Pattaya Versus DaNang and the winner is?

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

Foreigners aren't allowed to cohabit with a Vietnamese person of the opposite sex unless they're married. This law is selectively enforced, but I'd be careful. Many hotels require proof of a marriage certificate otherwise you have to book 2 rooms. No such silly rules on the books in Thailand.

Somewhat incorrect.  This was around years ago.  All gone now. 

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

As a foreigner living in Vietnam, you aren't allowed to deposit money to your own account,

There is some truth to this, but some banks allow a Vietnamese National to deposit into a foreigners bank account.  This is how many property investors are getting their rent every month. Their agent deposits the money into their account.

 

As you say, no problem with overseas electronic transfers.

 

What many foreigners do is get a pre-paid Visa card from their bank, which they are allowed to deposit cash onto.  Many of the young English teachers do this. 

 

For retirees, it's a not an issue, because they are not working, so it's always withdrawing cash, never depositing it.  

 

Opening a bank account is easy in Vietnam, and their online banking has everything needed. 

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

Vung Tau is probably closer though, lots of prostitutes there and a bit more open about it too, though I've never been there.

 

Vung Tau has many bars with prostitutes.  They are mainly for the oil and gas guys, but when oil fell off a cliff, these bars struggled.  The bars still exist, but are mainly frequented by expats who are not looking for sex.

 

You can not compare Pattaya to anywhere in the world for adult entertainment.  There is no other place like it.

 

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

Over the years they have gradually reduced the availability of the 1-year visa down to 3 months

The 1 year tourist visa used to be as simple to get as a 1 month tourist visas.

 

1 year visas are temporarily stopped every now and then.  After a period of time, they become available again.  They are currently only on offer to Americans, but will be on offer to everyone again in the future. 

 

In the mean time, the 3 month visas can be extended 3 times, inside Vietnam, which equates to a 1 year visa anyway. 

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

In Vietnam, dual pricing even at tourist attractions tends to be rare.

Correct.  There is minimal dual pricing in Vietnam, but some major tourist attractions do have it. 

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

It's rather cool and rainy between late November and early to mid February,

Well, for me, whether it's Danang, or Pattaya, they are both always hot.  I've never needed to wear a jumper in either place, in fact, I use the a/c all year round.

 

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

Like Thailand, Vietnamese law requires foreigners to be registered at immigration or by the police

Correct.  Hotels will do it for you, and condo management will do it for you.  If you rent a house, you have to go to your local police station.   It's just a formality.  

 

One thing your post did not touch on was gambling.  Vietnam has casinos, Thailand doesn't. 

 

[drbeach]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Nope, we walked in the lobby and she handed her ID (book?) to the front desk as we passed.

Receptionist at front desk took it, and put it in his drawer, they didn't speak to each other.

Sign on the wall said, "no visitors to your room after 10PM without handing in ID" 

 

You're 20 years behind the time, rules & penalties about co-habitation were removed from the books in 2000.

https://family.jrank.org/pages/1744/Vietnam-Revised-Marriage-Family-Law-2000.html

 

Article II addressed the emerging phenomenon of cohabitation. Under the 1986 statue, such living arrangements were illegal. However, the 2000 reforms stipulated that although cohabitation between unmarried couples was no longer considered a criminal act, neither would such arrangements be recognized as equal to marriage between a husband and wife.

I'm talking about Vietnamese cohabiting with foreigners and being unmarried. I don't see anything mentioned about that in your link. I only see that in the past, foreigners were barred from marrying locals.

 

Check out what this forum says:

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293924-i8595-k2060829-Unmarried_couple_cannot_stay_in_the_same_hotel_room-Hanoi.html

 

Here's another one:

 

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=567848

 

You can also check hotel policies when you book a hotel on Agoda. I remember very clearly some hotels in places like Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang, prohibit foreigners from staying in the same hotel room as a local of the opposite sex, if they are unmarried.

