Upon my arrival at Saigon Airport, I noticed that the customs line was moving quite slowly and the officer appeared rather unfriendly. It is important to remember that visitors come to Vietnam to contribute to the economy, not to ask for handouts. A warm and welcoming demeanor towards all visitors is crucial as it sets the tone for their overall experience.
Vietnam has seen enough poor western begpackers, drunk ESL teachers and cheap charlie retirees They'll rather take the billions of dollars through foreign direct investment, rather than the puny $30 a day budget by your typical backpacker.
@@L3462-f1r Unfortunately you are absolutely right - I am always shocked how government doesn’t give a shit what the first impression of their country is. SGN arrivals hall during Ted is a total zoo - I pay extra and get guided into line 4 though, but it should have to be that way. Nevertheless the USA, UK and many others countries are not any better
My friend plus wife plus mother visited Vietnam this year. He told me food is not so good, travel and accommodation is expensive. He will never go back
It's hard to overcome the scam culture. It's a behavioral issue. No point giving longer visa options when the tourist don't feel comfortable staying in the country. Who wants to stay longer when they get scammed every couple of days?
Same here. I am fluent in Vietnamese language (having lived there for 10 years in the 80s) but still being scammed at many places. There are too many dishonest businesses and individual service personels, no one seem to take the lead to show them the long term benefit of doing business honestly. It's very unfortunate coz they really have a lot to offer otherwise.
You are 100 % Correct. I talked to thousands upon thousands of retired workers who have millions upon millions of dollars that they want something to do with and Vietnam is not a topic of conversation because of their poor visa or non existent retirement policies. Our millions of dollars only go where we are wanted, welcome, safe and hassle free. Great video. Obviously Vietnam is not ready.
@@venkateshdharurkar2100 It is a very important issue actually. I have met many great great Vietnamese people here in the US that I love so dearly and have seen so many videos and streams of Vietnam and it’s very sad that allot of people will never enjoy the Vietnamese people in Vietnam or the beautiful country it self. I’m sure there is a reason why the government doesn’t allow foreigners to stay longer. I completely respect it but that doesn’t mean I cannot comment about it. I wouldn’t dare comment about it in Vietnam because my comments would not be valuable since it’s a communist country. I write boldly because I can think for myself and I am not restricted by any political or religious beliefs be it western or eastern ideologies. I write openly and boldly but I mean no harm or disrespect to anyone or any government. I only wish to express myself in a way that many others have in regard to the content of this video.
Ok, Vietnam will developer day by day. We no need fast due to rich not for all. Vietnam want Living with happiness. Look usa million people living in tent on street look as animals.
@@GiangHoang-hd8ukAt least homeless in USA have a welfare services, hospital and shelter provided by the government. What does Vietnamese government have to offer to the homeless in Vietnam? It's only the Vietnam officials can get rich fast. The rest of the people are 3rd rate class citizens 😂
You’re absolutely correct about everything and don’t forget to mention the lack of PUBLIC RESTROOMS. This is very critical because every time I went to visit VN, I always get food poisoning. No matter how careful I am and it really suck
I’m a retiree. I suggest that Vietnam should have a 6-month visa and extend up to a year. I plan to stay longer. I went there last year, and I travel from Ha Tien to Ha Noi. Vietnam is a beautiful country.
Great job for detailing the truth about the issue of declining tourism business. We just came back from Bangkok and the people their welcome foreigners with open arms and beautiful smiles! We were in Vietnam last year, and we do feel a difference.
I have never been to Vietnam and have been thinking about visiting. However, a few of my friends, including American Vietnamese, have warned me that a lot of locals (in the cities) would try to get you to pay as much as possible for everything and scams are everywhere.
You have to have your guard up the minute you walk off the plane . Be careful of people that are overly friendly especially the young girls those misfits are just scheming on ways to make your wallet lighter and clean you out .
Like in every city …… Vietnam is beautiful, your comment is slightly exaggerated as you need to be a little streetwise everywhere you go. Of course it happens but as I say it happens everywhere. Hope you are well. 👏
I go to VN almost every year if I can. I love the VN people and food. I've learned Vietnamese due to my love of the culture and people. I do try and avoid tourist areas so it could be why but I never experience what your friends say. You're missing out on an experience. I'm guessing you live in the US but don't have a bad opinion of where you live? To give you an example, I could say I wouldn't visit the US due to shootings, zombie cities like Chicago, LA, New York etc... Also, I wouldn't visit London in the UK due to the stabbings, pickpockets and phone snatchings. These things can happen anyway in the world.
Metro rail- 15 years delayed, New airport 10 years delayed, no work permit for foreigners married to a Vietnamese person just effectively a 3 year tourist visa. - overall Vietnam lacks focus
@@duongglobalbusinessconsulting Thus fostering a culture of retired men marrying local women, imagine a US style greencard thus stripping away a layer of bureaucracy & actually encouraging younger more entrepreneurial types, a digital nomad type visa or a proper retirement style visa (import a vehicle duty free etc) And while opening up foreign home ownership & inbound investment dollars, make the outbound flow of those same dollars plus any profit just as easy. Amazing country that just needs a more dynamic/entrepreneurial approach & greater accountability.
VN should learn from Thailand and posts a scam hotline number everywhere so victimized foreign tourists can call in to report these price scams and gouging. It only takes one scam for most of these foreign tourists to never come back to VN.
I was in Bangkok and people are more friendly and they are upfront for price. I feel my money is worth spending in Bangkok. I definitely visit Thailand again!
@@L3462-f1rin Bangkok they rip you off upfront. Public AC buses are 40 baht, tuk tuk 150 baht for 2 km distance, food overpriced and 400 to 500 baht entry tickets to each museum or attraction. If that is not a rip off, I don't know what is
That is not considered overcharging. The pricing reflects the standard rates in their locality. All prices are clearly stated and the decision to make a purchase or visit a location is entirely up to you.
VN won't learn from Thai; they only learn from CN, and I bet they'll never get better anytime soon. After 1975, com propaganda, brainwashing, and culture revolution ( AK CN), it's in the blood and brain of its people. And I'm a VN boat person after 1975.
I have been to Phu Quoc twice in the past 5 years. They have overbuilt. I saw lots of empty hotels and resorts which hadn't even opened yet. Too greedy.
Too much rapid over-development. They've destroyed the area between Da Nang and Hoi An. Used to be one long, pristine beach. Everywhere else, they want to constantly build, build, build and put resorts everywhere. It's an issue for certain.
I just came back from Hanoi and I noticed how tourism has been affected there, I went to a 5 star hotel and we were only 5 people staying there, I felt sad for Vietnam because is such a beatiful country and I would have loved to stay longer.
living in VN I know this consequence will happen 10 years ago. These weaknesses have existed for a long time and I know they cannot be fixed. They belong to the nature of social culture and the selfish, uncivilized character of the majority of people.
I've been in Vietnam for 5 years as a retiree, and the visa situation has been a nightmare and quite costly from day one. Those of us who like to live here long-term and call the place home, have very few visa options, and we bring in money, we rent apartments long-term and we spend money daily which obviously benefit the local economy. One can get a 3-months single-entry tourist visa and be told to leave the country when those 90 days run out; there's no extension possible, so leave the country for a few minutes, turn around and come back in, that of course is if you want to come back to your apartment and the place you call home...why, it's nonsense. Then there's the phony business visa, which can be renewed 3 or 4 times for a total of 1 year, but it still requires us to hand over our passports every 90 days to an agent, so he can make the magic happen and somehow get us an extension stamp good for another 90 days; and btw, the cost for that extension is easily 25X what that stamp should cost, but it saves us a border-run, and money somehow goes into the right pockets. This business visa btw, isn't exactly on the up and up either, since it should be attached to a work permit, which none of us have or can get as a retiree, so it's phony but it flies under the radar. The last option is to marry a local gal, which opens the door to a 2-3 or 5-year excemption (visa), and it's actually doable and not too complicated. So why oh why is imigration so unfriendly in Vietnam, and why are 95% of the imigration officers at the borders so rude...??? I can move to Cambodia and get a 1-year visa instantly, and it's about 1/3 of the price we pay in Vietnam, and no border runs required for 1 full year. To extend the stay there, one goes to a local travel agent and hand over a few hundred dollars, and all is good for another full year, no problems, no border-runs just sit back and relax. And it gets even better in the Philippines where you can get a 3-year visa that only requires a couple trips to a local imigration office every year I believe it is, then all is set, and of course it's dirt cheap as well compared to Vietnam. So again, a 90-day tourist visa is really the ONLY (legal) OPTION if you want to live in Vietnam, after those 90 days, be prepared to meet with a visa agent, hand over money and passport, and btw, there's NO GUARANTEE that a new visa will be granted, that's a complete unknown, but if it is you'll be picked up in some mini van and driven to the border, then waddle through no-mans-land into some office where a robot-behaving humanoid will give you an exit stamp, then continue past some non-friendly officers a few hundred meters into the land of Cambodia to a smiling imigration officer who greets you and gives you an entry stamp so you instantly can turn around and get an exit stamp from another somewhat friendly officer, then proceed back across no-mans-land back into Vietnam only to be greeted by another humanoid who manages to slam a couple stamps somewhere in your passport...could be page 7, page 32, or really anywhere the passport happens to open, because efficiency ain't valued too much, if at all...But our problem as retirees is that Vietnam has a lot to offer, it's a beautiful place with awesome people, and we really want to live here, but the visa situation is upside down completely; it's as if they don't want foreigners here at all, which is rather strange because we live, we shop, we travel and we spend money constantly. So what gives, and why do I have to escape into another country every 90 days, and pay that country to walk on their soil for a few minutes, it's annoying to even think about. Vietnam could simply come up with a 1-year visa at whatever price and thereby keep all the money in VN and let us live our lives best we can without all these border-runs, but it's obviously a business the Imigration dept isn't willing to give up. The 6-month visa idea that's brought up in this video doesn't make any sense either, it's just like a bandaid on a huge cut; we need at least a 1-year visa to make it worthwhile, otherwise it's adios Vietnam, and that's sad. Cheers
Im reconsidering myself! I was in Cambodia two years ago, no hassle at custom! Everything was easy and I would definitely go to Cambodia again just to chill and enjoy the culture, people and FOOD!
Noise pollution, aggressive driving and lawless traffic culture and garbage everywhere. These also deter some people eho find it impossible to relax when in Vietnam.
