matthanoi
English expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
29
Contacts
1
About me
English
Speaks English
Registration: 24 September 2020
Where to get 3rd Covid Vaccination? by Clip
I need my 3rd shot because I will have to do a border run and qualify for employment. My landlord told me yesterday the local vaccination place providing free shots was available but when I went there I was told "Next week." Problem is, ...
I was also looking for a third shot. I was told that you should get this through your local ward, but if that is not possible some private hospitals will also give you the third shot. I heard the French Hospital in Hanoi will give the shot, but ... Read More
Ideal location for living by Anh Pham46
Hello expat community! My family is in a bit of an impasse on where we should live. I will be working in the city but the school she will be ultimately attending will be in the Vinhomes riverside area (BIS). My husband likes the aesthetics of the ...
Hi Anh, I've lived in Hanoi for just over a year. I do not have a family, so I am not sure how helpful my thoughts are. But for the lack of anything else... - From driving through the area, the Starlake development doesn't look ... Read More
Hanoi Apartments vs H岷籱 living by bloomboy
Hi I am moving to Hanoi in a few months, I am from the UK but work in Sao Paulo. I am not a fan of new apartment blocks, air conditioning, 24hr security etc and prefer to live in a neighbourhood that is more part of a local community, I like the ...
Hi I am moving to Hanoi in a few months, I am from the UK but work in Sao Paulo. I am not a fan of new apartment blocks, air conditioning, 24hr security etc and prefer to live in a neighbourhood that is more part of a local community, I like the ... Read More
False sense of security by Diazo
Just a small reminder to all of us expats. I think most of us get lulled into a false sense of being safe here. Then too some of us get hot under the collar with locals. But the other night two young men took a sickle to an older man and cut off ...
Sounds like a hooker.Maybe, but I didn't get that impression - she was mid forties and chasing me round the CBD at lunch time for ten minutes. I wish my Vietnamese was good enough to know what she wanted. Read More
False sense of security by Diazo
Just a small reminder to all of us expats. I think most of us get lulled into a false sense of being safe here. Then too some of us get hot under the collar with locals. But the other night two young men took a sickle to an older man and cut off ...
I had a woman follow me round central Hanoi on a motorbike at lunch today. She started off curb crawling beside me as I walked for about five to ten minutes, trying to get my attention. At first I tried my best to ignore her, then she drove up on ... Read More
Carry on, checked bags, shipping before/after. How did you do it? by Jimpdxusa
Hello, I didn鈥檛 see this in prior posts so I thought I would ask. I am curious about how you made the transition to carve out your new life in Vietnam. I will spare asking the reasons as we all have our own. However what is common is you ...
Yep. IIRC, 2010 was the last time landing card was used in VN. More than a decade ago. I wonder whether immigration or custom agents just happened to find an old card and decided to use it on him, or they've always kept a few just for an ... Read More
Carry on, checked bags, shipping before/after. How did you do it? by Jimpdxusa
Hello, I didn鈥檛 see this in prior posts so I thought I would ask. I am curious about how you made the transition to carve out your new life in Vietnam. I will spare asking the reasons as we all have our own. However what is common is you ...
When I moved here, I took a couple of large suitcases with essentials and had the rest shipped (after clearing out an awful lot of junk first). It worked pretty well for me, although I had an agent to take help care of customs clearance. One ... Read More
Pre-purchase for flights to Vietnam? by jhanses
Does anyone have experience pre-purchasing open-ended flights? I'd like to get a flight into Vietnam as soon as I'm able for the least amount, surprise surprise! I'm now seeing some reasonable prices on justfly.com that have "flexibility" but I'm ...
The problem with fully flexible flights is that you are stuck with that airline, and right now we don't know which airline will be the first to fly. For example I booked a flexible flight with Vietnam Airlines last summer, I needed to get to ... Read More
Bank transfer in vnd. by Guest2023
Has anyone done a bank transfer in VND out of Viet Nam. The exchange rate is more favourable sending money to Australia in VND.
To clarify - it was the VND equivalent of USD5,000. Read More
Bank transfer in vnd. by Guest2023
Has anyone done a bank transfer in VND out of Viet Nam. The exchange rate is more favourable sending money to Australia in VND.
No idea if there was an upper limit. I transferred approximately USD5,000. Read More
Bank transfer in vnd. by Guest2023
Has anyone done a bank transfer in VND out of Viet Nam. The exchange rate is more favourable sending money to Australia in VND.
Currency transfers out of Vietnam can be a bit complicated. Saying that, I have managed to transfer VND out of my HSBC account in Vietnam to my account in Hong Kong without too much trouble. I think this is only possible if you are an expat, but I ... Read More
Red Envelopes at Tet
Hi - quick question on red envelopes at Tet. Is it traditional to give a red envelope with a small monetary gift to people who work in your apartment building? When I lived in Hong Kong I would give about 5/10 dollars to the cleaner and concierge ... Read More
Covid test certificate for airport arrival by carl-saigon
Does anyone know if immigration at the ho chi minh airport will accept a 'Lamp covid certificate' or does it have to be a 'PCR' test certificate?
Sorry for the confusion. It was meant to be a reply to the original poster. The airline was very insistent on PCR, I thought that information might be helpful to him. Read More
Covid test certificate for airport arrival by carl-saigon
Does anyone know if immigration at the ho chi minh airport will accept a 'Lamp covid certificate' or does it have to be a 'PCR' test certificate?
I flew to Vietnam in September last year. Both Vietnam and the airline insisted on PCR. Obviously worth checking what the latest situation is. Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
Yes, it was 15 nights. Arrived on Saturday night, and released on Sunday morning. The hotel said they had to wait until they got the clearance papers from the government. Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
Yes, 14 days in a hotel. You need Ministry of Health to agree to let you quarantine in a hotel instead of the government camp. Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
The great news is that once you are finished quarantine, life is very normal on the other side. It was an absolute mission to get here, but very glad I made the effort. Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
The flight was definitely the hardest part for me. I got the visa in July and had two flights cancelled before finally flying in September. The key for me was using a local agent in Vietnam who my office manager managed to find. There has been a ... Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
I travelled on Emirates via Dubai. From what I understand, they have a weekly flight on Saturday from Dubai to Hanoi. I could not book this direct with Emirates but went through an agency in Vietnam instead. You need to have all your paperwork (visa ... Read More
Only 5 days quarantine entering VN? by danrodri
I heard from a friend that the VN gov has reduced quarantine length from 14 to just 5 days. Im entering next saturday, so that would be awesome for me. Anyone has more info on this?
I've just finished my 14 day quarantine at a hotel in Hanoi. Danrodri's experience is very similar to mine. From the airport you are taken out the side door by staff in full protective suits, and then you load your luggage in to a minivan. ... Read More
New members of the Vietnam forum, introduce yourselves here - 2020 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Vietnam forum? Don't know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi everyone, I have just moved to Hanoi and I am completing my quarantine at the moment. A bit of a strange time to be moving to a new country, but I am cautiously optimistic. I am interested in getting to know people, and exchanging tips on ... Read More