Vietnam

[bangkoksingapore]

I read an article recently saying that foriegners are now allowed to buy land in Vietnam. I am not sure that I trust the Viet government enough to folllow through on this generous offer, but it does seem to symbolize that Vietnam is opening its arms to foriegners while Thailand is making it more and more difficult for us to stick around.

I have the following questions about Vietnam -

I am not yet of retirement age and I am married to a Thai lady. I do not work (early retirement). What visa possibilities are available for us to live in Vietnam?

What is the biggest and most useful place for information about Vietnam on the internet? Is there a Vietnam equivilant to ThaiVisa?

What is the cost of living in Vietnam compared to Thailand?

What is the public transportation like?

Are there grocery stores in Vietnam?

Are there ATMs in Vietnam?

What is the nightlife like in Vietnam copmared to Thailand?

Do perfer Hanoi or Saigon? What are the good and bad qualities about both cities?

Edited August 1, 2007 by bangkoksingapore

[gburns57au]

I read an article recently saying that foriegners are now allowed to buy land in Vietnam. I am not sure that I trust the Viet government enough to folllow through on this generous offer, but it does seem to symbolize that Vietnam is opening its arms to foriegners while Thailand is making it more and more difficult for us to stick around.

I have the following questions about Vietnam -

I am not yet of retirement age and I am married to a Thai lady. I do not work (early retirement). What visa possibilities are available for us to live in Vietnam?

What is the biggest and most useful place for information about Vietnam on the internet? Is there a Vietnam equivilant to ThaiVisa?

What is the cost of living in Vietnam compared to Thailand?

What is the public transportation like?

Are there grocery stores in Vietnam?

Are there ATMs in Vietnam?

What is the nightlife like in Vietnam copmared to Thailand?

Do perfer Hanoi or Saigon? What are the good and bad qualities about both cities?

I can only answer a few of the questions and I only went to Saigon or HCMC as its known.

Public transport....not great

Grocery Stores....yes

ATM's.....Yes

Nightlife....Not as much nor as good.

Cost of living there was a little bit less than Thailand....the nightclubs were about the same for prices....

[Austhaied]

I spent some time in Vung Tao south of Ho Chi Min City in 2000 and as of then there were no ATM's, lots of red tape, NO internet or basic services like regular transport, supermarkets etc.. However the people and the veggie soup and baguettes are scrumptious.. If you think things are held up in red tape here, you have to see Vietnam to believe it..

Edited August 1, 2007 by Austhaied

[gburns57au]

There was an ANZ ATM on the river front near Hai Bai Trong st in 2002....plus a few others around the city...you had to look for them though, near the major hotels is a good bet. There were some internet places around...not very fast ones. There were a few supermarkets around, I found one behind a Macs store not far from the War Crimes museum...The public transport system was very shabby but the local M/C taxis were good value.

[Tattoo180sx]

"Are there grocery stores in Vietnam?

Are there ATMs in Vietnam?"

^^^ is that a joke? vietnam isnt some kind of lost underwater civilization.

my friend is viet and lived there for most of her life, im told theres heaps of ATMs and stores.

nightlife better than thailand, that would be a bold statement.

[seonai]

Hanoi - wonderful city, lots of bikes and pretty ladies in traditional dress. Great food, really fresh brought in from the countryside daily.

[Austhaied]

Hanoi - wonderful city, lots of bikes and pretty ladies in traditional dress. Great food, really fresh brought in from the countryside daily.

Lovely local lassies..for sure.

[bangkoksingapore]

Sorry if the ATM and grocery store question was silly, but these things were NOT available when I visited Laos and it was a bit of a surprise to me at the time. Just checking.

How is the internet in Vietnam? How much would it cost monthly to rent a well located serviced apartment w/ a fast inroom connection to the internet?

[Austhaied]

Sorry if the ATM and grocery store question was silly, but these things were NOT available when I visited Laos and it was a bit of a surprise to me at the time. Just checking.

How is the internet in Vietnam? How much would it cost monthly to rent a well located serviced apartment w/ a fast inroom connection to the internet?

Why don't you try a Vietnamese expat forum ? I'm sure they could help you. http://www.vnexpat.com/forum/index.php http://www.alloexpat.com/vietnam_expat_forum/

Edited August 1, 2007 by Austhaied

[besth]

Last time I was there was December 2005 and, unless things have changed a lot since then, which is possible, the ATM question is not silly at all. There weren't that many around in the big cities and hardly any out of them.

