Relocating to Vietnam ?

[tutsiwarrior]

easier to just remember that VN is an authoritarian country run by the VN CP...they fought long and hard to maintain their territorial integrity and to expel imperialist powers (including the chinese in 1979) at great cost and don't tolerate no criticism...whether or not they are marxist is another argument...

 

 

 

 

[sanemax]

On 4/28/2019 at 8:57 AM, RocketDog said:

 

I didn't find the same variety of food there that I found here but what I really didn't like was the culture overall that serms so much different than Thailand. It is stiffer and more formal and I think the influence of the Catholic Church there has a lot to do with that. 

Foodwise, we are spoiled for choice in Thailand with so much variety .

I do kind of "feel at home" in Thailand and I just blend in and get treated no different to locals , but I did feel like a foreigner in Vietnam  , maybe thats just because there are many Westerners in Thailand and we are nothing out the ordinary here and this Thai generation has grew up with an abundance of Westerners .

   I did feel like a foreigner in Vietnam , which is to be expected, I suppose

[jmd8800]

On 4/24/2019 at 8:41 PM, sanemax said:

What I meant was that your statics and road deaths in Thailand and Vietnam doesnt show that Thai roads are more dangerous than Vietnamese roads .

  If you get hit by a motorbike , you probably wouldnt die and thus wouldnt be counted as a road fatality .

  What are the motorbike accident statistics for Thailand and Vietnam ?

And then you would have to factor in the quality of health care immediately after the accident. Thailand probably has better emergency response and treatment available.

[jmd8800]

On 4/24/2019 at 9:38 PM, sanemax said:

There you go , a photo taken of a motorcycle accident last week in Danang

And look at just how many riders are wearing helmets!!

[whitemouse]

On 4/24/2019 at 8:50 PM, smo said:

Cases in point:

 

1) Last year - or the year before can't remember - VN celebrated the opening of (drum rolls please) its very 1st, bona-fide 7/11 store in HCMC. A news clip showing the first few moments was hilarious:

There are Circle K shops on every corner; every step in HCMC in Vietnam, they are exactly the same, small, cheap shops that carry everything 711 do. 

 

There are mom and pap shops everywhere in small towns, that carry everything 711 do. 

 

Also, you neglected to mention everything in Vietnam street shops is half price, compared to Thailand. If you need reasons to  argue against Vietnam, you need to do much better job. 

[tutsiwarrior]

16 hours ago, whitemouse said:

There are Circle K shops on every corner; every step in HCMC in Vietnam, they are exactly the same, small, cheap shops that carry everything 711 do. 

 

There are mom and pap shops everywhere in small towns, that carry everything 711 do. 

 

Also, you neglected to mention everything in Vietnam street shops is half price, compared to Thailand. If you need reasons to  argue against Vietnam, you need to do much better job. 

wasn't too impressed with the circle K shops, no spirits or wine, nothing stronger than beer...mostly good for snack foods, soft drinks and beer...and no ice!!! impossible to find ice anywhere in downtown Hanoi, havta to go around with a plastic bag and beg ice offa restaurants, a sad state of affairs...no one has an ice machine, not even the restaurants, everyone just buys big bags of ice and keeps them in a cooler...

 

vodka and mixers without ice is like a day without sunshine...

 

 

 

[griffon2011]

On 4/25/2019 at 3:07 PM, WaveHunter said:

RELOCATING TO VIETNAM FROM THAILAND:  BEST OPTION FOR MOVING PERSONAL BELONGINGS (least costly shipping option and customs duty exposure:

 

I am thinking of relocating but wonder what is the best way to move personal belongings.  When I relocated to Thailand from USA, everything I brought fit into two military style duffle bags, plus my bicycle in a cardboard bike box.  I think each duffle was 20kg

 

Now, a year later, I'm guessing I would need 4 duffles, plus bike, and plus a boxed 32 inch computer monitor.   Air Asia has a max baggage limit of 40kg, and I think excess weight charges are outrageous (more than the price of the ticket)

 

So, Im wondering if anybody has experience at just buying a second ticket to get 40kg more of baggage allowance.  Is that possible?  I cant find any info on their website and, as usual their phones are down)

 

My other concern is how customs works upon arrival.  Should I anticipate getting hit with custom duties on my personal items (especially the computer monitor), and if so, what the rates might be?

