Vietnam

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

 

 

was in hoi an about 2 months ago. it is as the poster says. 

Hi,

Interested, which poster? as you quoted two in your post, both with different views.

 

3 hours ago, blackhorse said:

Funny that. When you ask people who recommended another country why they don't go there to live themselves there is ALWAYS an excuse.

Wife, GF, property, kids.. You name it. But the real truth is even though they have grown tired of thailand they have no intention to ever leave

 

I agree with what you say and I am one of them!

 

We are settled in Isaarn, lovely home, no stress, a bit boring but that is all I can complain about, so it's not bad! We are all paid up with no debt.

 

I suppose I will just have to make do with regular long trips to explore more of Vietnam.

 

Also, closer to mainland Thailand, I really enjoyed being a beach bum on Koh Chang so that will be on the agenda again next year.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Scouse123

[Scouse123]

15 minutes ago, The manic said:

I had an excellent time there. Stayed in modest but small hotels with charming staff.

 

+1,

 

I also found a friendly moto taxi who took me all over Hanoi at decent rates.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Scouse123

[earlinclaifornia]

One word I have that was stuck in my heard after two visits was: Opportunity. USA takes it for granted. 

[atyclb]

13 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

 

 

was in hoi an about 2 months ago. it is as the poster says. 

Hi,

Interested, which poster? as you quoted two in your post, both with different views.

 

this one 

 

"I must not travel in the same circles as you, but I have lived in Vietnam on and off since 2000 and am a property owner and only saw one casino in the New World Hotel...........I spend a lot of time in Saigon, Nha Trang and live in the Mekong Delta - the Chinese visitors are not well accepted, Vietnam is technically at war with China, and the people hate them..............you must be talking about Cambodia."

[asiaexpat]

Depends on location and what one wants to do. Big cities and beach areas are super but outside these can be a challenge. I go regularly to HMC and Danang and have a great time.

[JohnOFphon]

I didn't know they had casinos there. Just checked out the one East of Siagon..Near Vong Tao.

Looks like a nice place.

Just over $100 a night for 2 people.

Free shuttle from the airport.

I think I'll make a trip over some time this month.

Maybe make a group trip...anyone interested?

[Scouse123]

20 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

this one 

 

"I must not travel in the same circles as you, but I have lived in Vietnam on and off since 2000 and am a property owner and only saw one casino in the New World Hotel...........I spend a lot of time in Saigon, Nha Trang and live in the Mekong Delta - the Chinese visitors are not well accepted, Vietnam is technically at war with China, and the people hate them..............you must be talking about Cambodia."

 

That is true about their dislike of the Chinese,

 

I remember that in breakfast at the hotel in Halong Bay they had tent cards on the table in English and Chinese but specifically aimed and mentioning the Chinese that was words to the effect of -  If they didn't eat all breakfast food that they put on their plate there was a $20 surcharge/fine!

 

I was later told, the Vietnamese owners were fed up with the Chinese guests destroying the buffet, and leaving heaps of food left over on the tables, because it was considered free,  and then there was nothing left for other guests. Reception told me they found Chinese abrasive, entitled and rude.

 

I don't know anything about the Casinos as they don't interest me so I don't look for them.

[dundas]

Given a choice between Vietnamese and Thai food, I wold probably choose Vietnamese. It's so fresh and delicious. As another poster has mentioned (and just to contradict myself in the next breath), you probably do need to be careful about how the food is prepared -- I also have had food poisoning there.

 

I'm also inclined to agree that Vietnam generally (and especially outside HMC and Hanoi) feels safer, less hostile and less of a ripoff than what Thailand can be – but I'm also aware that the attitude to foreigners from countries that fought in the Vietnam war (smiles and forgiveness I've heard some former soldiers describe it as) is very different from the government's attitude to the Vietnamese who fought on the losing side.  

 

Overall though, I reckon it's well worth at least one visit. 

Edited October 3, 2018 by dundas

[watcharacters]

On 10/1/2018 at 10:11 AM, BritManToo said:

Beer is a lot cheaper, food is a bit more expensive, accommodation is about the same.

More hookers than Thailand, if you sit in one spot alone for more than 10 minutes (day or night) you will be propositioned. Loads of girly bars.

First-rate public transport, HCMC has an app letting you track all the buses. Beaches are very clean.

An unbelievable amount of the locals speak really good English (unlike the Thais).

 

Yeah, just tell it like it is.

 

You can't even get out of customs before you get hounded by beautiful ladies wanting to offer free sex.   Right?

 

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

You can't even get out of customs before you get hounded by beautiful ladies wanting to offer free sex.   Right?

It's never free.

[smileydude]

I've never been to Vietnam before but was interested in what people who have been there had to say.

Not surprised since looking at indicators from the WHO and World Bank place Vietnam about 10 years behind Thailand but catching up fast.

I agree that Thailand has probably lost some of its innocence and charm as many touristy countries seem to do but there will always be cultural, social and natural landscape differences between the two countries that generalizations or individual experiences cannot do justice to so I guess it comes down to personal preferences rather then one country being "better" then the other?

