Hey, Thinking of moving to Vietnam any advise?!?!?

Hi Richie! Have you ever been to Vietnam or Southeast Asia? I would suggest you visit Vietnam first for a few weeks if you can and research the cultures, food, locations and temperature. If Florida in the middle of summer is not something you can live with, you'll probably wont enjoy Southeast Asia. I too am planning to move to Vietnam in 5-6 years when I retire early and planning to live in Da Nang for a while.

If you can afford to live in NY, then Vietnam will be a bargain for you. You have to take in consideration if you can work remotely or what you will do in Vietnam for work. I would think it'll be difficult for expat to find a job in VN due to the language barrier unless you are fluent or work as a teacher.

Good luck!

richiemateo00 wrote:

Hello, my name is Richie, i'm 31 and currently in living in New York.
I am a US veteran and want some advise on moving to Vietnam, i would like to start by going for 3-6 months first, just to see how it goes, and then make a more permanent decision. just looking for a little info.. like cost of living, and best cities to live in... any information would be greatly appreciated..
     THANK YOU...

The 'advice' and most of the info you are seeking is already posted here in countless forum threads.

First, familiarize yourself with the layout of the site.

Learn how to change between the 'Vietnam' view to a city view, such as Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) which is sometimes called by its old name 'Saigon'.

For some reason this website has individual forums for both names, so if you are researching that area, consider searching both forums.

Use keyword searches for the entire Vietnam forum, or navigate to a specific city area and an interest such as "everyday living".

If you are the kind of person who hates to read the FAQ's on a site and instead skips them in order to hear a live, native-English speaking customer service rep on the phone, then you will likely ignore my advice and simply create new threads every time you have a question.

I'm actually describing myself in that last paragraph... 

Also, when replying to a post, please learn to use the quote function.

You mention being a veteran.

Do you have a disability compensation rating from the VA, or are you medically retired from the service?

I ask because, if you fit one of those categories, you'll be restricting your access to full healthcare benefits by relocating to Vietnam.

Yes, these common topics have been discussed at length in various previous threads.

Short answer:
Cost of living - generally low; although quality can be an issue, a modest but comfortable lifestyle is possible. Of course, people with special needs and desires can end up spending plenty on housing, food, transportation, travel, etc. As with most places, the more you can live like the locals, the lower your expenditures.

Location - it's a tough call. The biggest cities have the usual problems: overcrowding, congestion, pollution, noise, higher costs, etc. Smaller cities can be a bit deprivational and boring. Da Nang is said to be popular with American vets.

Best thing you can do is get some more information, so you know what you're potentially getting into and then if you're still keen on the idea, come over and have a look around. If VN doesn't appeal to you, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, etc. are all a short flight away.

johnross23 wrote:

...people with special needs and desires can end up spending plenty on housing, food, transportation, travel, etc. As with most places, the more you can live like the locals, the lower your expenditures.

As usual, you write a more compassionate response than mine, John 

I'd just add that I see too many expats of various nationalities prioritizing their desires over their needs, to the point that they ultimately increase their need for such things as emergency health care and legal problems.

Hi there,
My brother in-law had resigned from a well-known company IBM in Singapore and has been trying very hard to get a job in VN. At this present moment he is still jobless and already 8 months.

Beside the culture and language as barrier to finding job, i think the expectation also the key factor.

Think twice !

chew jason wrote:

Hi there,
My brother in-law had resigned from a well-known company IBM in Singapore and has been trying very hard to get a job in VN. At this present moment he is still jobless and already 8 months.

Beside the culture and language as barrier to finding job, i think the expectation also the key factor.

Think twice !

The big problem many expats face is a LEGAL barrier.

You can't get hired here LEGALLY unless your employer can show that a Vietnamese citizen cannot do the job.

The immigration website talks about "expert" status, which is generally what you must be able to document in order to be hired as a teacher, etc.

So jobs for general laborers are virtually nonexistent for expats.

Singapore and Vietnam are both member states of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), so in theory Singaporeans are (or will be) allowed to legally work in Vietnam.

Although ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was established in 1967, the AEC commenced just recently at the very end of 2015, so it seems that they're still ironing out the details and implementation. As far as I understand, the free movement labor between member states is included the AEC Blueprint.

