𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗧𝗡𝗔𝗠 - The Pros And Cons Of Living Or Retiring In Vietnam
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ต.ค. 2023
- Whenever we travel to a country such as Vietnam, we are contantly evaluating the possibility of living long-term in the country. Vietnam has many fabulous features that would make it fabulous place to live, but there are also some downsides. If you are considering a move to Vietnam for retirement or to live as an expat then you'll want to check out this video.
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Chapters:
0:25 Driving
1:35 Pollution
2:15 The Food
3:08 The Cost Of Living
4:12 Immigration
4:50 Communication
5:32 Noise
5:52 The Trains
6:29 The People
7:12 The Beaches
7:55 Safety
8:17 The Weather
8:50 Health Care
I dream of not having a car again.. I didn't drive for four years when I lived in San Francisco. Anyway, I love Vietnam and its food and culture and of course the wonderful people there.
Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching our video!
You Swampzoid Cornholio
Me too! Just another expense that I don't need in my life.
As an American married to a Viet Kieu (dual US/ Vietnam) citizen, i can get a 5 years residence visa relatively easily (called a Visa Waiver). I have one. It is how I enter into Vietnam. I can easily convert that to a residence visa.
I have been to Vietnam many times... always want to go back.
My in-laws call Thu Duc / Ho Chi Minh home.
It's fantastic that you qualify for a visa waiver to Vietnam! It must be nice to have such a visa so that you can stay more than 90 days without having to leave and come back. Do you think you will be going back to Vietnam to visit your wife's family anytime soon? Thanks for watching our video!
@@snailtravelers If you keep leaving/entering after 90 days, is there a possiblility they could deny you entry?
@@ojosazules8828 Yes, it is possible they could deny you re-entry. We have read on a few Facebook groups people reporting being denied entry, but others have done visa runs without a problem. It seems to be more successful leaving and re-entering by air instead of land, and also if you leave for a longer period instead of coming back the same day. This type of situation can change quickly.
Have not been to Vietnam and am so enticed to check it out.Have always love Vietnamese food, especially the comforting Pho and the refreshing spring rolls !
I do hope you can visit Vietnam sometime. It is a fascinating country. Thank you, as always, for watching our videos!
Thank you for your video! I am near the age/point in life to consider where to go. Vietnam is one of the possibilities. The spirit of the people is what seems to be drawing me.
Yes, absolutely agree with you about the spirit of the people, it's one of the best things about Vietnam! Thanks for watching!
Great video. I first visited Vietnam back in 2001 and had a more challenging experience, but coming back earlier this year was revelatory. Like you say, the food is so amazing, and the people were friendly. We only had three weeks to stay in Ho Chi Minh, but we definitely plan on coming back the next time we are in Asia. Also we're with you, we love taking trains/busses during the day so we can see where we're going! 😁
It sounds like we both had terrific experiences in Vietnam. Thanks for watching!
Yet another entertaining and informative video. Many thanks & best regards. 5-Stars
Thank you Keith for your dedication to our channel and for watching our videos!
I really appreciate your openness to different cultures all over the world. Happy travels!
Thank you for the comment and thanks for watching our video!
Hi Ryan and Emily, nice to hear from both of you again. Your video notification came few days ago but I only have time to view it now. Thanks again for this video on Vietnam. I was a little bit worried that you’re still living in Turkey as the tension in Middle East is growing each day. All the best to both of you on your global exploration travels. God bless.
Thank you very much for thinking of us, that is very kind. We are safe so no worries. Thanks for yor dedication to our channel and for watching our videos!
The Cons may not be "minor" to everybody, but it's good you mentioned them. It's good to know Dalat exists!
Thanks for watching!
Air pollution is not an issue in Da nang or Nha Trang. It is an issue in Ha Noi & HCM.
Good information, thanks for sharing.
Da Nang has plenty of air pollution.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Where is that little bridge at the end of your video? That looks like a beautiful spot! Thanks for all the information!
The bridge is in Hoi An, but not in the tourist area, it is in a park more in the city center. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the park, sorry. Thanks for watching!
I like the idea of being able to make out the characters of words so that they can be translated as opposed to the Thai language for instance. Also, if more people especially the young are speaking English, this is a bonus too. Looks very interesting. I think Vietnam will be our next excursion.
