A view of Sầm Sơn beach in Thanh Hóa Province. — Photo dulichsamsonthanhhoa.com

Spending holiday at storm warning centre?

Is it your lifelong dream to holiday at a storm and tsunami warning centre? If the answer to this very specific question is yes, look no further than central Thanh Hóa Province.

Thanh Hóa Province is hit by storms ever year. To mitigate storm consequences, local authorities in 2011 spent VNĐ12 billion (US$533,000) upgrading the province’s storm and tsunami warning centre.

The centre is in Trường Sơn Ward in the province’s Sầm Sơn city – an increasingly popular tourist destination, particularly during summer, with 4 million visitors last year.

All localities have been urged to tap tourism potential ad nauseam, though maybe the leaders of Thanh Hoa have taken things too far by turning parts of this essential piece of life-saving infrastructure into guest houses for tourists.

The five-storey centre became a guesthouse with 20 rooms for rent fully equipped with televisions, beds and air conditioners in 2012.

Each room costs between VNĐ300,000-500,000 ($13.3-22.2) on weekdays and VNĐ500,000-800,000 at the weekend.

Deputy head of the provincial Department of Dyke and Storm and Flood Prevention and Control Nguyễn Văn Nhân said the centre was used as a hotel because the centre lacked essential devices and equipment to operate as a storm warning facility.

So if you’re heading to Sầm Sơn be sure to check out this substandard storm warning centre which doubles at what must be an overpriced hotel!

Luckiest burglar!

When a burglar is caught red-handed by a homeowner the consequences can be deadly, for either party. Passions run high and unspeakable violence is suddenly possible, nay, probable. However, one scoundrel struck gold last week when he stole from one of Hà Nội’s most generous men.

A 21-year-old man from northern Hòa Bình Province broke into a house in the captial at about 3am last week. Being discovered by the homeowner, the thief tried to escape but failed.

To the burglar’s surprise, the house owner did not begin bashing his head in or dragging him to police station. Instead, he asked the thief to promise never do it again and become a good person. He then reached into his pocket, surely sending shivers up the thief’s spine, and gave him VNĐ1 million ($44) to pay for his taxi home.

Seems crime does pay after all, and handsomely. — VNS