woodsdancer
American expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
48
Contacts
3
About me
American
Lives in Nha Trang
Registration: 21 July 2012
Managing meals in Vietnam by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Managing meals day-to-day can sometimes be a real mental challenge, even more so when you land in a new environment, with different schedules, habits or ingredients. How do you manage your meal routine as an expat in Vietnam? We ...
My biggest transition. was when i realized i could eat out in Vietnam cheaper than i can cook at home in America. i/e/ i could eat in. restaurants and still save money. (of course my situation was compounded by (1) cooking for 1 is expensive and (2) ... Read More
Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Vietnam by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Something as simple as receiving mail can become a whole new experience when you settle in Vietnam as an expat. Mailing management can indeed be different from what you are used to. In order to help other expats and soon-to-be ...
@Cheryl two very different responses:i spent about 6 month each year in. vietnam. so i had the added problem of frequently changing mail address. I used a mail forwarding service in the US. I received electronic images of either the envelopes and ... Read More
Managing retirement savings in Vietnam by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Saving for retirement as an expat in Vietnam can be challenging. With different options, rules or even taxation, expats have to understand how it works to make informed decisions. We invite you to share your insights in order to ...
when i was retired and living in vietnam, I simply kept my us bank account. My US pension and my social security were deposited there and i withdrew money via ATMs. Biggest problem was the low limits per withdrawl. Read More
Your first days in your home in Vietnam by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Do you remember the first time you set foot in Vietnam? One of your main concerns must have been the settling down process in your new home. Share your experience and tell us what it was like to find your new home in Vietnam ...
@Cheryl My first experience in VN is probably not relevant for most of you, but for a few of you it may be quite useful.It was several years ago when i first came to Vietnam, but the unusual thing was that my employer offered as part of my ... Read More
Custom delay for over a month by Ccammeo
Has anyone experienced this before? I have a clock shipped from the Us (using DHL) and it has arrived at Vietnam on 30rd Jan. However it is March 19th now and I have not been contacted for VAT and get no update about the package.Is this weird?
@Ccammeo i have twice sent small gifts to vietnam from teh US, usimg US post office first classs with gtracking... in botn cases it reached VN within a few days... and that was the last we ever heard of it. US PO can trace it in Vietnam. The first ... Read More
USA Citizen : looking for information by Svho
For USA citizen how long can you leave the country before required to come back?聽Also, for the people who travel and live alone, where do you keep your passport?聽I am thinking you leave it at the rental property?
@Svho no (actual) rules at all about returning to the US in any time frame. Stay away as long as you like. But many *practical* items. examples: drivers licenses may require in-person application (in CA, i believe you can renew by mail the first ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
one thing to be very careful of is renting a car in the us. several years ago i arrived in the US, went to the rental agent where i had reserved a car (planning to drive from LA to San Diego). I responded to the usual request for drivers licence and ... Read More
Send money abroad without VN Bank account. by Dimitrios Gkatzouras
Hi all . i need to send money to Europe but i dont have a Vietnam Bank account . Anybody know how to send cash In Dong , Euro or any other currency ,to European Bank account ?
@Dimitrios Gkatzouras The basic guideline in VN is that the government does not like VN currency to be sent abroad. So any attempt to simply convert cash and mail it out is doomed. (That would include Western Union, Remitly, Wise, etc). And if you ... Read More
Help on visa denial by Jkb8536
Question on US Consulate in Saigon and understanding how they approve visa for Vietnamese citizens. I have a long term girlfriend that we鈥檝e been talking dating about a year and a half year from Saigon and she just got her second refusal under ...
@Jkb8536 In my observations the major (huge gigantic) roadblock is in the wording of the 214(b) guideline (read tghem several times). The customs agents are *required* to *assume* that the applicant will attempt to overstay - unless s/he *proves* ... Read More
Banks with the largest ATM Withdrawal Limits by GuestPoster2469
Can somebody please tell me which banks offer the highest ATM withdrawal amount (so I can cut down on fees)? My understanding is that the fees I will be charged if I take money out from an overseas debit card are the local bank's ATM fee, a margin ...
other banks (at least in the US and Canada) also rebate any fees you pay for atm use...but alas if you are already out of your home country, it may be difficult to get Read More
SSA 7162 help needed by Good_Man
Hello Group, I have a question for the group. The SSA-7162 is due in November and I want to know how I can fulfill this requirement. The previous two years the pandemic erased this requirement, but this year the pandemic restrictions have been ...