Not sure what kind of grocery shops you're thinking about, but you won't go hungry nor thirsty there, even if you don't want to eat at restaurants.

Although I would not want to live there, I love Hanoi and I've been fortunate enough to find the people there (and generally in the whole of the country) very pleasant and friendly.

That link from Austhaied seems to be a good place to go deeper into your search for information.

[Richb2004v2]

I was in Hanoi about two months ago. There were plenty of ATM’s. I went in a couple of bars, which were quiet, but ok for me. Vietnam seems generally far more chaotic that Thailand, with a million scooters driving like they all are trying to escape from something. The street food venders make those in Thailand look like they have the highest of hygiene standards. However I really enjoyed my short stay there. The people seemed no less friendly than those in Thailand.

[cigar7]

I was in HCMC, Nha Trang, Danang, Hoi An and Hanoi and Halong Bay in June 2007. You can get most anything there, here are some prices. An apartment in Saigon downtown, about 100 sq mt. would be about US$250 -$300 per month 1 year lease, not luxury but ok for a family. Taxis are cheap. A new AC bus from Hanoi to Saigon is US$26. A 2-day halong bay cruise from hanoi, 3 star hotel overnight, 4 meals (no drinks), 12 hour boat ride, and some tourist attractions cost US$33, double occupancy (the price was just boosted, old price on the brochure was US$30), nice hotel in Nha Trang was 450,000 dong, I asked about mini-hotel in NT and they were US$9-US$15 a night; hotel 10 min. from district 1 in HCMC was 200,000 dong/night, in Hanoi nice room in ancient district was US$25/night. I found the restaurant food slightly more (US$.50) than in pattaya in a cheap sit down restaurant. Lots of seafood available in VN. exchange rate was US$1=16,100 dong. Clothing is cheaper in VN, cotton cargo pants, nike brand were US$4.50, men's Polo cotton golf shirt 40,000 dong, embroderied t-shirt $2.

[Florin]

For those of us with a preference for Western food, Vietnam is a great place...the French influence can really be felt in the local cuisine. In some grocery stores they import a lot of nice French delicacies and a place like Saigon, though with lots of traffic, feels much more pleasant to walk around than BKK, because of nice, wide tree-lined boulevards and classical architecture.

[Spaniel]

OP,,

Go to www.lonelyplanet.com and click on Thorn Tree, which is their travel site. Then go to the Vietnam branch andl you will find lots of answers.

[THAILIBAN]

And you're right, I didn't trust anyone when I was over there, let alone the Government, who ripped me off at the airport for an already paid departure tax when I was leaving.

dont blame the Vietnamese government, when in fact u ripped off urself or being scammed by your (probably THAI ?) travel-agent.

since all times, the airport Tax in Vietnam had to be settled in CASH prior to departure. same as in Indonesia, Philippines....

said that, I as well dont like the Vietnamese goverment..... kinda paranoia going on there.... but then still u can live there without being harassed as its usual in the "land of the Free" these days....

Edited August 2, 2007 by THAILIBAN

[bangkoksingapore]

So are those message boards the biggest available for Vietnam? They seem kind of slow.

So, do they have MBK and Platinum Fashion Center type malls in Vietnam? I ask because I don't want my wife to be bored out of her mind.

[jackspratt]

Hanoi - wonderful city, lots of bikes and pretty ladies in traditional dress. Great food, really fresh brought in from the countryside daily.

Lovely local lassies..for sure.

Errr.....which one?

Edited August 6, 2007 by jackspratt

[tutsiwarrior]

So are those message boards the biggest available for Vietnam? They seem kind of slow.

So, do they have MBK and Platinum Fashion Center type malls in Vietnam? I ask because I don't want my wife to be bored out of her mind.

in HCMC there are plenty of places to shop from low end market stalls (Ben Thanh market) to upscale malls (big ones near the Cathedral and just by the main roundabout down town)...my wife found plenty to do in that regard...

[theseveredhead]

i think vietnam is different enough that a thai would find it of interest.

the viets used to be really scammy REALLY. i hear its better.

the ethnc chinese are stunning beauties!

