Tuning into karaoke as clubs clean up act

Lounges grow in popularity after shaking off dubious image

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Normally Thu Phuong is as timid as a mouse, afraid of standing in front of a group of people. But last weekend, her persona changed as she took the microphone and belted out a ballad in front of her colleagues.

In Vietnam, karaoke venues are becoming an increasingly popular choice of entertainment with establishments offering more and more luxurious spaces and themes, such as the inside of a modern spacecraft and an ancient Egyptian tomb, and increasingly powerful music systems as the society develops.