Police in the south-central province of Binh Thuan inspected a villa that is hundreds of square meters in area in the province’s resort city on Wednesday, following a tip-off from locals that it only accepts Russian guests and refuses Vietnamese visitors.
The villa sits in a secluded area in Thien Nghiep Commune of Phan Thiet City, surrounded by fence lines with several aggressive dogs inside. There is a one-story guest house and a big showroom displaying several Vietnamese objects.
Many locals told Binh Thuan police that they had been hired to build the villa years ago. The showroom is newly constructed and has only been open to Russian guests over the last few months.
While visitors come during the day, many Russians often hold parties at night, according to local residents.
A local who used to mow the villa’s lawn said there are many Vietnamese objects on view in the showroom.
On Wednesday afternoon, a passenger coach operated by travel agency Pegas carrying a group of Russian passengers arrived at the villa, according to observations by a
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondent.
After taking a tour around the villa, the holidaymakers were taken to the showroom, where pharmaceuticals, ginseng, and cobra snake wine are on display, according to the reporter.
Each of the products is shelved under labels in Russian.
The villa is frequently resided by a Russian couple, Zhigulev Eduard, 45, and his wife, Kyrstya Ekaterina, according to Thien Nghiep police.
The husband has a temporary residence card expiring on February 22 this year, whereas the wife had a registered residence expiring on November 14, 2013.
The land plot is owned by Nguyen The Son, director of the Luot Song Viet Nga Co., who resides in Phan Thiet.
“This Russian man has been doing business in Binh Thuan for years, and he had purchased the land plot and had it registered under a Vietnamese man’s name,” explained Tran Tu Minh, chairman of Thien Nghiep Commune.
Minh said he sent his force to look into the villa after locals complained that it does not welcome Vietnamese guests.
“The Russians do not sell anything inside the villa as they do not have a business license,” Minh said. “As for the objects displayed in the showroom, I don’t know if they have a license granted by the province-level administration.”
Asked why the villa refuses to accept Vietnamese visitors, Minh said it might be because the Russian man only has business relationships with tourists from his home country.
“The unacquainted Vietnamese visitors are thus not allowed inside since there is no entrance ticket for the site,” he added.
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Đăng ký: VietNam News