@Good_Man while i lived in VN i just used a US bank account and US mailing address. Had no problems. Note that i did a least make an appearance in the US every year, bu i'm not sure ha was relevant. Read More
Marriage in Vietnam by IamCharlie
I'm planning on marrying my Vietnamese fiance soon, and I was wondering what costs I'm looking at. I know people are going to charge whatever but I don't want to be completely ripped off. So if anyone can give me an idea of what the marriage ...
@IamCharlie i think its open season (like so many things in vietnam). What he rulkes say and wha happens in practice may be entirely different (e.g. did you know is against the law to sell things on the sidewalk?)... b utb a friend of mine had to ... Read More
Getting a U.S. Visa by Peeweeaz1
Because Vietnamese citizens are frequently denied a visa at either the Consulate in Hanoi or the embassy in Ho Chi Minh, I'm asking if a Vietnamese citizen living in Vietnam can somehow apply for a U.S. visa in the U.S.?聽
@Peeweeaz1 actually the rejection rate for visitor visa is n bot nearly as for Vietnamese as the common belief suggests. The rejection rate for Vietnamese is 26% (compare to Somalia: 90.2%, Iran: 87.7% or even Philippines 27%. But be sure to apply ... Read More
How can I improve my english only 1 month? by Ng Sunny
My english level A1.How can I improve my english only 1 month? I want to apply job at foreigner company at HCM C.
@Ng Sunny to make major gains you need to "actively participate" in the language. That is not just watch tv or listen to music. but engage with others. you must speak or write ,not just listen or read. This is true of any skill: you don't get good ... Read More
Did you bring anything to Vietnam? by Anh Pham46
Hi guys, when you moved to vietnam, did you bring anything from the US? Like small appliances, small electronics, etc and use a converter? Or just buy it all new with the correct voltage/plug? I'm just wondering if I can bring some things over ...
i basically have stopped checking. the only thing that ever failed me was a nightlight (popped nicely and was gone) most phone and computer products (including all apple products) can go either way. be leery of anything with an ac motor if the ... Read More
Vietnam is boring by Guest6787
I've been here 3 months in Binh Duong, just 20 km outside of the HCM city center. There's almost no variety to life here. Everything is the same. Same food everywhere you go, every day. Same boring boxed food products in every store. ...
Well, have you thought about it this way: you are living in the middle of suburbia. Not New York city, but the suburbs; not the beach but a random suburb; not Beverly hills but a middle class suburb. If you want exciting , decide what is exciting ... Read More
cannot deposit money in my own bank
one friend tried to transfer money to me electronically yesterday and was turned down. but if they would accept that, i guess that would do (I only need to deposit like once a year or so). Read More
cannot deposit money in my own bank
Yesterday i tried to deposit cash -- VND -- into my VietComBank account (a VND account). They told me I was not allowed to deposit money -- but i could withdraw (an oxymoron?). First they told me it has always been the case. When I showed that i ... Read More
New proposed road project 2020
this may be the same one I described in the post about "phoenix beach" ... it will include completely remaking tran phu Read More
The Phoenix Beach project.
Does anyone know anything about the status of this project: http://phoenixbeachvietnam.com/en/ (when it will start? how long it will take? if it really will happen?) If you think the current beach speakers are bad ... take a look at this. Nha Trang ... Read More
cancelled bus reservatuion on Lien Hung Line
My friend visited Nha Trang for Tet, and had confirmed her bus reservations a full month in advance (Lien Hung bus lines). She had even called the morning of the return trip to re-confirm and was told 'no problem'. But at the start of her ... Read More
Visa extension by Zoladiver
Hi! Hi! Does anyone which travel agency is the cheapest to visa extension in Nha Trang? -3 months, single entry and it will be my first renewal.- I am hungarian. Thanks
I think the prices will be about the same... but you might try: www.nhatrangvisa.com Read More
Hash house Harriers
oh gee a Sunday has come and gone since you posted your request: the full name is the Nha Trang Hash House Harriers, and the website is: nhatranghash.com which will always tell you of he next upcoming run (and your info is correct every ... Read More
us sim cards for re-entry
thanks Don In reading that site, I finally had the realization to my my dilemma: although all plans seem to expire ridiculously early, many can be refilled online which extends the expiry date... all I have to do is remember to refill it within ... Read More
us sim cards for re-entry
Here in VN, SIM based phones are easy to use. It seems that in the US they work very hard to make them impractical. What I would like to find is a SIM card that works in the US... and doesn't expire in a very short time period. In particular when I ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
and thanks to Roe_Amerasian for what is probably a great idea for many people... Actually the Arizona license is not good for "22 years" ... but "until age 65" ... and alas for those of us over 65, the law says "new license every 5 years and renewal ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
thanks for the various suggestions... yes, I know ways to fake it and get an illegal license (or to get one through subterfuge ... but I was really hoping there might be some legal way for an expat to get a driver's license from the US. all of ... Read More
US social security payments by woodsdancer
The US social Security Administration says they will not send social security payments to US citizens living in Vietnam. This generates several questions in my head: 1. The guidelines are very ambiguous ... they say "cannot send payments to ...
