fix problems caused by Singapore’s denial of Vietnamese entries.

As usual the math skills are not excellent ... VND 10 billion is about USD 600,000

[EddieBaBaBoBo]

A representative of an airline told Thanh Nien that every year the carrier lost VND10 billion (US$451,000) to fix problems caused by Singapores denial of Vietnamese entries.

As usual the math skills are not excellent ... VND 10 billion is about USD 600,000

USD1 is about VND 21,444... so the amount stated in the article is correct. Edited July 23, 2015 by EddieBaBaBoBo

[JeffreyO]

To be fair, if I went to visit a country where a visa is not required and I was randomly turned away, it would seem slightly suspicious to me.

I'm fairly certain all of us who are visa exempt wouldn't anticipate being turned away at the airport unless you have a history there.

[sgtsabai]

Well with Thailand's "moral" dear leader already turning away the Lao ladies perhaps he is just following in Singapore's footsteps. Maybe they are next on his list here. The do-gooder NGOs in Cambodia got all the Vietnamese ladies rounded up and deported to a better life, sweating in Nike type sweat shop for just enough to eat for 10-12 hrs. a day. Hmmmm, maybe the Viet ladies are so good they are a threat to the "local economy". Not that I would know....lol.

[TPI]

Typical singapore.....the nanny state to end all nanny states. After living there for a couple of years I realised that posession of the "5C's" was manditory to be accepted by any group above street cleaners! The local girls keep a low profile and the government loves to sprout the nonsense that the "lion" city is "sin" free! It's very similar to the LOS in that they believe that the facade of purity will fool the world!

[Docno]

As far as I know, having lived for 1 year in Singapore, there are much more Vietnamese prostitutes working at Orchard Towers bars, than the Thai ones.

Please correct me if I am wrong...

You are correct. It wasn't always that way. The Thais used to dominate and there were few Vietnamese. Then, about 8 or so years ago, an immigration crackdown started on the Thais (as seems to be happening with the Viets now) and this coincided with more (and cheaper) budget airline flights connecting Singapore to Vietnam. So, in fairly short order, the Thais were out and the Vietnamese were in.

This was also the case in the construction industry. Thai men used to be very common on construction sites in Singapore. They're pretty well non-existent now, having been replaced by South Asians and mainland Chinese. I was told that it was because the Thai workers were more prone to drinking and fighting (compared to Muslim Bangladeshis) but who knows. And just last year there was a riot among South Asian workers that the Singapore government (dubiously) attributed to drunkenness.

[Docno]

Typical singapore.....the nanny state to end all nanny states. After living there for a couple of years I realised that posession of the "5C's" was manditory to be accepted by any group above street cleaners! The local girls keep a low profile and the government loves to sprout the nonsense that the "lion" city is "sin" free! It's very similar to the LOS in that they believe that the facade of purity will fool the world!

It's not quite like that. There's legalised prostitution in Geylang (where the girls get a special 'work' permit to work in brothels and go for monthly medical checks). And there's the infamous Orchard Towers that's technically illegal but where 100s of working girls openly ply their trade even as police officers walk about to deter fighting among men, etc. Singapore was actually an interesting place. Lots of laws on the books, but many were not enforced out of an understanding that people need certain outlets, etc. Lee Kwan Yew was a consummate pragmatist. Unfortunately, the current generation of leaders is more idealistic (and religious), and a lot of that wise pragmatism is starting to fall by the wayside.

[Docno]

And it's not just Vietnamese. My Thai gf has been coming to Singapore to spend time with me for almost 5 years. Only on her last two visits has she been hassled at the airport. Most recently, the immigration officer asked "why doesn't the guy marry you?". On her previous trip, she got the office interview. Something strange happening on the little red dot.

................................................................................................................................................

They look at the "RATIO" of ladies working in Geylang, Orchard and if a particular national

start to dominate the scene , that's what happened . kind of " population control " in the

" leisure & entertainment industry " .... Thai ladies have gone through this before .

Well, the Vietnamese have dominated 'the industry' for at least 7 years now (probably more... at my age, one loses track). The Thais got their walking papers years ago.

[Docno]

Barin, what a stupid remark. Your observations, if correct, have nothing to do with immigration officers who act as they will. This is a free world and anyone traveling with the proper documents should have access to any country.

In fact, Barin was correct and you're being naive about how Singapore operates. No-one is saying anything about immigration officers 'acting as they will'. What's going on would reflect (unannounced) government policy. As I've mentioned elsewhere, it's happened previously with the Thais and now it's happening with the Vietnamese. My friends and I noticed this several months back when bars that were formerly frequented by Vietnamese girls were now empty except for forlorn-looking men. I've lived in Singapore for 15 years... I've seen the pattern and know how the place works.

p.s. I've also known people (westerners resident in Singapore) who have returned to Singapore with a Thai or Filipina gf and have had that gf turned back at immigration despite having the proper documents (as you say). It happens, and there's nothing the guy can do about it when it does.

[Tywais]

A representative of an airline told Thanh Nien that every year the carrier lost VND10 billion (US$451,000) to fix problems caused by Singapore’s denial of Vietnamese entries.

As usual the math skills are not excellent ... VND 10 billion is about USD 600,000

XE.com -

451,000.00 USD = 9,838,568,935.43 VND

[Friendly Stranger]

Maybe they should inform the appropriate ministry/offices of Vietnam of the reasons. Lots of wasted time and money for the affected ppl.

Not doing this for Thai, Phils or Cambodians?

I guess when you're the big boy on the block, you're allowed to call an audible at the line of scrimmage.

Imagine this happening in North America to any specific group/nationality? Cities would be set ablaze..

[FangFerang]

ASEAN -- one big, happy family until...they squabble over cash and turn each other away. PM not doing much in the Foreign Relations department except submarines and trains....sort of like domestic foreign policy.

[IMA_FARANG]

And it's not just Vietnamese. My Thai gf has been coming to Singapore to spend time with me for almost 5 years. Only on her last two visits has she been hassled at the airport. Most recently, the immigration officer asked "why doesn't the guy marry you?". On her previous trip, she got the office interview. Something strange happening on the little red dot.

============

Not a new thing.

In 1980 I took my Thai girlfriend and her children by a previous marriage to Singapore for a holiday.

They all had valid Thai passports, mine is U.S.

I was asked directly if this woman was my wife....which I truthfully answered no to.

That started a questioning session for both of us as to why we were visiting Singapore.

We both got through the questioning but there was some obvious suspicion showed by Singapore officials.

Not a pleasant interview.

[Loles]

They have to come to Bangkok, there are many place for them, and recently there are not enough viet girls here. Every business miss always new offers and promotions.

[Docno]

ASEAN -- one big, happy family until...they squabble over cash and turn each other away. PM not doing much in the Foreign Relations department except submarines and trains....sort of like domestic foreign policy.

Yep - sounds just like Europe, doesn't it?

[Tomtomtom69]

They have to come to Bangkok, there are many place for them, and recently there are not enough viet girls here. Every business miss always new offers and promotions.

I like Viet girls, they are nice. But seriously, Thailand is for the Thais, not for foreigners. Wages, while higher than in Vietnam are still fairly low. Singapore is an obvious target for poor Vietnamese, since it's a rich, fully developed country with high wages. Thailand is different.