 

Very different to not being allowed to cohabit at all (only applies to unmarried Vietnamese-foreign couples) and is unequally enforced. Just because it isn't enforced, doesn't mean there's no law.

 

 

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, drbeach said:

'm talking about Vietnamese cohabiting with foreigners and being unmarried. I don't see anything mentioned about that in your link. I only see that in the past, foreigners were barred from marrying locals.

http://oivietnam.com/2015/10/is-marriage-a-legal-prerequisite-to-cohabitation/

 

The Vietnamese Law on Marriage and Family explicitly recognizes the principle of “co-habitation,” and no distinction is made between Vietnamese couples and “interracial” couples. Cultural sensitivity and tradition aside, it remains a common misunderstanding that it would be illegal for unmarried couples to live together in Vietnam 

[drbeach]

16 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Somewhat incorrect.  This was around years ago.  All gone now.  

  

There is some truth to this, but some banks allow a Vietnamese National to deposit into a foreigners bank account.  This is how many property investors are getting their rent every month. Their agent deposits the money into their account.

 

As you say, no problem with overseas electronic transfers.

 

What many foreigners do is get a pre-paid Visa card from their bank, which they are allowed to deposit cash onto.  Many of the young English teachers do this.  

 

For retirees, it's a not an issue, because they are not working, so it's always withdrawing cash, never depositing it.  

 

Opening a bank account is easy in Vietnam, and their online banking has everything needed.  

 

Vung Tau has many bars with prostitutes.  They are mainly for the oil and gas guys, but when oil fell off a cliff, these bars struggled.  The bars still exist, but are mainly frequented by expats who are not looking for sex.

 

You can not compare Pattaya to anywhere in the world for adult entertainment.  There is no other place like it.

 

 

The 1 year tourist visa used to be as simple to get as a 1 month tourist visas.

 

1 year visas are temporarily stopped every now and then.  After a period of time, they become available again.  They are currently only on offer to Americans, but will be on offer to everyone again in the future.  

 

In the mean time, the 3 month visas can be extended 3 times, inside Vietnam, which equates to a 1 year visa anyway. 

 

Correct.  There is minimal dual pricing in Vietnam, but some major tourist attractions do have it. 

 

Well, for me, whether it's Danang, or Pattaya, they are both always hot.  I've never needed to wear a jumper in either place, in fact, I use the a/c all year round.

 

Correct.  Hotels will do it for you, and condo management will do it for you.  If you rent a house, you have to go to your local police station.   It's just a formality.   

 

One thing your post did not touch on was gambling.  Vietnam has casinos, Thailand doesn't. 

 

I think the cohabiting law is still on the books - last year I was booking hotels for my stay and some of them said that "a foreigner can not stay with a Vietnamese person of the opposite sex unless married". Therefore, unless you are certain that the law has changed, I think it's more likely that it has gone by the wayside and isn't really being enforced.

 

Back in 2008 I stayed at a hotel in Sapa with my Vietnamese friend (male) and his Vietnamese girlfriend in the same room. Whether or not it was legal or not, nothing happened because nobody checked.

 

Yes, there are some casinos in Vietnam now, apparently only for foreigners.

 

I think Thailand should jump on the legal casino bandwagon, as Singapore did a few years ago. What are they afraid of? As it stands now, all desperate Thais have to do now is attempt an illegal border crossing to a casino in somewhere like Myawaddy, Myanmar or head over to Poipet or O'Smach in Cambodia (with a passport). Wouldn't it be better to allow legalized gambling here? Can't really understand the rationale for not allowing it - every other country in the region other than mainland China has either legalized gambling or is in the process of doing so.

[DrTuner]

59 minutes ago, drbeach said:

I think Thailand should jump on the legal casino bandwagon, as Singapore did a few years ago. What are they afraid of? 

Thais not near the borders would spend every single satang there right away. And the Chinese would own them and soon the entire neighbourhood. 

[jacko45k]

On 7/29/2019 at 7:36 PM, Jingthing said:

To people that say you can live on visa runs, yeah you can, but for an entire retirement? 