Yes, don't forget to mention unwalkable footpaths because it's either a motorbike or a storefront that blocks the way, forcing pedestrians to walk into the street. Absolutely senseless.
Alright, Ken and other readers - let me share my reasons why I'm looking forward to moving OUT of Vietnam (again...). Background: I'm from the US, lived on Phu Quoc 2016-2018 as a co-owner of a restaurant there. Moved back to US in 2018, came back to Vietnam in May and married a lady I had met in 2017. I have traveled a fair bit around Europe, SE Asia, and the Caribbean/Central America. We moved to Da Nang based on previous visits to the area. Even here, which is about as good as it gets in Vietnam, it's less than ideal. Infrastructure - roads and all that goes with them (footpaths/sidewalks, parking, flow/control/signage, accessibility, etc.) are very poor (to be clear, I'm not saying all roads are in poor physical condition - some are, but the problems are deeper than just the quality of the build). Best road in the region is the one to Sun World's Ba Na Hills (about 25 km away from the city). It was privately funded and built by the Sun Group - NOT the Vietnamese government. Traffic? Beyond ridiculous. "It's their culture", used as an excuse to explain the lack of enforcement of any motor vehicle laws, lost all relevance after a week or so. Sure, I can drive and ride around like a local now, but it's a huge negative to anyone new wanting to stay here long term. Try walking around HCMC during rush hour - footpaths/sidewalks become another vehicle lane, and you'll be screamed at (or worse) if you don't move to let motorbikes take them over. Want to know the true number of traffic fatalities and injuries? HA! You'll never find accurate numbers as the government won't divulge them. Corruption and petty crime and bureaucracy - had to pay a few extra million dong to get the marriage paperwork completed in a timely manner - otherwise it would have sat on the desk of the little government pr*ck for many months. Friends have had many things stolen. All countries have hoops to jump through for visas, marriages, etc. - but the communist core of control and maintaining bygone processes is maddening. Shopping/groceries - I compare the largest Vietnamese grocery to an average US grocery, and it covers about 40% of the standard goods available. Malls? SE Asia is mall mecca! In Thailand you have multiple top rated mall chains - Central, Terminal 21, Siam (at least one, more in Bangkok, CM, Pattaya) in every major city. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand all have fantastic malls - any brand name you would want, huge, affordable & delicious food courts, polite and very friendly people working in them. HCMC and Hanoi each have only one top level mall. But, "customer service" is only seen at the higher end hotels or restaurants. Grocery store or retail shop? Great customer service is the exception, not the rule. Thank you, Thailand, for offering the DTV that easily includes your spouse. See you soon!
Only an American wouuld cite a lack of shopping malls as a reason to leave a country. That says a lot more about American 'culture' than about Vietnam. Personally, I see the lack of malls and mega-marts as being an absolute bonus.
@@truecentral718 did you read everything he said ? Shopping malls is of the 10 reasons. You forgot about petty crime, corruption, stealing, bad roads….etc.
Sounds like you will be happier back in the USA. I was just in Vietnam a month back. Saigon has plenty of shopping malls there are two or three multi level malls within 5km of Tan Son Nhat airport, how many do you want? The road system in Vietnam was layed out for ox carts and bicycles, a lot of Saigons roads are near 300 years old as is the city and inner suburbs. I was also in Danang same trip, the roads there are totally fine, wide footpaths, generally okay road surface and traffic safe enough for a mid 60's year old Australian to hire a scooter and ride down to Hoi An for an evening meal. I would never ride in Saigon, my reflexes are just to slow, I jump on a grab there. I don't know the most recent traffic numbers but the last time I asked when I was there in 2014 was around 1,700 fatals a year. Remember there are near 10 Million people in the Greater Ho Chi Minh City area, that's a city that physically is quite small, in Australia the land area would be equivalent to a mid sized country village. The problem and it's mainly an American thing, is you come to Vietnam and expect it to be just like America, or that Vietnamese should be subservient to Americans. You're in their country, play by their rules, respect their customs.
Thank you for bringing the visa issue up. I visited Vietnam 3 times in the last 10 years but trying to get a visa has always been my iffy question wheather I should visit Vietnam at all. Plus those bad taxi drivers at the Da Nang Airport that pretended to be both Grab Drivers and Taxi drivers at the same time...SMFH.
@@altran1125 Then why did they extend evisas to 90 days? Thats quite a long time. You are just making stuff up, the reason the evisa system sucks is cause they dont bother redoing the website. Even Cambodia has a simple nice quick evisa website.
Retired Canadian here. I travelled Vietnam this year from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City, and I must say I prefer other countries in that area over Vietnam. The VISA problem, along with scams and unsanitary conditions ensures that I will not return to Vietnam. I will be buying a condo in another country and will travel all the other countries but Vietnam is on the bottom of my list.
I agree totally. Pre-covid, I went once a year and I found the people more welcoming than in other Asian countries. I went again recently and found it very unwelcoming, especially the immigration officer. I'm a retired police officer from America with plenty of money to spend. I was hoping that by this time, Vietnam would have it's arms wide open for retirees. But sadly no. So I'm opting for Thailand's 10 year wealthy pensioners visa. Extremely easy to get.
Vietnam is not a communist country, it has no communism nor socialism, it's all capitalism with a lot of corruption in the government, just like India.
A friend of mine from Indonesia, he said he kept on being scammed starting from the time he stepped foot on Vietnam, from taxi scam, hotel scam to restaurant scam. I planned to visit Vietnam end up crossed Vietnam from my itinerary.
Corruption put me off from vietnam, wasn't a very good impression of the country when your ask for bribe to pass the luggage check at the airport. Once you dwell deeper, you realise corruption is still truly everywhere in the country.
I know there is a lot of corruption but I understand it (ok ok not that I am a fan of it ) But the fact is it’s a poor country and the men retire at 60 years old, and if your income is not that high, then your pension will be even lower so in all those years till retirement, they need to grab as much money as they can for there old age remember there is nothing like a old folks home or something like Social Security
The working holiday visa is a great idea, I took advantage of the Japan-Australia one in the late 90s which allowed me to stay for 18 months in Japan working and travelling, learning the language and culture, and so on, which left an indelible mark on me 🙌 One thing I'd like to see is the locals in Saigon not sitting around waiting for matters out of their control to change, there are many things they can do at hẻm level, street level, neighbourhood level, community level that can make the tourist experience better without intervention from above. Interesting vid, Ken.
After being scammed from the point I checked into a HCMC hotel, the hotel check-in receptionist stole all my USD currency in my passport holder, to our dinner table food bills overcharged by items not ordered, scammed in the city market square when buying Viet coffee, my friend lost his camera place in a decent Aircon souvenir shop while checking products. just too to lust here. We all told our families and friends to avoid these places as too stressful for vacations. Too any scams and thefts incidents to elaborate here. Every visitors came back with at least few scams incidents.
I got sickness twice in vietnam. In hanoi its air pollution that caused me pneumonia. On the train from da nang to saigon I got diarrhea Tap water in vietnam is heavily polluted. In saigon there are too much noise and garbage everywhere. Moisquito bited me daily.
I went to sapa for 5 days. I was the only tourist in all attractions excluding the mountain. It be like walking Disneyland, and the park was empty except for you.
The only thing prevent me and many tourists from coming to Vietnam is the visa process. I can go to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and many countries with no visa required or visa on arrival.
Visa on arrival is nice, we did that when we went to tour Cambodia in 2019. We would have stayed longer and live like locals …. but had obligations back in the States. So far, we enjoyed Cambodia. Gonna see if we like Vietnam in 2025…
long lines at the airport, scams as soon as you hit the curb, no mass transit, not walkable, lousy weather, air pollution, food safety, trash everywhere, high prices for 5 star hotels and resorts compared with Thailand and Malaysia
Having visited Vietnam, I now recommend all friends and family to visit Thailand. My first experience in Vietnam, was a high level of corruption, scams everywhere you look, and a nightmare visa application process. On the other hand, I've experience no scams, and no corruption in Thailand. Plus Thailands visa on arrival process is a game changer. Things will get a lot worse for Vietnam before they get better (or if they get better).
You are spot on!!!!! Being a 68 year old Australian.....I was very keen to spend X-mas in VN. But having to supply a photo...as an elderly person with little IT knowledge....and all the rest....I decided to visit Indonesia instead! My 5000 AUD spending money, including locally spend money on accommodation, will be very welcome....I'm sure of that. Sorry Vietnam.....get your act together!
I’m laughing. I’m a very young 52 years old from the US but I really struggle with IT shit. I had to at least have a friend provide emotional support during my application process for an E - Visa. To be fair, there were no issues and I was granted my 90 day visa 3 business days later. I’m now living in Da Nang. Side note - my asthma in the States was all but non - existent. It’s been raging since I got here. 😢
Stay in Australia mate.... foreigners think they can own our country because you flash a little cash around. Go to Thailand instead - Vietnam will grow without you
Been trying to get the visa as a tourist. Denied already 3 times for random and incorrect reasons. Seen multiple reports online from other travelers who have had their visa rejected multiple times as well. Neighboring countries have VOA or visa exempt. No wonder hotels and restaurants are empty in Vietnam.
Thank you. I always look forward to your videos. The 90 day is a positive step. Beginning the last week next month I will spend two and a half months in Vietnam through and beyond the Tet holiday. I was there for two months early last year on a 30 day visa which necessitated a day trip to Cambodia so the 90 day visa is a blessing. This will be my fourth trip to Vietnam in the last seven years. It would have been at least one more had it not been for covid. You are correct, not only is the country beautiful but so are it's people. I had intended to move there but without a retirement visa I would be required to leave every six months. Things will work out one way or another. Again, thank you for your work and info produced in your videos.
It is what it is, can’t teach an old dog a new trick. When I mentioned the problem of the scams? The local people would tell me if I don’t like, go somewhere else. Per-half, they don’t look at it as a problem, so I go to Thailand and Malaysia that is more foreigners welcomed spot.