Edited August 6, 2007 by theseveredhead

[slapout]

The ladies are same same as Thailand, big cities as I rember had most of the conviences, food not much different than oriental food (gotcha) Find a good moose and you have it made. Carls in Da Nang used to be rocking. (... years back) sorry, seriously, I cant help you good luck in your quest.

[mlkmnz]

What is the cost of living in Vietnam compared to Thailand? Seems marginally cheaper, although theres not the variety of goods that you get in LOS. Cars seem a LOT more expensive in Vietnam (30k USD for a Toyota VIOS)

What is the public transportation like? Shit, unreliable and virtually non existant

Are there grocery stores in Vietnam? Not really, havent seen a supermarket, convenience stores not a patch on 7-11, lots of smaller "grocery" stalls all selling the same goods (soft drinks, beer, chips, cookies, etc)

Are there ATMs in Vietnam? Yes everywhere

What is the nightlife like in Vietnam copmared to Thailand? Closes early

Do perfer Hanoi or Saigon? What are the good and bad qualities about both cities? Havent been to Saigon, didnt think much of Hanoi

Granted I've only been here 2 weeks, I would have to say I can't think of one thing Vietnam has over Thailand. Hanoi isnt a patch on Bangkok in every regard (except for traffic), beach towns aren't a patch on Thailands. The people too don't seem as nice as the Thais, theyre not as friendly and theres a con around every corner as has been noted above. The key thing I see missing are facilities for the middle class, there aren't any shopping centres, convenience stores, attractions, etc. This will come in time but at the moment it just seems too difficult to get by here. MAYBE if you could buy some prime real estate cheap it could pay off in the years to come but for the meantime I'd highly suggest a visit for a week or two to see if its your thing.

[TigerLily]

Did u notice thatz they are just open a new big big LV shop in HCMC

TigerLily

[B-BOY]

Ok, here some infos straight from source....I have been living and working for close 2 years now in HCMC after having spent previous 4 years in BKK...yes it was tough adapting at first, but i am glad i have remained here....

From my experience, HCMC aka Saigon is only place and most modern part of Vietnam to live in. There has been a tremendous change in real estate, tourism etc and business is flourishing...lots of investment coming in, especially Japan, Korea and Singaporeans....

Big C, Citimart, Co-op supermarkets are all available now and you can find most products as in BKK..

Lots of real nice Coffeeshops with great coffee and not a single Starbucks - yet!

What i also here is safety aspect. Police will never hassle you nor stop on street and ask questions. You will never need to carry a passport with you, where ever you go. No harrassment or farang shouting etc.....its completely opposite..

Nightlife is growing with new bars opening every month, of which some of them are open now till 2am. Q-Bar Saigon for example....was open before BKK Q-bar. Bars in Backpacker area are open till 5am or later....

What's really important when you come to Vietnam is having a purpose....conducting business...nobody is coming here just to live and hangout like in LOS... as you wont find as many options as in BKK.

Yes, infrastracture is still very poor, but Taxis are everywhere and cheaper then in BKK with drivers happy to take you anytime anywhere, not like in BKK, where you might get lucky, when driver is not just about to finish his shift....

BTW, lots of nice Thai restaurants popping up now, in case you miss a good kaengkhiau wan or pat thai..

And finally, it is only 1hr5min flight to BKK, with more flights available by end of year and AirAsia on way, a weekend away in LOS is always possible anytime and good fun, without any worries...

In meantime, I prefer living a way here in Vietnam and jump over a plane over to Bkk do my shopping and enjoy nightlife and have fun, without any worries of Visa hassles etc. and then return Sunday evenig to Saigon.....

Cheers!

[mlkmnz]

In meantime, I prefer living a way here in Vietnam and jump over a plane over to Bkk do my shopping and enjoy nightlife and have fun, without any worries of Visa hassles etc. and then return Sunday evenig to Saigon.....

If you need to jump on a plane to BKK for shopping, nightlife and fun, then what things about HCMC do you "prefer" that make you want to live there? Nice spring rolls?

Edited August 22, 2007 by mlkmnz

[B-BOY]

I am referring to having option of a short flight to BKK or SIN for a change of scenery (which we all need) anytime I want and return back here to HCMC and watch how everything is growing and developing fast in a fascinating emerging market.