It would be a deterrent to invest in the usual needs like a home and vehicle if dependent on qualifying as a tourist. Give it time and Vietnam will adopt similar rules and regulations. Anywhere with 'socialist' in it's name is usually less social. 

[drbeach]

On 7/31/2019 at 2:28 PM, BritManToo said:

Last month, the girl at the front desk in Da Nang, held out my passport, took a photo of the ID page, and VISA page with her phone, and handed it back.

Yes, like I said, it's becoming more common to have passports returned immediately.

 

Unlike in Thailand where you can usually check-in to a hotel with just your Thai driver's license, in Vietnam, a foreigner must absolutely show his/her passport every time. No exceptions. Also, some cheaper Vietnamese guesthouses called "Nha nghi" don't accept foreigners at all. Every single Thai hotel accepts foreign guests. Never heard of there being any exceptions.

[KhunHeineken]

On 7/31/2019 at 6:21 PM, drbeach said:

I think the cohabiting law is still on the books - last year I was booking hotels for my stay and some of them said that "a foreigner can not stay with a Vietnamese person of the opposite sex unless married". Therefore, unless you are certain that the law has changed, I think it's more likely that it has gone by the wayside and isn't really being enforced.

 

Back in 2008 I stayed at a hotel in Sapa with my Vietnamese friend (male) and his Vietnamese girlfriend in the same room. Whether or not it was legal or not, nothing happened because nobody checked.

 

Yes, there are some casinos in Vietnam now, apparently only for foreigners.

 

I think Thailand should jump on the legal casino bandwagon, as Singapore did a few years ago. What are they afraid of? As it stands now, all desperate Thais have to do now is attempt an illegal border crossing to a casino in somewhere like Myawaddy, Myanmar or head over to Poipet or O'Smach in Cambodia (with a passport). Wouldn't it be better to allow legalized gambling here? Can't really understand the rationale for not allowing it - every other country in the region other than mainland China has either legalized gambling or is in the process of doing so.

I was in a relationship with a Vietnamese girl, but not married.  We traveled around a little.  Never a problem staying together in hotels.

 

Vietnamese earning over $400USD, or $450USD a month, I forget which one, are allowed into casinos, but have to pay a cover charge to get in.  This has done enough to ensure casions do not impact on those locals that can lease afford to gamble. 

 

I agree.  I don't know why Thailand is not offering legalized gambling.  They could implements some rules, like Vietnam has, to ensure only wealthy Thai's and foreigners can enter. 

[KhunHeineken]

9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Not the Thai way.

So, prostitution for on offer for tourists, on a scale like no other country in the world, is fine, but casinos, no way.  Makes sense.  ????

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

So, prostitution for on offer for tourists, on a scale like no other country in the world, is fine, but casinos, no way.  Makes sense.  ????

Buddhism is all about limiting your choice of vices.

[marcusarelus]

On 7/31/2019 at 8:50 AM, Ron jeremy said:

Yes, different crowd no doubt, , , educated people you can carry on a conversation with, professionals, being from pattaya, I can understand your problem being around such people, stay in pattaya.

and you talk about a city full of losers? Pattaya is world renowned for that!

How many days in total have you visited South East Asia - I'd say about 9.  

[drbeach]

21 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Why couldn't they / shouldn't they?

Agreed, they certainly could do it that way. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have managed to do so, so why not Thailand? Nothing unique in regards to these countries compared to Thailand. Other than driving on the opposite side to Thailand the mentality is largely the same. All these countries practice dual pricing, as Thailand does (albeit Vietnam does so only relatively sparingly these days).

[IraqRon]

how is this gambling debate taken over the topic of the op?

[Rimmer]

1 hour ago, IraqRon said:

how is this gambling debate taken over the topic of the op?