I am so happy you are bringing this up and out into the light, you are so rite about all of the content. I only hope things change soon for the vietnamese economy ❤
Every country in S.E. Asia gives EU visitors free stay on arrival including Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia. First thing it irritates me is Visa requirement. International travellers dont like to visit Visa required countries. Plus Vietnam tries to fleece tourists. I have experienced both in Vietnam. It is one country i just visited once.
great content and the comments section I am planning to visit Vietnam next year and was thinking of it in terms of retirement After reading the comments here, I am still going to visit, but probably not retire
I’m going in 2025 too because my husband was born in Vietnam and want to see his country again. We would love to live there 3 to 5 months out of the year but now I’m scared(after reading about nightmare entry line, bribes, extortion, theft, yikes). Though I understand every country has all the negative activities listed, but in Vietnam, sounds like this happens quite often😱. If I have a good experience in 2025, I’ll definitely return to Vietnam & bring my older gfs to enjoy the beauty of Vietnam & it’s culture (food, local people and culture is what we enjoy most while traveling)
Excellent video and correct in everything you say. Having travelled to Vietnam a number of times and loved it, I was always put off by the visa process. Visa on arrival should be standard and as I am nearing retirement age, Vietnam is not on my radar as possible place to live permanently. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia have far better infrastructure for tourists and retirees. Even Cambodia has improved a lot in recent years. A number of my expat friends are all considering going there now. Vietnam never even makes an entry into conversations about long term stays for foreigners. Subscribed and liked.
As an American, I’d love to come visit Vietnam. I’m even looking for a country to retire to. The problem is that I can go to Thailand, that I can go to Malaysia. I can go to these two countries to visit without having to apply for a visa. I get a visa on entry. These countries also have something called a retirement visa, like the Philippines, Thailand, even Cambodia..
@@fishbait007 I don’t care about politics these concepts are out of my control. I follow the rules of the country I reside. I respect their culture. I spend money to support the country that graciously allows me easy entry. I would just like easier entry into Vietnam and options for retirement, which currently don’t exist IMHO.
Ken you’re so correct. So many people that enter vietnam through immigration they seem to never say anything not even Welcome to Vietnam. Why they took away 1 year visas for Americans. They used to do 1 year visas. Why the change. Maybe there is a reason ? Not know. Many visitors tell me they feel they’re not welcome when coming through immigration.
Good video and excellent points. Vietnam is one of the most difficult places to enter as an American of any country in the world I've visited. On my first entry I was hassled at customs. They were trying to get me to pay hundreds of dollars for something made up. Luckily when I showed them I had almost no cash, they let me pass through. Not a great first impression. I love Vietnam and travel there often, but they don't make it easy. And I've never seen Vietnam travel advertised in the US. Most Americans have no idea how beautiful the country is and the wide diversity of places to visit.
I live in Hoi An/ Đà Nẵng and agree with you about the shops are packed with junks that nobody want to buy. My wife and I cannot find cloths and shoes that fit us. We have to go to Bangkok to do shopping or ordering online… It’s really ashamed… I’m a viết Kiểu and there are so many good things about Vietnam. But everything is only focused on the short term interests… the government need to take the lead and promote long term interests
It's a hassle to bring money in and impossible to take money out. At the airport xray machine I put my wallet through but on the other side a few 100k dong was missing. I let it go. Didn't want to miss my flight.
We want to retire in Vietnam but it is so hard. So we are looking at Thailand. Unfortunately you gave all the reasons why we are frustrated. Great video and thanks for talking the truth.
Mr. Ken, I think you should present this speech to the government house. Lack of tourism, business failures and the scams in Vietnam I am surprised you did not blame the Chinese !!!
The Vietnamese are generally not pro-China. There were riots a few years ago when the government proposed allowing "foreign" business to invest in economic zones. The government backed down. The same happened when the population got fed up of lockdowns. The government backed down. The government knows that it walks a very precarious line because the population does not like the government. Unless the population is behind you, you can assume that anybody suggesting changes will be given 5 minutes and then shown the door.
@@VK-tq4il the government encourages anti-China propaganda. He didn’t mention wave of mainland Chinese visiting Thailand and Malaysia due to their government friendly out reach. He wants the western visitors but those are not enough to make up for the loss. West rather visit their own type of cultural(US to Europe and vice versa).
I as an American can get a 90 day visa. My wife is a Fijian can only get a 2 week visa. Therefore we go to Cambodia for a long term stay and just visit Vietnam for short visits. Vietnam healthcare is wonderful, but when my wife can only stay two weeks, hospital surgery becomes infeasible.
I love Vietnam but.. The very first impression after you land is the long lines at custom. The officers are not friendly or welcoming. Very poor first impression.
@@BaoNguyen-rg5ve immigrantion in Japan takes hours. Vietnam seems pretty fast and when you're leaving you can buy pass the lines of you're a resident or citizen .customs I lost often then not get waved through .most times the song even run my things through the machine. Just waved through..I find them effective
I don't think they get pay much so they don't really want to be there serving us. They are also very jealous of foreigners. They are grown up in a communist country and most of them have never been to a Western country.
As a viet born in America, I had high expectations of what it would be like to visit Vietnam for my first time. I can tell you this, there are an abundance of good food, but their lack of hospitality, their hygiene, and how they operate as a country is just beyond me.
Funny. I was thinking similar things whenever I come back to the US. Abundance of good food, but also ABUNDANCE of fat people (including fat Asians). Dressed like bums in sweats, t-shirts and shorts at airports and churches. Houses are messy and shoes (with crap from the street) worn inside the house. Trash on the streets. Graffiti everywhere. Road rage and gun violence all the time. How they operate as a country is just beyond me. Savages.
The first timg on arrival is the horrible treatment at immigration long lines and unfriendly staff Scammers at the airport I live in Vietnam 6month a year and love the people Singapore Changi 4 took 4 minutes from arrival at immigration hall i was out great system, Vietnam has the talent to do the same but don't care about tired travellers
@@garymacdougall4465Changi is the best in the world, 90 days on arrival, $5 train straight to the city in 25 minutes, zero scams, wide price spectrum.
Tan Son Nhat is overloaded, I arrived there about 11.00 pm just a month back and the immigration ques were back to near the airbridges. Hopefully the new airport being planned over near the Di Anh area will relieve the overload. That tied in with the new train/tram line that will run elevated from the airport back to the Saigon river where it goes under ground and joins into the new metro underground should make it less stressfull.
Thanks for sharing & totally agree with you regarding the present state of Vietnam tourism - government visa scam, long queues at airport ,poor hospitality service even in the international branded hotel - we had a horrible experience with the check in staff and the management of Intercontinental Phu Quoc .Anyone want to book this hotel best to avoid it
Extremely well presented! Vietnam has been on my bucket list. for quite some time BUT after watching this video, I think I will just return to Thailand or go to one or two of the near by countries. I am too old to go through any hassle!
They can go to Thailand for all we care, Tourism is not an essential part of the economy to take more priority than other like manufacturing, if you have good tourism, good for you, but if not then meh
I love Vietnam and want to go there while we are cold in the winter. I traveled from south to north the last time I visited. Here are few suggestions they could do better to draw more tourists. 1 food hygiene 2 not enough public washrooms. I can eat multiple time a day, but can't fine a clean washroom. I don't mind to pay for a clean washroom each time I use, this way we will have cleansers to keep it clean. 3 visa free for 90 days will help the economy. 4 vendors should try to be more relaxed and a smile. I was being criticized in Ha Long Bay for checking prices and didn't buy at the fruit stand. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are for friendly. 5 have to tip at the airport to go through faster or you could wait for a long time. 6 could not tell the things I paid were the fair price even when I did haggling😅 There were not a single airport in the world that I visited had the same problem. I'm not upset at all, just don't feel comfortable and hesitate to visit again.
Ken, I first visited Vietnam over twenty years ago. Lived and worked there for iver fourteen years. Seen it all. Used to be the number one VIP at Majestic hotel. Once the GM invited me to Dalat to collect their award. Domestic air travel is killing tourism also. Greedy insanity. Shooting themselves in the foot. Visa application is a nightmare as us immigration at HCMC.
I hate to bring up the Elephant in the room, these issues have a lot to do with the Government interference unfortunately. While the other countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have different government structures which is far easier to setup its marketing and branding identity to tourism.
Ken I really appreciate the information you share on RUclips. I love your country and would absolutely love to retire there. I have visited three times since I retired here in America. If you ever get a retirement visa I will be one of the first to come there and I will definitely spend money there.
I've been connecting with and learning about my Vietnamese heritage the past few years and would love to visit. This was a very informative video. Cảm ơn 🙏🏾
Another area that needs improvement is immigration at the airport. When we arrived in Saigon last July, it took us more than an hour and a half to go through, which, compared to other countries, would only take 15 minutes. The arrival hall was small, and with many airlines arriving at the same time, the officers were slow in processing. That definitely needs to improve.
I went through immigration 3 times in the last 4 years. It took me 15 minutes each time. Upon returning to LAX , it took me about 1 hour 25 minutes- there was almost a riot at lax because people were so pissed off.
Applied for tourist visa for the whole family, everyone except one of my kids. No reasons given after multiple follow up on their official site. We had to rebook our flight and ordered an expensive urgent tourist visa to remedy. Come on Vietnam
In Vietnam, everything is done under the table. it's a disgrace. When I got my TRC i saw the advertised price - went to apply, but NOONE and I mean NOONE would accept my application. EVERY single time I went to submit my application online or in-person, I was contacted/told "you need to submit via the service". What they are saying is "We don't want to process your application directly because we don't get any money for doing so. Go by the 3rd party service so we get X money given to us under the table". VIETNAM will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER change. It's a communist country and as such, will never be on the side of the citizen or foreigner.
Communism isnt the issue, China is "communist" but it's 100x more efficient and less corrupt and the govt is way more concerned abt improving things than Vietnam. Something is just uniquely wrong with Viet's government.
It’s a basket case. The ONLY reason anyone , or any business goes to that country is for cheap sweat shop labour & cost of living for low budget tourists. They’re prepared to put up with the shitty way things are to save money on production or holiday costs. The once nice places to go are now overdeveloped with rubbish , low grade construction & the scams keep on coming. The best years of Vietnam have come & gone.
@@ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh123 In China they quite literally are still praising to this very day and still have super large bill boards of Mao the mass murderer of his own people.... It is mind blowing they salute that mass murderer.
Excellent video - probably my favorite of yours. I am a retiree from the USA and have been considering moving to Vietnam. But due to some stories I have heard about the visa process, I have been altering my plans to reconsider Thailand or the Philippines instead. I really prefer Vietnam as I was stationed there (Monkey Mountain - Son Tra, near Da Nang) during the war and fell in love with the beauty and the people of Vietnam. I hope the government of Vietnam realizes how hard they make the process to move there and decides to make it easier. Most beneficial to me would be a Retirement Visa. And by the way, I have been in the 20% for a long time. Great channel and you always pass on valuable and interesting information.
