Vietnam puts the kibosh on foreigners

[geriatrickid]

2 hours ago, tropo said:

The way you're talking you'd think Canada and the US are doing the Philippines a favour by allowing family members to send money to their families in the Philippines. You're dreaming up scenarios that will never happen. Thinking that the US or Canada will stop the flow of earnings back to the Philippines is ludicrous. You can't even spell "filippinos" (are you being purposefully derogatory?), but what you fail to understand is that a large majority of Filipinos working in the US and Canada are US and Canadian citizens. That makes them voters, btw. Some leaders around the world may hate Duterte, just as millions hate Trump, but the 2 countries will not become enemies over it. Trump and Duterte had a "perfect" meeting in November 2017. He actually praised Duterte's war on drugs.

 

All the nonsense you've been spouting is from the fake news you've been reading too much of. I never get my information on the Philippines from international (Western) media. They put the wrong spin on everything. It would be like trying to learn about Trump by watching to CNN.  

Yes the USA and Canada are doing the Philippines a favour by allowing the transfer  of the money. Very few countries would allow such transfers in the  billions of USD to occur as is the current situation.   Yes there are ethnic communities in Canada, the USA and the EU. However, their political influence is not as significant as you think as they are one of the more integrated immigrant groups.

 

You have made multiple assumptions as to the popularity of Duterte. Filipinos are notorious for telling people what they they think they want to hear, not necessarily what they truthfully feel. As you are no doubt an expert on the the local culture you know that already, right? 

 

You open yourself to ridicule when you dismiss documented facts as "fake news"  because you disagree and are unable to offer a reasonable factual rebuttal. The documented abuses are not the creation of Chinese propaganda outlets or Russian operatives. On the contrary they are the reality. Sadly, the bloated opinion polls are no different from the situation  that surrounded the last brutal dictator, Mr. marcos, and we all know how that ended.  You may find the following educational;   https://www.bworldonline.com/why-president-duterte-is-popular/

 

In case you missed it, Mr. trump doesn't have much of a foreign policy and treaties are approved or changed subject to the approval of the U.S. Congress. At this time the sentiment leans more towards rapprochement with Vietnam than the brutal dictatorship of Duterte the thug.

 

You seem to have a fondness for authoritarian fascists and others who abuse due process. That is  your personal preference and does not make it a legitimate form of governance.  Fortunately, for those of use who support the rule of law, such despots are eventually removed either through the judicial process or through public uprisings.  Marcos though he was untouchable and history shows what happened.

 

In respect to Vietnam, no expat need live in fear of a home invasion or have need of armed escorts if wealthy. No need to live in a gated community either. That's the difference with the violent murderous land of the Philippines.

 

[tropo]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Yes the USA and Canada are doing the Philippines a favour by allowing the transfer  of the money. Very few countries would allow such transfers in the  billions of USD to occur as is the current situation.   Yes there are ethnic communities in Canada, the USA and the EU. However, their political influence is not as significant as you think as they are one of the more integrated immigrant groups.

 

You have made multiple assumptions as to the popularity of Duterte. Filipinos are notorious for telling people what they they think they want to hear, not necessarily what they truthfully feel. As you are no doubt an expert on the the local culture you know that already, right? 

 

You open yourself to ridicule when you dismiss documented facts as "fake news"  because you disagree and are unable to offer a reasonable factual rebuttal. The documented abuses are not the creation of Chinese propaganda outlets or Russian operatives. On the contrary they are the reality. Sadly, the bloated opinion polls are no different from the situation  that surrounded the last brutal dictator, Mr. marcos, and we all know how that ended.  You may find the following educational;  https://www.bworldonline.com/why-president-duterte-is-popular/

 

In case you missed it, Mr. trump doesn't have much of a foreign policy and treaties are approved or changed subject to the approval of the U.S. Congress. At this time the sentiment leans more towards rapprochement with Vietnam than the brutal dictatorship of Duterte the thug.

 

You seem to have a fondness for authoritarian fascists and others who abuse due process. That is  your personal preference and does not make it a legitimate form of governance.  Fortunately, for those of use who support the rule of law, such despots are eventually removed either through the judicial process or through public uprisings.  Marcos though he was untouchable and history shows what happened.

 

In respect to Vietnam, no expat need live in fear of a home invasion or have need of armed escorts if wealthy. No need to live in a gated community either. That's the difference with the violent murderous land of the Philippines.

