Tourist arrivals in Vietnam soar to record levels

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

As was just there and at a Circle K 2 days ago, the Saigon beer is 15000 dong and 333 which I think a better beer at 13000 dong or about 17 baht..  I am stuck here with family, but IK can honestly say that I love Vietnam and if I ever get a problem from not being able to live here because of stupid insurance3 or they raise the bar higher than I can jump, I would in a minute go live there. I have a multy entry 1 year visa that was sooo easy and cheap. 

I prefer Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are a lot of fun.

And a ME one year VISA costs $300 with no hoops.

[Destiny1990]

In Thailand they frequently come up with excuses about worldwide recessions etc. Meanwhile in Vietnam the tourists numbers and incoming expats numbers are going true the roof !

[holy cow cm]

13 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

During a recent week in Pattaya, had some absolutely awful Tiger beer, much of it three to six months old, going by the fill date. The Viet Tiger is usually pretty good, as is the 333. Plus, if you're into craft beers, had some good ones in the many brew pubs of Saigon. And way WAY more affordable. The Saigon pub regular beers are "pricier" but still only 65 baht/50,000 VND. Good imported wines are absolutely giveaway cheap compared to the staggeringly over-priced wines on offer in Thailand. So I'm sure the tourists were happy.

Had the San Miguel there with Saigon and mostly 333. Really cold 333 is just a delightful beer. I hit a brew pub with my VN company friend and we drank a lot. After a drunk night and each having 7-8 mugs with food, it came to a cost of about 1700 baht. No where here could you get that price and amount of food

[holy cow cm]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I prefer Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are a lot of fun.

And a ME one year VISA costs $300 with no hoops.

Siem Reap is livable as well just VN and their people I like more as very different. My VN visa cost $90 for the letter and $135 to get it stamped at immigration. No hoops.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Siem Reap is livable as well just VN and their people I like more as very different. My VN visa cost $90 for the letter and $135 to get it stamped at immigration. No hoops.

The hoop is ..... you have to have an American passport.

[Pattaya46]

38 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

// My VN visa cost $90 for the letter and $135 to get it stamped at immigration. No hoops.

34 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The hoop is.... you have to have an American passport.

Exactly. Few of us are American, and we have to pay more than double than you. Far more than for Thailand. //

Edited November 16, 2019 by Pattaya46

[holy cow cm]

47 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The hoop is ..... you have to have an American passport.

Oh you mean UK can only get 90 days? Did not think of it that way but might be easy if you go to an Embassy as might be something they can do as longer. For VN money talks.

[holy cow cm]

47 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Exactly. Few of us are American, and we have to pay more than double than you. Far more than for Thailand. //

Yeah but still well worth it if you are staying there and the visa is relatively easy to get with no worry like Thailand is giving us.

[DUNROAMIN]

As I have stated before,

All aboard the SS THaitanic.

 

captain-sinking-ship-260nw-64153591.webp

[soistalker]

12 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

And pay a pittance for the beers. I forget the Circle K price of a regular beer, but many bars in Vung Tau charge 100,000 VND for a five-beer ticket. That's US$4.30 or 130 baht, making that 26 baht a beer. The CK beer prices are even less. Here in Bangkok, you pay 120 baht for an ordinary beer at any (corporate) pub you care to name. 

That is a valid point. A case of Heineken is $16 in Vietnam. In Thailand it is more than twice that.  Solution: drink naaaaasty thai beer. Mmmmm....this Beer Chang is delicious, said no one with taste buds ever. 

[Mansell]

On 11/16/2019 at 10:04 AM, terryw said:

I have been work based in Vietnam for 10 years. There has been a massive increase in tourism during that period.

 

My wife is Thai so we regually visit Thailand, so I can compare the two countries.

 

Despite the well documented problems in Thailand I would still choose it for a holiday before Vietnam.

 

On this forum I frequently read starry eyed viewpoints about Vietnam. The fact is that it is an interesting place to visit and I would always encourage people to go there.

 

However, the Vietnamese tourism industry continues to be plagued by bad service standards, poor infrastructure and increasing pollution especially in tourist areas. A culture of quick profit with little thought for the customer underlines the whole industry. Overcrowding in popular places such as Hoi An and Da Lat are becoming a significant problem.

 

Next year we will definately holiday in Thailand which despite rising costs still remains a good value for money destination.

 

Well we visited as a family of four and had a great time. Hue and Danang and Hoi An. Always enjoy Hue. Stayed in this huge old hotel by the river, staff were great, food excellent. Many countries could learn from the great breakfasts you get in Vietnam. Danang was fun, though I miss the China Beach days with the jungle by the beach. Got accidentally overcharged for one of our boys, the tour people informed me and had the hotel reimburse me.....if they hadn’t told me I would never have known. Hoi An is different to when I first went in 2000, but still enjoyed it and the tasty Mexican food. Never felt unwelcome anywhere we went. If it all falls apart here I would move to Vietnam. My Thai wife wanted to move there, but work for her and no Vietnamese wouldn’t work very well.

[Mansell]

On 11/16/2019 at 4:32 PM, BritManToo said:

I prefer Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are a lot of fun.

And a ME one year VISA costs $300 with no hoops.

Siem Reap was okay until the power went off for days and it was bloody hot. I had to find a hotel with a generator and that only worked at assorted hours....not fun. Every time it rained big time the power went boom.

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, Mansell said:

Siem Reap was okay until the power went off for days and it was bloody hot. I had to find a hotel with a generator and that only worked at assorted hours....not fun. Every time it rained big time the power went boom.

I only go there Jan-April when it's cool enough not to need air-con.

Was warned it's hot as hell the rest of the year.

