Train and bus tickets increase, workers struggle to get home for Tet

Bus fares increase sharply, putting pressure on workers

The 9-day Lunar New Year holiday in Binh Ngo 2026 opens up a gathering opportunity for more than 8,000 workers in Tam Thang Industrial Park (Ban Thach Ward, Da Nang City). However, the biggest story for workers these days is not how much Tet bonus, but whether they have enough money to buy tickets to return home or not.

Mr. Tran Van Hoa (39 years old, a technical worker at a garment factory in Tam Thang Industrial Park) said that his family decided to buy a plane ticket to Nghe An nearly a month earlier than every year, right after the 9-day Tet holiday schedule was announced. Despite being proactive, the total cost of round-trip tickets for 3 people still exceeded 15 million VND.

"The ticket price is almost equal to three months of rent. But for the whole year, my wife and I work overtime, my children send them to their grandparents, and after 6 months of not seeing their parents, and if they don't come back for Tet, I feel sorry for them," said Mr. Hoa.

According to statistics from the Trade Union of Tam Thang Industrial Park, more than 8,000 workers will leave Da Nang for the Central, Northern and Central Highlands provinces during the Binh Ngo Lunar New Year. Of which, most are young workers, with an income of 7-10 million VND/month, which is very sensitive to ticket price fluctuations.

As early as October 2025, many flights have reached an occupancy rate of 80 - 90% after the Tet holiday schedule was announced. The peak round-trip ticket price increased by 700,000 VND to more than 1.5 million VND/ticket, with some routes almost double the normal days.

On "hot" routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi, one-way ticket prices close to Tet are commonly from 3 - 3.9 million VND. For Tam Thang Industrial Park workers with a family of 3-4 people, travel costs can "eat" the entire accumulated amount in the year.

Cheaper but risky passenger cars

Unable to afford air tickets, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai (27 years old, electronics worker in Tam Thang Industrial Park) chose a train to Ninh Binh: "The train is still cheaper, but the good days' beds are almost gone. Even if I walk in a hard seat for more than 12 hours, I have to accept it.

Passenger cars are still a popular choice for many workers. However, during Tet, many bus companies announce a price increase of over 20%, with the risk of collecting more than the listed price, crowding passengers or selling tickets floating on social networks.

Lawyer Nguyen Thanh Tan (Da Nang Bar Association) said that bus tickets are transportation contracts. When tickets have been sold, bus companies are not allowed to arbitrarily increase prices, change trips, or carry more people than the prescribed number. Violations may result in administrative sanctions, vehicle badges being revoked, and even points being deducted from the driver's license.

During Tet, congestion of passengers not only violates the law but also poses a great risk of accidents, lawyer Tan emphasized.

Faced with the pressure of rising ticket prices, the Tam Thang Industrial Park Trade Union Management Board and the Da Nang City Trade Union are implementing many practical support programs such as "Union Tet Bus" and "Tet Van Tinh Tinh", prioritizing workers in difficult circumstances who have not returned home for Tet for many years.

A representative of the Tam Thang Industrial Park Trade Union Management Board said that it is expected that there will be at least 2,000 free train and bus tickets to support workers. Each trip will not only help workers save from a few hundred thousand to a few million VND, but also create peace of mind and long-term attachment to the business.

Along with that, the government and bus stations in Da Nang have increased trips, publicized hotlines, and strictly controlled ticket listings to limit the situation of "ripping off" during peak season.

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