Traffic police check a tourist’s breath for alcohol levels. — VNA/VNS Photos

KHÁNH HÒA — During an evening along Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Road, a powerful motorbike speeds toward the seafront on Trần Phú Road.

Its driver is foreign and not wearing a helmet, slicing through traffic with a woman riding pillion.

Such scenes are increasingly familiar in Nha Trang, a beach city welcoming a steady wave of foreign visitors.

Khánh Hòa Province may be seeing a record number of tourism receipts, but authorities are also grappling with major challenges in immigration control, residency management and crime prevention.

Khánh Hòa welcomed 5.5 million international visitors in 2025. Beyond short stays, about 51,500 foreigners now reside in the province on rolling temporary status, fueling tourism, services and investment, Khánh Hòa online newspaper reported.

The provincial People’s Committee reported tourism revenue of VNĐ27.415 trillion (over US$1 billion) in the first four months of 2026, up 34.6 per cent year-on-year. Visitor arrivals reached nearly 7.3 million, a 50.6 per cent increase, including 3.2 million international arrivals, up 48.1 per cent.

The surge in international visitors has generated significant revenue, creating jobs and spurring growth across service sectors.

But the influx is straining immigration oversight and public order.

“I rented to a young Cuban who said he was a dancer,” said H, who lets rooms in Nam Nha Trang Ward.

“Within months, the place was a shambles with piles of clothes and leftover food, a stench seeping into the hallway, affecting other rooms. It took nearly a week, with police help, to get him out.”

Many Nha Trang landlords report the same problem, with long-term foreign tenants flouting hygiene and security rules and stirring community resentment.

Police cite rising violations in high-density apartment towers and mixed-use blocks where flexible leases complicate checks.

In late 2025, officers detained South Korean national Yeo Sungjin, wanted on an interpol red notice, while he was staying illegally at the OC3 building in Bắc Nha Trang Ward.

Common breaches include overstays and failures to register temporary residence, police said.

From narcotics to online gambling

Early this year, drug investigators arrested three foreigners in Nha Trang and Bắc Nha Trang wards for possessing narcotics, then rolled up what they described as a sophisticated supply network.

A Russian suspect, R.A., 24, was caught with a backpack holding 153 packets, including crystal meth, ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms, an LSD blotter and cannabis, and told police he sold via Telegram to other foreigners visiting or living in Khánh Hòa Province.

Traffic police remind a foreign tourist to comply with Việt Nam’s traffic laws.

During a Tết (Lunar New Year) crackdown, the provincial criminal police raided five sites across Nha Trang-area wards, arresting 30 Chinese nationals accused of running a large online gambling ring and seized 40 laptops and 112 phones. Many had entered on tourist visas and rented homes or high-end apartments to operate covert 'trading floors'.

Three were wanted by Chinese police and all 30 were deported in April.

In the first five months of this year, authorities deported 116 foreigners, mainly Russians, Chinese and Kazakhs, for immigration violations, false declarations or drug use.

Road risks

Traffic violations by some foreign visitors have raised concerns and affected Nha Trang’s image.

On May 4, a Russian tourist driving drunk struck and killed a pedestrian near April 2 Square.

Viral clips have shown speeding, wrong-way riding and stunts. Many visitors rent motorbikes without the skills or licences required under Vietnamese law, causing self-crashes or collisions.

Earlier on May 8, local police fined a Russian tourist VNĐ5.5 million for riding without a motorcycle licence and with an alcohol reading of 0.075 mg per litre while the vehicle owner was fined VNĐ9 million for handing over a bike to an unqualified driver.

Since January, police officers have issued 123 violation reports to foreigners, with fines exceeding VNĐ323 million, said Lieutenant Colonel Lê Đức Thuận.

The main offences were driving without a licence, drink-driving and not wearing helmets.

In 2025, five accidents involving foreigners left two dead and four injured, police say.

Ward officials say the booming motorbike rental trade helps tourism but carries safety risks. Police and local committees are tightening checks on licensing, insurance and vehicle standards, and penalising firms that rent to intoxicated customers or those without valid licences.

“Traffic cases involving foreigners are getting more complex,” said provincial deputy chairman Lê Huyền.

“We’ve ordered tougher patrols and strict enforcement, especially on alcohol and drugs, speeding, reckless riding and improper licensing, and sanctions for rental operators who hand vehicles to unqualified drivers.”

Provincial police said they are tightening management of foreigners as seasonal tourist waves and long-term stays complicate oversight in the south-central province.

Deputy police chief Col Trần Minh Trúc said public security work is being aligned with economic goals, notably sustainable tourism, by facilitating lawful stays while swiftly detecting and handling violations that threaten public order.

Police recorded nearly 1.2 million foreign lodging declarations in the first quarter of 2026, up 23 per cent on-year, with more than 80,000 foreigners staying in the province on an average day.

Col Trúc said immigration procedures have been streamlined, online lodging declarations expanded and digital tools rolled out for residency management.

"The main challenge is the rise of long-term stays in apartments, condominiums, homestays and small venues, alongside lax temporary residence reporting by some operators," he said.

Authorities are handling several cases of foreigners suspected of violating Vietnamese law. — VNA/VNS Photo

In the first quarter of this year, immigration enforcement recorded 210 cases involving 292 people, with fines exceeding VNĐ3.6 billion.

Trúc said authorities are stepping up legal outreach to lodging operators and condo managers, conducting both scheduled and surprise checks at hotspots, imposing tougher penalties, expanding tech use and tightening coordination with local authorities. Routine patrols and joint operations remain in place to protect visitors.

He said foreigner-related offences are dealt with under Vietnamese law, ranging from administrative fines and deportation to criminal prosecution.

Since early 2026, police have turned over six interpol red notice fugitives to foreign counterparts, processed and referred 30 suspected online fraud cases, deported 116 immigration violators and pursued eight criminal cases involving 21 foreign suspects.

He urged foreigners living, working or travelling in Khánh Hòa Province to follow Vietnamese law and respect local customs, noting support channels are available to ensure safe, lawful stays.

"Enhanced monitoring, stepped-up patrols, legal outreach to businesses and tourists, and stronger community support will help keep Khánh Hòa a safe and friendly destination," Col Trúc said. — VNS