Mobile phone plans in Vietnam

    It's a no brainer to get a SIM card from the national carrier who owns and maintains the network in most Western countries . I had Mobifone SIM cards when I was a tourist in Vietnam but since I've been living and working in Nam I've used the same number and the same plan with Viettel . It's always cost 90k vnd (3 quid) a month for their highly reliable internet connection whilst I'm out and about . Expats will need the internet for Google maps (or the like) although now I usually leave my phone at home because I know where I'm going 90% of the time . As for international calls? It's again a no brainer to download the My Tello app . I loaded it up with $10 during the scamdemic and I've spent literally hours on the phone cumulatively over the years hanging on waiting on customer service help lines in various countries and I still have just under $8 in the account . Trying to save a couple of quid when you're throwing your money down the drain on a rental rip off, Western junk food, motorbike rentals, Grab, or locally brewed Belgium beer, is madness . Get your priorities right . I flip flop on my apartment internet connection between Viettel and VNPT in order to get a new modem every few years . Any internet issues in rented accommodation are usually due to an ancient, and filthy, modem blowing in the wind and the owner not willing to give his internet provider the boot.
   

    -@Tediuki

Thanks for the very useful tips ! I will try to remember them next year when we come back to Vũng Tàu !

@Tediuki I'm not familar with My Tello app, I generally call back home through FB messenger but I did put $10 on skype which I used some years ago, but the two times I dialed for other reasons the amount dropped pretty quickly so maybe I will My Tello app.

@Dannyroc3

not familiar with tello. can somebody give a little more detail i.e cost, contract? i have been using magic jack phone. it only can make/receive call to/from the u.s for just 45$usd

Today:

Viettel officially launched 5G network & mobile packages, first in the country

https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1664966/viettel-officially-launches-5g-network-mobile-packages-first-in-the-country.html

That is cool about mobile 5G in Viet Nam. I just got a mobile 5G capable phone in the States. The 5G is fast, LTE 4G should be ashamed. As to using a phone to call back to the States. As long as the phone was setup in the States with WiFi Calling on the carrier network, it can be used to make and receive calls and SMS over WiFi abroad as long as the State side mobile service is still active. I verified this with US Mobile.

edit: additionally the US carrier service (your US phone number) still needs to be loaded on the Sim/eSim on your phone.

That is cool about mobile 5G in Viet Nam. I just got a mobile 5G capable phone in the States. The 5G is fast, LTE 4G should be ashamed. As to using a phone to call back to the States. As long as the phone was setup in the States with WiFi Calling on the carrier network, it can be used to make and receive calls and SMS over WiFi abroad as long as the State side mobile service is still active. I verified this with US Mobile.edit: additionally the US carrier service (your US phone number) still needs to be loaded on the Sim/eSim on your phone. -@Sj-SEA

I only do this (T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling) when my phone is connecting through a USA VPN.

No charges since I started doing it in July 2022.

However VOIP doesn't have anything to do with the 5G network here.

Instead, the speed of the Wi-Fi connection controls the call.

Here at home in Đà Nẵng we have a Viettel 5G home internet connection, so that (and the VPN quality) governs the quality of my calls to CONUS.

For SMS/texting I don't need to go through a VPN.

It's always free on my T-Mobile plan.

just an added note:

many people traveling to Vietnam on a budget and not really needing a local phone number are able to stay in touch with their native country through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger and Skype and any number of other apps.

Wi-Fi is fairly ubiquitous in Vietnam, so unless a person plans to be out in the country a lot away from Wi-Fi signal, you should always be able to find a place to make a call home.

Even on my father-in-law's farm way out in the boonies of Quảng Ngãi, hai mấy bộ phim connect I'm able to connect to his home Wi-Fi without problem.

Even with an old Android phone you can simply turn off the data and turn on Wi-Fi and your call should go through with any one of those apps.

Since my arrival to VN, I have not had phone service but have just been getting data sim card (bought from a LOCAL VENDER)

which are 100K for 30 days. I can call people back home through facebook or skype.

The only local "calls" I get are from my GF and she calls me through viber.

I might work my way into a regular plan at some point but so far, I have no need.

@Dannyroc3

Viber? I'm very surprised you and she aren't using Zalo.

@Dannyroc3Viber? I'm very surprised you and she aren't using Zalo. -@Aidan in HCMC

My thought exactly.

Personally, I don't trust Viber. Bad experience attempting to use it with Vietnam Cupid contacts back in the day.

