This paper presents a comparative study of research performance of 11 East and Southeast Asian countries based upon the total number of peer-refereed international publications (PRIP) per one million people (research intensity), the mean citation, and the contribution of domestic authors in PRIP production. Large gaps are observed within the region in the three above dimensions reflecting the disparities among countries in the levels of socio-economic development. Vietnam is among countries of low research intensity in the region having 9.3 PRIPs per one million people in 2008. Other weaknesses includes the heavy reliance on foreign authors, the low numbers of PRIPs on applied and multidisciplinary fields, and the modest contribution from Vietnamese universities in PRIP production. The paper suggests approaches that should be taken for enhancing research capability and reshaping science and higher education system in Vietnam.