Relocating to Vietnam ?

[BritManToo 38,215]

10 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Much of the stuff written here is claptrap and the opinions of holiday blowins.

Agreed, the 'love Thailand or you're worthless' nutjobs are getting pretty desperate when claiming 7-11 is a good reason to live in Thailand, or the VISA extension process in Thailand is entirely reasonable. My last purchases in Vietnam earlier this month were in Co-Op Mart, hadn't noticed them before but they were very reasonable prices.

 

I don't have any complaints about cost of living in Thailand. 

I'm happy with what I have.

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[Bigz 170]

I think when it comes to food Vietnam is a better place than Thailand. At least in Saigon the food seemed cheaper, better quality and more suitable for a farang. Awesome baguette sandwiches amongst others and generally a great Asian couisine with a French twist.

[Pravda 3,644]

Can you tell me how is Internet and post compared to Thailand?

 

Is internet fast and reliable and is the post more or less expensive to ship overseas?

 

 

[Spidey 8,356]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

She is about as Vietnamese as I am. Illegal Cambodian hooker jumped the border more like it.

Here are two photos of a Vietnamese woman to help you recognise one when you see one. 

She was Nigerian. 555

[Ulic 5,792]

I had a slightly different take. Yes the beer/alcohol is cheap, western type condos being built like crazy and that should bring down the rental prices which were substantially higher than Thailand for western level airconditioned type apartments, food was excellent and more Big C's being built so lots of western type foods available (but not to the same extent as Thailand). The Vietnamese were very friendly but little English is spoken outside tourist areas. I found the driving far more civilized and safer than Thailand. Everyone wearing helmets, driving much, much slower, and using an I see you, you see me, respect approach. Yes, it appears more disorganized but everyone keeps an eye out and respects everyone else. The horns are just quick beeps to alert other drivers to their presence in a blind spot. Not long honks of anger at someone driving like an idiot. I had no trouble crossing the street, just move steadily across making eye contact with traffic. I ride my scooter in Thailand and in Vietnam and it is easier and safer in Vietnam. The nightlife is definitely quieter, more clandestine. I never saw any, but I have been told it is readily available. I have made three trips to Vietnam and enjoyed them all. I think Vietnam is a definite option for retires leaving Thailand unless you enjoy the wall to wall "nightlife" Thailand has on offer. Just my opinion.

[AAArdvark 784]

20 hours ago, sanemax said:

  I prefer not to go into those places ,  due to concerns about food poisoning , as you dont know how long the food has been there and the food is unrefrigerated and left in the heat

 

20 hours ago, sanemax said:

many of the streets are cluttered with parked motorbikes , food vendors , seats and various other things, making the streets unable to be used for walking along ,

And how is this different from Thailand?

[CH1961 410]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You make eye contact with the m/c drivers and step into the road at a steady pace while maintaining eye contact.

Magically they all miss you (cars and busses as well)

Dangerous game you're playing

[BritManToo 38,215]

8 minutes ago, Ulic said:

I think Vietnam is a definite option for retires leaving Thailand unless you enjoy the wall to wall "nightlife" Thailand has on offer. Just my opinion.

Wall to wall nightlife was available everywhere, maybe a little more discreet than Thailand.

And not shy at all, I would sit in the park reading a book and get approached often, "Hi, would you like to see my room?".

Inside some of the bars at Vung Tau was wall to wall hookers, I was so intimidated I walked out of a few bars.

Edited April 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[AAArdvark 784]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I spend 40kbht a month, nobody needs to see more of my money than that IMHO.

Boasting how you're better than me just makes you appear mentally ill.

I'm putting you on ignore with all the other 'boasters and gloaters'

What BS.  Saying that you spend more than 40K is hardly boasting.  There are people who live on 30K so will you please stop boasting about 40K.  There are ways of saying how much you live on that is indeed boasting and there are ways of saying it that is just the facts.  Some people could spend 200k and still feel and act like they are living frugally.

I don't see why anyone has to defend how much or how little they spend. 

[Vacuum 14,702]

15 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Re speaking to young women, I've always found the speaking part to be highly overrated....

 

Re the photo above, the one on the left looks kind of Thai to me....

Agree, she's more 'covered'.

[BritManToo 38,215]

34 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

What BS.  Saying that you spend more than 40K is hardly boasting.  There are people who live on 30K so will you please stop boasting about 40K.  There are ways of saying how much you live on that is indeed boasting and there are ways of saying it that is just the facts.  Some people could spend 200k and still feel and act like they are living frugally.

