Aidan
@Aidan in HCMC
Canadian expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
4564
Contacts
9
About me
Canadian, In a relationship
Lives in Kiến Giang
Speaks an absolute blue-streak in English. Arabic (haltingly)
Registration: 23 December 2017
About
Shortly after taking early retirement in 2017, I moved to Vietnam and spent the first 2.5 years living in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.
I then moved to Thai Nguyen City, about 80 kilometres north of Hanoi, and spent 2.5 years there.
Since May of 2022 I've been living on Phu Quoc Island.
To say that it was a steep learning curve would be an understatement. The difference between Vietnam and Canada was at first a little overwhelming, but with time I've settled in quite comfortably.
Occupation
I am ... for now, still kickin' it!
My expat journey
Kiến Giang, Vietnam
London, England, England
Saint Petersburg, St.-Petersburg, Russia
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe
Kingston, Kingston, Jamaica
Yucatán, Mexico
La Pointe, Martinique
Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Kalmthout, Flanders, Belgium
Ban Kabông, Khammouan, Laos
Kampot, Cambodia
Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hanoi, Ha Nội, Vietnam
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Activity
Your Experience With Power Outages by Aidan in HCMC
Well, Oct 5th, and today here in Phu Quoc we experienced our third outage... for the month!Today was for 8 hours, Oct 2nd was for 12.5 hours, and Oct 1st was for 6 hours. Can't wait to hear EVN's proposed rate-hike pitch.There were also outages when ...
Thursday July 16th, 2026, and power cut today from 5:00AM to 7:00PM. 14 hours!Next cut will be Sunday July 19th, from 8:00AM to 5:00PM.9 hours!That generator is logging a lot of miles. Read More
Emigrating from Germany to Toronto by Matthew-expats
Hello, I am considering emigrating from Germany to Toronto. To get some public advice, I used AI to find public email addresses I could contact. Out of about six addresses, I received no response—except from two law firms that wanted to charge ...
Hello, I am considering emigrating from Germany to Toronto. To get some public advice, I used AI to find public email addresses I could contact. Out of about six addresses, I received no response—except from two law firms that wanted to charge ... Read More
Italian considering moving to Da Nang – Need advice by Alessio27
Hi everyone!I'm an Italian currently working abroad and I've recently become very interested in Da Nang. I'm considering moving there in the future, and I'd love to hear from people who actually live there, especially fellow Italians.I have a few ...
Hi everyone!I'm an Italian currently working abroad and I've recently become very interested in Da Nang. I'm considering moving there in the future, and I'd love to hear from people who actually live there, especially fellow Italians.I have a few ... Read More
Expat World Cup dilemma! ⚽ by Cheryl
Hello everyone,A little World Cup curiosity…Imagine this: your home country is playing, but so is the country you now call home. Who are you wearing the jersey for? 😅The World Cup has a unique way of bringing people together from all ...
Not a soccer fan, but I have to admit it's quite entertaining to watch highly paid athletes "chewing up the scenery" any time they're subjected to a foul equal to the force of a butterfly's wing. Read More
New dog 4 lbs by Rosechait
Anyone have an extra Leah, blanket, food for my little Honey Bear. I’m in Thai Dien
@Cheryl That group is pretty good. I used it a lot to get info for my dog. - @jrharvey What info was your dog looking for? Sorry, couldn't resist 🤣 Read More
New dog 4 lbs by Rosechait
Anyone have an extra Leah, blanket, food for my little Honey Bear. I’m in Thai Dien
Anyone have an extra Leah, blanket, food for my little Honey Bear. I’m in Thai Dien - @Rosechait Hi there Rosechait.Are you soliciting donations? If not, a simple search shows multiple pet supply stores in Thao Dien (not Thai Dien).I've lived ... Read More
Long distance call to Canada by mikelaf
Hi I live in Phils and I have to call to Canadian Govt sometimes. PLDT have no more discount card...and is very expensive . What apps is good and safe? ThanksMike
@mikelaf Hi Mike.No way, absolutely no way CDN gov't will accept WhatsApp calls except for emergency services. I do know, from personal experience, that Revenue Canada (our "Tax man") accepts any/all collect calls.What branch of the gov't were you ... Read More
Off Topic Posts - Whats on your mind? by SimCityAT
This thread is for everything Off-topic..........https://www.askideas.com/media/13/Burning-Whats-Up-Gif-Picture.gif
So, now I know what a "Foley Artist" is.I like it more than AI slop we're seeing/hearing these days. Read More
Celebrating 50 years of Gone Saigon by snake77
Announced in the news today: Ho Chi Minh City to set off fireworks at 16 sites for 50th anniversary of city named after President Ho Chi MinhI remember how 11 Years ago, on the even of 30 April 2015 I was sitting with a few locals on a sidewalk in ...
@snake77 Okay, so back at you.What's your guess? What will its official name be, let's say, 50 years down the road? Read More
Helmets in VN by qnbui
I'm probably going to be riding a scooter in VN wen I go there and I'm taking a class to get my motorcycle license before I leave for VN. So my question is, are the helmets in VN DOT or SNELL rated? Or only if I purchase imported helmets like Bell, ...
(Missing photo, repost) Read More
Photo amendment on Tourist Visa Application! by giscivil92
Hello Guys,I just received an Amendment on my photo(79% similarity), I'd like to how much similarity is needed to satisfy photo requirement!?
@Aidan in HCMC I appreciate your kind and genuine guidance!My prediction? You can expect several more requests for amendments/corrections.Yes, I checked again, I've one more correctionIt may well be in the best interest of people from these ... Read More
Photo amendment on Tourist Visa Application! by giscivil92
Hello Guys,I just received an Amendment on my photo(79% similarity), I'd like to how much similarity is needed to satisfy photo requirement!?
Hello Guys,I just received an Amendment on my photo(79% similarity), I'd like to how much similarity is needed to satisfy photo requirement!? - @giscivil92 Reports from member's are that a 75% match warrants approval.My prediction? You can expect ... Read More
How many days normally take the Vietnamese Tourist visa to be issued!? by giscivil92
Hello folks,I applied for Vietnamese tourist visa 10 normal days ago!? but after 10 days it is still under the process!!!😑Is that normal or no!?apparently bizarre!😑What is your experience in this case!?
@giscivil92 Be careful. There are countless reports of people coming to VN with promises from the employer to secure for the foreigner a Work Visa. A promise which sometimes is not kept. Be wary of this. It is a real concern. Read More
How many days normally take the Vietnamese Tourist visa to be issued!? by giscivil92
Hello folks,I applied for Vietnamese tourist visa 10 normal days ago!? but after 10 days it is still under the process!!!😑Is that normal or no!?apparently bizarre!😑What is your experience in this case!?
@Aidan in HCMC Dear Aidan, I'm really sorry to take your time, and also appreciate it for your genuine guidance, Could you please mention that visa agency here to contact, Please if possibleSee member OceabBeach92107's post, #8, above. They are a ... Read More
How many days normally take the Vietnamese Tourist visa to be issued!? by giscivil92
Hello folks,I applied for Vietnamese tourist visa 10 normal days ago!? but after 10 days it is still under the process!!!😑Is that normal or no!?apparently bizarre!😑What is your experience in this case!?
... thousands of people traveling to Vietnam now and in the future may encounter the same issue.You didn't mention "..and in the past". 😉So many travelers spend significant time, money and effort and additionally they have to deal with ... Read More