Thanks for your comment. I think you will enjoy Vietnam if you choose it to be your next destination!
What about visas?
I was amused at your con vote for traffic/ driving. I rented a motorcycle the second day and drove all over in the city and out in the countryside. I love their driving style,and crossing the streets is easy peasy .Just do what they do, if you cannot, your just in culture shock 😂 we love DaNang ❤️ ♥️ 💕 💗 💖.
Hello
Could’ve please name the lovely apartment u stayed at in Da Nang. My husband and I are travelling to Vietnam this August and it looked fabulous
Thanking you
Annette😊
This is great! My thought would be bouncing around or do the visa runs, and be selective on the seasons/months of staying. But this method needs to keep your original residence as base.
As a Vietnamese whom now lives in the US, this video is spot on. No notes, well done.
Thanks so much!
thank you for your non-bias opinion about the living condition in our country.
You're welcome, and thank you for watching!
Good video and so helpful! I'm curious, how long did you live there? Did you like it enough to make Vietnam your permanent home? Thank you!
Thanks for the comment! I have visited Vietnam twice, about a month each time. We would love to live there longer but the immigration rules make that difficult. Thanks for watching our video!
Foreigners who don't go back are making difficult lives for locals. Changing their beautiful culture.
I went to Vietnam with my wife to Hai Phuong. I started driving the second day I was there. It was a new driving experience but within a couple days I was driving like a pro. Managed not to have any accidents but did have a few close calls due to the busy traffic.
Good point, I suppose the traffic in Vietnam looks overwhelming but once you learn it's not that bad. I grew up near Los Angeles and people have asked me how I could possibly learn to drive there, but it was normal to me. Thanks for sharing!
I guess I’ve been driving in Thailand long enough, the traffic there didn’t look that bad 😆. Joking aside, I think driving in Hanoi or HCMC would be super stressful.
Yes indeed. Vietnam's traffic makes driving in Thailand look orderly.
Concerned about the polution from China as you mentioned, thanks for the heads up.
I found similar in South Korea.
I've only visited once, but I loved Vietnam, especially the wonderful people.
Glad you loved it, we did too! Thanks for watching our video.
This is looking So appealing right now! But, too much debt & to small an income to even visit. 🤔😕🙄 Thanks for this!
I do hope you have the chance to visit someday. Thanks for watching!
i live in da nang in modern one room appartment a new one 210 us
Terrific price!
you can find a lot for that price
@@snailtravelers
I've been to Vietnam many times and think you gave a pretty accurate run down of the pros and cons. In my experience air pollution is worse in winter in Saigon. It's annoying they haven't opened the metro yet. It's really needed. I haven't travelled on a train over there but plan on getting one from Saigon to Nha Trang this time. Love riding on the back of Grab bikes. I'm so hanging out for a banh mi op la and pho bo in the morning.
Thanks for this comment! It's great that you've been to Vietnam multiple times, you must like it since you go back. When do you plan to go back next? Thanks for watching our video.
noise : all i can hear is wind blow in Dalat city, the rent is not that high either but lesser job oppotunity tho ( be aware of bugs )
Good information, thanks for sharing!
I don't think there is a retirement visa for Vietnam, correct?
No, unfortunately Vietnam does not have a retirement visa. Many expats do visa runs every 90 days, or have an investment/business visa. The visa rules seem to change a lot, hopefully there will be a retirement visa in the future.
What’s the best method to rent an affordable place to live for longer than a month in Saigon?
A website I like to use to get a rough idea of prices is Dot Property Vietnam. There are other similar websites as well. Thanks for watching!
Marry a Vietnamese lady. Rent free.😅
What about if you spend $400 per month in USA for housing? .. I am not talking $4000 apartment in Manhattan... Can you find a decent room with shared kitchen, living room, free WIFI, all utilities included for $160 per month?
Right. It was strange that in the video he used U.S. living expenses of $4000/month as an example
You said immigration is cracking down on back to back visa runs. First I've heard of this.. In fact I've only heard all positive stories
I can see your points. I appreciate your honesty about the "realities" of living in vietnam. It would not be a good choice for retirees, who would be most vulnerable to pollution and other health hazards as in food hygiene. The loud noises, the scammers. Angry shopkeepers if you don't commit to buy something in their stores. The theft issues when in public there. There are definitely better places in Asia to retire.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching our video. Vietnam does indeed have its downsides, but we still think its a fascinating country and we are very glad that we got to visit.
