Would you consider Vietnam

[Leaver]

31 minutes ago, BangkokAlan said:

I was living and working in Vietnam for 9 months prior to covid shutdown on flights and then returned to Bangkok's i have a condo here.

 

Whilst in Vietnam i was on a business visa issued via my client there.

 

I had a number of friends many married to Vietnamese so their visa was easy and they had been there some years, others had also lived there on repeat tourist visas which they extended and they usually had to leave every 90 days or so.

 

Prior to covid there were a lot of concerns among the people living there on the tourist visas as Vietnam said that they would only issue 30 day visas not allow extensions up to 90 days. Meaning  they would have to leave every 30 days so it can only be assumed that Vietnam is also about to tighten its control on allowable periods of time you can spend in the country on repeat tourist visas.

 

Vietnam is still growing during covid in most provinces as they are less reliant on tourists or retirees only Danang, Hoi An, Hue and Nha Trang seem to be heavily affected as these are the bulk tourist areas for Chinese, Korean, Russian and western tourists mass tourists the rest of the country is doing fine.

 

I found that living there was much cheaper than Thailand on a day to day basis but its not apple for apple as their standard of accommodation is not as good as Thailand and when you rent somewhere they have many add ons such as paying the common fee of the building which in Thailand is the owners responsibility, they can also ask for 3-6 months deposit on apartments. I was living in Nha Trang maybe other locations vary.

 

English language is spoken well in tourist areas but poorly elsewhere and the Vietnamese food is delicious and the western food quite good and cheaper in restaurants than Thailand this is mainly due to the cost off wages vastly lower than Thailand.

 

Overall have lived and worked in both places but find Thailand is much more advanced in health, living accommodation and infrastructure. But Vietnam is growing quickly and will catchup over the next few years.

 

 

 

 

 

Good post.

 

I think when covid is finished there may be some changes to tourists visas in South East Asia, with the focus being longer and cheaper, as to attract tourists allowing them to stay longer.  I expect Vietnam will be the same, but time will tell. 

 

I think the 30 day tourist visa with no extension may have been the Vietnam government eVisa.  

 

I found accommodation in Nha Trang to be quite reasonable.  Here's a couple of random websites off Google for some prices.

 

https://www.expat.com/en/housing/asia/vietnam/nha-trang/for-rent.html

 

Some more here.

 

https://nhatrangapt.com/properties-search/?type=apartment&status=for-rent

 

Obviously, the closer to the beach the more expensive, but are on par with prices I saw there pre covid.

 

 

 

 

[underthesky]

I have lived in both Vietnam and Thailand and they're my two favourite countries.

 

As others have said, Vietnam is generally cheaper than Thailand, except for accommodation.

 

I prefer the general vibe of Vietnam.. the coffee culture, the motorbikes (and riding them of course). I found that making local friends is easier in Vietnam.

 

Internet might be best in Thailand but it's still very good in Vietnam.

 

A downside of Vietnam is the incredible noise of the big cities. If you live on typical street in Saigon or Hanoi there is a high chance of construction going on somewhere very nearby.

 

An another unfortunate downside to Vietnam is the lack of privacy of accommodation. For non-high-rise accommodation especially, owners like to keep a stringent watch on their premises and generally don't like guests bringing in any visitors, which you won't know about until after you move in. Room cleaning service is generally mandatory, and it's as much about keeping control of your living quarters as it is about cleanliness.

 

Food-wise, dishes in both countries are top-notch with Vietnamese food being much less spicy.

[ericthai]

On 4/5/2021 at 7:47 AM, Leaver said:

 

Not much in the media of arrests for over stay in Vietnam.  Maybe because it's so easy and cheap to stay there.

 

Thailand on the other hand..............................

just wait, Vietnam is behind Thailand. 

20 years ago Thailand could care less if you overstayed, they would actually tell you to overstay, pay a fine leave and come right back visa exempt! Those days are gone and as Vietnam gets more popular and you get more expats living there things will change!

[bojo]

50 minutes ago, ericthai said:

20 years ago Thailand could care less if you overstayed, they would actually tell you to overstay, pay a fine leave and come right back visa exempt!

Admittedly, enforcement is strict nowadays and has been for many years...........However, I remember vividly the encounters that Expats travelling on Mini buses on their border runs had with immigration officials lying in wait close to the borders to catch and imprison those unlucky souls who were on overstay hotfooting it to the border. It was a thing back then for a while, I'm talikng 2003/5 when the mini bus visa runs mushroomed. Easy picking I guess coupled with companies not paying the backsheesh equired no doubt.................

