B: We’ll report to our technicians this information about the signal on 12020 khz. Other recent comments have suggested the signal on 12020 khz is not very good. Toshiya Nishimura of Hiroshima listened to VOV on November 21 and rated SINPO at 44222.

A: It’s a pity that noise seems to be worrisome these days. We hope our technicians can do something to minimize the problem. I’m reading an interesting letter from T. Shintaku of Osaka who says he has thought of learning Vietnamese and migrating to Vietnam when he’s older. He wants to know about Vietnam’s migration policy and contact info for relevant agencies.

Indian listener Kanchan Chatterjee informed us that they have organized a radio listeners club called "VOV NATUN RADIO LISTENERS CLUB". This is a photo of the club members

B: Shinkatu, we’ll email you contact info for the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security so you can ask for detailed information.  We can give you some general information on Vietnamese immigration requirements. The two principal requirements for foreigners working in Vietnam are a work permit, issued by the labor department in the province where the foreigner will work as provided by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and a visa or temporary residence card issued by the immigration department as provided by the Ministry of Public Security.

A: Foreigners entering and working in Vietnam may obtain a Multiple Entry Visa which is valid for 3 months. Foreign nationals who intend to work and live in Vietnam, such as international assignees or persons who have been hired locally, are required to obtain a work permit. There are several requirements for obtaining a work permit and work permit holders are still required to have a visa or temporary residence card.

B: Foreign employees holding a valid work permit are eligible for business visa extension of 3, 6 or 12 months depending on the length of the work permit.

A: Foreign employees holding a work permit valid for more than 1 year are eligible for a temporary residence card. The temporary residence card replaces the business visa.

We thank Michael Stevenson of Australia for sending us an early Christmas and New Year's Greetings

B: I think Mr. Shintaku should contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan for detailed immigration procedures. By the way, we have some information about Vietnam’s visa exemption policy, which is very convenient for tourists or businesspeople on short visit to Vietnam.

A: Vietnam allows nationals of 23 countries to enter Vietnam without a visa for varying time periods including the 10 ASEAN member countries and several European countries. Citizens of China, Cuba, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea holding normal passports endorsed "for public affairs" do not require a visa for Vietnam. An updated list of exemptions for entry visas to Vietnam is available on the website of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

B: I’m reading a reception report from Andris Straumanis of the US on a program on November 29 at 02:34 UTC on the frequency of 6175 khz. The broadcast was relayed via Woofferton in the UK. He used a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with a built-in antenna. He rated SIO at all 4, although there was a little bit of fading.

Luong Hong Khanh Anh plays Dan Tranh in Vietnam's Got talent in 2013

A: From India, Debakamal Hazarika said he listened to the Sunday show about a traditional musical instrument of Vietnam, the 16-string zither or Dan Tranh. Mr. Hazarika said he came to know for the first time about the instrument through that show. The details about the instrument were, he said, really very informative.

B: Miss Karobi Hazarika, another Indian listener, said the “Colorful Vietnam, Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups” segment was interesting. She enjoyed the story about the San Chi ethnic group and their worship books and pictures.

A: Richard Nowak of Florida, the US, said he enjoyed our the show on December 7 on 6175 kHz. He used an Icom IC-R75 hooked up to a 41-meter antenna strung across his front yard. The reception was excellent with SINPO at 55445.

B: It’s great to know the signal was very good there. Richard wrote: “I tuned in at 1:00 to hear about the government encouraging the private sector to invest in education, the government assisting fisherman, Vietnam and Slovakia bilateral cooperation, and International Volunteer Day on 5 December. This was particularly interesting news. The Culture & Sports Roundup discussed UNESCO recognition and documenting of heritage sites, Vietnamese photographers, and the National Shooting Squad. I love this program, it is very informative and gives the listener great insight into Vietnamese culture.”

A: He continued:  “There was a nice folk song about headscarves, a very interesting discussion on Thai women wearing headscarves, and the embroidery from different regions.  Headscarves could be an engagement gift and head protector. I enjoyed this segment very much. I enjoyed tonight's show. The news on Vietnam was excellent and the culture programs were great. Thanks for the show and your support of shortwave!”
B: This week we acknowledge letters from Dahmani Rachid of Algeria, Karl Fry of the US, Massimiliano Fiorillo of Italy, Haidarul Islam, an assistant teacher at Sener Huda primary school in Bangladesh, Pak Ning Tjang of Indonesia, and Mizanur Raman of Bangladesh.