The visa process takes about 20-30 minutes. It’s all online and it’s very cheap in my opinion. I was in Danang last year. Beautiful beaches and you can travel over to monkey mountain in 15-20 minutes.
I was in Vietnam in March for 3 weeks this year. The ETA is no big deal I really enjoyed my time there. There is plenty to see and do the only 2 problems that I can see is, not a lot of people speak English and the motor scooters park on the sidewalks making people having to walk on the side of the road in the cities. Go between January and March.
@@GiangHoang-hd8uk Fair enough, I can appreciate that, but would retirees change your culture or just enjoy it? I think that it is important for a government to look after its own citizens first, just asking if increasing tourism from retirees would be a good compromise. After all, if they don’t behave you can kick them out.
Japan previously had a complicated "red tape process" to enter the country about a decade ago. Former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe removed those barriers and tourism has since taken off. Vietnam can look at Japan as a case study.
I am Vietnamese and I'd say the street seller scams are horrifying even to Vietnamese domestic tourism. And when you are in restaurants in Saigon or Ha Noi, it's more expensive than in Thailand because we have real estate bubble that we don't really know when it will pop but it makes everything expensive and hard for everyone. Let's market it as the land of scams. Thailand makes it easy for all kinds of tourism: individuals, groups, digital nomads, retirees, conferences... If there is something they can do to attract tourists they will update new laws constantly. Allowing same sex marriage also makes gay tourists come to Thailand and spend and even live there longer.
Lots of good things in Vietnam...and you could spend years exploring it. You just need to stay out of certain places like HCMC. Also, the areas with high foreign tourist traffic are pretty bad...because that's where the criminals congregate.
Concur fully! I'm an American expat living in Thailand on a long term retirement visa, and heard great things about Vietnam. The Vietnam visa process was PONDEROUS, and upon arrival, I left a day early.
Good. Too many retirees and ""digital nomads""" (guy who spends $1 a day on coffee but spends 6 hours at the coffee shop) will ruin Vietnam. Vietnam is good as it is.
As a person that's travel to Vietnam 3-4 times in the last decade i haven't been back in 6 years but it's definitely hard to wanting to go when the visa is 30 days you're correct but one of the best food places to enjoy in the world, much love good luck in your future endeavors
...with good reason. If policies were relaxed, VN would be turned into yet another over-priced Western hellhole, complete with hordes of old pdf files, gheys and an assortment of other strangeness.
Vietnam would have been more fun if weren’t on our toes everywhere. People looking to take advantage. Spent 19 days there. Had fun, but don’t plan on going back Was very disappointed to see how much trash was all over Ha Long Bay. And, yes to what you said. The parasailing and things of that nature were super commercialized very short and pricey for what it was.
Been going to Vn since 2021 and scammed twice. Once was a cyclo driver and the other a black taxi. Total of scams cost us $24aud. If you are gullible, doesn't matter what country you are in.
You brought up some interesting points and I would like to add to this list. In the west, many countries like Australia 🇦🇺 America 🇺🇸 and the UK 🇬🇧 are going through a massive cost of living crisis and people simply don’t have the money to travel like they use to before the pandemic 😷.
26 Oct 24. I am currently in Vietnam, with a 3mn tourist visa. (Currently able to reapply for same, altho must leave country & return. One can do this unlimited times - not restricted, as in some countries, to # months within a year).
I love Vietnam alot, its friendly and welcoming people, the chill vibes on the streets, safe environment (petty crime is prevalent everywhere in the world but Vietnam has one of the lowest *serious crime* rates). Just one thing I dont like is the immigration gates at the airports, my wife who is a Vietnamese and I have had been asked for *coffee money* twice while clearing customs. It puts quite a dent on the happiness of starting a holiday. On the topic of scams I feel its a touché topic as every country has it as well even in Singapore. But on the topic of Visas I agree with Ken and many others that Vn can do alot more to promote not only tourism but investments and retirement visas as well.
Upon my arrival at Saigon Airport, I noticed that the customs line was moving quite slowly and the officer appeared rather unfriendly. It is important to remember that visitors come to Vietnam to contribute to the economy, not to ask for handouts. A warm and welcoming demeanor towards all visitors is crucial as it sets the tone for their overall experience.
Vietnam has seen enough poor western begpackers, drunk ESL teachers and cheap charlie retirees They'll rather take the billions of dollars through foreign direct investment, rather than the puny $30 a day budget by your typical backpacker.
Welcome to Vietnam 🇻🇳 ☺️
Vietnam got you, your wallet
Maybe not you but lots of westerners come to Vietnam (a developing country) with entitlements and fake alpha mentalities.
what abot travel to france and cant speak French ? 10 time worst than Vietnam
@@L3462-f1r Unfortunately you are absolutely right - I am always shocked how government doesn’t give a shit what the first impression of their country is. SGN arrivals hall during Ted is a total zoo - I pay extra and get guided into line 4 though, but it should have to be that way. Nevertheless the USA, UK and many others countries are not any better
1) get rid of scam 2) promote discount tours 3) visa friendly
My friend plus wife plus mother visited Vietnam this year. He told me food is not so good, travel and accommodation is expensive. He will never go back
@@tomnguyen7112 discount tours? Like the 300 usd ha long bay tour? Or the cheaper version ones
@@keangwooichoo6138food is amazing, and it’s super cheap here. I don’t get it
It's hard to overcome the scam culture. It's a behavioral issue. No point giving longer visa options when the tourist don't feel comfortable staying in the country. Who wants to stay longer when they get scammed every couple of days?
@zizimai7568 same as kerala india, the Chinese fishing nets 'tour'
Corruption is the #1 issue that turned me off on Vietnam. Too many scams and corrptions!
Exactly! Very bad leaders ! 🤮🤮🤮🇻🇳🇻🇳🇻🇳
Same here. I am fluent in Vietnamese language (having lived there for 10 years in the 80s) but still being scammed at many places. There are too many dishonest businesses and individual service personels, no one seem to take the lead to show them the long term benefit of doing business honestly. It's very unfortunate coz they really have a lot to offer otherwise.
Well at least it is in your face unlike US corruption. Although the political corruption is pretty much in your face now
I doubt Thailand, and I know Philippines, is at least as bad. Just gotta be smart.
@@tomsewell2462 In my opinion, Thailand is better, and Philippines is worse.
You are 100 % Correct. I talked to thousands upon thousands of retired workers who have millions upon millions of dollars that they want something to do with and Vietnam is not a topic of conversation because of their poor visa or non existent retirement policies. Our millions of dollars only go where we are wanted, welcome, safe and hassle free. Great video. Obviously Vietnam is not ready.
Dear, It's a very important issue highlighted. You took bold decisions to highlight the government openly.
@@venkateshdharurkar2100 It is a very important issue actually. I have met many great great Vietnamese people here in the US that I love so dearly and have seen so many videos and streams of Vietnam and it’s very sad that allot of people will never enjoy the Vietnamese people in Vietnam or the beautiful country it self. I’m sure there is a reason why the government doesn’t allow foreigners to stay longer. I completely respect it but that doesn’t mean I cannot comment about it. I wouldn’t dare comment about it in Vietnam because my comments would not be valuable since it’s a communist country. I write boldly because I can think for myself and I am not restricted by any political or religious beliefs be it western or eastern ideologies. I write openly and boldly but I mean no harm or disrespect to anyone or any government. I only wish to express myself in a way that many others have in regard to the content of this video.
Your friends will come out of retirement and go works for Home Depot if they invest in Vietnam.
Ok, Vietnam will developer day by day. We no need fast due to rich not for all. Vietnam want Living with happiness. Look usa million people living in tent on street look as animals.
@@GiangHoang-hd8ukAt least homeless in USA have a welfare services, hospital and shelter provided by the government. What does Vietnamese government have to offer to the homeless in Vietnam?
It's only the Vietnam officials can get rich fast. The rest of the people are 3rd rate class citizens 😂
You’re absolutely correct about everything and don’t forget to mention the lack of PUBLIC RESTROOMS. This is very critical because every time I went to visit VN, I always get food poisoning. No matter how careful I am and it really suck
Where do you eat most meals? (Now u r scaring me lol)…eeek
haha it's true!
I’m a retiree. I suggest that Vietnam should have a 6-month visa and extend up to a year. I plan to stay longer. I went there last year, and I travel from Ha Tien to Ha Noi. Vietnam is a beautiful country.
Less Visa renewals means less chances of taking bribes
You can buy a house to have visa 10, 20 years like Thailand did ❤
@@paulduong5342 looks like foreigners can apply for e-visa
@@Meomeosaigon Non Viets cannot own a property in their name, they have to be part of a business group or through marriage.
@@Meomeosaigonyou can’t buy a house here, you can get a lease on one though
Scams are everywhere you go. It was a scary experience. Never want to come back.
You are a weakling. No back bones
what scams? I've been to VN many times and I have never experience any scams. Stop lying
@@cnn787-i9eScams on I show speed RUclips is lying? Lol 😆 😅😅
Great job for detailing the truth about the issue of declining tourism business. We just came back from Bangkok and the people their welcome foreigners with open arms and beautiful smiles! We were in Vietnam last year, and we do feel a difference.
The visa application website is a nightmare!
So true and then I tried to call and would get no answer for days.
Nightmare
Yes as a regular visitor to Vietnam I am astounded by the clunky visa process. Surely there must be a better way.
I couldn’t get it to work and ended up needing to use a company to complete the paperwork
I did mine in 20 minutes the first time
About 10 minutes the second time
I have never been to Vietnam and have been thinking about visiting. However, a few of my friends, including American Vietnamese, have warned me that a lot of locals (in the cities) would try to get you to pay as much as possible for everything and scams are everywhere.
Avoid
You have to have your guard up the minute you walk off the plane .
Be careful of people that are overly friendly especially the young girls those misfits are just scheming on ways to make your wallet lighter and clean you out .
Like in every city …… Vietnam is beautiful, your comment is slightly exaggerated as you need to be a little streetwise everywhere you go. Of course it happens but as I say it happens everywhere. Hope you are well. 👏
I go to VN almost every year if I can. I love the VN people and food. I've learned Vietnamese due to my love of the culture and people. I do try and avoid tourist areas so it could be why but I never experience what your friends say. You're missing out on an experience. I'm guessing you live in the US but don't have a bad opinion of where you live? To give you an example, I could say I wouldn't visit the US due to shootings, zombie cities like Chicago, LA, New York etc... Also, I wouldn't visit London in the UK due to the stabbings, pickpockets and phone snatchings. These things can happen anyway in the world.
