Temporary sports facilities give rise to noisy drinking spots in Ho Chi Minh City urban area

Since early 2026, the Binh Trung People's Committee has implemented a scheme allowing investors to build temporary facilities on vacant plots that have yet to be developed according to the approved plans.

The facilities are intended to serve sports and physical activities, including football, basketball, tennis, badminton, pickleball, golf practice, table tennis, gyms and fitness centers.

However, many residents of the An Phu-An Khanh urban area have complained to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that numerous vacant plots have been occupied by several structures, including eateries and drinking spots.

Residents said some establishments generate excessive noise and encroach on sidewalks, affecting their daily lives.

Residents frustrated by noise

Over the past several months, residents have watched a vacant plot covering several hectares in Zone D, at the intersection of Street No. 4 and Tran Luu Street, become densely occupied by various structures.

According to Tuoi Tre's observations, the site contains not only sports facilities such as pickleball and badminton courts, but also electric vehicle charging stations, an automated car wash and several drinking establishments.

The activities at these facilities have generated considerable noise and affected the living environment of nearby residents.

Hanoi cuisine restaurant Mun Quan Bac Vi, for example, begins attracting large crowds at around 5:00 pm each day.

Loud music and the repeated sounds of diners shouting toasts continue until around 8:00 pm, while noise from drinking tables often persists past midnight, disrupting the sleep of residents living nearby.

Next to the restaurant is JetX, an automated car wash operating around the clock.

The continuous sound of vehicle-washing equipment and engines is particularly noticeable from around 10:00 pm until morning, making it difficult for nearby residents to sleep.

Residents also complained that wastewater from the car wash flows onto the sidewalk and roadway, creating an unsightly and potentially unhygienic environment.

About 50 meters away, a drinking establishment has been accused of encroaching on the sidewalk, where it has placed grilling equipment and ornamental plants.

It also uses much of the sidewalk as parking space for customers, leaving little room for pedestrians.

At another plot of more than one hectare, near the intersection of Vu Tong Phan Street and Street No. 3, rows of makeshift shops have appeared, selling various goods and storing sand, gravel and cement, further contributing to the area's disorderly appearance.

Temporary permits, permanent-looking structures

Under a ward-level scheme, temporary facilities are subject to a number of requirements.

Such facilities may remain for a maximum of 24 months and must be used for sports activities.

Their use for other purposes is prohibited.

Areas serving sports activities may include light refreshments, but alcoholic beverages are not permitted—a rule glaringly violated by the rampant operation of these drinking spots.

The approved structures are required to use prefabricated and modular construction, with movable roofing.

The construction of permanent walls made from materials such as concrete, bricks or stone is strictly prohibited.

Investors must also undertake to immediately dismantle temporary facilities at the request of local authorities if disputes, encroachment or problems involving environmental sanitation, public security and order, fire prevention and fighting, or other violations arise on the approved site.

However, Tuoi Tre found that a number of sports facilities on vacant land in the An Phu-An Khanh urban area contain permanent-looking construction elements.