I don't see why anyone has to defend how much or how little they spend. 

I spend 40k/month, not more than.

I won't look down and insult you if you only have 15k/month like most Thais, I won't worship you if you have 100k/month.

Valuing people for the amount of money they have/spend reveals posters who are shallow/bad/mentally ill, people are more than the money they have available to spend. Something the Thai authorities as Buddhists should know themselves. Once such people reveal themselves I always put them on ignore, it makes my personal ThaiVISA experience so much better..

Edited April 25, 2019 by BritManToo

[tideout 122]

5 minutes ago, Ulic said:

I had a slightly different take. Yes the beer/alcohol is cheap, western type condos being built like crazy and that should bring down the rental prices which were substantially higher than Thailand for western level airconditioned type apartments, food was excellent and more Big C's being built so lots of western type foods available (but not to the same extent as Thailand). The Vietnamese were very friendly but little English is spoken outside tourist areas. I found the driving far more civilized and safer than Thailand. Everyone wearing helmets, driving much, much slower, and using an I see you, you see me, respect approach. Yes, it appears more disorganized but everyone keeps an eye out and respects everyone else. The horns are just quick beeps to alert other drivers to their presence in a blind spot. Not long honks of anger at someone driving like an idiot. I had no trouble crossing the street, just move steadily across making eye contact with traffic. I ride my scooter in Thailand and in Vietnam and it is easier and safer in Vietnam. The nightlife is definitely quieter, more clandestine. I never saw any, but I have been told it is readily available. I have made three trips to Vietnam and enjoyed them all. I think Vietnam is a definite option for retires leaving Thailand unless you enjoy the wall to wall "nightlife" Thailand has on offer. Just my opinion.

The market here is in a bit of a bubble to put it lightly. For those who are thinking of investing, I believe it's more of a crap shoot than you might hear. Those I hear talking about it differently, have a dog in the race, so to speak. As Cadbury mentions there are some great deals on housing, if everything works out right (great looking place btw!). FWIW, I'd include renting. It's only fair to mention though that many of these buildings, apartments and neighborhoods are inundated with construction projects that never end. Some of it happens because of incompetence and some is even tied into corruption (I'll leave it there). Prices in D1, D2 and D7 continue to rise I"m afraid. 

 

It isn't an English speaking country so I'm not surprised when people don't speak English. Having said that, it is surprising how close to District 1 (Central district for many) you can be and feel totally out of any English. This would include not just conversation but restaurant menu's, shop signs, looser ideas about written contracts etc.... People may be more and more unfamiliar with dealing with a foreigner in the neighborhoods farther away from the city center. I've been in parts of District 7, for example (where a lot of Korean and Japanese live now) and you can feel like you're in the backwaters of the Mekong. The nightlife most people see and experience here is in the tourist zone and not very indicative of what you'd find in even some nearby districts. Many of these districts are largely dead as a door nail after 10-11pm. I'm not sure why most foreigners would go even in the early afternoon.

 

I always thought Vietnamese were the worst drivers I'd ever seen. I drive about 6 days/week for work in Ho Chi Minh........Thai drivers have the same suicidal tendencies, not looking, multitasking etc....only they really do drive at faster speeds. Crazy. It's also good to know that there is really no traffic enforcement in the HCM I'm familiar with. Let me repeat that....NO Traffic enforcement. Police set up on the road and quite literally do nothing but take bribes all day. The result is the chaos you see on a daily basis here.

Edited April 25, 2019 by tideout

[Zyxel 190]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You make eye contact with the m/c drivers and step into the road at a steady pace while maintaining eye contact.

Magically they all miss you (cars and busses as well), while in Thailand they would have run you down.

 

It's very easy once you know the rules, you just need to gather your courage for the first few crossings.

And don't forget this rule: to do a left turn at a busy crossroads m/c drivers often do this:

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by Zyxel

[natway09 4,296]

Yes, there are millions of motorbikes but If you walk briskly across the road, do not hesitate once started they are used to it & you will be fine.

Food in Ho Chi very good.

What are the long term resident requirements ?

[BritManToo 38,215]

1 minute ago, natway09 said:

What are the long term resident requirements ?

$300-$500 a year depending on your nationality, working and marital status.

Americans married to locals can do it cheaper.