A Truly Dark Side to Saigon

The warnings for visitors to Ho Chi Minh City are all too clear and if not, they were certainly highlighted in a shocking event at the weekend. A young local lad was the victim of a terrifying murder. Any city has its dark side, sadly this was exhibited in graphic detail this week in Saigon.

A street prostitute strangled and electrocuted one of her clients simply for a few dollars in the early hours of Saturday morning, this week. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh aged 24 picked up her young client at a roundabout on King Duong Duong in Saigon’s Binh Thanh District. Her 24 year old victim named only as T H H agreed to pay her VND250,000 in return for sex. They went to a hotel at 102-104 Do Nang Te in the same locale.

The young guy gave the girl his money and they engaged in sex. According to her own confession as they were having sex she took strips of cloth from her coat and tied her victims arms. She then attached his shirt to other chords. Then as the sex continued she wrapped an electrical chord around his neck. At some point she pulled on the chords causing him to choke. She then climbed off him and connected the electric cable to a bedside lamp. He convulsed and died as she looked on. She stole his money which amounted to $50, and his phone, and fled.

Not the brightest of murderesses, she then used the stolen mobile phone to call for her friend, 29 year old Nguyen Thi Minh Tam to collect her. In return for her friend collecting her, she gave her half the proceeds and the cellphone, simply saying that she had stolen them. So on top of her $10 for the sex, she left with the grand sum of $25. That someone can murder another person for such trivialities almost beggars belief.

Her stupidity made the police’s job extremely easy and they picked her up the next day. It only took them just a few hours to track her down and arrest her. Upon her arrest this evil woman confessed immediately. She will no doubt face the death penalty. All this for the price of a cheap night out. Her accomplice has been charged with what seems a strange charge to Western ears, “refusing to denounce Linh’s crime and consuming stolen property.”.

One would hope that this would act as a strong warning to anyone thinking of using the services of these people. A young life lost and many others marred, it seems utterly ridiculous when you think about it.