 

The big difference between us is that I know what's going on, on the ground in the Philippines, and the good he is doing for the people. Just to name a few - improved medical assistance for the poor. School feedings for the poor kids at least twice a week. Monetary support for the very poor. Much lower use of drugs.... I can go on. I know why he is popular and understand him. You just parrot the usual international media opinion, which I don't even need to hear from you as it is pervasive online. I hear and read it too, everyday.

 

Yes, I am a Trump supporter too. I like both of them. Does that mean I'm a deplorable? LOL Neither of them are dictators. I have fondness for non-politicians that speak their mind and help their people, instead of the doublespeak nonsense from your typical politicians.

 

What a load of nonsense, that the Canadian and US governments are doing the Philippines a favour, allowing them to remit their own hard-earned money (from Canada and US) to the Philippines after it has been heavily taxed. This is so ridiculous that it's not worth arguing about it any further. You understand that Filipinos and OFW's work all over the world. They don't rely on Canada or the USA.  

 

And you also bring Marcos into the discussion too. There's no comparison, but this will get way off topic. Duterte lives a very modest lifestyle, like any ordinary Filipino. He is not concerned with money or power, and he knows he doesn't have too long to live as his health is not great. He's spoken of this a number of times.

 

You think it's not true that he is extremely popular. If there was an election today, it would be no contest. One of the reasons is that he is a Visayan. Visayans have been bypassed for decades and as far as they are concerned, he has rock star status. Of course, there is no chance of a re-election as they have only 1x 6 year term in PI.  

 

Check out Duterte's house in Davao, where he likes to spend his weekends. He's really is just an ordinary guy.

 

 

 

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

You have made multiple assumptions as to the popularity of Duterte. Filipinos are notorious for telling people what they they think they want to hear, not necessarily what they truthfully feel. As you are no doubt an expert on the the local culture you know that already, right? 

I had a house in Kapalong (about 2 hours north of Davao City) for 8 years (would visit 8-10 times a year) & can tell you that the people everywhere I went to in Mindanao worshiped D30 (They'd have lifesize cardboard cutouts of him outside their stores), to the point where his daughter took over from him as mayor when he moved on.

 

Filipino friends I worked with in Singapore tell me how much they agree with D30's policy on drugs (though not the way it's enforced) & his approval rating was (probably still is) > 80% (care to guess at Trump's or Johnson's approval ratings)?

 

Maybe you'd like to share your credentials as to what makes you "An Expert"... 

 

[elephant45]

What happened to my Post about Vietnam?

[NanLaew]

22 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I had a house in Kapalong (about 2 hours north of Davao City) for 8 years (would visit 8-10 times a year) & can tell you that the people everywhere I went to in Mindanao worshiped D30 (They'd have lifesize cardboard cutouts of him outside their stores), to the point where his daughter took over from him as mayor when he moved on.

 

Filipino friends I worked with in Singapore tell me how much they agree with D30's policy on drugs (though not the way it's enforced) & his approval rating was (probably still is) > 80% (care to guess at Trump's or Johnson's approval ratings)?

 

Maybe you'd like to share your credentials as to what makes you "An Expert"... 

 

Thaksin's war on drugs was equally popular among most of the local population here who similarly averted their eyes from the way it was implemented.

 

His sister also "took over from him... when he moved on."

 

Doesn't mean he was a great guy.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

I had a house in Kapalong (about 2 hours north of Davao City) for 8 years (would visit 8-10 times a year) & can tell you that the people everywhere I went to in Mindanao worshiped D30 (They'd have lifesize cardboard cutouts of him outside their stores), to the point where his daughter took over from him as mayor when he moved on.

 

Filipino friends I worked with in Singapore tell me how much they agree with D30's policy on drugs (though not the way it's enforced) & his approval rating was (probably still is) > 80% (care to guess at Trump's or Johnson's approval ratings)?

 

Maybe you'd like to share your credentials as to what makes you "An Expert"... 

 

The first time I heard of Duterte was just after Typhoon Yolanda destroyed Tacloban, in Leyte, killing over 6000 people, in November 2013. This is only 50 km (as the crow flies) from our house in Leyte, which was hit by the eye of this typhoon and had its roof torn off.

 

I remember seeing a video of Duterte a few days after the typhoon had stuck, who I'd never heard of before, who was visiting Tacloban and offering assistance and support for the victims. I asked my wife: "who is this guy"? She said he was the mayor of Davao City. I was wondering why a mayor from Davao City on another island was visiting Leyte and specifically Tacloban City. This was years before he had any aspirations of becoming the President. He was pushed into it and didn't take it seriously until quite close to election time.

