Downside of Expat life?

My situation is about the same. I will never return to my home country even if I couldn't stand it here anymore.

The food here is becoming more and more of a problem. More and more sugar is used in food and drink and too much bad oil is used for cooking and frying.
Also a lot of food is manipulated.
Yummy food

If you live in expatriate enclaves there is not much negative in big cities besides the chaos on the streets and bad air.

If you live outside big cities, there are many other annoying things. I don't want to say any more because there are many people who think that there are only polite and loyal people here.

I think it's easy to lose ones cultural identity living in a foreign country, to some people this is very important to others, less so. On a practical level I suppose the dirt and pollution is an everyday problem.
Of course as we age healthcare is a worry, insurance can be very expensive.

Suppobill wrote:

I'm sure this has been covered  before, but I couldn't find any threads.

What are the downsides to Expat life in VN? I don't have any family to miss in the US and I wouldn't have to work in VN for my income. As a result, I could live anywhere in VN. Other than a lack of good Mexican food, what other hardships can I expect to endure?

Cheers,

Bill

For me, the main downside of VN is that it's just not a very interesting country. There is some stunning scenery in some areas and of course, some variation between regions but overall, there seems to be a kind of bland homogeneity.

Also, as mentioned, the quality of the food is generally not as great as it could be.

In addition, although the tropical weather is a big plus, during the summer, the heat and humidity can really take a toll.

I think you have already experienced the downside of dating in VN.

On the upside, it's a good place for getting married, losing weight and relaxing at home.

The fact that you cant have a motorbike, car and land in your name without jumping through major hoops.

Suppobill wrote:

I'm sure this has been covered  before, but I couldn't find any threads.

What are the downsides to Expat life in VN? I don't have any family to miss in the US and I wouldn't have to work in VN for my income. As a result, I could live anywhere in VN. Other than a lack of good Mexican food, what other hardships can I expect to endure?

Cheers,

Bill

Since you are a U.S. citizen, the medical care & insurance situation MAY be a hardship for you.

There is no way to use Medicare here.

For military veterans with V.A. Medical Care eligibility, there is the Foreign Medical Program, but it doesn't cover everything and you must pay upfront for your care and then be reimbursed 6 weeks to 3 months later.

I'm not sure if or how military retirees on Tricare get healthcare coverage here.

However, excellent medical care here is available and cheap, IF you can speak Vietnamese or you bring along a personal translator.

Otherwise, you head to a hospital serving us foreigners where the prices are hugely inflated, largely because the staff speaks English (or French or...) and you get a private bed or room.

When I say "excellent" medical care in Vietnamese hospitals, I'm talking about everything except the room and board arrangements while actually staying in the hospital.

That can be the ultimate culture shock, with sharing a large platform bed with a total stranger not unheard of.

For OUTSTANDING medical care, many expats swear by the healthcare available in Thailand.

I don't have experience with locally available health insurance, but if you search for "insurance" on this site, you should find at least a few threads where the subject is fully discussed.

Travel insurance is the answer for some people, but *I think* that requires a paid round-trip travel itinerary, as those companies don't want to cover you if you are actually moving and not simply touring.

Vietnam officials need to start looking at long term solutions. Tourism suffers greatly from its many problems, this can also be said about the expat community.

VN problems.

I think we've seen the best of it.      Sadly, the over development  & mass market zero dong tourism has turned places that were once idyllic into cheap concrete ghettos. 

Too many places in SE Asia these days resemble a poor mans Miami.

Maybe the recent  Visa scams were a tap on the shoulder from someone up there letting me know it's time to move onto greener pastures.   

I've taken the hint.    On the road , is back on the road again.

- no Mexican food, just some Texmex since all Mexican restos I've been were run by white guys
- no Amazon, Lazada ain't Amazon
- no Home Improvement megastores
- no modern transportation systems, just construction zones (Saigon)
- difficult language to hear and speak
- most people lack the manners of my culture

Otherwise the same hardships of other developing countries (bad drivers, open sewer smells, property ownership restrictions, shifting laws, superstitions, general shabbiness)