All the off topic gambling stuff and replies have now been removed  

[Rimmer]

A post discussing moderation has been removed

[KhunHeineken]

On 8/3/2019 at 4:52 PM, drbeach said:

Agreed, they certainly could do it that way. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have managed to do so, so why not Thailand? Nothing unique in regards to these countries compared to Thailand. Other than driving on the opposite side to Thailand the mentality is largely the same. All these countries practice dual pricing, as Thailand does (albeit Vietnam does so only relatively sparingly these days).

How hard would it be to have the rule, "No Passport - No Entry."  All foreign passports gain entry, all Thai passports refused entry.  

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

How hard would it be to have the rule, "No Passport - No Entry."  All foreign passports gain entry, all Thai passports refused entry.  

Such a rule, in Thailand, would not be popular, even with the current regime, very much in control.

Imagine such rules in say The USA!

[Ron jeremy]

On August 2, 2019 at 6:02 AM, marcusarelus said:

How many days in total have you visited South East Asia - I'd say about 9.  

I've been travelling Asia for 9 years and know it very well thanks.

[Rimmer]

I have previously removed posts about gambling, do not continue to push your agenda on this topic.

 

3) You will not post about activities or links to websites containing such material that are illegal in Thailand. This includes but is not limited to: gambling, betting, pornography, illegal drugs, fake goods/clothing, file sharing of pirated material, pyramid schemes, etc. Discussion of the above is permitted only as news items, but never as a "how to" topic.

[NanLaew]

On 7/31/2019 at 2:29 PM, BritManToo said:

Nope, we walked in the lobby and she handed her ID (book?) to the front desk as we passed.

Receptionist at front desk took it, and put it in his drawer, they didn't speak to each other.

Sign on the wall said, "no visitors to your room after 10PM without handing in ID"

 

You're 20 years behind the time, rules & penalties about co-habitation were removed from the books in 2000.

https://family.jrank.org/pages/1744/Vietnam-Revised-Marriage-Family-Law-2000.html

 

Article II addressed the emerging phenomenon of cohabitation. Under the 1986 statue, such living arrangements were illegal. However, the 2000 reforms stipulated that although cohabitation between unmarried couples was no longer considered a criminal act, neither would such arrangements be recognized as equal to marriage between a husband and wife.

The rules may well have been rescinded in 2000 but the majority of hotels still have the standard warnings of "no visitors to your room after 10PM" without any reference to surrendering ID. If you book and pay for two rooms, your chosen 'wife for a night' can use that room to stay overnight and the hotel won't assume otherwise.

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

The rules may well have been rescinded in 2000 but the majority of hotels still have the standard warnings of "no visitors to your room after 10PM" without any reference to surrendering ID. If you book and pay for two rooms, your chosen 'wife for a night' can use that room to stay overnight and the hotel won't assume otherwise.

Some of the older Vietnamese guest house or hotel management may put the girl's name in the book, under a different room number, but you don't book two rooms, and more importantly, you don't pay for two rooms. 

 

I was in a relationship with a Vietnamese girl for a while.  We traveled around Vietnam a little.  Not once was I told I had to book and pay for two rooms.  The subject never came up.  We did both have to show our ID, which neither I, or my girlfriend, had a problem with.

 

In the past, what you describe did happen, but I have never experience it.

[BritManToo]

18 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

In the past, what you describe did happen, but I have never experience it.

Agreed, some posters are way out of date with their information.

Besides ......."No visitors in your room after 10pm" ....... bang em in the afternoon.

[KhunHeineken]

52 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Agreed, some posters are way out of date with their information.

Besides ......."No visitors in your room after 10pm" ....... bang em in the afternoon.

Vietnam is progressing very quickly.  No doubt about it.

 

I think the "no visitors after 10pm" rule is to stop what the Chinese and Indians do in Thailand.  That is, one person checks in, and then 10 people sleep in the room.  Also, to stop the young guys having balcony parties and making noise.

[Ron jeremy]

Not a problem bringing a gal back to your room.

[atyclb]

On 8/17/2019 at 8:36 AM, NanLaew said:

On 7/31/2019 at 2:29 PM, BritManToo said:

Nope, we walked in the lobby and she handed her ID (book?) to the front desk as we passed.

