Anyone out there have any good links for obtaining information on what it takes for a farang to work and or set up a business in Vietnam?

Thanks in advance

what kind of business are you planning to have

It is more of a general question seeking a similar site to this one only for Vietnam. company would be import/export

There's a guy who used to frequent this site, but only rarely now- Mr. Vietnam.

Why don't you email him, as TV will route to his email address.

PS- I have seen nothing comparative to TV. Afraid they have broken the mold.

Thanks. I will give it a try.

I have done various searches but have come up with very little that is of interest so far

I had a 3 month contract in Hanoi about 10 years ago and ended up staying for over a year but must admit I enjoyed it.

It looks as though its starting to open up(again) and I believe nowadays that if you do work there you will not be "issued" with a minder any more.

Nothing personal but they used to like to keep an eye on you.

The infrastracture is still/was a bit basic but that was all part of the fun aspect of living there.Met quite a few expats who had their own setups from Bars (mostly Irish)to consultancy,import/ex,travel,design pratices and the old standby everywhere in the F.E.teaching English.

Couple of the guys I worked with are still there,married locally wife/kids house etc

I even did a little bit of proof reading for a local publishing company (cash in hand) and if your really lucky you might get a part in a one of the many film shoots that are made up there.

I was a "grunt "in one of them but nobody ever told me the name of the pic...so.

Anyway the dosh is Dong and they used to issue notes for 1,000,000 which then was worth about 80$ US.

The ANZAC bank even had an ATM the only one in Hanoi. ...good luck

bit of info.

Why Vietnam?

We have monitored Vietnam's economy and business since early 80s when people used to reject Vietnam as the POOREST nation in the world. It was an outcast. People thought these downtrodden and victimized people had no possibility to do any business.

Things do change. CGTD believes If wars, economic stagnation and outdated policies kept this nation hostage to poverty - the changed world scenario have catapulted Vietnam on the crossroads of opportunities. Indo-China is - the most undeveloped region - in an area booming with the greatest business opportunities of the century.

Greater privatization and liberalization make Vietnam one of the world's most promising and a virgin market. With a strong and young labor force of 36 million, a literacy rate of 88% and an alert 73 million strong population - the things are moving quite fast that the average growth is well above 15%.

The potential is visible and only a fool can ignore the possibilities. Taiwanese Chinese - some of the smartest and most hardworking people on this earth - skilled and experienced - are investing heavily in Vietnam and a large number of them are small, privately owned companies but with great idea of how a business could be run efficiently and they also know how to produce the goods at lowest prices. Koreans - another extremely smart lot in Eastern Asia - are investing in small and large businesses. Japanese - some of the most cautious investors - have started building industrial parks and plan to transfer large number of units.

These people have been the most successful in last 2 decades in Asia. If some one is not aware of their capabilities and potential - he must be lost somewhere in history or not familiar with recent economic changes in the world, especially in Asia.

These clever investors are not going to Vietnam for charity or humanity but for profit - and they see that very clearly.

The opportunities are not only in small time manufacturing exploiting the strategic location or cheaper labor - but also in infrastructure, services and commodities. The opportunities are crystal clear if you have vision and more if you have witnessed the incredible progress and growth in Eastern Asia in last 2 decades.

and more....

http://www.cgtd.com/global/directory/dbiv.html

http://www.topix.net/world/vietnam

Rinrada, many thanks for the time and trouble taken to post the information - most appreciated

It's actually easier to set up a business in Vietnam then it is in Thailand. It's also much much easier to arrange ( or have arranged) residence in Vietnam then it is in Thailand.

If you have a few bucks and chutzpah.

If you don't have both, you'll get eaten alive.

Good luck

Mr Vietnam