What they don't tell you about clearing off to Vietnam

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Is that a drunk sleeping it off behind the tree?

 

Not at all. The flip flops come off as soon as Viet men park themselves on a stool and  lazily read their smartphones or wait for a customer or have a coffee, as they invariably do all day. 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

23 hours ago, mrmalkovich said:

US citizen running a company in Hanoi going on two years now. My two cents.

 

. . . (won't quote the whole thing) . . .

 

 

 

Cheap - yes. If you find anywhere cheaper than Vietnam on this planet, duck. They're probably about to start shooting.

 

Outstanding, well balanced report. IOW, the unvarnished truth, and I mean both the good and not so good. 

 

Quote

Food - not that great in my opinion, and nowhere near as tasty as Thai food. A Vietnamese friend told me it's basically war food - that's why everything is boiled to hell and there are a ton of sauces, to help people muscle down food that was otherwise unedible. Theoretically their food is healthier than Thai food but in reality much of the food is contaminated with whatever's in the ground and/or whatever the Chinese sprayed on it to make it grow faster. That's why my Viet friends all tell me to never buy the weirdly goodlooking eerily cheap meat and veg the friendly grandmother is selling in front of my house, and go to the supermarket instead, or best of all, find someone who has relatives out of town with a farm and buy food from them. 

Agreed. 100%. Yet even in the supermarkets, such as Lotte Mart and Coop Mart, I was often turned off by both the look and smells of the meat section and veg sections in the ones in Vung Tau. The Viets haven't learned how to make their food displays look good and smell good, except in Annam Gourmet Market in Saigon, which is staggeringly expensive. A Big C or Tops or Villa in Thailand will not have a smell, unless you're near the fish trays. Overall, the smells are often tantalizing in the Thai supermarkets.

[josephbloggs]

19 hours ago, IraqRon said:

yeez where is all the trash and traffic and etc. etc. the Viet bashers talked about?  I see a clean street, trees, and no stray dogs or trash, not to mention street walkers hanging out.

Have you actually been to Vietnam?  Or are you just looking at one picture?  I think I know the answer.

Anyone who has ever been there would not say it is clean.  I go there every 3-4 months for work (HCMC) and generally like the place and people, but it is chaos (I'm ok with chaos) and it isn't clean or free of rubbish in any way shape or form.

I just came back on Thursday.  Rented an apartment rather than a hotel this time.  Check out the entranceway to my 5-star luxury pad in the absolute centre of District 1, HCMC.  Rats everywhere too.

 

 

[madmen]

9 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Have you actually been to Vietnam?  Or are you just looking at one picture?  I think I know the answer.

Anyone who has ever been there would not say it is clean.  I go there every 3-4 months for work (HCMC) and generally like the place and people, but it is chaos (I'm ok with chaos) and it isn't clean or free of rubbish in any way shape or form.

I just came back on Thursday.  Rented an apartment rather than a hotel this time.  Check out the entranceway to my 5-star luxury pad in the absolute centre of District 1, HCMC.  Rats everywhere too.

 

 

Disgusting!

[josephbloggs]

On 9/2/2019 at 10:48 AM, CHiangMaiMuu said:

I served in the war in Vietnam, in 1969-1970, and I lived there for about 4 months altogether this year.

And I have to say YOU ARE A GODDAMN LIAR.

First place, people in Vietnam never did believe that trash that the communists said about the Americans in Vietnam; the common people had to go through the years of hell when the Viet Cong came in the night to their villages and took their rice and raped their daughters and took their sons to train to be savage killers. In some parts of the country, in Quang Nam province, many of the local people were refugees from North Vietnam who had left their homes to get away from the communists. They looked to "us" - Marines in the C.U.P.P.  units along side the South Vietnamese Regional Forces - to protect them from the guerillas. I used to go through the village with the Navy Corpsman (like a nurse) to translate for him, since I had gone to the 3-month Vietnamese language course in the States. The Corpsman treated the villagers illnesses as best he could. The Vietcong raped them and beat their children.

