Opinion: Vietnam should not tolerate misconduct by foreign visitors

Ask any expat in Ho Chi Minh City where the line is between a good foreigner and a bad one, and you will be met with a long, uncomfortable silence. Over the past few weeks, newspapers have been awash with examples of foreigners acting in anti-social ways and creating despair in local communities.

These acts have caused embarrassment, injury, and death, and are no longer being tolerated by Vietnamese authorities.

Da Nang City in central Vietnam has seen an increase in thuggish behaviour. Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province has witnessed Russian tourists create disruptions with a drunken disregard for the local community.

When I look at this issue, rather than feeling disgusted, I find myself intrigued. How did we end up in this situation?

And if you look at recent history, it makes a kind of sense. It also makes one very grateful for the actions now being taken to bring an end to these crimes by foreigners, for the future prosperity of this country.

Vietnam was building a nation that had been devastated by more than one war, and it had much to achieve in a very short time. Tourists entering the country brought money and created livelihoods for so many locals, which made up an important part of the country's development.

The tourism market has evolved significantly over the past 25 years, from airports and resorts to world-class attractions such as Ha Long Bay and Son Doong Cave. But hiding in the background is an overhang.

As an expat, I am elated to see those days coming to an end. The misfit tourists and expats who come to Vietnam and treat it like a lawless land need to be called out, jailed, and deported.

Vietnam has found that some people visit the country believing the laws do not apply to them. This has never been true. The law applies to every person equally.

Everyone has an opinion about how this came about, but the fact remains: in order to develop as an economic powerhouse in Southeast Asia, the disrespectful lower end of the tourist market needs to be filtered out from our community, and the criminal, disgraceful behaviour recently reported must be curbed.

It is entirely possible to stop this behaviour. Look at Singapore as a model, tourists there rarely act in a similar manner.

Sitting beside the canal in Hoi An, Da Nang City, I cherish the moments I am able to rest by the water with a glass of red wine and watch the sun slowly set over this magnificent part of the country. What gives me peace is that the people around me are quiet, respectful, and considerate of the area and the community. That is the Vietnam I love, free of threats and violence.

With Long Thanh International Airport set to open in the coming months, foreign arrivals into Vietnam will continue to rise. With an estimated 25 million visitors expected this year, more than ever before in the nation's history, these thugs, drunks, and anti-social troublemakers need to be expelled from the country immediately.

Vietnam is moving from a developing nation to one of the leading powerhouses in Southeast Asia and on the global stage. It deserves high-quality visitors who support its growth and engaged tourists who make use of the remarkable resorts and attractions developed over recent decades.

I fully support the crackdown on these disrespectful foreigners and look forward to a time when the tourist precincts of major cities can once again be places of enjoyment, not sources of shame.