New members of the Vietnam forum, introduce yourselves here - 2020

Hi boys and girls on this forum, wow very nice bunch of people here, can't compare with "Thai visa  " forum....Can't stop reading all your posts for 1 week already, very interesting thoughts...
I am Stan from Australia, newbie here,  packing bags already move to....hm...maybe Vung Tau haha, 90 % but still 10% think about Hoi An...I heard up there more hot and humid...Never been to VN, can't wait to go...I am just retired so not sure how things will work with pension and how much they will cut in a future because it will be my only income....
  Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

Anyway, nice to know everyone here and looking forward joining you all soon in a 3-4 months in Vung Tau !!!

Hello everyone.... I am planning to move to Vietnam(Saigon) next month. I am an Indian and is currently in Thailand. Have heard a lot of beautiful things about VN and I am really excited. But I will be on a budget and plan to stay there for around 3-6 months. Any recommendation on budget / shared housing would be highly appreciated.

Looking forward to meet you all beautiful people soon.

AUStan wrote:

Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

You should look into the new visa updates that come into effect July 1 this year. 30 day stay on tourist visa is coming into effect

Hello everyone, I´m a finnish guy living in Da Nang. Looking to meet other foreigners, especially so for company for all kinds of sports. Tennis would be awesome.

I hear Shamrock is the place to be if you´re looking to meet other expats?

- Ville

TigerPlease wrote:

AUStan wrote:

Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

You should look into the new visa updates that come into effect July 1 this year. 30 day stay on tourist visa is coming into effect

Thanks Tiger, I follow very closely, so important and disapointing actualy

I'm looking at moving to Vietnam in perhaps 4-5 years time to be with who will then be my wife (if all goes well).  I came here to ask a cultural question.  I've really started to like Vietnam since dating her, and I'm really excited about the prospect moving here and my gf wants to live here with me.

Hello everyone. Retiree from Florida here. Love Vietnam...people here are so friendly and easy to approach.

Hi everyone. I live in the US and have been married to my wife for 27 years who is
from Hai Phong. We are considering retiring in Hai Phong in 10 years, so have lots
of time to think about it and research the move.

Hello,

I follow the expat.com from some time. I’ve been travelling to Saigon many times last two years, all business trips for a two, three weeks and finally I so soaked up in the city that I decided to stay for at least 6 months and rent my place here in D7. Do you guys know places in D7 where the foreigners meet from time to time?  I also love playing squash and badminton, looking for company to play either mornings or evenings. If anyone is interested, please write to me.

- Artur

Thailand was getting far too problematic and less attractive, so after living their 4 years, I left!

I have decided to call Da Nang home, for now.

I am a retired mechanical engineer, single and active.

I have zero friends here..so you anyone wants to meet up for a beer of coffee..please PM me. Cheers!

Hey!

Me (Kiwi) and my partner (Venezueland) are moving to Da Nang at the end of Feb!

Love to catch up for a beer!

Greetings Julien,

Thank you for your response.
I have acquired knowledge of Customer Relation, Collection, Operations, Process Management, Quality Assurance, Training & Development in the course of my professional life in last 17 years.

My education process has been through missionary school & later from Indian Language School, Lagos. I received my professional learning working with Citibank India for 15 years in different departments and interaction with spectrum of talented people.

Now , since I was looking for new opportunities, Would like to offer myself for a suitable position where I can contribute to the quality of work and growth of the company with the experience that I hold. And also to learn more & enhance my abilities.

Therefore would be grateful if one can assist me regarding  job & accommodation related information.

Thanking You,
Theo Gomes

Hello everyone; I'm Hung 28 years old; I am from Hanoi Viet Nami; I am a native; I am currently working in the field of construction.
I joined the forum with the desire to improve and further my language; Besides Vietnamese, my other languages ​​are very bad.
In return, I can teach Vietnamese to foreign friends and at the same time support and advise you more about customs and culture; food; Accommodation (Completely free and with the highest hospitality). My time is also flexible and not restrictive.
Thank you very much!

Hi Folks

I am 30 years old from Toronto  Canada, landed Vietnam September 2019. I am here for business, and i m ready to make more friends and build up network in Saigon here!

Elson

AUStan wrote:

Hi boys and girls on this forum, wow very nice bunch of people here, can't compare with "Thai visa  " forum....Can't stop reading all your posts for 1 week already, very interesting thoughts...
I am Stan from Australia, newbie here,  packing bags already move to....hm...maybe Vung Tau haha, 90 % but still 10% think about Hoi An...I heard up there more hot and humid...Never been to VN, can't wait to go...I am just retired so not sure how things will work with pension and how much they will cut in a future because it will be my only income....
  Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

Anyway, nice to know everyone here and looking forward joining you all soon in a 3-4 months in Vung Tau !!!

Hm....things changed unexpected and looks like must sit in Australia for another 6 months and just dream about yummy Vietnamese rice paper rolls... I hope this so called by some members here "just a stupid flu" virus will go away in 6 months...
BE SAFE EVERYONE !