 

Second place,  even if you don't believe that, you are 100% wrong in what you say about the Vietnamese people's attitude to farangs. The people that I asked in the spring of this year in Vietnam said that the communists lied about the Americans. My young Vietnamese friend in Quy Nhon, whom I hired as a language teacher and guide, told me her mother told her the Americans were good to her. She worked on an Army base back then and, even after the brain-washing they did on her she still says - quietly - that the communists lied. My friend's older brother down in Saigon also said the same thing about the Viet Cong. He is making it as businessman, in spite of the oppression by the communists some people are making it because they are naturally entrepreneurs, resourceful and courageous. And they have to remain quiet or they die. And they want American advisors and tourists and investor.

 

People like you - you remind of the American Air Force veteran - who sat out the war in England and also thinks the Americans "lost" in Vietnam - you think that by not being there and by listening to propaganda 

put out by cowards who sent young people out to murder other people you are experts on the issue. Even the facts that they took out 60,000 of our boys and we killed over a million of them does not impinge on your mind.

 

The people in South Vietnam do not hate us. The people who work for the government is Vietnam have a more positive attitude to us that the Thai government. Clearly that is shown by the fact that the government makes it easier for farangs to move to Vietnam and move around in Vietnam without nonsensical restrictions. 

 

And they are able to write the English language better than you.

So the My Lai massacre was also dreamed up by the communists to make you look bad? 

You probably didn't poison the population for generations with Agent Orange and probably didn't neglect to clean it up afterwards.

Probably didn't leave the country, and Cambodia, littered with millions of landmines and unexploded cluster bombs that again you refused to clear up.

Nasty communists with their lies.

But you did kill more people according to your boast, so well done for that, you must be so proud.

[josephbloggs]

5 minutes ago, madmen said:

Disgusting!

Yep.  Absolutely horrendous.

 

Once you got past that and in to the apartment it was nice, although constant noise all night.

Not bashing, I like Vietnam and I enjoy going there, but to live?  Not a patch on Thailand for me.

[Yinn]

On 9/6/2019 at 11:30 AM, Mansinthe said:

When i was in Hanoi i got asked a few times if im from America. After i told them im from Germany people became way more friendly.

 

 

 

They told us they hate USA and France.

 

 

 

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

A Thai person who doesn't like Vietnamese people? What a surprise.

I not say that. I said dirty to spit. Ok for you?

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

 

Getting past that I will infer that the killing /raping/bombing/burning is referring to the USA involvement in the war in the 1960's. I have not noticed any farang burning/bombing villages, killing grandmothers, or raping grandfathers when I was there two years ago.

You don’t know much history. What about the French people. You not know about that right?

 

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

 

First, I am American and the right age to have been in that war. I wasn't, but in the three weeks I was there only one very old woman scowled at me.

Why she do that?

 

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

Actually the population in VN is very young

Most of the old one you kill already. Guns, bombs and then cancer from the chemi.

 

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

 

with most of them being born after that war. They welcome interaction with Americans and are very friendly. The young hold no grudges against foreigners as you apparently do.

What you like to believe. Up to you.

 

On 9/7/2019 at 11:48 AM, RocketDog said:

 

So you are wrong about all that part, but thanks for sharing your bigotry and naiveté with the forum.

 

Now we are more able than before to understand where some of your confused and derogatory posts are coming from.

 

Thanks for the entertainment. ????

I think you confused. They like Thai people. 

 

Google “Anti American”. Then “Anti Thai”

Thai more popular. We know why.

 

[Des Pickable]

josephbloggs

how much are you paying for your apartment if its reasonable price i may be interested in continuing the lease when you are not there. PM me if you dont want to post the price here. thanks

Edited September 9, 2019 by Des Pickable

[phycokiller]

On 9/7/2019 at 4:28 PM, josephbloggs said:

Have you actually been to Vietnam?  Or are you just looking at one picture?  I think I know the answer.