The Vietnamese American mostly can't even speak Vietnamese let alone know about their country, culture and origins.
Metro rail- 15 years delayed, New airport 10 years delayed, no work permit for foreigners married to a Vietnamese person just effectively a 3 year tourist visa. - overall Vietnam lacks focus
Foreign citizens married to locals can get a temporary/permanent residence card. No SEA countries offer work permits based on marriage.
@@duongglobalbusinessconsulting Thus fostering a culture of retired men marrying local women, imagine a US style greencard thus stripping away a layer of bureaucracy & actually encouraging younger more entrepreneurial types, a digital nomad type visa or a proper retirement style visa (import a vehicle duty free etc)
And while opening up foreign home ownership & inbound investment dollars, make the outbound flow of those same dollars plus any profit just as easy.
Amazing country that just needs a more dynamic/entrepreneurial approach & greater accountability.
VN should learn from Thailand and posts a scam hotline number everywhere so victimized foreign tourists can call in to report these price scams and gouging. It only takes one scam for most of these foreign tourists to never come back to VN.
I was in Bangkok and people are more friendly and they are upfront for price. I feel my money is worth spending in Bangkok. I definitely visit Thailand again!
@@L3462-f1rin Bangkok they rip you off upfront. Public AC buses are 40 baht, tuk tuk 150 baht for 2 km distance, food overpriced and 400 to 500 baht entry tickets to each museum or attraction. If that is not a rip off, I don't know what is
That is not considered overcharging. The pricing reflects the standard rates in their locality. All prices are clearly stated and the decision to make a purchase or visit a location is entirely up to you.
VN won't learn from Thai; they only learn from CN, and I bet they'll never get better anytime soon. After 1975, com propaganda, brainwashing, and culture revolution ( AK CN), it's in the blood and brain of its people. And I'm a VN boat person after 1975.
@@qn5947 thailand is democratic monarchy, vietnam is communist. Are you sure a hotline can work?
I have been to Phu Quoc twice in the past 5 years. They have overbuilt. I saw lots of empty hotels and resorts which hadn't even opened yet. Too greedy.
Too much rapid over-development. They've destroyed the area between Da Nang and Hoi An. Used to be one long, pristine beach. Everywhere else, they want to constantly build, build, build and put resorts everywhere. It's an issue for certain.
@tracyrreed I saw vlogs some beaches are polluted
@@keangwooichoo6138 Everything is polluted in VN. They don't hesitate to throw their trash wherever they want. It's sad.
Going to PQ to see the fake Italian buildings.
@@ToTa-mh6re Exactly! The copycat European architecture is amusing. That's not what we go to VN for but the developers seem to think it is!
I just came back from Hanoi and I noticed how tourism has been affected there, I went to a 5 star hotel and we were only 5 people staying there, I felt sad for Vietnam because is such a beatiful country and I would have loved to stay longer.
September 2023 i was the only person at the hotel in Panabo Philippines. I had the entire place to myself. Once there i only saw 1 other tourist.
@@ateam6486 Where is Panabo PHilippines?
Greed has destroyed tourism
living in VN I know this consequence will happen 10 years ago. These weaknesses have existed for a long time and I know they cannot be fixed. They belong to the nature of social culture and the selfish, uncivilized character of the majority of people.
I've been in Vietnam for 5 years as a retiree, and the visa situation has been a nightmare and quite costly from day one. Those of us who like to live here long-term and call the place home, have very few visa options, and we bring in money, we rent apartments long-term and we spend money daily which obviously benefit the local economy. One can get a 3-months single-entry tourist visa and be told to leave the country when those 90 days run out; there's no extension possible, so leave the country for a few minutes, turn around and come back in, that of course is if you want to come back to your apartment and the place you call home...why, it's nonsense. Then there's the phony business visa, which can be renewed 3 or 4 times for a total of 1 year, but it still requires us to hand over our passports every 90 days to an agent, so he can make the magic happen and somehow get us an extension stamp good for another 90 days; and btw, the cost for that extension is easily 25X what that stamp should cost, but it saves us a border-run, and money somehow goes into the right pockets. This business visa btw, isn't exactly on the up and up either, since it should be attached to a work permit, which none of us have or can get as a retiree, so it's phony but it flies under the radar. The last option is to marry a local gal, which opens the door to a 2-3 or 5-year excemption (visa), and it's actually doable and not too complicated. So why oh why is imigration so unfriendly in Vietnam, and why are 95% of the imigration officers at the borders so rude...??? I can move to Cambodia and get a 1-year visa instantly, and it's about 1/3 of the price we pay in Vietnam, and no border runs required for 1 full year. To extend the stay there, one goes to a local travel agent and hand over a few hundred dollars, and all is good for another full year, no problems, no border-runs just sit back and relax. And it gets even better in the Philippines where you can get a 3-year visa that only requires a couple trips to a local imigration office every year I believe it is, then all is set, and of course it's dirt cheap as well compared to Vietnam. So again, a 90-day tourist visa is really the ONLY (legal) OPTION if you want to live in Vietnam, after those 90 days, be prepared to meet with a visa agent, hand over money and passport, and btw, there's NO GUARANTEE that a new visa will be granted, that's a complete unknown, but if it is you'll be picked up in some mini van and driven to the border, then waddle through no-mans-land into some office where a robot-behaving humanoid will give you an exit stamp, then continue past some non-friendly officers a few hundred meters into the land of Cambodia to a smiling imigration officer who greets you and gives you an entry stamp so you instantly can turn around and get an exit stamp from another somewhat friendly officer, then proceed back across no-mans-land back into Vietnam only to be greeted by another humanoid who manages to slam a couple stamps somewhere in your passport...could be page 7, page 32, or really anywhere the passport happens to open, because efficiency ain't valued too much, if at all...But our problem as retirees is that Vietnam has a lot to offer, it's a beautiful place with awesome people, and we really want to live here, but the visa situation is upside down completely; it's as if they don't want foreigners here at all, which is rather strange because we live, we shop, we travel and we spend money constantly. So what gives, and why do I have to escape into another country every 90 days, and pay that country to walk on their soil for a few minutes, it's annoying to even think about. Vietnam could simply come up with a 1-year visa at whatever price and thereby keep all the money in VN and let us live our lives best we can without all these border-runs, but it's obviously a business the Imigration dept isn't willing to give up. The 6-month visa idea that's brought up in this video doesn't make any sense either, it's just like a bandaid on a huge cut; we need at least a 1-year visa to make it worthwhile, otherwise it's adios Vietnam, and that's sad. Cheers
Im reconsidering myself! I was in Cambodia two years ago, no hassle at custom! Everything was easy and I would definitely go to Cambodia again just to chill and enjoy the culture, people and FOOD!
Noise pollution, aggressive driving and lawless traffic culture and garbage everywhere. These also deter some people eho find it impossible to relax when in Vietnam.
Yes, don't forget to mention unwalkable footpaths because it's either a motorbike or a storefront that blocks the way, forcing pedestrians to walk into the street. Absolutely senseless.
I am neutral on this.
Alright, Ken and other readers - let me share my reasons why I'm looking forward to moving OUT of Vietnam (again...).
Background: I'm from the US, lived on Phu Quoc 2016-2018 as a co-owner of a restaurant there. Moved back to US in 2018, came back to Vietnam in May and married a lady I had met in 2017. I have traveled a fair bit around Europe, SE Asia, and the Caribbean/Central America.
We moved to Da Nang based on previous visits to the area. Even here, which is about as good as it gets in Vietnam, it's less than ideal.
Infrastructure - roads and all that goes with them (footpaths/sidewalks, parking, flow/control/signage, accessibility, etc.) are very poor (to be clear, I'm not saying all roads are in poor physical condition - some are, but the problems are deeper than just the quality of the build). Best road in the region is the one to Sun World's Ba Na Hills (about 25 km away from the city). It was privately funded and built by the Sun Group - NOT the Vietnamese government.
Traffic? Beyond ridiculous. "It's their culture", used as an excuse to explain the lack of enforcement of any motor vehicle laws, lost all relevance after a week or so. Sure, I can drive and ride around like a local now, but it's a huge negative to anyone new wanting to stay here long term. Try walking around HCMC during rush hour - footpaths/sidewalks become another vehicle lane, and you'll be screamed at (or worse) if you don't move to let motorbikes take them over. Want to know the true number of traffic fatalities and injuries? HA! You'll never find accurate numbers as the government won't divulge them.
Corruption and petty crime and bureaucracy - had to pay a few extra million dong to get the marriage paperwork completed in a timely manner - otherwise it would have sat on the desk of the little government pr*ck for many months. Friends have had many things stolen. All countries have hoops to jump through for visas, marriages, etc. - but the communist core of control and maintaining bygone processes is maddening.
Shopping/groceries - I compare the largest Vietnamese grocery to an average US grocery, and it covers about 40% of the standard goods available. Malls? SE Asia is mall mecca! In Thailand you have multiple top rated mall chains - Central, Terminal 21, Siam (at least one, more in Bangkok, CM, Pattaya) in every major city. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand all have fantastic malls - any brand name you would want, huge, affordable & delicious food courts, polite and very friendly people working in them. HCMC and Hanoi each have only one top level mall. But, "customer service" is only seen at the higher end hotels or restaurants. Grocery store or retail shop? Great customer service is the exception, not the rule.
Thank you, Thailand, for offering the DTV that easily includes your spouse. See you soon!
You are absolutely right. They keep stabbing themselves in the foot.
Only an American wouuld cite a lack of shopping malls as a reason to leave a country. That says a lot more about American 'culture' than about Vietnam. Personally, I see the lack of malls and mega-marts as being an absolute bonus.
@@truecentral718 did you read everything he said ? Shopping malls is of the 10 reasons. You forgot about petty crime, corruption, stealing, bad roads….etc.
@@EricP-sb1wlDid you read what I said? I said he cited it as A reason - not THE reason. Works both ways.
