THIGV

Must have been painless. 😎 Read More

I think you are right; it is $5 million.   I saw him on the fly on CSPAN but I did read $5 million later. All the engineers and doctors will end up in Canada. Read More

I remember when I first arrived in Vietnam in "12 there were IT jobs for foreigners but most all in setting up networks. Jobs for programing for locals were pretty unheard of. Then came "Flappy Birds." and it became that young Vietnamese people ... Read More

    This is clearly late info but since the topic has been brought back up by Bstronganh, I believe Dr Ahn has taken the opportunity to emigrate to Canada.  Besides his good fortune this says a lot about the difference between US and ... Read More

    If anyone has been able to contact him, please post details.    -@sanookuThis is clearly late info but since the topic has been brought back up by Bstronganh, I believe Dr Ahn has taken the opportunity to emigrate to ... Read More

Oranges are green 😁 -@OceanBeach92107But the insides are orange. Read More

Agree about using VPNs, but I wonder if the consulate would accept payments to the IRS. Read More

My mother-in-law died early this moth after spending spending time in te Ben Tre hospital. I don't know the fees but I know it cost the family real money. I also sent a glucose tester and a mess of strips to my brother-in-law because he was ... Read More

You can maybe blame the USA Internal Revenue Service for putting pressure on Vietnam to adopt stricter anti-laundering regulations, in order for VN to be approved for increased access to the US banking system. -@OceanBeach92107In the long ... Read More

    ...I'll go with Aidan's theory that they are trying to somehow save gas.        -@qnbuiTHIGV 's theory-@Aidan in HCMC Sorry, THIGV 's theory! -@qnbuiNo need for attribution but actually it is my wife's ... Read More

I once broached this topic with the wife and she told me without hesitation that it was to save gas.   Of course the amount saved is so small as to be immeasurable.   The problem is made worse by the lack of real law enforcement ... Read More

I'll keep her contact information in case I decide to apply for a spousal visa in the future. Thanks a lot -@aremuabisoyePlanning to change wives soon, are we? Read More

... There used to be a sticky thread on the VEC'....    -@THIGV I believe it was this one. -@Aidan in HCMCYes that's it. I really don't think it should have been unstuck. I think the criteria was that were so few new posts ... Read More

Based on your name, you and your children should be be eligible for a VEC (Visa Exemption Certificate.) Your whole family may need to do a "visa run" every 90 days but that should be manageable. There used to be a sticky thread on the VEC'. You ... Read More

My wife is presently in VN for her mother's funeral.   She asked me to contact her on Zalo but I can't get past the registration steps.   I change the phone prefix to +1 and add in my number.  It spaces incorrectly but that ... Read More

    US Citizens don't pay any income tax on Social Security benefits, either direct deposited to a US bank or direct deposited to a bank in Vietnam.        -@OceanBeach92107Isn't this only partially true?  The ... Read More

This forum needs  you and your perspective/input, way too many guys w/o balance of feminine perspective. My 2 cents. mAC -@Mac68I can certainly agree with what you say in a generic sense. What I decline to do is accept life advice ... Read More

Re: #583 This is an potential lesson in why it is a good idea to either reply with the "Quote" function or to include a reference to the post # one is replying to (as I did above.) This becomes more critical, the further out the reply is. Here ... Read More

@OceanBeach92107 Good one ! We men should really understand that when we turn 40 we become "sugar daddy" to any young female LOL Anyway there are plenty of dating sites for over 40/50/60/70.... -@rogergarinmichaudIn response to what number ... Read More

    VND millionaires?       -@Aidan in HCMCNot so impressive.  After all it's only US$40.  Sorry but that was waaaay too easy.  I expect many thought of it but wouldn't stoop that low. Read More

        Hello I'm thinking  Vietnam looking for beach town long term close to town walking grocery fishing restaurants a girl cooking cleaning. I'm 67 my name Jeff.Thank you very much if you can help me 🙏 Cheers ... Read More

When you say "college education", do you mean a university degree? I get confused by the conflation, usually by Americans, of the words university and college. The minimum required to be considered to legally teach here is a 4 year university ... Read More

@Aidan in HCMCInteressting numbers because despite repeated failures to contain insurgencies (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan) the US Armed Forces seem to be acknowledged as the one power that would unquestionably win any conventional war with any of the ... Read More

So, in 2021, it would appear that Vietnam had more students studying abroad, per capita, than any other country in the world. That's impressive. -@Aidan in HCMCI just now noticed that Uzbekistan may be the per capita leader on this list. ... Read More

After they get tired of a few boxes of your children's clothes they will probably pass the rest on by. I moved to VN with three boxes of clothing and an iMac (same size as a monitor) in its original box . However the box was fairly banged up and ... Read More