 

I'm confused on duties because I read that there was a big change last year that eliminated and/or reduced customs based on a new ASEAN trade agreement between Thailand and Vietnam, but I can't find any two sources that agree on this.

 

Any advice or help on moving my personal belongings from Thailand to Vietnam would sure be appreciated.

 

I have the same concerns that you do regarding the customs duty policy.  I have two quotes for moving about 15-18 cubic/meters of furniture and household goods from BKK to Da Nang for around 215K baht plus 7% VAT via a 20 foot container which is 33 cbm or about half empty.  I am looking for a cheaper option, perhaps a small truck.  I hope to visit Vietnam shortly and maybe can get some information directly from shipping agents there.  When I shipped my goods from the US to Thailand I paid a additional 27K baht "fee" and no one even opened up the container.  I hope that option is available in Vietnam or the trade agreement is favorable.   

[balo]

Vietnam need more tourists maybe if you're looking for Western comfort.  It will happen, sooner or later. 

[WaveHunter]

9 hours ago, griffon2011 said:

I have the same concerns that you do regarding the customs duty policy.  I have two quotes for moving about 15-18 cubic/meters of furniture and household goods from BKK to Da Nang for around 215K baht plus 7% VAT via a 20 foot container which is 33 cbm or about half empty.  I am looking for a cheaper option, perhaps a small truck.  I hope to visit Vietnam shortly and maybe can get some information directly from shipping agents there.  When I shipped my goods from the US to Thailand I paid a additional 27K baht "fee" and no one even opened up the container.  I hope that option is available in Vietnam or the trade agreement is favorable.   

I may be taking a short “vacation” to Da Nang in a couple of weeks to also get more ideas on best way to avoid excessive custom duties involved in making a move as an expat.  

 

Let’s post any new info we come across, since nobody else on this forum seems to have any useful advice they’re willing to share, OK?

 

FYI, I actually have very little stuff (almost cartable on a commercial flight) but the items have high value such as expensive racing bicycles, computer gear for my work, etc).  I spoke with a shipping broker about hiring a truck, and he advised (in my case) to use post office.  

 

My experience with that route (shipping items to Thailand from USA and having to deal with THAI customs) has usually been very negative (ridiculously overvalued valuations and no way to fight it) so I’m in a real quandary about this!

[sanemax]

There was something rather hostile about Danang , but I just couldn't figure out what it was .

After thinking about it , I think that I've worked it out .

Off the main streets , there are many small alleyways leading to communes  and they are no through roads .

Many local people live in enclosed communities , and I sure that they are not hostile , they just seem unwelcoming and unfriendly  

[thaibry]

just returned from da nang, hoi an, wei, and sai gon. in d a, did not see any grotty rest., plenty of convenience stores, atms, no motor cycles driving wrong way, just walk and they miss you. never saw one accident, but yes they park on sidewalks, as do thais.  wide streets clean, lots of roundabouts where traffic flows , not like thailand.  hotels cleaner, better fitted and serviced than thai ones in same price range.  in hoi an, of course lots of tourist, many of which were viet and chinese.  in short, i have to think your post is bs to the max.

I too visit Vietnam regularly and totally agree.

Sent from my ASUS_X00HD using Tapatalk

[tutsiwarrior]

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

There was something rather hostile about Danang , but I just couldn't figure out what it was .

After thinking about it , I think that I've worked it out .

Off the main streets , there are many small alleyways leading to communes  and they are no through roads .