Sounds like you will be happier back in the USA. I was just in Vietnam a month back. Saigon has plenty of shopping malls there are two or three multi level malls within 5km of Tan Son Nhat airport, how many do you want? The road system in Vietnam was layed out for ox carts and bicycles, a lot of Saigons roads are near 300 years old as is the city and inner suburbs. I was also in Danang same trip, the roads there are totally fine, wide footpaths, generally okay road surface and traffic safe enough for a mid 60's year old Australian to hire a scooter and ride down to Hoi An for an evening meal. I would never ride in Saigon, my reflexes are just to slow, I jump on a grab there. I don't know the most recent traffic numbers but the last time I asked when I was there in 2014 was around 1,700 fatals a year. Remember there are near 10 Million people in the Greater Ho Chi Minh City area, that's a city that physically is quite small, in Australia the land area would be equivalent to a mid sized country village.
The problem and it's mainly an American thing, is you come to Vietnam and expect it to be just like America, or that Vietnamese should be subservient to Americans. You're in their country, play by their rules, respect their customs.
Thank you for bringing the visa issue up. I visited Vietnam 3 times in the last 10 years but trying to get a visa has always been my iffy question wheather I should visit Vietnam at all. Plus those bad taxi drivers at the Da Nang Airport that pretended to be both Grab Drivers and Taxi drivers at the same time...SMFH.
Taxi scams galore
The visa is always the #1 consideration. We do not want the hassle.
maybe they dont want you to stay long term? take the hint
@@altran1125 Then why did they extend evisas to 90 days? Thats quite a long time. You are just making stuff up, the reason the evisa system sucks is cause they dont bother redoing the website. Even Cambodia has a simple nice quick evisa website.
@@altran1125That's fine. Just don't complain about tourism affecting their economy 😂
They put some stupid dumb ass to run the country’s tourism and that’s why they couldn’t compete with neighboring countries.
Retired Canadian here. I travelled Vietnam this year from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City, and I must say I prefer other countries in that area over Vietnam. The VISA problem, along with scams and unsanitary conditions ensures that I will not return to Vietnam. I will be buying a condo in another country and will travel all the other countries but Vietnam is on the bottom of my list.
@@jackchan5784 ok, Vietnam not welcome retirement people due to the retires not usful for economy
@@GiangHoang-hd8uk This is a dead wrong perception, retirees have a lot of money if you let them stay longer they only help the economy grow
@@letsrollbabe9174 no, in Monaco is right. But people want retirement/ living long time in Vietnam with old salary max 5000usd/month.
@@letsrollbabe9174 This guy puts words into his mouth, do not believe him.
@@letsrollbabe9174 Like Thailand with their 2.3% grows right LMFAO
The Vietnamese might be friendly but NOT the government officials.
Communist
@@dhhbtd 100% correct...and useless.
I agree totally. Pre-covid, I went once a year and I found the people more welcoming than in other Asian countries. I went again recently and found it very unwelcoming, especially the immigration officer. I'm a retired police officer from America with plenty of money to spend. I was hoping that by this time, Vietnam would have it's arms wide open for retirees. But sadly no. So I'm opting for Thailand's 10 year wealthy pensioners visa. Extremely easy to get.
They don't speak english , malaysia and philippines are more friendly
You have the guts to quote the loopholes of a communist country. Truly appreciate 🎉
Vietnam is not a communist country, it has no communism nor socialism, it's all capitalism with a lot of corruption in the government, just like India.
The government is communist. The people are capitalist.
Looks like you have not been to Vietnam lol
@GrantandShirley
But he spent a lot of his life in his mom's basement. 🥴
He has balls unlike most vloggers
A friend of mine from Indonesia, he said he kept on being scammed starting from the time he stepped foot on Vietnam, from taxi scam, hotel scam to restaurant scam. I planned to visit Vietnam end up crossed Vietnam from my itinerary.
Him not only criticizes but also give the solutions.Thank you, cảm ơn anh
Check your comprehension skills, not criticize? do you even understand stand English?
All of their scams are coming back to bite them. We all said it would & it has.
You were frightened by the ordeal?
Corruption put me off from vietnam, wasn't a very good impression of the country when your ask for bribe to pass the luggage check at the airport. Once you dwell deeper, you realise corruption is still truly everywhere in the country.
I know there is a lot of corruption but I understand it (ok ok not that I am a fan of it )
But the fact is it’s a poor country and the men retire at 60 years old, and if your income is not that high, then your pension will be even lower so in all those years till retirement, they need to grab as much money as they can for there old age remember there is nothing like a old folks home or something like Social Security
@@Van_TT 100% corrupt!
@@Van_TTsame for everyone
Acting like Vietnam is the worst? How about you check Vietnam corruption ranking compared to neighboring countries like Thailand?
@@Obi_too_kenobi Poverty is no excuse for stealing. Corruption is stealing!
Đường...you made a lot of great points. Please kêep up your great work.
The working holiday visa is a great idea, I took advantage of the Japan-Australia one in the late 90s which allowed me to stay for 18 months in Japan working and travelling, learning the language and culture, and so on, which left an indelible mark on me 🙌 One thing I'd like to see is the locals in Saigon not sitting around waiting for matters out of their control to change, there are many things they can do at hẻm level, street level, neighbourhood level, community level that can make the tourist experience better without intervention from above. Interesting vid, Ken.
After being scammed from the point I checked into a HCMC hotel, the hotel check-in receptionist stole all my USD currency in my passport holder, to our dinner table food bills overcharged by items not ordered, scammed in the city market square when buying Viet coffee, my friend lost his camera place in a decent Aircon souvenir shop while checking products. just too to lust here.
We all told our families and friends to avoid these places as too stressful for vacations.
Too any scams and thefts incidents to elaborate here. Every visitors came back with at least few scams incidents.
Ummm mate this sounds like it’s on you. Very complacent mindset and air headed ness not a VN thing
@@phunk8607 when visiting a country full of thieves, one must be mindful.....and NEVER to go there in the first place.
Omg damn
I got sickness twice in vietnam. In hanoi its air pollution that caused me pneumonia. On the train from da nang to saigon I got diarrhea Tap water in vietnam is heavily polluted. In saigon there are too much noise and garbage everywhere. Moisquito bited me daily.
I went to sapa for 5 days. I was the only tourist in all attractions excluding the mountain. It be like walking Disneyland, and the park was empty except for you.
The only thing prevent me and many tourists from coming to Vietnam is the visa process. I can go to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and many countries with no visa required or visa on arrival.
Visa on arrival is nice, we did that when we went to tour Cambodia in 2019. We would have stayed longer and live like locals …. but had obligations back in the States. So far, we enjoyed Cambodia. Gonna see if we like Vietnam in 2025…
long lines at the airport, scams as soon as you hit the curb, no mass transit, not walkable, lousy weather, air pollution, food safety, trash everywhere, high prices for 5 star hotels and resorts compared with Thailand and Malaysia
💯
lousy weather? what a moron
Yep Totally agree👍
Bingo
No worry, on the rainy day you can swim everywhere.
Having visited Vietnam, I now recommend all friends and family to visit Thailand. My first experience in Vietnam, was a high level of corruption, scams everywhere you look, and a nightmare visa application process. On the other hand, I've experience no scams, and no corruption in Thailand. Plus Thailands visa on arrival process is a game changer. Things will get a lot worse for Vietnam before they get better (or if they get better).
HI Mr. Duong, I completely understand the context of your video. Way to go! Vietnam has to attract more YOUNG FOREIGNERS...Cheers
You are spot on!!!!!
Being a 68 year old Australian.....I was very keen to spend X-mas in VN.
But having to supply a photo...as an elderly person with little IT knowledge....and all the rest....I decided to visit Indonesia instead!
My 5000 AUD spending money, including locally spend money on accommodation, will be very welcome....I'm sure of that.
Sorry Vietnam.....get your act together!
Nice!
Ok boomer. Vietnam attracts billions of foreign investment dollars, not your meager 5000 AUD.
I’m laughing. I’m a very young 52 years old from the US but I really struggle with IT shit. I had to at least have a friend provide emotional support during my application process for an E - Visa. To be fair, there were no issues and I was granted my 90 day visa 3 business days later. I’m now living in Da Nang. Side note - my asthma in the States was all but non - existent. It’s been raging since I got here. 😢
Wise choice
Stay in Australia mate.... foreigners think they can own our country because you flash a little cash around. Go to Thailand instead - Vietnam will grow without you
Been trying to get the visa as a tourist. Denied already 3 times for random and incorrect reasons. Seen multiple reports online from other travelers who have had their visa rejected multiple times as well. Neighboring countries have VOA or visa exempt. No wonder hotels and restaurants are empty in Vietnam.
And each time it's another fee!
Thank you. I always look forward to your videos. The 90 day is a positive step. Beginning the last week next month I will spend two and a half months in Vietnam through and beyond the Tet holiday. I was there for two months early last year on a 30 day visa which necessitated a day trip to Cambodia so the 90 day visa is a blessing. This will be my fourth trip to Vietnam in the last seven years. It would have been at least one more had it not been for covid. You are correct, not only is the country beautiful but so are it's people. I had intended to move there but without a retirement visa I would be required to leave every six months. Things will work out one way or another.
Again, thank you for your work and info produced in your videos.
You're Honest & Truthful - 2000 - 2010 - Enjoyed Ha Noi - Sai Gon - Bia Hoi - An Ngon & 2024 - Expensive & Stressful - Modernized
It is what it is, can’t teach an old dog a new trick. When I mentioned the problem of the scams? The local people would tell me if I don’t like, go somewhere else. Per-half, they don’t look at it as a problem, so I go to Thailand and Malaysia that is more foreigners welcomed spot.
A great commentary and I agree with your points.
I am so happy you are bringing this up and out into the light, you are so rite about all of the content. I only hope things change soon for the vietnamese economy ❤
Well said, they need to stop the tea money bullshit from officials and do their job properly.
Did you mean "courtesy money"?
@@Hoangsa74 Don't be so kind with their terminology. Tea money, coffee money, do your job cause I aint giving no money officials.
I love your content about Vietnam. I hope we will meet soon. I have already contact your staff already 😅
Every country in S.E. Asia gives EU visitors free stay on arrival including Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia. First thing it irritates me is Visa requirement. International travellers dont like to visit Visa required countries. Plus Vietnam tries to fleece tourists. I have experienced both in Vietnam. It is one country i just visited once.
Welcome to communism. We have to check if you gonna be bringing in anti-communism 😂
@@blipblop92
Vietnam is NOT communism nor socialism, it is capitalism with heavy corruption in the government, like in India.
EU nationals get free 45 days visa exemption, to renew, you must step out for 30 days. I do this continuously alternating with Thailand.
I get 45 days on arrival free. I just went in Aug.