[technocracy]

In meantime, I prefer living a way here in Vietnam and jump over a plane over to Bkk do my shopping and enjoy nightlife and have fun, without any worries of Visa hassles etc. and then return Sunday evenig to Saigon.....

If you need to jump on a plane to BKK for shopping, nightlife and fun, then what things about HCMC do you "prefer" that make you want to live there? Nice spring rolls?

Jeez people have opinions different to you mlkmnz. I do the same from Laos sometimes I go to BKK we go shopping and have some fun, but would we want to stay in BKK hel_l no - I am always very happy to return to Vientiane to fresh air and relaxation (amonst many other things I prefer here).

I can fully understand why people would want to live in Vietnam I've spent quite a bit of a time there myself and once you ignore the scams (which are no worse than when you first holiday in BKK and do the holiday things not just sit on Suk Rd or wherever) it's a nice place to go. On the word of scams of course Thailand taxis at the airports are whiter than white and scam free!

As has been said HCMC is really thriving now and many MNCs (Intel, Microsoft amongst others) are putting a considerable amount of cash into the country.

Edit: Also the reason the cars are so expensive is because the government don't want every man and there dog buying them. Otherwise HCMC & Hanoi would be total gridlock - since they are pretty gridlocks just by motorbikes as things stand now. The first time in my life I have ever experienced a traffic jam consisting of purely motorbikes was in HCMC . .. . very strange experience.

Edited August 22, 2007 by technocracy

[samtam]

I agree that HCMC is probably the better of the two options, (Hanoi or HCMC). It's once again becoming a thriving metropolis, and it's booming. But make no mistake, it's still very far behind Bangkok in every way, and in an area not mentioned in these postings - sophistication. There is very little of that, although there are returning Viet cam (?) who are being wooed, and bringing western ideas and money with them. The Vietnamese are extremely money-savvy, and are prepared to work very hard to achieve wealth, unlike many in Thailand, but this is not unexpected given their Chinese-based ethnicity, and their lesser involvement with Buddhism/religion generally. The Vietnamese in HCMC tend to be more westernised, (good and bad) than their cousins in the north, who have not really experienced the whirly of capitalism, (for a very much longertime, anyway).

Edited August 22, 2007 by samtam

[mlkmnz]

Jeez people have opinions different to you mlkmnz.

It was actually a legitmate question I thought, so pop down off the high horse. I could understand in your situation wanting to go to BKK, or if you were living somewhere remote for the peice and quiet. But in this instance b-boy is prefering to live in one city, yet wanting to go to another for various conveniences, so I was asking what the big draw was with HCMC which makes him want to forgoe said conveniences. And now I know its due to a desire to watch a city grow and develop..

[hotelier]

What is the cost of living in Vietnam compared to Thailand?

if you live well in Thailand you will live well in Vietnam. However not many fancy restaurants, luxury goods available so actually you will find yourself spending less in VN

What is the public transportation like?

taxis are everywhere, cheaper and most importantly all of they use meters without being asked

Are there grocery stores in Vietnam?

now this is silly lol but there's no 7-11 in hanoi though.

Are there ATMs in Vietnam?

yes Vietnam is a third world country but it's not located in Africa.

What is the nightlife like in Vietnam copmared to Thailand?

many cool night clubs and pubs in Hanoi, some are even more expensive than here but you have to know where to find them (did you know Q Bar first opened in VN?). However those places are filled with rich locals, not many farangs around. Farangs tend to gather around pubs in the Old Quarter (hanoi) but then the only locals you will find there are either prostitutes or gays.

[technocracy]

Jeez people have opinions different to you mlkmnz.

It was actually a legitmate question I thought, so pop down off the high horse. I could understand in your situation wanting to go to BKK, or if you were living somewhere remote for the peice and quiet. But in this instance b-boy is prefering to live in one city, yet wanting to go to another for various conveniences, so I was asking what the big draw was with HCMC which makes him want to forgoe said conveniences. And now I know its due to a desire to watch a city grow and develop..

So your telling me that "If you need to jump on a plane to BKK for shopping, nightlife and fun, then what things about HCMC do you "prefer" that make you want to live there? Nice spring rolls?" is a legitimate question?

It reads more like a piss take. No high horse here just the way it reads.