Normal people do have bills to pay back home!

We maintain an account with Citibank US from which we have direct deposit and automatic payments for the two bills left in the US (no monthly service charge.)  We have an account with Citibank VN, but only use it to transfer money from the States (on line and no transfer fee).  The two accounts aren't linked since Citibank VN and Citibank US aren't the same bank.

Citibank VN charges monthly service of either $7, $10, or something in between (I can't recall the specific amount.) 

ATM withdrawals are always without fee.

Isn't this topic covered here:  https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 38#3866514

The Societ of Worlwide Interbank Financial Telecomminication (SWIFT) which transfers banking info, but not funds between its approxinently 200 member nations is in a bit of disarray since 9/11.
  After that time the US government used their mite to force the hand over of private information. Then the US politicized it to apply sanction to the like if Iran. So many countries no longer participate

You can send money into Vietnam using SWIFT so there shouldn't be any structural reason that you can't send it out.  Not all banks have a SWIFT account but some do so I don't think non-participation is the problem. 

The problem, if you want to call it that, is the government not wanting untaxed income to leave the country.  The real target is real estate speculators, primarily Viet Kieu, who look to take out untaxed profits as cash.  As there is little or no economic activity in the gain, there is a subtraction from the economy if the profits leave.  Young 20-somethings who have student loans are mostly caught in the crossfire.

My bad, it's an ongoing thorn in my side. At least, I could deposit the funds without any issues while in the past that would have required the presentation of my employment contract plus the employer showing up in person, too.

Sorry guys, just noticed the typos. It should read Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT).

Update: the small branch wouldn't or couldn't do it. But at the biggest bank in town, they did. Needed the employment contract. But it worked!! VIETIN BANK.

Unlike past times when the contract was required for deposits, too I managed to deposit 26 M  w i t h o u t  the contract.

Q: does Paypal facilitate deposits and can local banks send USD? otherwise, locals do have credit cards. I might just do my X-Mas shopping overseas and pay someone 100,000 d extra + cash to pay for it.

Chris