Streets to avoid at night

I question the unsafe rating for Nguyen Van Linh, which runs as an extension of Nguyen Tat Thanh in Quan 4, in a very haphazard fashion to the intersection with Highway 1.

The article said, roughly translated, of Nguyen Van Linh:
Similarly, Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard route passing through the District 7, 8 and Binh Chanh district also makes people uncomfortable when they drive at night. Night about midnight to dawn, the road from Binh Chanh District 8 am only small. The population reached two sides are deep, how far should the road from the street lights shine weakly. The luxuriant trees growing close to the road as quiet spaces.

I travel that road very early each morning (03.00-04.00H) when I am in TP HCM and I find the biggest dangers are the damn tractor trailers that are parked without any lights in the motorcycle lanes at the Q4 end. There are a couple of truck service stations that use the road as their workshop,

There is continual traffic along this road all night, but it is doubtful any would stop to help. Vietnamese seem adverse to getting involved, other than to watch.

I would say the Nguyen Van Linh highway is OK to about the intersection with Nguyen Huu Tho which leads to Phu My Hung. Others might know it as the road Q7 Lotte Mart is on Nguyen Huu Tho.

Quan Bình Chánh, where one of the wholesale food markets is located, is pretty desolate during the day time, let alone at night.

I know of more risky areas downtown. Quan 4 has some well defined no go areas. Another hazard there are the motorcycle nutters who gather late on Friday, Saturday and Sundays around the sewage canal and Khanh Hoi at the border with Quan 7. They race along the roads and then around 03.00-04.00H they return, en mass, to Quan 1 via Khanh Hoi, Tan Vinh and Hoang Dieu. Even the CGST have given up on ticketing them most nights.

The guardians of the peace, the Cong An, are as useless at night as they are seen even less than during daylight hours. There is a mini-police station on Nguyen Van Linh Hiem 320 but the duty guy sleeps all night - you can see him through the window.

Even Dong Khoi, Dong Du and Hai Ba Trung areas are bad at night. The area around the Apocalypse Now bar (2C Thi Sach Street, Ben Nghe Ward, Quan 1) is often the setting for fights and robberies in the early morning, even worse now drinking hours have been extended.

I have witnessed a guy getting beaten up by the guards at Hy's Restaurant (a couple of the guards deal drugs) and a woman tried to pick-pocket me on HBT near the gas station.

Pham Ngu Lau area is bad in the early hours when the bars empty at 02.00H.

Nha Trang has several high risk areas, especially the beaches after dark.

I guess it's a matter of using your brain and assessing the risks. Don't use Xe Om late at night, even Vinasun taxis are safer. The drivers take you in a dangerous route so you get intercepted.

And never, ever share a taxi ride with a stranger - the extra passenger might be a friend of the driver who is setting you up for a robbery. Happened before, and will happen again. Always make a note of the plate number and let the cabbie see you. Make sure the cab does NOT have magnetic signs - they are pirates.

@That's a great and detailed explanation Jaitch! Thanks for the post!

If you just use common sense you'll be fine

was reading that there have been daytime assaults on women in Phu My Hung (not supposed to happen in Stepford Wives areas) around The Crescent area - breast squeezing, etc.

This can hardly be attributed to the behaviour of the victim.

Security guards im the area did what all good VN observers do - nothing.

Another incident involved a drunk Foreigner, bombed out of his mind AND driving, who was pushed over by some VN males who then stole his motorcycle, cell, wallet and other bling and he woke up in hospital the next day.

Happened in the street behind the Lotte Mart Q7 in January.

On another occasion a Foreign female ws assaulted and her handbag stolen. Same area.

The whole block stretching from Lotte Mart through to NGUYEN VAN LINH and from NGUYEN THI THAP to the sewage canal separating Q4 ad Q7 is a known risky area at night.

If people head off into the unknown without precautions, expect trouble. VN areas usually close down around 23.00H and after that the risks climb.

And don't expect help from the Cong An, they are too busy sleeping.

Happens all over sadly, Thao Dien in D2 is prime target for bag snatching. Heavily populated by expats who tend to carry more than they should and typically females.

That said it's not restricted to foreigners as a female VN friend of mine had her bag snatched. Two guys on a bike approached her kicked her in the ribs and snatched her bag. She lost her keys ID card, phone a hole stack of cash etc as she was on the way to pay staff. She was pretty shaken up by it!
A week later she spots them and they spot her on the same street they rode off like a bat out of hell so no chance of being caught then.
But I guess it shows they are cruising he area looking for easy prey as always.

Currently there are a few scams going on that area too, but no need to worry about them easy enough to spot and steer clear of.

Still this isn't the only place in the world this happens as always remember you are in a major city and crime exists everywhere so be on your guard. As a foreigner your likely to be seen as an easy target and slightly more vulnerable.

Be Safe, be sensible and stay secure.