As an aside, after more than 6 years I finally got Zalo to officially verify my account identity.

Almost all of my Vietnamese contacts use Zalo. The rest are connected through FB Messenger and only a couple through WhatsApp.

Anybody in the US connecting with unverified (Personals) contacts in Vietnam, I recommend SKYPE.

If she says she only uses Viber, I wouldn't do that.

Today:Viettel officially launched 5G network & mobile packages, first in the countryhttps://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1664966/viettel-officially-launches-5g-network-mobile-packages-first-in-the-country.html-@OceanBeach92107

My wife and I both have the Viettel top tier plan. She immediately began getting a 5G signal but my phone has been stuck on 4G & 4LTE.

It turns out that only iPhones (her) and SAMSUNG 5G phones are currently able to receive the 5G signal.

My Viettel sim is in my OPPO Reno 8 phone, which is a 5G phone but not on the current list of approved devices for 5G service.

I may put the Viettel sim in the 2nd slot of my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy phone, but that's going to mean reloading high-security financial & communication apps that usually require a trip to the bank.

We'll see...

@Tediuki

When I checked on that app, it seems one with a blue logo is available and then one with the same name, with orange logo which says -international calls. Which version or app are you using?

@Aidan in HCMC

And the reason is, when I go to register is asks for a phone number which I still have not gotten but plan to this week.

And its not Just Zalo, registering for other things such as Shopee also requires a phone number.

I have been paying about 100K a month for a data card and from prices for phone service I have read here, it seems I might as well get a phone line.

@Aidan in HCMC And the reason is, when I go to register is asks for a phone number which I still have not gotten but plan to this week.And its not Just Zalo, registering for other things such as Shopee also requires a phone number. I have been paying about 100K a month for a data card and from prices for phone service I have read here, it seems I might as well get a phone line. - @Dannyroc3

if you have a data card then you actually already have a phone line, you just don't have service supplied to it.

no such thing as a data card here that doesn't have an associated phone number.

so you go to the provider who's backing up the data and tell them that you want to activate the phone number and pay a certain amount down or go ahead and subscribe to one of their plans.

And be very clear about something: they don't simply want you to have a phone number. In order to have a legal phone number these days in Vietnam it has to be officially registered with the government.

So when one of those services asks for your phone number what they are saying is they want to know that your phone number is legally registered with the government, before they are willing to legally register you on their website or app.

...so you go to the provider who's backing up the data and tell them that you want to activate the phone number and pay a certain amount down or go ahead and subscribe to one of their plans...
- @OceanBeach92107

I'll just add, bring your passport with you.

I got a number so I could use zalo however it won’t register my number. Mobiphone service. I will add it’s an old iPhone 8 from USA so that could also be the issue

I have been getting around to getting a phone number but something questionable happened I would like to see if I am wrong or she is.

So we go to this guy who seems unaffiliated to any large company, we ask about a phone number. I expect to be presented to various options but we are shown a list of available phone numbers with it being unclear what was included. My phone has no data now so I could not easily ask questions of the lady but here is where the disagreement comes in: The price next to different numbers were differing amounts from around 300K to 159K. I am being told that the price is based on the number sequence .... like some number combinations are more expensive just because they are desirable. This of course sounds Absurd unless one is getting a custom number for business or vanity.

I have bought data cards there before, but I didn't know if these type of phone cards were reliable, and the obvious other question- prices vary by the number you chose.

At coffee tonight, I raised the issue again, thinking I must be misunderstanding, but no. She claims the price is based on number sequence.   

Also,  at the top of the sheets of paper with the available phone numbers, it seemed to indicate the phone lines went to Viettel.

Another question arose about whether foreigners (tourist) can even get accepted for a phone number, which sounds off.

My GF (God bless her soul) believes so many goofy things which would be endearing if she were not so confident in these claims.

She says the Viettel company is -run by the Amry and very strong, whatever that means. Not that it matters.

I have been getting around to getting a phone number but something questionable happened I would like to see if I am wrong or she is.
So we go to this guy who seems unaffiliated to any large company, we ask about a phone number. I expect to be presented to various options but we are shown a list of available phone numbers with it being unclear what was included. My phone has no data now so I could not easily ask questions of the lady but here is where the disagreement comes in: The price next to different numbers were differing amounts from around 300K to 159K. I am being told that the price is based on the number sequence .... like some number combinations are more expensive just because they are desirable. This of course sounds Absurd unless one is getting a custom number for business or vanity.
I have bought data cards there before, but I didn't know if these type of phone cards were reliable, and the obvious other question- prices vary by the number you chose.
At coffee tonight, I raised the issue again, thinking I must be misunderstanding, but no. She claims the price is based on number sequence.
Also, at the top of the sheets of paper with the available phone numbers, it seemed to indicate the phone lines went to Viettel.