So, in 2021, it would appear that Vietnam had more students studying abroad, per capita, than any other country in the world. That's impressive. -@Aidan in HCMCin the first sense it is an impressive statistic. However, consider that it ... Read More

It may be because of the Google translation but one part of the report fascinated me:  "When the male store security guard stood up because he heard an unusual noise, three subjects attacked him, punched him, controlled him mentally, then used ... Read More

Double check getting a driver's license here?  ... j.o. -@grandaddy-OIf you are from a western country and don't speak the Vietnamese language your best bet may be to attempt to get a motorcycle license in your home country. Try to ... Read More

. You should buy a Honda because of the number of dealerships (there's one on every street corner) ...Good point. Even the small crossroad villages out in the provinces seem to have a Honda dealership right in the center of town. I bought my wife ... Read More

Officially both the Government and the Party are against corruption, so we are in support of the host, hence in compliance Read More

    Vietnamese billionaire sentenced to death for financial fraud:     -@OceanBeach92107In the Western press there seems to be a consensus that the sentence will be commuted, but now is being used as leverage to get her to name ... Read More

I understand there is a book out called "Die with Zero". Perhaps this is the source of your idea Svho. It's an interesting concept but you will need to figure carefully. It also must assume that you are not leaving behind others who need your ... Read More

I think that I have written this, before but was a while ago so it is worth a mention.   Most people from the West have a slightly oval shaped head if viewed from the top while many less expensive helmets in VN are shaped to fit a head ... Read More

    Somehow I managed a Ph.d in mathematical statistics. By far the worst teacher I ever had contact with had a tax preparation service in Ontario.   I suspect that numbers people should stick to teaching Math (translated to ... Read More

@OceanBeach92107 Reviews by who? Facebook, Yelp, Google? Reviews by Expats or by locals?You have to remember that this is, or at least was a wholesale vendor. Almost all the motorbikes you see there are picking up for small pharmacies around ... Read More

@Fred That is essentially what I said, but more explicit. From the end of the war until this century, the US did give preferential treatment to the "boat people" of Vietnam. I have also known personally several people, all male, in both Hawaii ... Read More

bwahaahaahaa-@Aidan in HCMCEspecially if the migrants are already in France.   If there is any country, other than the US, with an ethical obligation to accept refugees from Vietnam, it would have to be France.  Despite that fact, ... Read More

I'd probably never pay the whole thing off on a 30-year loan but it would give me stability in my own house controlling whatever equity might develop. -@OceanBeach92107Just between the two of us do you really plan to be alive 30 years from now? ... Read More

It may be long gone but when I stayed for one night at the Rex Hotel around 2000 there was a casino in the hotel.  You didn't have to be a hotel guest to play but you had to show a foreign passport to enter.  I don't know if it had table ... Read More

                  Saw the president resigned after a year in office, is it just political infighting or more?Given his marching orders, no doubt. The full details as to why are not something we'll likely ... Read More

@goodolboyThe tuition at these schools, and the fact that local families have the money to pay it, says mountains about income inequality in Vietnam. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" was long ago left by the ... Read More

I am guessing that from the southern tip to the Vinmec Medical Center is a tough haul but I wouldn't wory about the need for the children to speak Vietnamese to attend. Within a year of play with the local kids they will be tutoring you in the ... Read More

Aiden can probably answer this better than others here but just keep these numbers in mind. The population of the island is a little less than 180,00. If 5% were expatriates and 5% of those were expats with school aged children (both speculative ... Read More

Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll check with Singapore Air who we are flying in with but why would an airline require that we have a return ticket booked? -@dvdrogersSo they don't have to return you at their cost if you turn up penniless. ... Read More

Your question is not clear. Are you asking about the pros and cons of renting vs, purchasing in Vietnam, or are you asking about investing in a home in Vietnam to use as a rental property? Read More

Hello Are you settled in Phu Quoc now? My intention is to create a Franco/Anglo/Vietnamese cultural center with the aim of caring for the children of expatriates. My daughter celebrated her 3rd birthday in Phu Quoc, and she lost her French a lot ... Read More

    @iraluzguevarrahi.***        -@sceptic2Not exactly the "cheap used one" that the others seem to be looking for.  That's over 22 million VND. Read More

@lawbeePart of the reason that you and others have trouble finding Reformed (Calvinist) churches may be that from Unification in 1975 until Đổi Mới in the late 80’s, many such churches were forced underground into what were ... Read More

Beautiful sunset Cai Be tonight. -@goodolboyWhat is the atmospheric phenomenon that creates rows of blue and pink diamond shapes in the sky? Read More

Turkey, which is where I must assume dollfish's parrots are located, is one of the countries that has had repeated occurrences of bird flu. The first avian cases were reported in 2005 and 21 human cases and 4 deaths occured in 2006. ... Read More

