I'm going to tell you something you may not want to hear

colinoscapee wrote:

singuyen tranpham wrote:

Don't know why this reads so pessimistic; however, if reality is as dull as your opinion I bet that there would be no foreign entrepreneurs/companies would invest and operate their business in Viet Nam.

Go ask a company like MGM Grand who left here. The OP is correct in a lot of what he says. The only way international companies can make money is from the cheap labour. Three big International banks are looking at pulling up stumps, I wonder why?

Political's issues. Can't say more but it's wise not to plant any more on a dying land.

Colinoscapee:  I looked up your post again after ScarletNguyen's somewhat cryptic reply.

colinoscapee wrote:

The only way international companies can make money is from the cheap labour.

Have to completely agree with this.  Vietnam's manufacturing is in for big trouble; not this year or next but down the road.  Just as automation took away jobs in the US "Rust Belt", computerized automation will eventually find a way to make sneakers and tee-shirts.  The difference is that there is no fall back for Vietnam.  Not everyone can go back to the farm.  Even there, tractors and rice harvesters from Japan have taken away much of the labor.

colinoscapee wrote:

Three big International banks are looking at pulling up stumps, I wonder why?

I don't doubt you, but could you name names?

Sad but true.

I hear you. As an employee, I've been shafted by every language center I dealt with. Some would never pay 1 Dong despite a fancy contract. Others just engage in small fiddles and won't reimburse expenses or whatever. Just watch their behavior in traffic!

Good post by the OP and a lot of good comments.
I'm new to Vietnam, but none of this is surprising.

What I wonder about is how is Vietnam different than half the countries in the world?

Part of it is the language barrier  and there is more then just speaking the language fluently.

But much of it is that you (us) are simply not local. And local can be a pretty small area.

I wonder if you come from the sticks or far north, you will be treated as equally as real local?

Also, anyone here ever do business in Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey or dozens of other countries that seem to have different rules for different people?
This happens even in the western world.
When I lived in Germany, I had a friend (German) from Northern Germany, who was teaching meteorology to aircrews in Bavaria. He told me it was 10 years before he as able to buy a house. Why? because he was an outsider!

I like Vietnam a lot.  But I would never invest money here, but then I wouldn't in most of the rest of the world either.

Just saying

If you were brought up in a nation that approves behaviour somewhat similar to the locals, you will certainly feel at ease here. And there are lots of such in our world. Trouble is, most expats come from developed nations, where Law is respected and hanky panky is frowned upon. Therein lies the root of these Complaints!

Hi there,
That "hanky panky" certainly goes a long way towards making this place economically viable for expats here that are living on incomes that would barely feed a rabbit in a developed country.

I know guys here that are living on $600 a month, and are eating and drinking well....a bit too well for some of them😳

Could you imagine what this desirable stretch of coastline would be like if people like the Japanese, Germans or Swiss were running the show.   

I suppose when things are this cheap, we've got to expect a bit of nonsense with the way things are run here.    The trick is....don't get down in the gutter with them.  Keep your money in safe havens , keep the dickheads at arms length , and live here like a tourist enjoying what the place has to offer.   

NO hooks, No baggage, No passengers.

Having said that, the current 'Twitter happy ' President believes there was hanky panky in the previous WH and is out to 'drain the swamp'!  But N Korea got in the way...

It took me only a few hours to become a millionaire in VN. I converted $200 to Dong. Presto, I'm a millionaire