I have a tip: stay away from the big cities (Ha Noi and Sai Gon). Everyone gathering in these two cities, lead to the rise of pollution crisis and scammers there.
In other minor/small cities, the situation is better (and the price is cheaper). These small cities usually have a population of just around 200 000 citizens, and usually still surrounded by farming fields and "gardens" (they used that name - vườn - to call these "forests" of fruit trees.).
The good news is: that these small cities actually located around just 30-70 km from Saigon or Ha Noi. It just costs you around 1-2 hours to travel back to these big cities.
I'm native, and have trouble with chronic sinusitis. That is my tactic. Stay and live in a small cities which locate near Saigon.
@@yevonsama Is the 1-2hrs of travel time expensive? Are there trains or buses? Thank you!
@@pacificH2O to travel between these cities, we usually have several methods:
1/- driving by ourselves: we usually use a motorbike. Some others use car.
However, personally, I don't recommend using this method with motorbike. It is tiring to drive by yourself for 70-100 km, and dangerous, because my country's traffic system is still not good enough. It is a mess when huge trucks run along with many motorbikes (accidents usually happen. People usually mock that Vietnamese die by traffic collisions more than these people are killed by murders or terrorists.). We have highway, too. But it is used for cars.
In summary, this method is good and safer, if you have a car.
2/- use travel companies:
Every city has several companies like that. When you choose the city to live, you should check and prepare a list of them, so you can travel between these cities when you need it. We usually use this method. The trouble is: you need to find them. Vexere.com maybe a good idea to find. Or you should ask the local.
Some companies are run by the government, and some others are privately held companies. It isn't really different between them, both of them use bus to travel. Privately held companies usually have better quality. You just need to phone to call them, tell them when you want to travel. And they will drive the car to you house to take you to their port, where their bus stationing. Their port even has a parking lot for these customers who drive to the port by themselves (government companies usually don't have parking lot.).
The price is cheap, but maybe depends on different companies. With the companies I usually use, it costs 100k (around 4$) for a customer, and the same price when you buy a ticket to return. However, it is because the traffic system isn't good, that traffic jam usually happen follow this way:
To travel through 70 km to reach Saigon:
When I travel from 4-5.a.m: I costs me just 45 minutes to reach to the center of Saigon.
When I travel from 7.a.m-8.pm: It usually takes me 2 hours to reach to the same point. Because of traffic jam.
The negative side of this method:
+ I don't know if these companies know English. That means the first time maybe difficult for you. You and them will need time to get used to each other.
+ Using this method means, that when you reach another city, you have to depend on Grab to travel.
3/ Train:
You just need it when you travel between South - North Vietnam. I don't use it, so I can't tell you about it. However, you can use plane to travel,too. It is faster.
@@pacificH2Ono, not expensive at all. Just take a bus from Saigon to go to other cities around The Mekong Delta like My Tho, Can Tho, Vinh Long and etc… you can also ask a young local person like a student who is comfortable to speak English and he or she can show you exactly which bus number to take. Enjoy your trip visiting Viet Nam 🎉
The South of VietNam DOES get colder and in the North it snows in February.
Most of the other comments are fairly accurate. I have a house (and a wife) on the way to Laos. I drive a SUV, but in Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon l use a motorcycle. Driving 4 wheels during the day is difficult, late at night (22.00 ' 05.00) easier.
Voltage 240 VAC, water OK in Saigon, bottled water needed because of high natural arsenic .
Communications excellent, fibre optic all over (5 gigabyte in largest cities) censorship very .light (except negative political comment).
I'm Canadian and as far as l am concerned VIETNAM is better!
This is terrific information, thanks so much for sharing!
Looks nice there
Too much traffic...they need to invest in some trains to connect cities and work on bicycle only roads like in the Netherlands. It's a nice country but you have this one crazy obvious negative that's not difficult to fix.
Thanks for sharing!
For both of you, Kucing or Sibu.