@@hugueslecorre4893 You only need to cross the border and can come right back in with a new 45 days visa.
great content and the comments section
I am planning to visit Vietnam next year and was thinking of it in terms of retirement
After reading the comments here, I am still going to visit, but probably not retire
I’m going in 2025 too because my husband was born in Vietnam and want to see his country again. We would love to live there 3 to 5 months out of the year but now I’m scared(after reading about nightmare entry line, bribes, extortion, theft, yikes). Though I understand every country has all the negative activities listed, but in Vietnam, sounds like this happens quite often😱. If I have a good experience in 2025, I’ll definitely return to Vietnam & bring my older gfs to enjoy the beauty of Vietnam & it’s culture (food, local people and culture is what we enjoy most while traveling)
Retire in Malaysia. You won't regret it.
@@zizimai7568 I recently spoke with a Malaysian who told me this country is very corrupt and underdeveloped
Excellent video and correct in everything you say. Having travelled to Vietnam a number of times and loved it, I was always put off by the visa process. Visa on arrival should be standard and as I am nearing retirement age, Vietnam is not on my radar as possible place to live permanently. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia have far better infrastructure for tourists and retirees. Even Cambodia has improved a lot in recent years. A number of my expat friends are all considering going there now. Vietnam never even makes an entry into conversations about long term stays for foreigners. Subscribed and liked.
As an American, I’d love to come visit Vietnam. I’m even looking for a country to retire to. The problem is that I can go to Thailand, that I can go to Malaysia. I can go to these two countries to visit without having to apply for a visa. I get a visa on entry. These countries also have something called a retirement visa, like the Philippines, Thailand, even Cambodia..
What’s the difference? Capitalism vs communism
That's not a problem sir. That's a relief for people here
@@fishbait007 I don’t care about politics these concepts are out of my control. I follow the rules of the country I reside. I respect their culture. I spend money to support the country that graciously allows me easy entry.
I would just like easier entry into Vietnam and options for retirement, which currently don’t exist IMHO.
@@DesertCoyote-t5k The country wants your money but doesn't want you here long term.
@@fishbait007
Vietnam has no communism nor socialism, the people live in capitalism with heavy corruption like in India.
Ken you’re so correct. So many people that enter vietnam through immigration they seem to never say anything not even Welcome to Vietnam. Why they took away 1 year visas for Americans. They used to do 1 year visas. Why the change. Maybe there is a reason ? Not know. Many visitors tell me they feel they’re not welcome when coming through immigration.
Taking away 1year American visas is one of the very few good things they did!
@@garymacdougall4465 Why do you think so? Also, do other nations have one year tourist visas?
@@LD-Orbs no one wants 'Merikans!
Hi Ken. I agree with your views and recommendations 100%. There needs to be major reforms. Great content BTW!
Thank you very much for your support!
Excellent analysis. I'm a retiree in Ecuador as we speak. I would love to live in Da Nang if they could make the visa easier.
Good video and excellent points. Vietnam is one of the most difficult places to enter as an American of any country in the world I've visited. On my first entry I was hassled at customs. They were trying to get me to pay hundreds of dollars for something made up. Luckily when I showed them I had almost no cash, they let me pass through. Not a great first impression. I love Vietnam and travel there often, but they don't make it easy. And I've never seen Vietnam travel advertised in the US. Most Americans have no idea how beautiful the country is and the wide diversity of places to visit.
Totally BS... Look at the video! It's stitched together. I bet he's not even in Vietnam.
@@FenceSitter-ei3cvI live here … he’s definitely in Vietnam. All videos on RUclips have editing. 🤦🏻🤣🙄
not sure how long ago that was but I haven't had those problem and most people I know it been awhile since that happen.
@altran1125 about a year ago. Only happened one time and I've been back multiple times since with no issues
@@chrismichaels6928 Nah.. it looks likes he's pasted in.
I live in Hoi An/ Đà Nẵng and agree with you about the shops are packed with junks that nobody want to buy. My wife and I cannot find cloths and shoes that fit us. We have to go to Bangkok to do shopping or ordering online…
It’s really ashamed… I’m a viết Kiểu and there are so many good things about Vietnam. But everything is only focused on the short term interests… the government need to take the lead and promote long term interests
It's a hassle to bring money in and impossible to take money out.
At the airport xray machine I put my wallet through but on the other side a few 100k dong was missing. I let it go. Didn't want to miss my flight.
In the Osaka airport Japan when changing money I forgot US$500 on the counter, one staffman chased me returning me the forgotten money.
@@kimduong2332 ❤
Omg
The x- ray machine is next to the way you walk in, no way they can stole your money without you or someone see it.
We want to retire in Vietnam but it is so hard. So we are looking at Thailand. Unfortunately you gave all the reasons why we are frustrated. Great video and thanks for talking the truth.
Mr. Ken, I think you should present this speech to the government house. Lack of tourism, business failures and the scams in Vietnam I am surprised you did not blame the Chinese !!!
Blame others for your fault,i know it,s typical for people like you,shame on you harebrain😂
Please explain why blaming the Chinese? I'm intrigued.
@@pvantran82 If you watched the previous shows, ken always blamed the Chinese bad influence in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese are generally not pro-China. There were riots a few years ago when the government proposed allowing "foreign" business to invest in economic zones. The government backed down.
The same happened when the population got fed up of lockdowns. The government backed down.
The government knows that it walks a very precarious line because the population does not like the government.
Unless the population is behind you, you can assume that anybody suggesting changes will be given 5 minutes and then shown the door.
@@VK-tq4il the government encourages anti-China propaganda. He didn’t mention wave of mainland Chinese visiting Thailand and Malaysia due to their government friendly out reach. He wants the western visitors but those are not enough to make up for the loss. West rather visit their own type of cultural(US to Europe and vice versa).
Great video, thank you!
I as an American can get a 90 day visa. My wife is a Fijian can only get a 2 week visa. Therefore we go to Cambodia for a long term stay and just visit Vietnam for short visits. Vietnam healthcare is wonderful, but when my wife can only stay two weeks, hospital surgery becomes infeasible.
Go to Thailand or Singapore instead. You don't need a visa and the healthcare is much better.
The kingdom of wonder is always a safe choice, never fell in love with a place and it's people so quickly. Hope to spend a fair bit of my future there
I love Vietnam but..
The very first impression after you land is the long lines at custom. The officers are not friendly or welcoming. Very poor first impression.
@@BaoNguyen-rg5ve immigrantion in Japan takes hours. Vietnam seems pretty fast and when you're leaving you can buy pass the lines of you're a resident or citizen .customs I lost often then not get waved through .most times the song even run my things through the machine. Just waved through..I find them effective
I don't think they get pay much so they don't really want to be there serving us. They are also very jealous of foreigners. They are grown up in a communist country and most of them have never been to a Western country.
Long lines at custom because no ones would put a US$5 note in their passports.
If you are Vietnamese, you may appear less friendly than foreigners.
@@kimduong2332this practice needs to stop
As a viet born in America, I had high expectations of what it would be like to visit Vietnam for my first time. I can tell you this, there are an abundance of good food, but their lack of hospitality, their hygiene, and how they operate as a country is just beyond me.
This is a communist country running by a group of old people, people development to make their citizens smarter wasn’t their goals.
You are American...not Vietnamese.
Funny. I was thinking similar things whenever I come back to the US. Abundance of good food, but also ABUNDANCE of fat people (including fat Asians). Dressed like bums in sweats, t-shirts and shorts at airports and churches. Houses are messy and shoes (with crap from the street) worn inside the house. Trash on the streets. Graffiti everywhere. Road rage and gun violence all the time. How they operate as a country is just beyond me. Savages.
@@the_gilded_age_phoenix8717 thank god
@@xevenau I dunno. At least, in Vietnam, these folks care about their families and aren't buried in a $100,000+ of debt just to breathe air.
The first timg on arrival is the horrible treatment at immigration long lines and unfriendly staff
Scammers at the airport
I live in Vietnam 6month a year and love the people
Singapore Changi 4 took 4 minutes from arrival at immigration hall i was out great system, Vietnam has the talent to do the same but don't care about tired travellers
Sim card and taxi scams!
Singapore immigration and Vietnam immigration - chalk and cheese! Singapore is professional!
@@garymacdougall4465Changi is the best in the world, 90 days on arrival, $5 train straight to the city in 25 minutes, zero scams, wide price spectrum.
Those custom agents look like they hate their jobs. They should train those stupid agents to say welcome to Vietnam to all tourists.
Tan Son Nhat is overloaded, I arrived there about 11.00 pm just a month back and the immigration ques were back to near the airbridges. Hopefully the new airport being planned over near the Di Anh area will relieve the overload. That tied in with the new train/tram line that will run elevated from the airport back to the Saigon river where it goes under ground and joins into the new metro underground should make it less stressfull.
@@EricP-sb1wl they're paid peanuts!
Thanks for sharing & totally agree with you regarding the present state of Vietnam tourism - government visa scam, long queues at airport ,poor hospitality service even in the international branded hotel - we had a horrible experience with the check in staff and the management of Intercontinental Phu Quoc .Anyone want to book this hotel best to avoid it
Extremely well presented! Vietnam has been on my bucket list. for quite some time BUT after watching this video, I think I will just return to Thailand or go to one or two of the near by countries. I am too old to go through any hassle!
Avoid Vietnam
I lived there for fourteen years
Thanks for this video packed with valuable information. Im visiting Danang in February for a week so I hope everything goes well.
February is a great time to visit, weather is good and less crowds!
@@duongglobalbusinessconsulting Thank you Sir! Merry Christmas to you.
Vietnam's visa is it's weakest point.. EVERYONE is going to Thailand. Such a shame because Vietnam is amazing!
Was amazing.😆
nah i like vietnam how it is.
They can go to Thailand for all we care, Tourism is not an essential part of the economy to take more priority than other like manufacturing, if you have good tourism, good for you, but if not then meh
@@nguyenkhue4021Ho Lee Fook are you Pho real? Vietnam was built on tourism
@@penguinpringles Tourism was 7.0% of Vietnam total GDP in 2018 and it shrinking lol, you might mistaken Vietnam for Thailand though
Great presentation. Yes something must be done to save the Tourism Industry. Thank you
I love Vietnam and want to go there while we are cold in the winter.
I traveled from south to north the last time I visited.
Here are few suggestions they could do better to draw more tourists.