@Lana Tulo Hello, may I ask you why it wasn't possible to take your birds to Vietnam? I'm planning to relocate to Vietnam with my two African grey parrots, both with all necessary CITES documentation. Is there any reason why I shouldn't be ... Read More

1968 & 2023 -@goodolboyAlthough we are highlighting differences over time, it is interesting that Piaggio has kept it basic Vespa (Wasp) design basically intact since 1945. Interestingly, as many of you may know, the small ... Read More

...Remembering my high school teaching times in USA, I never graded, not ever, graded anything other than content of opinion or fact. Brushed all the fancy stuff aside. Just express yourself...       -@Mac68 Not being a US ... Read More

Mr NGUYEN, you mean? You noted he's Việt Kiều, so it's not surprising he's following the "family name last, given name first" construct common in the USA. -@OceanBeach92107Although he is a US resident. I intentionally opted ... Read More

I was going to suggest that Mr Loc write first in Vietnamese then put his work into Google Translate, but then I remembered how terrible that is. Actually it may be better going from Vietnamese > English while most of us are more commonly using ... Read More

        @locnguyen0357890Welcome to expat.com, locnguyen0357890But, AI generated text? (Link) Really?Would be nice to hear your own thoughts on this.        -@Aidan in HCMC Author ... Read More

You want a theory, here is one.   Since you mentioned school courtyard speakers (#6) while most readers thought your complaint was karaoke (#3) and party music (#4) here is my theory on that.  It has to do with the nature of the ... Read More

  Presently I am in Europe and are returning at the end of the year. Hopefully, the Vietnamese embassy here will issue me a TRC (during my last visit there they said they can provide this document). Once back in Vietnam I will start the PRC ... Read More

    Hello to all, I have my theory why all voice/music volumes are turned to the highest level.       -@AlbertD827As we have yet to hear Albert's theory, we have to assume he is just trolling us and no such theory ... Read More

Going the other way can be a bit of a problem. One particular item is baked goods like moon cakes with eggs inside. Apparently this is because the avian influenzas are transmissible through the eggs and there is no way to tell if the virus is ... Read More

For $200 US a month? Got a link? That would certainly be worth viewing. -@Aidan in HCMCYou are correct. I must have typed 55 million by mistake. Either way it sounds like the math is unrealistic. Read More

    @Aidan in HCMC5 million will get you 1 bedroom or studio - high tech fingerprint access plus swimming pools, cheap secure motorcycle parking and 24 hr security,  and definitely inside ex-pat bubble -  too many new English ... Read More

Where to get cheap 2nd hand laptop? -@Klmeermpt666One of those ubiquitous small repair shops might be a good place to start. Just look for the laptop on the sign. You may need a local companion to bring along both for translation and to ... Read More

My many years of experience in tropical climes suggests the only real way to make your English understandable is to dump local accents in favour of the nearest facsimile you can manage to recieved pronunciation. -@FredThere is plenty of ... Read More

   Have Chinese friends whom are 2nd generation English speakers and never set foot in China. One of them can’t speak a word of Chinese, yet they both have distinct Chinese accents.It doesnt matter that they both attended ... Read More

Because certain people won't stay on topic with the OP. Can you imagine that? -@OceanBeach92107That's the best thing about this thread. I wish I had thought of it myself. Read More

Maybe too late to consolidate now with over 200 posts each, but why are Visas to Enter Vietnam and Latest News on Visas separate threads? Read More

I noticed the following among the places where smoking is banned: Bars, karaoke bars, dance halls.Color me sceptical but this should be a nice moneymaker for those tasked with enforcement. Just stop by weekly for the envelope. Read More

Heading off up the mountains tomorrow to stay cool!! so -@goodolboyJust wondering if that classic (Lambretta?) has enough oomph to get "up the mountains" with the two of you, or mostly with you ? I heard from a Canadian son-in-law of ... Read More

I can talk but not read or write. -@kimlegI expect that you will be reading before long. Just riding around on a motorbike exposes you to a lot of commercial signage. I know that I fairly quickly learned a fair number of words that I have ... Read More

     There is a specific look in their eyes, a blank stare.        -@Mac68The blank stare is intentional.   If you allow eye contact, you lose.  It took me a while to figure this out but once I did, ... Read More

@OceanBeach92107  Thanks.   That's a lot of detail and explanation of the "why's" that I never heard even when living in Vietnam.    My wife tends to be the type that explains things by saying that's just how it is, ... Read More

Since the post on the closing dates for Immigration offices has been locked to prevent it going off topic, let me post my question here. OB has told us when immigration is closed, from 8 Feb 24, but what is the actual New Year Day? My calendar ... Read More