Good info. I lived there 15 years and believe I would not live there over a long period of time again. If you like fish. Sauce the food can be good I don’t like it they put it in most everything they cook along with MSG. The beach has jellyfish in the water and many get stung . The government changes there mind on visas to many times so how can ggone you make long term plans to live there. If you open a business believe me staff is not easy to find also keeping them long term is not easy. Many times they just tell you there too tired and can’t work. 😂 Did. You go to Ben Ton Market and walk around without getting attacked by people to buy there stuff?. Remember to always 100% to lock your doors and windows at night because you wake-up and many things will be gone. Hopefully you like karaoke because they love it and it gets very loud wherever you live and you got chickens and dogs.. Great place to Visit for a Holiday. Good Luck.🍀
Good info, thanks for sharing.
A good fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment in central Hanoi USD 300-350. Do not fall for the USD 500! You've been VietScammed
I wonder how I would be received by the people of Vietnam if it should become known that I am a Veteran of the Vietnam war 1966-1967?
I don't think there would be any animosity or hostility. When we were in Vung Tau I told several people that my dad was stationed there during the war. Nobody responded with anger. Thanks for watching our video!
@@snailtravelers Thank you for your response. I hope to travel there the latter part of this year or early part of 2025. Certainly, I would never mention that I was there during the war BTW.....Thank you for your videos.
Dalat ! 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
Vietnam does not have retirement visa and dual pricing end of story period!
Love Vietnam but no retirement visa is a real downside. People like me spend money and have means. Allowing us to stay only really has upsides.
Completely agree, thanks for sharing and for watching our video!
Not been to Vietnam but I've been to Thailand and Cambodia, and the biggest thing I noticed was something you didn't mention: the culture. There is a whole whole lot of sex trade which is shocking and not good, IMV, especially when you see young women/ girls involved.
Thank you for sharing this, it is indeed important information and a serious situation. I hope this type of activity diminishes in the future, but fear it will continue as long as there is demand. Thanks again for your comment.
@@snailtravelers thanks for the comment. I am wondering if this difference in culture is something that affected you? If so, I am wondering why you chose to not mention it in your video? Do you live in the southeast Asia and is the different culture something you've learned to just ignore or how do you feel about it? Thanks.
@@sojournern The sex trade isn't something we have observed directly yet we know it exists. I think it depends on the country too; we lived in Malaysia for one year and to the best of my knowledge it isn't as prevelant there, whereas countries like Cambodia or Myanmar are notorious for human trafficking and Thailand is notorious for prostitution. I don't know the official statistics, but we have visited every major country in Southeast Asia and I have no doubt that some areas are better than others.
@@snailtravelers Once again thanks for the response. When I was in Bangkok my boss wanted to laugh at my reaction and took me into the district. The prostitutes would come out and pull on you to come into their house. A coworker showed me ads in the newspaper that parents put to sell their young girls. It's a lucrative trade. In videos I've seen on Vietnam, youtubers, there are often older men who are with young women, much younger women, and the idea of this type of pairing is discussed as normal. Apparently a lot of very poor girls see rich older men as real opportunities to escape their poverty.
This video is misleading. You cannot retire to Vietnam, there is no such thing as a retirement visa and you just can't go , and live there. Tourist visa is one monthe or three months non extendable which means you must leave the country. Does that sound like you can live there, obviously not.
That's true to an extent, however, you can continue to extend your visa repeatedly by doing visa runs. This is the quite common there. I don't have personal experience but everything I've read leads me to believe it would be wise to leave the country for a few days before returning. Please correct me @snailtravelers if you have any add'l insight on this!
@@pacificH2O I've been in Vietnam several times and I lived in Cambodia for about 6 months. I've also worked in Hong Kong for 4 years. I met an English guy in Phnom Penh who had been staying in Saigon and he came to Cambodia on a visa run, like you mentioned. He renewed his Vietnam visa and when travelling back to Vietnam was stopped at the border and refused entry to Vietnam. So I repeat, you can't retire to Vietnam even sort of and every time you do a visa run, it's their chance to refuse you entry.
You don't extend your visa by doing a visa run, you go to a government office in Vietnam to extend a visa but you can't do this, not in Vietnam. Every time you exit Vietnam wether on a multiple entry visa or you get a new visa , when you re-enter the Vietnamese can refuse you entry at the border.....and they have form.