1 food hygiene
2 not enough public washrooms. I can eat multiple time a day, but can't fine a clean washroom. I don't mind to pay for a clean washroom each time I use, this way we will have cleansers to keep it clean.
3 visa free for 90 days will help the economy.
4 vendors should try to be more relaxed and a smile. I was being criticized in Ha Long Bay for checking prices and didn't buy at the fruit stand. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are for friendly.
5 have to tip at the airport to go through faster or you could wait for a long time.
6 could not tell the things I paid were the fair price even when I did haggling😅
There were not a single airport in the world that I visited had the same problem.
I'm not upset at all, just don't feel comfortable and hesitate to visit again.
One more. Typhoon country too
Pretty accurate info and relatable to my experience here
Ken, I first visited Vietnam over twenty years ago. Lived and worked there for iver fourteen years. Seen it all. Used to be the number one VIP at Majestic hotel. Once the GM invited me to Dalat to collect their award.
Domestic air travel is killing tourism also. Greedy insanity. Shooting themselves in the foot.
Visa application is a nightmare as us immigration at HCMC.
Tourists are their money tree.
good & informative video. useful info. Thanks
I hate to bring up the Elephant in the room, these issues have a lot to do with the Government interference unfortunately. While the other countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have different government structures which is far easier to setup its marketing and branding identity to tourism.
Indo china is communist
Ken I really appreciate the information you share on RUclips. I love your country and would absolutely love to retire there. I have visited three times since I retired here in America. If you ever get a retirement visa I will be one of the first to come there and I will definitely spend money there.
Vietnam is not international conference and festival friendly. This is a critical issue.
I've been connecting with and learning about my Vietnamese heritage the past few years and would love to visit. This was a very informative video. Cảm ơn 🙏🏾
Another area that needs improvement is immigration at the airport. When we arrived in Saigon last July, it took us more than an hour and a half to go through, which, compared to other countries, would only take 15 minutes. The arrival hall was small, and with many airlines arriving at the same time, the officers were slow in processing. That definitely needs to improve.
No money no honey.
I went through immigration 3 times in the last 4 years. It took me 15 minutes each time.
Upon returning to LAX , it took me about 1 hour 25 minutes- there was almost a riot at lax because people were so pissed off.
@@DaveEPie Great story
@@DaveEPie oh try rioting in Vietnam entry (I dare anyone lol)…only in America smh
Great unbiased informative video as always
Thanks for all your time and effort
Much appreciated!
Applied for tourist visa for the whole family, everyone except one of my kids. No reasons given after multiple follow up on their official site. We had to rebook our flight and ordered an expensive urgent tourist visa to remedy. Come on Vietnam
In Vietnam, everything is done under the table. it's a disgrace. When I got my TRC i saw the advertised price - went to apply, but NOONE and I mean NOONE would accept my application. EVERY single time I went to submit my application online or in-person, I was contacted/told "you need to submit via the service". What they are saying is "We don't want to process your application directly because we don't get any money for doing so. Go by the 3rd party service so we get X money given to us under the table". VIETNAM will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER change. It's a communist country and as such, will never be on the side of the citizen or foreigner.
Communism isnt the issue, China is "communist" but it's 100x more efficient and less corrupt and the govt is way more concerned abt improving things than Vietnam. Something is just uniquely wrong with Viet's government.
@@Disillusioned2022 Thailand, Cambodia, Laos are better
It’s a basket case. The ONLY reason anyone , or any business goes to that country is for cheap sweat shop labour & cost of living for low budget tourists. They’re prepared to put up with the shitty way things are to save money on production or holiday costs. The once nice places to go are now overdeveloped with rubbish , low grade construction & the scams keep on coming. The best years of Vietnam have come & gone.
@@ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh123 In China they quite literally are still praising to this very day and still have super large bill boards of Mao the mass murderer of his own people.... It is mind blowing they salute that mass murderer.
@@ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh123 I almost died laughing from this comment. If anything it is even more disfunction.
Excellent video - probably my favorite of yours. I am a retiree from the USA and have been considering moving to Vietnam. But due to some stories I have heard about the visa process, I have been altering my plans to reconsider Thailand or the Philippines instead. I really prefer Vietnam as I was stationed there (Monkey Mountain - Son Tra, near Da Nang) during the war and fell in love with the beauty and the people of Vietnam. I hope the government of Vietnam realizes how hard they make the process to move there and decides to make it easier. Most beneficial to me would be a Retirement Visa.
And by the way, I have been in the 20% for a long time. Great channel and you always pass on valuable and interesting information.
Avoid Vietnam.
I lived there for fourteen years
@@garymacdougall4465 We are different people. Your experiences have nothing to do with my experiences.
The visa process takes about 20-30 minutes.
It’s all online and it’s very cheap in my opinion.
I was in Danang last year. Beautiful beaches and you can travel over to monkey mountain in 15-20 minutes.
I was in Vietnam in March for 3 weeks this year. The ETA is no big deal I really enjoyed my time there. There is plenty to see and do the only 2 problems that I can see is, not a lot of people speak English and the motor scooters park on the sidewalks making people having to walk on the side of the road in the cities. Go between January and March.
Thank You Anh Duong, love your content
Thank you for watching!
I saw traveler boxes being ripped open on the international airport luggage section. Open looting even in 2024
Everything you say makes sense Ken! Vietnamese Government needs to sort it out.
Never happen
Im Vietnamese and we support government keeping tourist not fast due to we don't like culture change
@@GiangHoang-hd8uk Fair enough, I can appreciate that, but would retirees change your culture or just enjoy it? I think that it is important for a government to look after its own citizens first, just asking if increasing tourism from retirees would be a good compromise. After all, if they don’t behave you can kick them out.
@@philsummers9931 change culture is lose country. Usa cheating only. We don't want become Ukaraina....
You understand.... what's I said?
Japan previously had a complicated "red tape process" to enter the country about a decade ago. Former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe removed those barriers and tourism has since taken off. Vietnam can look at Japan as a case study.
lol, yeah right. That’s never gọing happen.
Very nice video and you are right ✅.
I am Vietnamese and I'd say the street seller scams are horrifying even to Vietnamese domestic tourism. And when you are in restaurants in Saigon or Ha Noi, it's more expensive than in Thailand because we have real estate bubble that we don't really know when it will pop but it makes everything expensive and hard for everyone. Let's market it as the land of scams.
Thailand makes it easy for all kinds of tourism: individuals, groups, digital nomads, retirees, conferences... If there is something they can do to attract tourists they will update new laws constantly. Allowing same sex marriage also makes gay tourists come to Thailand and spend and even live there longer.
Great video, very formative Mr. Duong.
Vietnam is worth visiting, but once done, no point in going back.
Lots of good things in Vietnam...and you could spend years exploring it. You just need to stay out of certain places like HCMC. Also, the areas with high foreign tourist traffic are pretty bad...because that's where the criminals congregate.
That is what most travellers told me
That´s only your point of view.
@@Mary_InesP Obviously, Princess Obvious.
I will be visiting next month first time. Staying three weeks.
Visa application was a nightmare. And they were late providing mine. Plus they updated their site three days after they issued the visa
It was a great video thank you.
Concur fully! I'm an American expat living in Thailand on a long term retirement visa, and heard great things about Vietnam. The Vietnam visa process was PONDEROUS, and upon arrival, I left a day early.
Good. Too many retirees and ""digital nomads""" (guy who spends $1 a day on coffee but spends 6 hours at the coffee shop) will ruin Vietnam. Vietnam is good as it is.
@@name128ewayou must be really dumb to even write such nonsense
@@name128ewamost expats will spend hours trying to find a beer fifty cents cheaper!
@@name128ewaexactly right
@@name128ewatoo many "expats" think other countries should worship the ground they walk on
As a person that's travel to Vietnam 3-4 times in the last decade i haven't been back in 6 years but it's definitely hard to wanting to go when the visa is 30 days you're correct but one of the best food places to enjoy in the world, much love good luck in your future endeavors
Pretty sure you can get a 90 day visa online.
🤣🤣🤣The Vietnamese government is afraid that tourists will stay in Vietnam forever.
What's a joke!
yes they are afraid that ppl might overthrow them.
...with good reason. If policies were relaxed, VN would be turned into yet another over-priced Western hellhole, complete with hordes of old pdf files, gheys and an assortment of other strangeness.
Not everyone wants tons of tourists or long term stay pensioners from the west. It's not all about money. Some people treasure peace more.
@@MrBojo-jv4qq Yuppp.
@@MrBojo-jv4qq tourism is the main reason of Thai welcoming to Westerners
Vietnam would have been more fun if weren’t on our toes everywhere. People looking to take advantage. Spent 19 days there. Had fun, but don’t plan on going back
Was very disappointed to see how much trash was all over Ha Long Bay. And, yes to what you said. The parasailing and things of that nature were super commercialized very short and pricey for what it was.
I got scammed in Viet Nam . I will not visit again
Would you mind sharing how you got scammed, please? I was planning on visiting but I keep reading comments like yours.
Spill the bean please...
It's your fault
@@siroliver8367How can you say that when you don't even know the story? 😂
Been going to Vn since 2021 and scammed twice. Once was a cyclo driver and the other a black taxi. Total of scams cost us $24aud. If you are gullible, doesn't matter what country you are in.
You brought up some interesting points and I would like to add to this list. In the west, many countries like Australia 🇦🇺 America 🇺🇸 and the UK 🇬🇧 are going through a massive cost of living crisis and people simply don’t have the money to travel like they use to before the pandemic 😷.
26 Oct 24. I am currently in Vietnam, with a 3mn tourist visa. (Currently able to reapply for same, altho must leave country & return. One can do this unlimited times - not restricted, as in some countries, to # months within a year).
You smart. Some guys claim only not find the way with a little money
Excellent content! I love Vietnam. I’m a SE Asian slow traveler. If Vietnam had a retirement visa Vietnam would be my home.
I love Vietnam alot, its friendly and welcoming people, the chill vibes on the streets, safe environment (petty crime is prevalent everywhere in the world but Vietnam has one of the lowest *serious crime* rates). Just one thing I dont like is the immigration gates at the airports, my wife who is a Vietnamese and I have had been asked for *coffee money* twice while clearing customs. It puts quite a dent on the happiness of starting a holiday. On the topic of scams I feel its a touché topic as every country has it as well even in Singapore. But on the topic of Visas I agree with Ken and many others that Vn can do alot more to promote not only tourism but investments and retirement visas as well.