Anyone who has ever been there would not say it is clean.  I go there every 3-4 months for work (HCMC) and generally like the place and people, but it is chaos (I'm ok with chaos) and it isn't clean or free of rubbish in any way shape or form.

I just came back on Thursday.  Rented an apartment rather than a hotel this time.  Check out the entranceway to my 5-star luxury pad in the absolute centre of District 1, HCMC.  Rats everywhere too.

 

 

looks similar to phnom penh. If I try to wash the steps the people below threaten to call the police because they say the water will make their children sick. you just have to put up with the trash and cat <deleted>

[uzynkotak]

Neighbors threaten to call the police because water makes their children sick? What kind of benefits do you guys get from living in these <deleted>holes surrounded by a bunch of idiots? (all the smart ones were killed by poi pot apparently). I mean I wouldn't even live there if chicks lined up every day to suck my ding dong and paid me for it.

[BritManToo]

^^^^^^

I quite like Vietnam and Cambodia.

Edited September 10, 2019 by BritManToo

[DaRoadrunner]

On 9/2/2019 at 1:19 PM, Beggar said:

you have to pay taxes on your worldwide income.

Just how would the Vietnamese know about your worldwide income? Are you taxed on everything you transfer into a Viet Bank?

 

Whilst on the subject, can one transfer funds out of Vietnam?

 

What restrictions are there of foreigners holding bank accounts?

[Ron jeremy]

38 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

^^^^^^

I quite like Vietnam and Cambodia.

I have found the people in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam friendly, but the Cambodians and Vietnamese are but far the most friendliest I have ever come across.

pollution, traffic and lack of cleanliness?????? Perhaps in Hanoi or HCMC, away from the big cities there is nothing or very little of this.

the back streets of Danang, qui nhon etc are as quiet as small town Canada. And cleaner.

based on personal experience, not hearsay.

[joecoolfrog]

On 9/3/2019 at 9:43 AM, Yinn said:

That is what he say.

 

 

Yes. It like when you go kill people in the other country because you don’t agree with “communism” or religion. Like that.

 

or could be for “weapon of mass Destruction”. Think ok if you have that, but not ok other country have that. And they not have that.

 

or could be to attack afghan because Saudi guy live in Pakistan attack you.

 

or China because? I not know why? Money?

 

 

I not hate USA.

But understand why my food guide does. Or other people. Iraq, ahghan, etc etc

if you kill the family, bomb my house this people will hate you. Normal feeling.

i like peaceful.

 

if not that reason why you think have “anti American hated”. I think it the reason.

 

 

Yes. 

 

I think if farang want want to go vietnam, the south better. 

 

 

 

Yinn , if you are an average product of the Thai education system , you may as well just hand the country to China now.

[sunnyboy2018]

But the Thai army has been victorious over 30 times in its wars against the Thai people and elected governments.

[sunnyboy2018]

On 9/9/2019 at 5:30 PM, Yinn said:

They told us they hate USA and France.

 

 

 

I not say that. I said dirty to spit. Ok for you?

You don’t know much history. What about the French people. You not know about that right?

 

Why she do that?

 

Most of the old one you kill already. Guns, bombs and then cancer from the chemi.

 

What you like to believe. Up to you.

 

I think you confused. They like Thai people. 

 

Google “Anti American”. Then “Anti Thai”

Thai more popular. We know why.

 

Beacause of the Thai Bar Girls? 

[Beggar]

9 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Just how would the Vietnamese know about your worldwide income? 

This is pretty simple. Many foreign banks send reports to the tax authorities where you reside - if you want it or not. They even sent them to my home country where I was born. And I didn't live there for decades. They asked me where I pay my taxes. My adress abroad they got from my mother. They called her. But I did not do anything wrong and so in the end there were no problems. 