 

I remember, to this day, his words in the video. He said "where was God on this day". He truly is the best thing that ever happened to the Philippines (apart from gaining independence from the USA) and the country will mourn his passing. His daughter will take over as president.

 

After a Filipino maid had been found in a freezer in Kuwait, with signs of extensive torture, Duterte sent airplanes to Kuwait to repatriate any Filipinos who might want to return. He was at the airport handing out cash as they arrived back home. Over 4000 took up his offer and he placed a ban on further domestic worker recruitment in Kuwait. They lifted the ban later that year. Why? Kuwait needs Filipino domestic works and they couldn't do without them, so they came to an agreement.

 

Fast forward to December last year.

 

A Filipina maid in Kuwait has been killed allegedly following abuse by her employers, local media reported.

On Sunday, December 29, police received a report from Sabah Hospital where a Filipina housemaid, who had died, was found to have bruises on various parts of her body, Kuwait Times reported.

The deceased, identified as Jeanalyn Villavende, had arrived in Kuwait on May 5, 2019.

According to the report, the maid’s sponsor, who had taken her to hospital, admitted during interrogations that his wife had beaten Villavende until she fainted. His wife, who was summoned, reportedly admitted to beating the maid but said she had not intended to kill her.

An investigation is underway.

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines lashed out against the incident.

“I really want to kill [these illegal] recruiters who seize every problem to convince people to go to the Middle East. But when the recruit arrives in the Middle East, the problem develops or they are being sold to questionable Arab families,” Duterte said in a speech on Monday.

 

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/philippines/philippines-domestic-workers-banned-from-going-to-kuwait-1.1578037461045

 

He's not the most eloquent of speakers, but he deeply cares for his people.

 

More recently he was in Taal, personally giving out aid packages to the earthquake victims. 

 

 

[tropo]

27 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Thaksin's war on drugs was equally popular among most of the local population here who similarly averted their eyes from the way it was implemented.

 

His sister also "took over from him... when he moved on."

 

Doesn't mean he was a great guy.

It's a crime to compare the two people.

[tropo]

33 minutes ago, elephant45 said:

What happened to my Post about Vietnam?

Sorry about that. When people start trashing Duterte, I can't help myself....

[holy cow cm]

13 hours ago, tropo said:

I don't agree that Duterte is a dirtbag. Very many things have improved since he became president and he cares deeply about his people. His 90% plus approval rating attests to that. You'll not find a leader who cares more about his people. OK, so he was tough on drug dealers? So what? Before he was president I had family members picking up drugs at the corner store for 200 pesos. (indirectly I was paying for the drugs and also the many problems these drug addictions caused). Every man and his dog was using shabu (yabba). That's over now. I can go on and on about the improvement of life for the poorest of Filipinos.

 

It will be interesting to see if US expats have extra hoops to jump through. I think they will.  

I just don't like the guy at all. But then again I don't like many of countries leaders. So maybe the people love him who knows, but his sanctioning of the extrajudicial killings (murder) went over the top. And he has done some stupid things such as to start laying in bed with the Chinese that is going to backfire and be irreversible. Thaksin did the same here years back and I was living in a small migrant place up North of CM city that had a lot of killings going on by very black soled people. Even came to my door one day and sat in my chairs outside. So Thailand, now Vietnam in restrictions, and probably the Philippines for Americans. I just hope all 3 of these countries reverse and be more open arm welcoming than tightening up. BTW. I will be in Manila in a couple of weeks for some R&R.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

And he has done some stupid things such as to start laying in bed with the Chinese that is going to backfire and be irreversible.

I wouldn't mind lying in bed with a Chinese girl (or two).

Still on my bucket list!

Viet and Filipino got crossed off a few years back.

[holy cow cm]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I wouldn't mind lying in bed with a Chinese girl (or two).

Still on my bucket list!

Viet and Filipino got crossed off a few years back.

Same here. Some of the Chinese tourist gals are so hot. And they dress to the sexiest hilt as well.

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, tropo said:

The first time I heard of Duterte was just after Typhoon Yolanda destroyed Tacloban, in Leyte, killing over 6000 people, in November 2013. This is only 50 km (as the crow flies) from our house in Leyte, which was hit by the eye of this typhoon and had its roof torn off.