@@robertnicholson1409 Clearly, you didn't read my comment. I repeat, you need to leave the country for period of time and then return. AND, one person's experience is NOT indicative of all travelers staying in Vietnam. Also, Chris mentions the possibility of being stopped in his video.
@@pacificH2O I read your comment. You leave the country for a period of time then come back in. Look if they've got you on their stop list for refusing entry, it won't matter how long you stay out, you're on their computer. Vietnam is a Communist country, everyone seems to forget this and it's corrupt. Of course it's a beautiful country, the weather warm, the beer's cold and the girls are hot, none of that is relevant to what I'm saying.
If you stay in Vietnam don't buy a motorcycle or lease an apartment or invest in anything, stay in a hotel and check out every time you do your visa run, fine you are prepared in case they refuse entry, you've lost nothing.
@@robertnicholson1409 exactly if for some reason you make one Vietnamese angry at and they report you when you go on a visa run they may have black list you and as for big amounts of money to get back in and they may do it again on your next exit and return. One of my friends is now in Cambodia he over stayed his visa by 6 months he is now on black list & they ask him for $8000 to get back in. Still no guarantee. Immigration at the borders is nothing but a big scam for money. Remember how they got their job they have to pay the government government to get their job.
Central of VN is better.
Ha ha ha, I still love watching non-Asians use chopsticks.
Yes, it must be hilarious to watch! I don't think I will ever learn how to use chopsticks correctly! 😜
@@snailtravelers I've been living in an Asian country for 30 years and don't use them, even though I have a better idea than most (non Asians).
Do people smoke on the train?
When we were riding the train there were people standing and smoking in between the train carriages, but nobody was smoking inside the train.
Driving in Vietnam is insane, and I mean driving anywhere. The big cities are the worst but even in the small cities it takes a long time to get used to. I live in Hoi An and the biggest problem driving here are the buses and trucks. The larger the vehicle, the more right-of-way they have. I had close calls just walking across the street in Da Lat and Saigon. The buses will run you over, they don't care. I like grab but I am used to my freedom like when I had a car in USA. I had a narcissist teach me, I had to do it her way or she would get mad. Fortunately she was a good driver and I learned. I enjoy no car insurance, maintenance. Motorbikes are the only way but you must get trained or there's a big possibility of getting hurt or killed. If I lived in Hanoi or Saigon I would not have motorbike!
Great information. Some people say that you get used to the traffic once you've been there long enough, but I'm not sure I'd agree with that and don't think I would ever get used to it. Thanks for the comment, I appreciate information from people like you who are living there long term.
You are very welcome. I'm used to it now but I can't say I like it. What I do like is there is no road rage. They never heard of defensive driving here, but I practice it to stay alive. Not much common sense here on the road either. @@snailtravelers
Vung Tau dont have really good beaches.
Better Ho Tram, Binh Chau or Phan Tiet/Mui Ne
I were not born in America country but if choose live my country again. I would not be sure . I just came Pho noodles restaurant. Suddenly, just only Vietnamese lady talk to her brothers with loudly sounds of her trouble thing . The other American people they just eat and speak each other quite sounds. My ears and eyes just feel boring
Thanks for sharing and for watching our video!
Unlike Thailand, Philippines or Cambodia, one CANNOT retire in Vietnam. Nice to visit or live there if you have a work permit or have invested in a qualified business, but otherwise, you are gonna have to leave, and as you mentioned, gov't is cracking down on "visa runs".
Thanks for the comment. I do hope Vietnam decides to offer retirement visas sometime in the future. I think the country could truly benefit from this, as is the case with the neighboring countries that you mentioned.
I got food poisoning twice in one week during a recent trip to Vietnam. Something to think about for those with sensitive systems.
So sorry you experienced that. We didn't have any problems in Vietnam but had multiple food poisoning episodes in Mexico, and it was pure misery.
9 years here in Vietnam and not sick once. I didn't even get Covid!
"Vietnam doesn't have a retirement visa right now, so that can make living here long term a little complicated."
a LITTLE complicated?????????????????????? what kind of ridiculous nonsensical statement is that???????????????? absurd.