Many local people live in enclosed communities , and I sure that they are not hostile , they just seem unwelcoming and unfriendly  

 

I think that this is generally true in a lot of cases when tourists wander into places where they are not expected...sorta like wandering into the kitchen of a big house during dinner when you are a dinner guest 'wha? what are you doin' here???' the locals are startled and uncomfortable...not hostile but not welcoming either because ye ain't got no business bein' there...

 

 

 

[sanemax]

18 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

 

I think that this is generally true in a lot of cases when tourists wander into places where they are not expected...sorta like wandering into the kitchen of a big house during dinner when you are a dinner guest 'wha? what are you doin' here???' .

 

 

 

"Yeah , I just arrived from Thailand and I'm on me own and I'm going to live in Vietnam and I'm just looking for single mother bargirl approaching retirement age who wants to get married to a foreigner , are there any one who fits that description here ?"

[tutsiwarrior]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

"Yeah , I just arrived from Thailand and I'm on me own and I'm going to live in Vietnam and I'm just looking for single mother bargirl approaching retirement age who wants to get married to a foreigner , are there any one who fits that description here ?"

 

and then here is tutsi sitting in the forecourt of the ministry of construction (LILAMA building, set back off the busy main road and nicely landscaped) one afternoon after work waiting for the transport back to the accommodation in Tay Ho...the place is a riot of little kids and their mothers as it's the only open area in a very congested area south of down town Hanoi and there was a little boy with a beanie hat that sat there smiling and not doing much else and he was being minded by an older woman that looked to be his grandmother...

 

and very attractive she was too...and she stood directly in front of me, bent forward and unfurled her hair, her thin cotton PJs transparent in the low afternoon light (she was slim and delectable) and then she sat next to me and smiled like sayin' 'lose yer way?' and the bad devil said 'go for it tutsi, you know you want some of that' and the good devil said 'yer still in love with yer wife in Thailand fer christsakes!!!' the indecision was horrible and then my ride pulled up and I got in...

 

I waited all the next day until the end of the day and the woman and the little boy had disappeared never to be seen again...yes, it can happen to you, an unlikely apparition of a vision of delight in the chaos of big city Viet Nam at 5 in the afternoon...make sure that ye pretend to lose yer way first...

 

 

[simon43]

On 4/24/2019 at 8:36 PM, sanemax said:

They have laws in Laos that if you have sexual relations with a local , you can get a US$5000 fine and get deported , although I havent heard an cases of that law being enforced

Had the law been enforced when I last lived there, (and I was well aware of that law), I would have had to pay $60,000 and been deported a dozen times....  ????

[DEKEM]

On 4/24/2019 at 4:42 PM, GeKoSc said:

There are some additional differences to Thailand, the Vietnamese people are extremely nice, attentive and they welcome foreigner much more as the Thais do (at least in Pattaya :). I have visited a plenty of condos in DaNang in the price range of 300-400 USD and they are not as complete as those in Pattaya; no pool no GYM and bulky/heavy wooden furniture, often small windows (but you will find GYM places with pool in the city) or gardens where to rest....and the rent is about 30% higher than in Pattaya; most spaces start around 30 qm. I used to take a breakfast in the street (a delicious tasting egg/spices stuffed, fresh bread for less than 1/2 a dollar...As you mentioned it already the weakest point in Vietnam is the traffic...Personally I liked also Hanoi with so many lakes...Once when resting at the largest lake (Ho Hoan Kiem) I was asked frequently to be pictured with other tourists....if I would have asked for a dollar I would have collected 10 USD within an hour... however to walk in the "Old Quarter District" is chaotic and stressful if not used to it. Next time in Hanoi I would look for a hotel near the lake where traffic and noises are lesser and it would be easier to find a large supermarket....Unfortunately no long term visa were available during 2018 which will make it uncomfortable for those folks looking to settle down in this country...

what do you call a long term visa?  I was able to get a 1 year multiple reentry visa to vietnam for 7200 baht at their consulate in bangkok for 2017 and 2018.  I am thinking of getting a 1 year visa next week as backup option in case my retirement extension is not approved in december.

