Vietnamese Money

[jamesjdaly]

I'm off to Hanoi soon for a 'border run' and was wondering about the money exchange.

Should I....

get US$ here?

get VND here?

get a mixture here?

get it at Hanoi airport?

Thanks.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

This is what i just got, its from the Airport

2. Go to the tourist assist booths near the main doors – any of them will do.

3. Here you can change money, $1USD ~ 16,000 Vietnamese Dong.There is no cash machine at the airport so bring money with you.

[jumnien]

There's lots of ATM's at the airport in Hanoi. I was just there 2 weeks ago. I was successful in using both Thai and US debit cards for Dong.

[jamesjdaly]

*There is no cash machine at the airport so bring money with you.

*There's lots of ATM's at the airport

Ermmmmmmmmmmm?!!

[jumnien]

After I picked up my visa on arrival I exited where everyone exits and used 2 of the many ATM's on the left.

[jamesjdaly]

I don't trust Thai ATM's that much, and I think Vietnamese ATM's are much the same!! Where is the best place to exchange Thai Baht cash into VND?

[PattayaParent]

If you take US$ you can exchange them at any gold shop or the people on the street around Hoan Kiem Lake at a better rate than the banks.

Or you can pay in US$ ina lot of places around the tourist areas

And in government hotels they will change Thai Baht.

Vietcombank ATMs are everywhere and reliable or use the ANZ bank ATMs on Hoan Kiem Lake that have 24 hour security.

[jamesjdaly]

OK. Thanks to all for your help.

[asiaworld]

If anyone wants to exchange cash baht directly to Viet Dong. You may do it in the Siam Exchange opposite Siam Discovery/MBK next to the construction site of new shopping mall .. Saves the hassle of bad rates in the aiport.

[Zpete]

Forget Dong, take clean low value $US.

Get your change in US bucks too.

Dong not even good enuff for toilet paper.

[jamesjdaly]

Maybe a mixture of VND & US$ may be in order? I think I'll use the Bureaux de Change at Noi Bai airport.

[hanno]

or the people on the street around Hoan Kiem Lake

Not a good idea, people have been scammed there before. Jewelery shops are good though for a (slightly) higher exchange rate and much faster service than in the banks.

Regardless of what others have posted, it is a good idea to have Dong for small purchases, you will often pay more if paying in Dollars.

[Wrong Turn]

Forget Dong, take clean low value $US.

Get your change in US bucks too.

Dong not even good enuff for toilet paper.

If you pay in USD you will pay more, and if you want change you'll pay more.

I would just buy Dong and use Dong. Things will be cheaper this way.

Remember that the Dong is not convertable outside of VN. As for a currency, Dong is fine inside the country.

[samjaidee]

I don't trust Thai ATM's that much, and I think Vietnamese ATM's are much the same!! Where is the best place to exchange Thai Baht cash into VND?

I live in Vietnam. The Baht - Dong exchange rate here is worse than you could imagine. You should bring Western Currency, preferably US$. The current exchange rate is US$1 = 16,500 VND.

I don't understand the rationale behind your lack of trust of Vietnamese ATMs. I've never had a problem in 3 years living here, neither have I ever heard of anybody having a problem with an ATM here.

You can spend dollars here but you may get lower than Bank Rate.

Remember!!! Dong have absolutely no value outside Vietnam!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope that helps

[samjaidee]

Forget Dong, take clean low value $US.

Get your change in US bucks too.

Dong not even good enuff for toilet paper.

Hi there. I think you're a little confused. He's not going to Cambodia where USD are the commonly used currency. In Vietnam almost every financial transaction is in Dong.

Why should they give you change in USD? You can try but don't be surprised if they say no.

Dong may have no value outside Vietnam but you'd be screwed without it in Vietnam. You use Hand Made Mulberry Toilet Paper?

[5tash]

Another bit of advice. In tourist areas a lot of more expensive things (bus tickets, hotel rooms etc.) are priced in dollars, pay for these in dollars, if you use dong, you will loose out on the exchange rate. Same goes for less expensive things (items in shops etc.) priced in dong, pay in dong.

Enjoy your trip.

[pete_r]

I would buy USD or EUR in Thailand, and exchange them to Dongs in Vietnam. The rate for a direct exchange Bahts to Dongs is less good.

[PhilHarries]

Bring USD, clean undamaged notes in small denominations, 10's and 20's with one or two 50's and/or 100's. I wouldn't bring Euros, you'd be okay at the airport or banks but the people are more used to greenbacks. Change up a small amount at the airport, say 20 USD to get you into town and a bit of cash for immediate needs. You can pay in dollars, particularly hotels but you'll get a poor rate and you'll nearly always get VND change (I have never got USD as change). Most Vietnamese cash is paper for 1000's, 2000's and 5000's and plastic notes for denominations up to 200,000. The paper notes, particularly the 1000 and 2000, are very often scruffy to the point of being almost unrecognisable as banknotes. There are coins for various denominations up to 5000 but not common unless you purchase stuff in markets/supermarkets and there are also 200 Dong notes (worth about one cent ). Watch the 200,000 as it is a blue colour similar to the 20,000 and in dim lighting can easily be mistaken as such.

You will find life much easier spending Dong but just remember the people divide by a thousand when quoting the price so ten means ten thousand.

Don't know about changing into Dong at the Siam Exchange mentioned by asiaworld, AFAIK you cannot exchange VND outside Viet Nam.

As for using a foriegn card in the ATM's whilst it is possible to do so the amount of machines available for your card may be limited.

[torrenova]

Been a while but in SGN I got some outside the airport, then used the HSBC machine counting down the days until I left so as not to have loads of VND left. The rule of thumb USD exchange rate used was 15,000:1 so you did lose out paying in USD.

Taxis were starting on the meter at 11,000/12,000 but nearly all wanted USD and wanted $2 though would go for $1.

Used VND all over except hotels.