Why Vietnam is such a magnet for baht

[pegman]

On September 27, 2018 at 11:49 PM, simoh1490 said:

I agree, their GDP performance has been very inconsistent since 2010.

https://tradingeconomics.com/vietnam/gdp-growth

That's nonsense. Did you even read the article? 

 

Vietnam GDP Growth Rate  2000-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast
Vietnam's gross domestic product grew by 6.79 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2018, compared with a 6.28 percent growth in the same period of the previous year. GDP Growth Rate in Vietnam averaged 6.26 percent from 2000 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 8.46 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 and a record low of 3.14 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

 

[simoh1490]

12 minutes ago, pegman said:

That's nonsense. Did you even read the article? 

 

Vietnam GDP Growth Rate  2000-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast
Vietnam's gross domestic product grew by 6.79 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2018, compared with a 6.28 percent growth in the same period of the previous year. GDP Growth Rate in Vietnam averaged 6.26 percent from 2000 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 8.46 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007 and a record low of 3.14 percent in the first quarter of 2009.

 

Yes I did, but did you read the GDP history link I provided! And do you understand the relationship between inflation and GDP, it's great to cite 6.26% GDP but not when inflation is running at 7% or higher because that means the effective growth is minus!

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/vietnam/inflation-cpi

[LongTimeLurker]

On 9/28/2018 at 10:10 AM, Cadbury said:

I work in tourism in both Thailand and Vietnam and I can't even begin to compare the high work ethic of the Vietnamese to that of the Thais. They are poles apart.

 

Because for Thais 'sanook' comes above everything else.

[LongTimeLurker]

On 9/29/2018 at 12:54 PM, candide said:

Vietnam has inherited French education traditions from the colonial time

 

From the Chinese actually, from before the French times.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

11 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

From the Chinese actually, from before the French times.

 

Yes, something like 900 years or more. But the French had their influence on the Vietnamese educational system too, building all levels of schools. But it was not for long. Eventually a hybrid system was built to promote community and reduce or erase a high illiteracy rate, pre- and post-Vietnam conflict. One of the core values was the respect for teachers and education. 

[LongTimeLurker]

4 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

Yes, something like 900 years or more. But the French had their influence on the Vietnamese educational system too, building all levels of schools. But it was not for long. Eventually a hybrid system was built to promote community and reduce or erase a high illiteracy rate, pre- and post-Vietnam conflict. One of the core values was the respect for teachers and education. 

 

It was certainly the French that wiped out the original Vietnamese alphabet and script.

 

But the VN hated it anyway as it was based on Chinese characters.

[tideout]

At the risk of offending more than a couple of people here, I think there are a lot of misunderstandings about Vietnam from posts I see. Financially speaking, you can trust government quotes on GDP about as much as you can trust Chinese quotes on GDP. It's a very opaque government in Vietnam as part of the group of Communist countries in SE Asia linked to China. Recent articles including one a day or two ago, put GDP in China off as much as 50%. I just wouldn't consider reports here that reliable. There is a huge real estate bubble - lots of empty office space and over development in many areas. Terrible to nonexistent infrastructure. News sources here, as much as possible, report on local corruption problems and it's my understanding that the Koreans/Japanese have thrown in the towel for the foreseeable future on Ho Chi Minh's subway project because the money "ran out" in local government ????. You can read between the lines on your own.....The subway system in Hanoi which is being built by the Chinese will apparently lose it's revenue when working to the Chinese government. South Vietnamese do seem to be more open minded than others in SE Asia - a bit more friendly etc. but HCM is often seen by the foreigners who live here as a city full of hustlers. Terrible congestion and traffic. The education system is trying to improve but most average to poor Vietnamese kids get only a half day of schooling and it is often poor at that. Medical care here has improved in that some of the new technology you'd like to see is here but the skills in diagnosing need more years before it reaches Thai levels. There isn't anything here approaching the better hospitals in Thailand. Nothing like the Sky train or subway in BKK. Regional bus and train travel is terrible in Vietnam. I understand that people have their frustrations with Thailand but the comparisons couldn't be more off IMHO. 

[Assurancetourix]

On 9/28/2018 at 11:21 AM, Burma Bill said:

Thanks for this and maybe a ray of hope. Both VN beers are similar based on French brewing recipes from colonial days.