[Darkside Gray]

A very misleading piece, Most of the information given is incorrect  and not up-to date.

[phycokiller]

17 hours ago, uzynkotak said:

Neighbors threaten to call the police because water makes their children sick? What kind of benefits do you guys get from living in these <deleted>holes surrounded by a bunch of idiots? (all the smart ones were killed by poi pot apparently). I mean I wouldn't even live there if chicks lined up every day to suck my ding dong and paid me for it.

ah, well, I wont go into detail but cambodia was the best move I ever made. and trust me, you wont be able to keep the chicks away from your door, it will drive you crazy. Its pretty similar to thailand, its not bangkok or pattaya but same as any other SE asian town. but Im on the way out. its done its job for me

[phycokiller]

7 hours ago, Beggar said:

This is pretty simple. Many foreign banks send reports to the tax authorities where you reside - if you want it or not. They even sent them to my home country where I was born. And I didn't live there for decades. They asked me where I pay my taxes. My adress abroad they got from my mother. They called her. But I did not do anything wrong and so in the end there were no problems. 

thats sounds odd, its not a simple process to get info from a bank, even for tax authorities within a country usually. it can be done but they have to do more then just ask the bank, theres a legal process. you might be in a situation where both your bank and your countries tax authorities have broken the law and you can sue them. i would check it out if I was you

[phycokiller]

11 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

But the Thai army has been victorious over 30 times in its wars against the Thai people and elected governments.

its odd that the head of the thai army never asked them reign it in

[Beggar]

40 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

thats sounds odd, its not a simple process to get info from a bank, even for tax authorities within a country usually. it can be done but they have to do more then just ask the bank, theres a legal process. you might be in a situation where both your bank and your countries tax authorities have broken the law and you can sue them. i would check it out if I was you

They don't ask the bank. The bank sends it to them. Within the EU this is law. A German friend of mine had to pay a lot when an American bank sent information to the German tax authorities. They even came to his house and checked documents. Sadly they found his last will with even more international accounts... 

[phycokiller]

5 minutes ago, Beggar said:

They don't ask the bank. The bank sends it to them. Within the EU this is law. A German friend of mine had to pay a lot when an American bank sent information to the German tax authorities. They even came to his house and checked documents. Sadly they found his last will with even more international accounts... 

oh well, Im glad I dont keep any money in a bank then

[Beggar]

8 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

oh well, Im glad I dont keep any money in a bank then

You might have luck or Vietnam doesn't care. But with taxes I have been always very careful. If the tax authorities have a closer look at you this is mostly no fun. Even if you didn't do anything wrong they can keep you very busy for a while. And I feel pity for citizens of countries where you are taxed for your worldwide income even if you live abroad. The USA is one of them as far as I know. Such things don't make the life easier. 

[phycokiller]

9 minutes ago, Beggar said:

You might have luck or Vietnam doesn't care. But with taxes I have been always very careful. If the tax authorities have a closer look at you this is mostly no fun. Even if you didn't do anything wrong they can keep you very busy for a while. And I feel pity for citizens of countries where you are taxed for your worldwide income even if you live abroad. The USA is one of them as far as I know. Such things don't make the life easier. 

I dont know, I dont keep money in banks and like to give the impression Im a pauper, keeps a lot of people off your back and makes life much easier

[DaRoadrunner]

9 hours ago, Beggar said:

19 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Just how would the Vietnamese know about your worldwide income? 

This is pretty simple. Many foreign banks send reports to the tax authorities where you reside - if you want it or not. They even sent them to my home country where I was born. And I didn't live there for decades. They asked me where I pay my taxes. My adress abroad they got from my mother. They called her. But I did not do anything wrong and so in the end there were no problems. 

I can't see the UK taxman flying all the way to Vietnam just to persecute us. They are interested in those who make large transactions and money laundering, not small guys like most of us here on TV.