Others have recommended Viettel, do they have store front or is this how their business models works..... or maybe you buy online? - @Dannyroc3

I can only repeat recommendations I've posted multiple times, especially since the government started cracking down on phone numbers and requiring that a passport be presented in order to register the phone number legally (to avoid having a phone number turned off within a couple of weeks of arrival)

To anyone reading this thread, I recommend:

1. Don't buy your SIM card at the airport on arrival. it's possible to get a legit phone card there, but you're going to have trouble fully registering it until after you have checked into your legal temporary address at your hotel or other place.

2. Go directly to your hotel and check in and then have your hotel give you proof (a receipt) that they are registering you to live there (it will be understood by the phone company that they are registering you with the police).

3. Never meet someone that you've never met before at the airport unless it is an official driver for the lodging you have booked, such as a shuttle driver for a major hotel. Especially do not meet someone you have met long distance over the internet as a romantic interest through a personals website. This isn't to say that everyone you meet is going to have nefarious motives, but almost all Vietnamese people who are dealing with new arrival foreigners are going to try and steer you toward people they know to do business. This can include such things as data cards and sims and apartment rentals.

4. After you have checked into your hotel and before you meet anyone you've been talking to on the internet, I recommend going to the local Viettel storefront store. I'm not talking about a place that has a sign over the door that says Viettel. You can buy a SIM card for phone or data or both even at little hole in the wall grocery stores. but you want to search on Google for "Viettel Store" and only purchase there. Make sure you bring your passport and your hotel registration receipt with you. Your hotel may be asking to hold on to your passport but that's only because you haven't paid in advance, so you may want to give them a couple of days rent if they say they don't want to let go of the passport yet (I'm sure somebody's going to want to go down the rabbit hole of that discussion of whether it's legal or not, I'm just talking about life as it is in Vietnam).

5. As I believe I've already mentioned in this thread specifically, any SIM card that you buy for your phone is associated with a phone number in Vietnam. However, unless you deposit money towards a phone calling and messaging plan you can't use that phone number for those purposes. Instead you can only use it for data if you purchase a certain amount of data or a plan ahead of time. of course the phone company does have combo plans that include telephone time and texting and data.

6. So if you go into the store and initially only want to get a data card, and then later you decide you want to have a phone number, then you go back to the same store and you add money for the phone number that is already inside your phone.

7. There definitely are resellers of phone numbers in Vietnam and those that have phone numbers to sell are pretty much free to charge whatever the market will bear. they are very aware than in Vietnam some numbers are considered much more lucky than others. so if you go to one of those independent operators to buy a phone number you can definitely expect them to charge more for certain numbers. just one problem. if you have previously purchased a data card and then you want to add a phone number, you'll have two separate plans and your phone number may very well be with a different carrier and not even a major carrier at that. so you might have a Mobi phone data card and then some off the wall company's phone card. if you happen to be someone who has been talking about keeping one SIM slot dedicated to a foreign phone number, you'll have to give that up since you'll now need one SIM slot for your Vietnam data card and one SIM card for your Vietnam phone number.

So do it right when you get here and stay with the same company you choose. The three major carriers are Viettel, Mobiphone and Vinaphone (Yes there are others but they are definitely not in the same class as those three).

Only purchase your card from an authorized storefront of one of those three companies. it's very easy to locate the nearest one using Google maps.

if you are going to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City and then head out somewhere into the countryside, it's probably a really good idea to get your phone fully taken care of in the big city before you go to another location.

...and as I've also said before it's probably best that you arrive and spend a few days in your big city by yourself in your hotel before you make a decision to head off into the country with someone you never met before you arrived at the airport.

for anyone who's complaining that they don't want to risk the money on a phone number, you can deposit as little as 100,000 or 200,000 VNĐ for your phone plan and you won't even begin to touch that for a while since most of your activity on the phone here will be over Wi-Fi with calling apps such as Facebook Messenger and Zalo and WhatsApp, etc.

Good luck

@OceanBeach92107

This was very valuable- Thanks for that.