Vietnam Morning Monitor: Police save 14-year-old trafficking victim, Lo Lo Chai tourists warned of room price gouging

| SOCIETY

-- Authorities in northern Vietnam's Tuyen Quang Province have warned tourists about inflated accommodation prices in Lo Lo Chai Village after reports emerged of brokers charging up to VND3.1 million (about US$120) per room per night, nearly three times the listed rates.

Local officials said homestay rooms typically cost around $19-39 per night. Police are investigating the reports, while authorities have advised visitors to book directly with accommodation providers to avoid overcharging.

-- Police in northern Vietnam's Son La Province rescued a 14-year-old girl who had allegedly been trafficked between karaoke businesses across several localities, with her family ordered to pay VND42 million (about $1,630) for her release.

The girl was initially lured by a job offer on social media before being transferred between groups for VND28 million ($1,085) and VND34 million ($1,317).

Six suspects have been detained for investigation into human trafficking.

-- Railway staff in north-central Vietnam returned a backpack containing cash, gold, electronic devices, and three savings passbooks worth VND3 billion (about $116,000) to a female passenger on Friday after she left it at Thanh Hoa Railway Station the previous night.

A station employee found the bag and arranged for its transport to Dong Hoi Station in Quang Tri Province, where railway staff handed it back to the passenger with all belongings intact.

-- The 124-meter-long Panama-flagged cargo ship Tong Cheng 301, which ran aground off Sa Huynh in central Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province, has been pushed further ashore by strong waves, leaving its bow stranded on a sandy beach as of Friday.

The vessel, which ran aground while traveling from Thi Vai - Phu My Port in Ho Chi Minh City to My Thuy Port in Quang Tri Province, has 14 crew members and about 81 metric tons of fuel on board.

All crew members are safe, while authorities are closely monitoring the vessel and preparing measures to prevent a potential oil spill.

-- Authorities in central Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province are tightening controls along the border with Laos to curb the spread of African swine fever. Since the beginning of 2026, the disease has affected 37 communes, forcing the culling of 3,043 pigs weighing more than 146 metric tons.

Officials plan to step up inspections of pig and pork product transportation, trading, and slaughtering through February 28, 2027.

| SPORT

-- The Japan Football Association (JFA) announced that it had canceled a friendly match against Vietnam scheduled for December 30 at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka.

The match, part of the Kirin Challenge Cup 2026, was intended to help Japan prepare for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. However, the tournament's postponement from January 2027 to December 2027 prompted the JFA to revise its preparations and cancel the fixture.

-- Vietnamese chess prodigy Phan Huy Hoang, 18, won an individual gold medal at the 2026 World Xiangqi Open in Singapore on Friday, finishing unbeaten with six wins and one draw in seven rounds.

The Ho Chi Minh City player topped the individual rankings with 13 points, one ahead of China's Ru Yichun. Vietnam finished second behind China in the men's team standings.

| TRAVEL

-- Vietnam is planning to upgrade Con Dao Airport, off the coast of Ho Chi Minh City, into an international airport capable of handling larger aircraft such as Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s.

The expansion aims to increase annual passenger capacity to two million by 2030 and five million by 2050.

However, the airport's 1,830-meter runway, surrounded by mountains and sea, poses major engineering challenges. Installing lighting systems for nighttime flights also remains difficult and costly, with some infrastructure potentially requiring construction offshore.

Traditional gong culture on stage in Da Lat