I drove through Compostela Valley (on a road trip Kapalong to Surigao to visit ex-GF's grandparents) the week after one of the "Super Typhoon's" hit & it was unreal... Literally a major highway sized road scythed through the forest.

 

But what stuck in my memory the most was the fact that despite the devastation, the 1st thing that was being rebuilt was the church...

 

 

 

 

[tropo]

44 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

I just don't like the guy at all. But then again I don't like many of countries leaders. So maybe the people love him who knows, but his sanctioning of the extrajudicial killings (murder) went over the top. And he has done some stupid things such as to start laying in bed with the Chinese that is going to backfire and be irreversible. Thaksin did the same here years back and I was living in a small migrant place up North of CM city that had a lot of killings going on by very black soled people. Even came to my door one day and sat in my chairs outside. So Thailand, now Vietnam in restrictions, and probably the Philippines for Americans. I just hope all 3 of these countries reverse and be more open arm welcoming than tightening up. BTW. I will be in Manila in a couple of weeks for some R&R.

So what has "laying in bed" with the USA done for the Philippines since July 4, 1946 (74 years)? Sweet FA is the answer. The country has been a disgusting mess that the US left behind. The ironic thing is that the USA has been "laying in bed" with China until Trump came to town, so now they are switching places. This is not a new idea he came up with. He's had a healthy dislike of Americans for decades.

[tropo]

8 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I drove through Compostela Valley (on a road trip Kapalong to Surigao to visit ex-GF's grandparents) the week after one of the "Super Typhoon's" hit & it was unreal... Literally a major highway sized road scythed through the forest.

 

But what stuck in my memory the most was the fact that despite the devastation, the 1st thing that was being rebuilt was the church...

That's depends on the church. We have an SDA church opposite our house and it took years to rebuild. It had crumbled to the ground.

[Sujo]

On 2/4/2020 at 10:48 PM, madmen said:

20 million muzzles over there still practicing sharia law. Good luck trying to get a beer outside of George Town on short notice 

You have obviously never been here.

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I wouldn't mind lying in bed with a Chinese girl (or two).

Still on my bucket list!

Viet and Filipino got crossed off a few years back.

Ive had a few here in kuala lumpur. so sexy. But watch out, they are very high maintenance.

[holy cow cm]

27 minutes ago, tropo said:

So what has "laying in bed" with the USA done for the Philippines since July 4, 1946 (74 years)? Sweet FA is the answer. The country has been a disgusting mess that the US left behind. The ironic thing is that the USA has been "laying in bed" with China until Trump came to town, so now they are switching places. This is not a new idea he came up with. He's had a healthy dislike of Americans for decades.

Just wait and see what China will do for the Philippines Won't be FA but it will take all. Start taking your Mandarin classes. And I am glad the US is to some point cutting ties with China but it might be a little too late as imperial China wants the entire world. And the USA has been very kind with funding and letting the People of the Philippines go into the USA, work and settle down. But unfortunately the prior leaders of the Philippines raped the system and stole the money. The Philippines  only has the Philippines to blame.

[tropo]

4 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Just wait and see what China will do for the Philippines Won't be FA but it will take all. Start taking your Mandarin classes. And I am glad the US is to some point cutting ties with China but it might be a little too late as imperial China wants the entire world. And the USA has been very kind with funding and letting the People of the Philippines go into the USA, work and settle down. But unfortunately the prior leaders of the Philippines raped the system and stole the money. The Philippines  only has the Philippines to blame.

The Philippines has previous presidents to blame. Corrupt presidents that "laid in bed" with the USA. Just in case you don't know, over 4 million Filipinos are US citizens. Guess why? It's because from 1898 until 1946 the Philippines was a US colony and they shipped out the Filipinos to work in sh*t jobs. In a nutshell, they were exploited by the US at a time when this was quite easy to do.

 

Most of the workers who get jobs in the USA are sponsored by family because getting a visa to visit the USA is not easy, and with Trump in charge now, very difficult. They mostly do the jobs Americans don't want to do. There are enough countries around the world to pick up the slack if America becomes unfriendly... but it won't, as it has a duty to their own Filipino citizens.

 

Now China has always been a big and silent player in the Philippines. Most of the wealthy are Chinese families. If you visit Manila you may notice a huge Chinese Cemetery there. The richest person in the Philippines, Henry Sy (owner of SM malls), who died last year, was born in China.

 

It might be hard for you to accept, but they don't need the USA. The USA needed the Philippines to maintain a military presence in South East Asia after WW2.