[GeKoSc]

You're a US citizen? You are working in Vietnam? In accordance with the visa agencies in Vietnam the 12 and 6 months visa or extension has been stopped for those which does not fall under special categories (working there, etc.). This issue has been discussed too in one FB-Vietnam expat group. Please let me know if you will be successful with your new extension. It might be a good idea to visit the Vietnam Embassy in Bangkok...I have tried to contact them by email but they did not reply to my questions.

[thaibry]

Talking of motorcycles, when did you last see this much discipline in Thailand?

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[sunnyboy2018]

And the girls? Or gay scene?

[BritManToo]

On 10/5/2019 at 3:09 AM, sunnyboy2018 said:

And the girls? Or gay scene?

Depends where you are,

Nothing obvious in Hanoi or Da Nang, not even massage.

Rampant in Saigon and Vung Tau.

[steven2018]

ATM Pin Code

I have read that Vietnam ATMs use a 6-digit pin code, my US debit card uses 4-digits.

Is this correct on the 6-digit ?

If so, what to do ?

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, steven2018 said:

ATM Pin Code

I have read that Vietnam ATMs use a 6-digit pin code, my US debit card uses 4-digits.

Is this correct on the 6-digit ?

If so, what to do ?

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
 

Its Vietnamese bank cards, rather than the ATM .

Just use your four digits normally 

[sunnyboy2018]

On 10/4/2019 at 9:01 PM, thaibry said:

Talking of motorcycles, when did you last see this much discipline in Thailand?

Sent from my ASUS_X00HD using Tapatalk
 

Every day.

[sunnyboy2018]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Depends where you are,

Nothing obvious in Hanoi or Da Nang, not even massage.

Rampant in Saigon and Vung Tau.

Not rampant enough!

[sunnyboy2018]

13 minutes ago, steven2018 said:

ATM Pin Code

I have read that Vietnam ATMs use a 6-digit pin code, my US debit card uses 4-digits.

Is this correct on the 6-digit ?

If so, what to do ?

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8304F1 using Tapatalk
 

I used my 4 pin number cards in Vietnam as I do in Thailand but my Thai bank card has a six number pin.

[steven2018]

Its Vietnamese bank cards, rather than the ATM .
Just use your four digits normally 

Awesome - thanks for the valued info.

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[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I used my 4 pin number cards in Vietnam as I do in Thailand but my Thai bank card has a six number pin.

Used my Bangkok Bank VISA debit card last weekend, 4 digits, no problems.

BKB charged me 100bht on top of the 2MVND withdrawal

BIVD atm charged me 60kvnd +6%

Worked out at 694kvnd/1,000bht

 

It was raining a lot, Tuesday, torrential/light rain mix when I woke up 6:30am until I took off at 1:30pm.

Managed to take a few photos at the weekend.

[JimmyJ]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Used my Bangkok Bank VISA debit card last weekend, 4 digits, no problems.

BKB charged me 100bht on top of the 2MVND withdrawal

BIVD atm charged me 60kvnd +6%

Worked out at 694kvnd/1,000bht

 

It was raining a lot, Tuesday, torrential/light rain mix when I woke up 6:30am until I took off at 1:30pm.

Managed to take a few photos at the weekend.

Where is this?

[Ron jeremy]

5 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Not rampant enough!

Sunny boys 

 

On 10/8/2019 at 7:59 PM, BritManToo said:

Depends where you are,

Nothing obvious in Hanoi or Da Nang, not even massage.

Rampant in Saigon and Vung Tau.

Don’t know where u we’re in these places and couldn’t find ladies

its rampant there too

even sunnyboy ( who’s life revolves around hookers) could get laidd there 

well, maybe not!

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Where is this?

Hang Mua viewpoint above Tam Coc waterway.