Rags to riches tale of Asia's growth dynamo

ONCE a teeming backwater, among the world's poorest countries, Vietnam is now one of the most dynamic economies in East Asia.

It boasts apparently the world's first gold-plated hotel, in bustling Hanoi. Indeed, from bicycles to flashy cars, slums and squatters to luxury condos, Vietnam's cityscapes have been transformed. And the number of high net-worth people in the country - those with assets of at least US$1 million - is expected to grow by 25 per cent to top 25,000 by 2025.

What is fuelling Vietnam's wealth boom? And how are the increasingly affluent Vietnamese people spending this new-found wealth? Brunch finds out, in The Business Times Weekend.