[elgenon]

I disagree, girls, food, girly bars not nearly as good. IMHO. What else is there in life? 555

[polpott]

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

I disagree, girls, food, girly bars not nearly as good. IMHO. What else is there in life? 555

I disagree. Girls are more beautiful, if that's possible, and tend to be bigger breasted. Food isn't better or worse, it's just different. Love their noodle dishes and their streetside baguette sandwiches. Girly bars I agree with but who needs them when every few hundred yards a young guy on a bike pulls up and shows you the girl of your dreams and a few minutes later she's in your hotel. "Grab Girl" the ultimate takeaway.

[BritManToo]

15 minutes ago, polpott said:

I disagree. Girls are more beautiful, if that's possible, and tend to be bigger breasted. Food isn't better or worse, it's just different. Love their noodle dishes and their streetside baguette sandwiches. Girly bars I agree with but who needs them when every few hundred yards a young guy on a bike pulls up and shows you the girl of your dreams and a few minutes later she's in your hotel. "Grab Girl" the ultimate takeaway.

I have to  agree, food good, cheap beer and female company easily available.

I was approached more in Saigon than anywhere else in the world, and that  was just sitting in a park or a coffee shop reading a book.

Edited April 7, 2021 by BritManToo

[elgenon]

On 4/6/2021 at 8:37 PM, polpott said:

I disagree. Girls are more beautiful, if that's possible, and tend to be bigger breasted. Food isn't better or worse, it's just different. Love their noodle dishes and their streetside baguette sandwiches. Girly bars I agree with but who needs them when every few hundred yards a young guy on a bike pulls up and shows you the girl of your dreams and a few minutes later she's in your hotel. "Grab Girl" the ultimate takeaway.

Sounds wonderful. Are you living there?

[shdmn]

On 4/5/2021 at 6:16 PM, polpott said:

And that's a problem because?

It's not for me but may be for others.

[shdmn]

On 4/5/2021 at 8:09 PM, biggles45 said:

' I cant believe that any retiree living there would praise their visa system! 

Yea, didn't expect people to try make that argument in favor of Thailand.

[shdmn]

On 4/6/2021 at 8:37 PM, polpott said:

I disagree. Girls are more beautiful, if that's possible, and tend to be bigger breasted. Food isn't better or worse, it's just different. Love their noodle dishes and their streetside baguette sandwiches. Girly bars I agree with but who needs them when every few hundred yards a young guy on a bike pulls up and shows you the girl of your dreams and a few minutes later she's in your hotel. "Grab Girl" the ultimate takeaway.

Don't even need that.  Just need a smart phone with some dating apps.  Once you eliminate the middlemen it's cheaper than Thailand from what I am reading

Edited April 9, 2021 by shdmn

[polpott]

Just now, elgenon said:

Sounds wonderful. Are you living there?

I find the visa system not as accommodating for me as Thailand and have a Thai wife. If I were single and uncommitted to Thailand, I probably would. I like to visit as often as possible, not been for 18 months now and missing it.

[elgenon]

10 minutes ago, polpott said:

I find the visa system not as accommodating for me as Thailand and have a Thai wife. If I were single and uncommitted to Thailand, I probably would. I like to visit as often as possible, not been for 18 months now and missing it.

Any tips? I would like to try it again. Got invited to a club by a bunch of girls sitting at the table next to me in a restaurant. Everyone paid for themselves. Lots of Cambodians south of Los Angeles

[Leaver]

On 4/6/2021 at 10:32 PM, ericthai said:

just wait, Vietnam is behind Thailand. 

20 years ago Thailand could care less if you overstayed, they would actually tell you to overstay, pay a fine leave and come right back visa exempt! Those days are gone and as Vietnam gets more popular and you get more expats living there things will change!

 

Vietnam may be behind Thailand on immigration policy, but it's certainly not behind on infrastructure.

 

I have no doubt Vietnam will become more popular in the future.  Not only is Vietnam Thailand's biggest competitor in the region for tourism, but I think it will also be in competition for retired expats as well.

 

For the moment, I know retirees in Vietnam are enjoying the place. 

 

It will be interesting to see if Vietnam develops a sustainable tourism policy with a view to protecting its beaches and water quality, as well as nature.  Thailand certainly trashed theirs.