@Aidan in HCMC. Just how old are you? . This number used to be part of my father's extensive whistling repertoire of songs from the 30's and 40's that he did throughout the day almost without thinking. I never heard him sing more than a line or ... Read More

amazed at how well Ed Norton could dance (Link to YouTube 4 minute video) -@Aidan in HCMCGleason was not bad either. I am nowhere near the size of Gleason but that reminds me of when my cardiologist told me "Not bad for a fat guy." I ... Read More

sorry dont get that one    -@goodolboyIt's a 'Mercan thing. Perhaps your transformation to goodolboy is not complete. Read More

    If  remember correctly, you can't apply from Vietnam for a new visa if you haven't already left Vietnam. So you have first to leave, then there is no problem for ask a new visa from the place where you are. :-)      ... Read More

Regarding "jabs" here is the advice for Vietnam from the CDC, a US agency but presumably applicable to all humans.  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnamParenthetically, I can no longer get the link icon to work when I ... Read More

@THIGV This A4? (Link. Click to enlarge) Further down the list it says (I think), "10 years experience". I might be wrong on that translation "Chi Goo'o" has gone to bed so I'll confirm tomorrow. (I was indeed wrong. Thank you, yng68bld) I'm ... Read More

It may be enforced only through the driver's license. Check on A4. Mine (old type) says "ay kéocó trong tai den 1000 kg." which Google tells me is "The trailer has a capacity of up to 1000 kg." Read More

-@Brent Verbin Perhaps your best question might have been something like "Where and how can I buy HGH in Vietnam?" Read More

... hey man do you really think some procedures are addressed only for united statians?? -@ajaironMaybe not "only" but perhaps with a favorable tilt. The rules and regulations of Vietnam may seem labyrinthine for all, but there may be a ... Read More

Any other members notice how VN people tie their shoelaces differently than is done in the west, yet end up with the same knot? First time I saw it, I was like, "what the heck are they doing?", but once tied it was identical to ours. ... Read More

    @Lotusss.@Guest2023 I think because there are not enough women who are able to meet the needs of the company        -@LotusssAnd I think you should reread Guest2023's post again. If women do the same job for less ... Read More

... This is the most important piece of information because it will direct you as to which documents are absolutely necessary in that province. Most embassies & consulates make a list available, but those lists cover all possible documents ... Read More

ANY margarine is terrible. The artificially saturated (hydrogenated) fat in margarine is much more dangerous to the heart than the naturally occuring saturated fat found in butter, lard & various other animal sources when eaten WITHOUT carbs. ... Read More

@seceditAre you aware that qnbui is an overseas vietnamese who has already made several holiday trips in Vietnam?@qnbuiHave you considered part-time freelance IT work?  Maybe just enough to "keep your feet wet" but not enough to be a burden. Read More

Not only did she lose 30 kg, her hair turned blonde. Read More

I ordered it .... -@MarkinNamSo it appears you didn't like qnbui's excellent advice. One nice thing in VN is that there is a good market for used phones. In the US they are virtually worthless because the carriers are giving out new ... Read More

Check out the big guy, grinning from ear to ear, picking up the rear (Link VN Express) I wish them all a safe return. -@Aidan in HCMCAre you sure he didn't say that he "identifies as a woman" to get that assignment. Read More

@BobbyMBasically both points of view are reliant on anecdotal information. In order to have a meaningful picture one would need a number of South Indian men from both India and other countries and whether they a) did not seek, b) successfully ... Read More

@Aidan in HCMC Yea the colour combo sort of grows on you too, but Kawasaki Green is my favourite. -@goodolboyI thought you meant white with denim and black leather. Read More

        A VPN encrypts your data and one should never use a public wifi to access your bank accounts, or  transmit payment information without a VPN, even though you can access those sites without a VPN.    ... Read More

            THE FUTURE IS HERE, NOT THERE................in my opinion that is of course.        -@goodolboyre: Hydrogen.  But don't you need a source of energy to separate the hydrogen from ... Read More

    THE FUTURE IS HERE, NOT THERE................in my opinion that is of course.        -@goodolboy re: Hydrogen.  But don't you need a source of energy to separate the hydrogen from water?   I hope it's ... Read More

    THE FUTURE IS HERE, NOT THERE................in my opinion that is of course.        -@goodolboyre: Hydrogen. But don't you need a source of energy to separate the hydrogen from water?   I hope it's not ... Read More

taking early retirement. i hold a 5 yrs tourist visa. the plan is go hang out, travel through the country. i got plenty of interest to keep me occupied like tennis and golf, still have not found any group of expat for playing partner. then at some ... Read More

So the US has come to trust the VN banking system with our direct deposit but still can't trust the government to tell when we die. Kind of ironic for a system that tries to keep track of every one of it's citizens by putting them in books and ... Read More