diff --git a/represent-map/add.php b/represent-map/add.php
index f826cc7..10e9c23 100644
--- a/represent-map/add.php
+++ b/represent-map/add.php
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
   } else {
 
     // insert into db, wait for approval
-    $insert = mysql_query("INSERT INTO places (approved, title, type, address, uri, description, owner_name, owner_email) VALUES (null, '$title', '$type', '$address', '$uri', '$description', '$owner_name', '$owner_email')") or die(mysql_error());
+    $insert = mysql_query("INSERT INTO places (approved, title, type, address, uri, description, owner_name, owner_email) VALUES (null, '$title', '$type', _utf8'$address', '$uri', '$description', _utf8'$owner_name', '$owner_email')") or die(mysql_error());
 
     // geocode new submission
     $hide_geocode_output = true;
diff --git a/represent-map/admin/edit.php b/represent-map/admin/edit.php
index 183793c..90ce5cc 100644
--- a/represent-map/admin/edit.php
+++ b/represent-map/admin/edit.php
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   exit; 
 }
 
-
+mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'");
 // get place info
 $place_query = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM places WHERE id='$place_id' LIMIT 1");
 if(mysql_num_rows($place_query) != 1) { exit; }
diff --git a/represent-map/admin/header.php b/represent-map/admin/header.php
index 06ea6c8..97345b2 100644
--- a/represent-map/admin/header.php
+++ b/represent-map/admin/header.php
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 $admin_head = "
   <html>
   <head>
+    <meta charset='UTF-8'>
     <title>RepresentMap Admin</title>
     <link href='../bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
     <link href='../bootstrap/css/bootstrap-responsive.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' />
diff --git a/represent-map/admin/index.php b/represent-map/admin/index.php
index eaa272c..8d24946 100644
--- a/represent-map/admin/index.php
+++ b/represent-map/admin/index.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 $page = "index";
 include "header.php";
-
+mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'"); // for special chars like Vietnamese
 
 // hide marker on map
 if($task == "hide") {
diff --git a/represent-map/geocode.php b/represent-map/geocode.php
index e5b12ca..f0f5bf9 100644
--- a/represent-map/geocode.php
+++ b/represent-map/geocode.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function geocode($table) {
     $geocode_pending = true;
 
     while ($geocode_pending) {
-      $address = $row["address"];
+      $address = utf8_encode($row["address"]);// encode utf 8 for Vietnamese chars
       $id = $row["id"];
       $request_url = $base_url . "?address=" . urlencode($address) . "&sensor=false";
       $xml = simplexml_load_file($request_url) or die("url not loading");
diff --git a/represent-map/include/db_example.php b/represent-map/include/db_example.php
index de8ffa6..8159485 100644
--- a/represent-map/include/db_example.php
+++ b/represent-map/include/db_example.php
@@ -124,4 +124,4 @@
 
 
 
-?>
+?>
diff --git a/represent-map/index.php b/represent-map/index.php
index 4846d52..35dc840 100644
--- a/represent-map/index.php
+++ b/represent-map/index.php
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ function initialize() {
               Array('event', 'Events'),
               );
           $marker_id = 0;
+          mysql_query("SET NAMES 'utf8'");
           foreach($types as $type) {
             $places = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM places WHERE approved='1' AND type='$type[0]' ORDER BY title");
             $places_total = mysql_num_rows($places);