thanks budman I have to admit that the site you sent me too is both pretty unambiguous and a real pisser (not to mention somewhat dubious in the sincerity of the policy described) have you any idea (i guess that means anecdotal evidence) about how ... Read More
US social security payments by woodsdancer
The US social Security Administration says they will not send social security payments to US citizens living in Vietnam. This generates several questions in my head: 1. The guidelines are very ambiguous ... they say "cannot send payments to ...
My original question is summarized by this paragraph in the SSA guide for expats: "Social Security restrictions prohibit sending payments to individuals in Cambodia, Vietnam or areas that were in the former Soviet Union (other than Armenia, ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
the summary that seems to be evolving to my original question ("is there any way for an expat to get a US driver's license") is: "No, not if you want to be completely legal." Every site I have looked at says you must be a bona fide resident of their ... Read More
Running group HCM city
yes the Saigon Hash House Harriers meet every Sunday at 2... they are about to have their 1200th run there are also Hash groups in Nha Trang, Vung Tau and Ha Noi Read More
US social security payments
The US social Security Administration says they will not send social security payments to US citizens living in Vietnam. This generates several questions in my head: 1. The guidelines are very ambiguous ... they say "cannot send payments to ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
thanx, but, hmm ... I guess I am being foggy. i am slowly transitioning to a full time expat... that means that for all practical purposes I will soon no longer have an actual US address -- certainly no rental receipt. I am still a US citizen and ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
thanks both of you... a couple of problems with Wild 1's method: 1. it is possible that I will never return to Vermont. Or at the very least, "residency" is coming very questionable: i no longer have (or soon will not have) many of the traditional ... Read More
US drivers licences for expats by woodsdancer
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ...
my current state is Vermont ... but the reality is that my connections to the sate are becoming few and far between. (thanks for any suggestions) Read More
US drivers licences for expats
I am finding it increasingly difficult to get/renew a US drivers license. I normally do not drive a car in Vietnam so I have no real need for a Vietnamese license. More to the point, a Vietnamese license is essentially useless when visiting the US ... Read More
Real Estate Agency or Agent by philflorida
Does anyone know of a credible agency or agent to help me find a house in Nah Trang? Many thanks. Phil
as Retire says, it does seem like "most Vietnamese are real estate agents". Crazy as the "tell-a-friend" system sounds, it actually works reasonably well for the Vietnamese. It does not work so well for foreigners... as you tend to get guided to the ... Read More
doctors and gynecologist in Nha trang by woodsdancer
We re looking for a good health center in Nha Trang, preferably one that has a gynecologist on staff. But general quality of service for the practice is the most important issue. Does any one have experience and/or recomendations
Thank you very much Jaitch. (and I know the HCMC Family Practice to be reliable) Alas, we were hoping for something closer to Nha Trang than Da Nang. Any other suggestions? Read More
doctors and gynecologist in Nha trang
We re looking for a good health center in Nha Trang, preferably one that has a gynecologist on staff. But general quality of service for the practice is the most important issue. Does any one have experience and/or recomendations Read More
Pharmacies in Nha Trang
As I stay for longer periods in Nha Trang, carrying 6-month or longer supplies of multiple prescriptions is getting less and less convenient. (Not just the carrying them in carry on (which is not possible for all meds), but dealing with the ... Read More