Receptionist at front desk took it, and put it in his drawer, they didn't speak to each other.

Sign on the wall said, "no visitors to your room after 10PM without handing in ID"

 

You're 20 years behind the time, rules & penalties about co-habitation were removed from the books in 2000.

https://family.jrank.org/pages/1744/Vietnam-Revised-Marriage-Family-Law-2000.html

 

Article II addressed the emerging phenomenon of cohabitation. Under the 1986 statue, such living arrangements were illegal. However, the 2000 reforms stipulated that although cohabitation between unmarried couples was no longer considered a criminal act, neither would such arrangements be recognized as equal to marriage between a husband and wife.

The rules may well have been rescinded in 2000 but the majority of hotels still have the standard warnings of "no visitors to your room after 10PM" without any reference to surrendering ID. If you book and pay for two rooms, your chosen 'wife for a night' can use that room to stay overnight and the hotel won't assume otherwise.

 

short time hotels are abundant in danang

[atyclb]

3 hours ago, atyclb said:

On 8/17/2019 at 8:36 AM, NanLaew said:

On 7/31/2019 at 2:29 PM, BritManToo said:

Nope, we walked in the lobby and she handed her ID (book?) to the front desk as we passed.

Receptionist at front desk took it, and put it in his drawer, they didn't speak to each other.

Sign on the wall said, "no visitors to your room after 10PM without handing in ID"

 

You're 20 years behind the time, rules & penalties about co-habitation were removed from the books in 2000.

https://family.jrank.org/pages/1744/Vietnam-Revised-Marriage-Family-Law-2000.html

 

Article II addressed the emerging phenomenon of cohabitation. Under the 1986 statue, such living arrangements were illegal. However, the 2000 reforms stipulated that although cohabitation between unmarried couples was no longer considered a criminal act, neither would such arrangements be recognized as equal to marriage between a husband and wife.

The rules may well have been rescinded in 2000 but the majority of hotels still have the standard warnings of "no visitors to your room after 10PM" without any reference to surrendering ID. If you book and pay for two rooms, your chosen 'wife for a night' can use that room to stay overnight and the hotel won't assume otherwise.

 

short time hotels are abundant in danang

 

many guesthouses even put a outside sign with the 3 hour rate

[KhunHeineken]

On 8/19/2019 at 7:18 PM, atyclb said:

 

many guesthouses even put a outside sign with the 3 hour rate

This is true.  It's mainly because Vietnamese have the extended family model, where young adults remain in the family home.  This means they have no place of their own for privacy with their girlfriend / boyfriend.  So, many small hotels and guest houses offer their rooms for short time, but not so much for prostitution, but for couples in a relationship.

[atyclb]

1 hour ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 8/19/2019 at 4:18 PM, atyclb said:

 

many guesthouses even put a outside sign with the 3 hour rate

This is true.  It's mainly because Vietnamese have the extended family model, where young adults remain in the family home.  This means they have no place of their own for privacy with their girlfriend / boyfriend.  So, many small hotels and guest houses offer their rooms for short time, but not so much for prostitution, but for couples in a relationship.

 

you suppose the couple need prove they have a relationship?

 

recall at a guesthouse i was in the reception staff amused because the same girl was coming multiple times with different guys, no pun intended.

[KhunHeineken]

On 8/21/2019 at 8:34 PM, atyclb said:

 

you suppose the couple need prove they have a relationship?

 

recall at a guesthouse i was in the reception staff amused because the same girl was coming multiple times with different guys, no pun intended.

I'm not denying these "mini hotels" offering short time rates are used by hookers and their clients.  Just saying a lot of younger Vietnamese, in relationships, use them a lot as well.  

[St George]

10 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I'm not denying these "mini hotels" offering short time rates are used by hookers and their clients.  Just saying a lot of younger Vietnamese, in relationships, use them a lot as well.  

 

 

As young Thais use local short rooms..