 

Not Huda beer ;

which is a beer made in Hue ;

Hu for Hue and Da for Danemark ( Carlsberg group )

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

It was certainly the French that wiped out the original Vietnamese alphabet and script.

 

But the VN hated it anyway as it was based on Chinese characters.

You are right ;

Before Alexandre de Rhodes went to Vietnam , vietnamese language was written in chinese .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_de_Rhodes

 

The vietnamese alphabet is our alphabet ;

and the six accentuations are written on or under the voyels 

Have a look on Alexandre de Rhodes WiKi in vietnamese

 

https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_de_Rhodes

[dorchester]

I am living in HCMC.Been here for a month,the traffic was bad in 2005 now its full tard. Another point,they've got millions of little shops everywhere but no one in them.Security guards in every shop as well,strange place

[tideout]

14 hours ago, dorchester said:

I am living in HCMC.Been here for a month,the traffic was bad in 2005 now its full tard. Another point,they've got millions of little shops everywhere but no one in them.Security guards in every shop as well,strange place

HCM is a city of a million small shops for sure. Development on the edges of the city seem to be trending in the direction you'd expect - big suburban malls. Not terrible but nothing you'd call interesting either. There is no plan to deal with the traffic - none. I would guess a functioning subway is 10 years off at minimum. In the meantime the city grows in gigantic chunks at this point.

[DrTuner]

5 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

It was certainly the French that wiped out the original Vietnamese alphabet and script.

 

But the VN hated it anyway as it was based on Chinese characters.

While I'm not a francophile by a long shot, they've made some brilliant moves, like the revolution (something Thailand could use too), street numbers and this, eradicating ancient runes in Vietnam.

[Burma Bill]

14 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

 

Not Huda beer ;

which is a beer made in Hue ;

Hu for Hue and Da for Danemark ( Carlsberg group )

Never seen or tried it but sounds good especially if Carlsberg involved. 

[Assurancetourix]

Went many times in/to Vietnam from january 1991 to may 2007;

sometimes living there 6 months a year ;

I knew Saigon ( HCM TP ) with nearly no cars ; old Citroen 11 HP and Renault 4 HP as a taxi ;

not too many motorbikes but many, many  bicycles ...

 

Now, I cannot imagine how is this town with people who can own a car ;

 

Hope authorities will do something in Hanoi to preserve the old city with streets so narrow ;

do as many europeen countries did;

Florence ( Firenze ) in Italy for example is nearly half forbidden for cars.

 

Saigon - Ly Thuong Kiet street in 1992

 

 

Ha Noi - bridge Paul Doumer in 1994

 

 

Halong bay in 1992

 

 

Halong bay in 2007

 

[Burma Bill]

3 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

Went many times in/to Vietnam from january 1991 to may 2007;

sometimes living there 6 months a year ;

I knew Saigon ( HCM TP ) with nearly no cars ; old Citroen 11 HP and Renault 4 HP as a taxi ;

not too many motorbikes but many, many  bicycles ...

 

Now, I cannot imagine how is this town with people who can own a car ;

 

Hope authorities will do something in Hanoi to preserve the old city with streets so narrow ;

do as many europeen countries did;

Florence ( Firenze ) in Italy for example is nearly half forbidden for cars.

 

Saigon - Ly Thuong Kiet street in 1992

 

 

Ha Noi - bridge Paul Doumer in 1994

 

 

Halong bay in 1992

 

 

Halong bay in 2007

 

I can assure you the Old City of Hanoi with its French influence is more or less preserved. The streets are still narrow and few cars use them - however as you said, there are many, many motorbikes, bicycles and rickshaws which clog these streets and at times make them dangerous to pedestrians especially when motorbikes drive up onto the pavements to avoid a queue.

[LongTimeLurker]

18 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

 

Not Huda beer ;

which is a beer made in Hue ;

Hu for Hue and Da for Danemark ( Carlsberg group )

 

And my favourite - Halida Beer which is also Carlsberg

[LongTimeLurker]

19 hours ago, tideout said:

There isn't anything here approaching the better hospitals in Thailand.

 

https://www.vietvisiontravel.com/post/top-5-recommended-international-hospitals-ho-chi-minh-city/