 

 

[BananaBandit]

So, once this new regulation takes effect...you can still obtain a 90-day Vietnam tourist visa, but you have to leave the country and then come back every 30 days, correct ?

 

Also, can you exit and re-enter Vietnam at any land border?   Or do you have to fly back to Vietnam and enter at one of its major airports ?

[unheard]

On 2/6/2020 at 5:04 PM, HeijoshinCool said:

A lot of expats are returning stateside from Mexico, just like those in Costa Rica are now doing. Things have changed.

I wasn't aware of expats returning back from Costa Rica.

Tell me more.

[El Matador]

This travel agency just released this interesting video :

 

 

So that doesn't seem too bad. They will stop issuing 3 months tourist visas, only 1 month tourist visas will be available. But you can extend them inside the country.

And she said they will still provide 3 months business visas easy to get and you can extend them with a sponsor.

Quite what I expected : more bureaucracy and more money for travel agencies and inmigration guys. But you might still be able to stay a long time in the country.

Obviously, nothing is sure at the moment.

[elephant45]

We'll wait and see. Thanks

[kensawadee]

On 1/31/2020 at 9:53 AM, spidermike007 said:

I had not considered Vietnam anyway. HCM has the worst air in SE Asia. Worse than Bangkok. And more congestion, if that is possible. And I find alot of the people to be heavy hearted, and not particularly nice. And who wants to live under a commie government, anyway?

HEADS UP ----

Keep an eye on where Thailand is headed. (or on the 'brink')

[BritManToo]

On 1/31/2020 at 9:53 AM, spidermike007 said:

I had not considered Vietnam anyway. HCM has the worst air in SE Asia. Worse than Bangkok. And more congestion, if that is possible. And I find alot of the people to be heavy hearted, and not particularly nice. And who wants to live under a commie government, anyway?

Went to Saigon last April, the air was fine compared to Bangkok and ChiangMai which was awful.

No problems with any of the people there, and personally can't see much difference between a Commie government and a Military government. Surprisingly the 'Commie government' seems a lot nicer to me as a white guy. 

[spidermike007]

24 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Went to Saigon last April, the air was fine compared to Bangkok and ChiangMai which was awful.

No problems with any of the people there, and personally can't see much difference between a Commie government and a Military government. Surprisingly the 'Commie government' seems a lot nicer to me as a white guy. 

I guess it depends on the time of year, in regard to the air. Saigon is consistently shown as having some of the worst air in SE Asia. As far as the people go, I guess it is subjective. I find most Viets to be like cold fish. Not so with most Thais, especially rural Thais. As far as the governments go, I do not think Thailand could possibly have a lower quality administration, so perhaps similar there.

[rabang]

Vietnam is fine for visiting. I have been there about five times from south to north. Some of the quickest passport controls I have experienced, with one exception in Da Nang last time. Great coffee, food is ok. People can be a hit or miss. Either they are genuinely very friendly or quite cold and indifferent, even rude. No faking usually, although they try to scam you every time there is an opportunity. Their directness can be in some way refreshing compared to the Thai way of hiding the head in sand approach.

 

What bothers me is the lack of hygiene and disregard to strangers. Vietnamese are more like Chinese, especially in the north, than people of SEA, even though they hate Chinese. The traffic is a killer for me (and can be in literal sense), the constant stream of motorcycles drives me crazy very fast. In places like Da Nang with wide avenues it is not that bad but Hanoi and Saigon are just hell. In convenience Vietnam seems like a downgrade in almost every aspect from Thailand. To each their own, it is interesting to visit for a few days but I don't think I would enjoy staying there for any extended period.

[Roy Baht]

UPDATE on Vietnam visa rules:

Rather than having to make a border run every 30 days, as previously announced, tourists will be given the option of reporting to their local immigration office (for a fee of US$10), or of hiring an agent to do so. That would mean, on a 90 day tourist visa, you would report to the local IO twice, and have to cross the border and return with a new visa (or in the case of Americans, with a one-year visa, cross the border and return, three times a year).

 

See new Eli the Bike Guy video. New Visa Rules discussion occur roughly 12:30- 21:00

 

 

[elephant45]

This is a live video which seems all about marriage. Is there a youtube video specifically on this topic that you mentioned? Thanks

[elephant45]

I have been on a US one year multiple and every 90 days I have to leave and flyback in. Cannot do border runs is what I understand.

[Mitkof Island]

Better check the updates on the visas. Lots of scare mongering for nothing.