Edited November 19, 2019 by BritManToo

[Leaver]

On 11/16/2019 at 2:02 PM, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

And pay a pittance for the beers. I forget the Circle K price of a regular beer, but many bars in Vung Tau charge 100,000 VND for a five-beer ticket. That's US$4.30 or 130 baht, making that 26 baht a beer. The CK beer prices are even less. Here in Bangkok, you pay 120 baht for an ordinary beer at any (corporate) pub you care to name. 

When you use the word "bar" many people who have never been to Vietnam think of a pile of bricks with a bench top, under a tin roof, in the heat, noise, dust, mosquitoes, pollution, street vendors, terrible music, have bar girls dressed in next to nothing, 10 baht for the toilet, beggars etc.  A typical Thai beer bar, at 80 to 90 baht a beer.

 

In general, this is not a "bar" in Vietnam.  Many are indoor and air conditioned, have music that fits the clientele, are clean, have well dressed bar girls, and nicely decorated inside.  All of this, for 26 baht a beer. 

 

It must be remembered, the same product is being sold.  A tiger beer, or a Heineken, or San Mig.  It's just one is sold in a nicer environment, and at a third of the price.

[Langkawee]

On 11/16/2019 at 9:16 AM, soistalker said:

I lived in Vietnam for about 4 years. We used to go to the beach at night a few times a week, easy when living 200 meters from the beach, and drink beer on the sand by the moonlight. Try that anywhere there is a beach in Thailand and you might not make it home.

But a good chance to make it to the morgue and stay there for a week before your parents are notified. 

[Langkawee]

On 11/15/2019 at 2:32 PM, petermik said:

But will TAT take any notice,and wonder why....nah...fat chance

It may become harder for TAT to tell porky pies, lol

[Vacuum]

On 11/16/2019 at 1:45 AM, baansgr said:

Condos in AC sold out befor the piling starts....resales snapped up...compare that to Jomtien with 50% lower resale prices than three years ago, about says it all....thats not to mention that a BK extra long chicken burger is 99 PHP..about 60 baht compared to 200 in Thailand...San Mig light in a bar at 18 baht compared to the mad prices in Thailand...clothes, dental work, opticians at a fraction of the cost here....oh....and easier visas available.

Sounds good - if you wan't to live in a condo. What about renting/buying a house outside the cities?

[Langkawee]

On 11/16/2019 at 2:59 PM, Ron jeremy said:

The service is fabulous in Vietnam in my experience, smiling faces , very welcoming, and they seem genuinely happy to have my business 

unlike Thailand.

i have no idea where u experienced bad service. Not saying it didn’t happen.

i regularly visit both countries and can tell you this.

poor infrastructure? Never seen flooded streets in Vietnam?????

s culture of quick profit??

thailand wins this by a country mile.

sounds like a response from yet another disgruntled Thai business owner!

Or someone who has never been to Thailand or Vietnam.

[madmen]

On 11/16/2019 at 2:17 PM, Pattaya46 said:

I would be curious to see the source of this ridiculous statement 

Beer and barstool, 4g connection.

[Number 6]

I think a really interesting thing here is that tourism used to be said to represent 7% of the economy which is sizeable. As the Chinese, etc ballooned arrivals I've heard 13%. The government has literally ignored tourism as an issue and I'm wondering when it's going to be damaged irreparably.

 

Another sector of the economy also related to outside funds is of course exports. Only until recently the government has been all but silent. Now, it pays lip service.

 

Both these industries employ poor, working class and middle class workers. The deplorables.

 

The government is literally ignoring 25% of it's economy of which I bet the majority of Thai are employed.

 

It's really africa-think

[cyril sneer]

Thailand has a good future if all the american expats and backpackers decide to f off there instead

[HampiK]

On 11/16/2019 at 4:33 PM, Destiny1990 said:

In Thailand they frequently come up with excuses about worldwide recessions etc. Meanwhile in Vietnam the tourists numbers and incoming expats numbers are going true the roof !

"Going true the roof  --> But still the tourist are far away from the numbers in Thailand

 

 

On 11/16/2019 at 5:51 PM, holy cow cm said:

Yeah but still well worth it if you are staying there and the visa is relatively easy to get with no worry like Thailand is giving us.

As they not have nearly that numbers of tourists as Thailand. Wait a few years and we will see how easy it is to stay longtime in Vietnam.

You only look at this actual moment, but you can't be sure how it will change.

 

 

I was in Vietnam, and it is really cheaper than Thailand. But still not worth to change, as too many things are better in Thailand for myself. For others I can't speak out. And to tell the truth I don't care if others like Vietnam more or Thailand more, as this have to be a decision made by everybody themselve. Nobody really can't tell anybody which is the best country for them!

[Destiny1990]

4 hours ago, Langkawee said:

Or someone who has never been to Thailand or Vietnam.

 

1 hour ago, HampiK said:

"Going true the roof  --> But still the tourist are far away from the numbers in Thailand

 

 

As they not have nearly that numbers of tourists as Thailand. Wait a few years and we will see how easy it is to stay longtime in Vietnam.

You only look at this actual moment, but you can't be sure how it will change.

 

 

I was in Vietnam, and it is really cheaper than Thailand. But still not worth to change, as too many things are better in Thailand for myself. For others I can't speak out. And to tell the truth I don't care if others like Vietnam more or Thailand more, as this have to be a decision made by everybody themselve. Nobody really can't tell anybody which is the best country for them!

@Hampik i simply look where have easy simple visa procedures  TODAY.

Today Thailand no longer offers this.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Destiny1990

[Pattaya46]

On 11/16/2019 at 4:33 PM, Destiny1990 said:

In Thailand they frequently come up with excuses about worldwide recessions etc. Meanwhile in Vietnam the tourists numbers and incoming expats numbers are going true the roof !

Thailand don't need any excuses,

they will proudly show yet another record in tourism this year 

39 millions...