It's hard to figure out just what prompted the Vietnamese government's decision. It's not political. There are no freely elected representatives who are hoping to gain approval from constituents by supporting LGBT issues, and there would be no hesitation about imprisoning LGBT individuals or groups who became an annoyance to the government.

It might just be motivated by financial considerations, either locally, by the authorities charging much more to issue a permit for a same-sex wedding reception, or perhaps they are thinking internationally. If the day comes when marriage certificates could be issued to same-sex couples, and if the law allowed foreign couples to apply, then the country's tourism industry would receive a boost.