Edited October 3, 2018 by smileydude

[watcharacters]

25 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

I didn't know they had casinos there. Just checked out the one East of Siagon..Near Vong Tao.

Looks like a nice place.

Just over $100 a night for 2 people.

Free shuttle from the airport.

I think I'll make a trip over some time this month.

Maybe make a group trip...anyone interested?

 

Any dates in mind?

[usacb500biker]

Vietnam can I drive my Thai 500cc motorcycle into Vietnam?? or is there a limit on engine size.?? Thanks

[Scouse123]

I also find the Vietnamese will tell you fairly straight where you stand with them. If they dislike you or something you do, they are not afraid to speak out or act upon it, as opposed to the carefree Mai pen rai attitude of Thailand.

 

The Vietnamese that I met, tended also to tell you more about themselves as people and open up about personal things like family.

 

Many Thai people you can know for years and they never volunteer any such information. You tend to talk more with Thais, (I have found), about things that do not cause offence, such as weather, tourism, football, sightseeing but never much depth to the conversations.

 

I found information based on one to one conversations with Vietnamese people, once you get to know them slightly, refreshingly honest and straight. Also, eager to share knowledge regards Vietnam and ask intelligent questions about Europe.

 

Maybe, I was just lucky with the people I met and bumped in to.

[JohnOFphon]

13 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Any dates in mind?

No....I don't work...so any date is ok for me.

[5633572526]

Vietnam is cleaner, people are friendly, food and accommodations are cheaper. There are just as many beautiful places to see. You can get a visa on the internet or if you are in bkk you can go to the embassy here and get a visa. 2 things that keep me in Thailand instead of Vietnam are the healthcare is much better here and I already know the language here well enough to communicate.

[The manic]

8 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

Vietnam is cleaner, people are friendly, food and accommodations are cheaper. There are just as many beautiful places to see. You can get a visa on the internet or if you are in bkk you can go to the embassy here and get a visa. 2 things that keep me in Thailand instead of Vietnam are the healthcare is much better here and I already know the language here well enough to communicate.

Girls are less easy to meet, especially in Hanoi. I dont mean dating. I mean proffesionals.

[The manic]

On 10/3/2018 at 9:59 AM, Scouse123 said:

 

+1,

 

I also found a friendly moto taxi who took me all over Hanoi at decent rates.

I preferred rick shaws. In Hanoi I did a brilliant food on foot on foot tour for 25 dollars visiting about 10 restaurants. Excellent. 

[ronaldo0]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 2:38 AM, TunnelRat69 said:

I must not travel in the same circles as you, but I have lived in Vietnam on and off since 2000 and am a property owner and only saw one casino in the New World Hotel...........I spend a lot of time in Saigon, Nha Trang and live in the Mekong Delta - the Chinese visitors are not well accepted, Vietnam is technically at war with China, and the people hate them..............you must be talking about Cambodia.

From da nang to hoi an there are around 10 or so places that look like large hotels and some are described as sports clubs. They are basically casinos built by the Chinese for the Chinese from what I was told by the hotel driver . All the property getting built is basically for the Chinese that come to the area. Hoi an has coach loads that get bussed in every day mostly at night from da nang to the old town in hoi an . They were everywhere , although the smaller hotel I was staying at did not accept Chinese guests the hotel driver told us but it was full of Koreans and Japanese.

Edited October 5, 2018 by ronaldo0

[jasonsamui55]

On 10/1/2018 at 5:12 PM, blackhorse said:

On 10/1/2018 at 4:46 PM, jasonsamui55 said:

 
I’ve been commuting from Thailand to Vietnam 3-4 days per week for the past 18 months. So I see both sides quite regularly. But with regard to visas that foreigners can get for long stay, this is one area where Vietnam excels compared to Thailand. Visas are super easy. None of the stupid rules of financials and hours and hours spent standing in lines to deal with loads of unnecessary paper work and bribery and changing rules and all the rest that we all love in Thailand. You just go online, choose the duration and class (business or tourist) visa you want, pay for it with credit card or even PayPal, and then receive it from agent who meets you at the arrivals hall at the airport, then in and out multiple entry visa good for a year. You can get a 1 year multiple entry business visa for about $500. You can work with it, live with it, open bank accounts, everything. There aren’t the stupid rules prohibiting foreigners from working. If you go to a french restaurant, it’s quite refreshing that all the staff are French, same for Argentinian, English, Moroccan, etc. It’s a million times more foreigner friendly and business friendly than Thailand. The rest are just lifestyle issues which you’ll need to see and compare for yourself.
 
Personally I find the cost of living similar, give or take a few things. There is much better nightlife in Vietnam. I find Vietnam food to be better and cheaper than Thai food, and foreign foods about the same quality and cost, depends where you go. I do find Vietnam much safer, much less crime, and driving is a million times easier and more refreshing without so many kamikaze motorbike drivers as in thailand. Amazingly, there are more motorbikes in Vietnam as compared to cars and almost no accidents at all.

What type of nightlife is better?

Not soi cowboy style bars. Just lots of high end lounges and discos and bars that in most other places would be either pretentiously exclusive or expensive or both but in Vietnam they are very accessible and very cheap, at least in comparison.