Hi Ritchie,
I moved to Saigon about a year and a half ago, upon wishes of my Vietnamese gf.... we had a son here, which was very expensive , they really try to squeeze every dime out of  the westerners... I drove on my gf's motorbike from District  2 to District 1, a idiot woman caused an accident  for  me where my gf almost  had a miscarriage.... We both  got mad as hell....she just drove off....People here generally are extremely rude  and the "me first  rule" is applied everywhere, not courtesy, even towards women or small children , the worst are the little old ladies trying to push you away and scream at you.... seems they can't talk at a normal volume........   There is  really not much positive  to say about Saigon, everything is overpriced, specially the rent if you want a nicer apartment , without insurance  you are up the creek, the governmetal rules are tightening a rope around the foreigners ... unless you are willing to bribe everybody.... you can open a bank account, but try sending money out  of Vietnam... a nightmare.... the visas are getting harder to get, at least for a long term stay..... if you have  a lot  of money to blow  you may like it here.... and very hot, humid and polluted air dont bother you.... I am taking my gf and child back to Europe, where life  is so  much easier and cheaper.... also for  our son..... Good luck to you

I recently relocated here from USA. If you come with a open mind and can blend with language barrier it's a wonderful place. If you come expecting paradise you will be disappointed. I love it here but I'm on the weird side.

Roy888 wrote:

if you have  a lot  of money to blow  you may like it here....  I am taking my gf and child back to Europe, where life  is so much cheaper.

We live in a very nice apartment in a very nice and quiet full-serviced building where the rent is higher than 90% of all the buildings in the city. 

We cook at home using quality seafood almost daily.  We consume 2kg of organic fruits daily (delivered to our home directly from the farms.)

I have a professional facial twice a month, a whole body treatment every other month (the spa tech comes to my home to provide the 3-hr service), a haircut and treatment every 3 months.

We go to Saigon every 3 months so my husband can see his doctor and I can have my haircut.  We stay one night at the hotel, pay the VIP van both ways, pay doctor's fee and prescription meds in cash.

As we don't own a motorbike, we take taxi when we cannot walk the distance.

Our TOTAL monthly expense only reaches 20M every 3rd month.  The other two months, it's less.  That's about 750 Euro.  Please advice me where in Europe two people can live within that budget.  We lived in Italy up until 11.5 years ago and that was our budget back then even without the rent or mortgage (we owned our house), and without most of the beauty indulgences I treat myself now.

Hey Richie
Everyone seems to talk about Saigon or Da Nang, I dont know how well off you are, English teaching seems to be a popular pocket money earner, If I was you as someone said earlier, go for about a month, Go to Vung Tau, after a quick look at Saigon, Vung Tau is laid back and lots of expats to talk to and get some advice,  on the site and get a feel of the country, Saigon is a rat race and will either turn you off or it might be your style, You could travel to Da Nang and have a look, I have lived in Vietnam for about 7 years and I'm still alive and love the country. Oh and not being smart, just being me I tailored my needs to suit my desires rather than water down my desires, Vietnam can be very easy to adjust to . The advice about health and finance is important and can be learned about in the month that you are there talking to local expats. Go and enjoy.

Hi Richie.  I'm a retired vet, living here in VN for the past 15 years.  Previous 6 years in DaNang, 7 in Saigon and an additional couple years back in DaNang and Hanoi.  I'm also from the East Coast and enjoy the waterfront; so DaNang is a good spot for me. 
As to advice...there are tons of it online as mentioned on this thread.  Almost anywhere in Vietnam you can afford to live comfortable with little income if you don't go crazy spending.  As to food...I do my own cooking, so I do my own shopping (don't care for the food here).  Cost I'm told at local spots are very reasonable.  Rent for house or hotel depending upon our taste is also reasonable. 
Taking a couple months to explore your options would be highly advised...doing a lot of research before jumping is another.  Saigon to Hanoi by train is a good way to figure out what end you might like.  I know several who live in all areas of Vietnam and enjoy for their own personal reasons.  Buses are cheap enough if you would like to travel that way and get on/off when you want. 
In most cases, you can do a good bit of 'bargining' before a final payment on somethings.  I've walked away from their first offer often and was able to get a much lower price on things. 
Learn what the basic rules are and should not have any legal problems.  Good Luck.

I lived in Saigon for 7 years.  Lost a bike once and other than that, had a rather good time in Saigon.  Yes, many are rude, implite and care only about themselves.  As a retired Vet, I've lived in many places over the past 57 years of my adult life.  If being social and having such a thin skin is a problem I don't think you should have stayed as long as you have in Saigon.  I lived in Dist. 1, 3, 5, 8, and nearly 4 years in District 12.   Peace and quiet was great there...moved back to DaNang and things were a bit more laid back.  As to the expense and having been 'squeezed' for money.  Why should that bother you?  If you don't want to pay for something at that price, go to another place.  Your gf/wife should be watching out for you. 
I've never used a 'Vietnamese woman' to be my "face" here in Vietnam.  You need to stand up to those who feel they can cheat you just because you are a foreigner.  I've walked away many times and never looked back.  I've lived in Vietnam 15 years, I've found it to be a very good place to live.  Before you go through all the expense of moving abroad, consider moving to another city in Vietnam.  Once the shops know you, they don't try to hike up the prices...good luck