 

Yet my question about Vietnamese bank interference and taxation has not been answered.... Anyone?

 

For example; in Bali I hear the taxman can deduct tax from any incoming funds into a Balinese bank account. Do Vietnamese banks have a similar reporting system?

Edited September 11, 2019 by DaRoadrunner

[ThomasThBKK]

18 hours ago, DaRoadrunner said:

Just how would the Vietnamese know about your worldwide income? Are you taxed on everything you transfer into a Viet Bank?

 

Whilst on the subject, can one transfer funds out of Vietnam?

 

What restrictions are there of foreigners holding bank accounts?

 

Depends where you are from etc. where your money is, like every other country in the world.

If you are american,  they signed the FATCA tax exchange stuff.

They also signed the CRS, common reporting standard, that exchanges that kind of information worldwide: http://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/news/oecd-welcomes-viet-nams-commitment-to-implement-the-internationally-agreed-standards-to-tackle-tax-evasion-and-avoidance.htm

 

Tight currency controls, it kinda depends on what kind of capital you want to get out of the country but you need to proof that it's all earned legally and taxes paid, they are super anal on that and block you from leaving the country if you didn't pay taxes.

Basically you need to provide all contracts, documents etc about the funds you initially moved in.

 

For real estate to get the money out you need agreements and contracts between broker/developer/tenant etc

If you sell your RE then you need to get all this stuff notarized, you need all receipts, and also all tax receipts on the RE you paid. They are very strict on all that stuff especially for larger amounts, for smaller amount you can use western union or moneygram

If you want to get money out you earned, you need work permit and employment contract

 

Open bank account is similar as here, but you need a work permit or temporary residence card nowadays or a 12 month visa, they just issued a new law about that: 

 

Quote

As per Circular 19/2016/TT-NHNN and 26/2017/TT-NHNN (effective from July 2019) issued by the State Bank of Vietnam, foreigners who are able to provide documents confirming their residential status in Vietnam for at least 12 months will be eligible to open bank accounts. The required list of documents are as follows:

1/ Valid Passport as per law, in an acceptable condition that is clearly readable and identifiable (picture and text) for verification; AND

2/ One of the following valid documents with at least 12 months validity*:

+ Vietnam visa, OR

+ Temporary resident card, OR

+ Permanent resident card

 

 

If you are on these 3 month fakey visas you will have a hard time having a normal life there imo....

[ThomasThBKK]

5 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

For example; in Bali I hear the taxman can deduct tax from any incoming funds into a Balinese bank account. Do Vietnamese banks have a similar reporting system?

They don't do that automatic, it's your responsibility.

They block you from flying if they think you didn't pay tho - i have no idea how their system works, but it must be linked to the airports.

[gk10002000]

On 9/1/2019 at 5:36 AM, madmen said:

geez that's just crazy. Thanks for exposing the scaming. I think those running from tm30 form Will be jumping from frying pan in to the fire!

Yeah, there will be different sorts of pluses and minuses.  The general sense is cheaper and with what should not be too surprising shortfalls.  I work with many Vietnamese that travel back from the USA to Vietnam and they all are disgusted with the corruption they encounter.  Each one said even upon airport arrival, unless they put some cash in their arrival documents/passports, they never get through the lines. 

[gk10002000]

On 9/6/2019 at 2:34 AM, mrmalkovich said:

enerally very loud people,

In general, and not meaning to denegrate or speak badly about the Vietnamese, but I find their language absolutely horrible to listen to and it grates on my ears.  The meter and and choppy accents just sound terrible to me.  So different than descending mild tones often spoken by Thai ladies.  I work with many vietnamese and I do see a fairly wide range of pronunciation and intonation among them.  My cube mate was a very quite spoken lady.  The Viet lady on the other side of my cubicle seemed like a drunken loud sailor!  So I am sure as in many languages their are quiet speakers and loud speakers.