AUStan wrote:

AUStan wrote:

Hi boys and girls on this forum, wow very nice bunch of people here, can't compare with "Thai visa  " forum....Can't stop reading all your posts for 1 week already, very interesting thoughts...
I am Stan from Australia, newbie here,  packing bags already move to....hm...maybe Vung Tau haha, 90 % but still 10% think about Hoi An...I heard up there more hot and humid...Never been to VN, can't wait to go...I am just retired so not sure how things will work with pension and how much they will cut in a future because it will be my only income....
  Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

Anyway, nice to know everyone here and looking forward joining you all soon in a 3-4 months in Vung Tau !!!

Hm....things changed unexpected and looks like must sit in Australia for another 6 months and just dream about yummy Vietnamese rice paper rolls... I hope this so called by some members here "just a stupid flu" virus will go away in 6 months...
BE SAFE EVERYONE !

Think positive mate,  but dont hold your breath

goodolboy wrote:

AUStan wrote:

AUStan wrote:

Hi boys and girls on this forum, wow very nice bunch of people here, can't compare with "Thai visa  " forum....Can't stop reading all your posts for 1 week already, very interesting thoughts...
I am Stan from Australia, newbie here,  packing bags already move to....hm...maybe Vung Tau haha, 90 % but still 10% think about Hoi An...I heard up there more hot and humid...Never been to VN, can't wait to go...I am just retired so not sure how things will work with pension and how much they will cut in a future because it will be my only income....
  Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

Anyway, nice to know everyone here and looking forward joining you all soon in a 3-4 months in Vung Tau !!!

Hm....things changed unexpected and looks like must sit in Australia for another 6 months and just dream about yummy Vietnamese rice paper rolls... I hope this so called by some members here "just a stupid flu" virus will go away in 6 months...
BE SAFE EVERYONE !

Think positive mate,  but dont hold your breath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rywUS-ohqeE

Hola,

Well the introduction part is always a-bit complicated and interesting at the same point, many of us gets stuck with questions in our mind - Who am I... from where shall I start... and how shall I introduce myself among other, in business language we call it marketing and advertising which help to sell ourself over the benefits.

So far as I am associated toward myself introduction I will startup with basic:

My name is Alishan Zafar, Native Pakistani, bought up in Wales - UK, move back to my native country when I was 17 spend 2 years of my life there and than moved to Dubai and still live here from last 11 years and now planning to make another move to explore more opportunities and to achieve my self actualization.

I am an entrepreneur and run my own business in Dubai in creative field, my major is Design Conceptualization leading to consultancy and project management. I have done projects globally in more than 10 different countries. I am an MBA by my academic records with majors in Marketing and Risk Management.

As far my expertise are concern I want to jump into this new emerging market (Vietnam) to explore more available opportunities. I lived in Saigon for almost one year from 2018 to 2019 and was organizing Expos there but then i have to move back to Dubai due to some visa issues, but now i am very much keen to come back and live there as i love this country in many ways.

Now i am exploring some opportunities to move again to Vietnam.

I will appreciate to get in the similar pool of visionary thinkers with big dreams.

Hi,

Im Danny from Saigon, living in Thu Duc Dist,
Im a newbie and glad to know all of you.

Hi I am working in India last 20 years on same organisation  no progress so I have to change that's all I choose Vietnam Asian country

Hi There
I am retired also, from Canada. I visited your beautiful country Australia about 5 years ago before I retired. I went to Sydney. Loved it. I hope someday to return.
I can't say a lot about Vietnam, as I only visited Hoi An last summer. I loved it. It was summer and was extremely hot. I loved the food. Beaches were beautiful.
I hope you enjoy your time in Vietnam when you go. Everything is so crazy right now in the world.
How long do you plan in staying in Vietnam? Will you be returning to Australia?

smithsfallsgirl wrote:

Hi There
I am retired also, from Canada. I visited your beautiful country Australia about 5 years ago before I retired. I went to Sydney. Loved it. I hope someday to return.
I can't say a lot about Vietnam, as I only visited Hoi An last summer. I loved it. It was summer and was extremely hot. I loved the food. Beaches were beautiful.
I hope you enjoy your time in Vietnam when you go. Everything is so crazy right now in the world.
How long do you plan in staying in Vietnam? Will you be returning to Australia?

Are you possibly replying to this post? (It helps a lot to use the quote function when replying)

AUStan wrote:

AUStan wrote:

Hi boys and girls on this forum, wow very nice bunch of people here, can't compare with "Thai visa  " forum....Can't stop reading all your posts for 1 week already, very interesting thoughts...
I am Stan from Australia, newbie here,  packing bags already move to....hm...maybe Vung Tau haha, 90 % but still 10% think about Hoi An...I heard up there more hot and humid...Never been to VN, can't wait to go...I am just retired so not sure how things will work with pension and how much they will cut in a future because it will be my only income....
  Still not sure about visas and what is the procedure and costs, spoke to a few agencies, not sure which one is better but i think they all the same more or less and there is no such a thing like 1 year visa for Aussies, must do visa run every 3 months. Not sure what the final cost will be at the end of the year.

Anyway, nice to know everyone here and looking forward joining you all soon in a 3-4 months in Vung Tau !!!

Hm....things changed unexpected and looks like must sit in Australia for another 6 months and just dream about yummy Vietnamese rice paper rolls... I hope this so called by some members here "just a stupid flu" virus will go away in 6 months...
BE SAFE EVERYONE !

Currently live in Las Vegas, NV. Typically I travel to SE Asia once a year for 2-4 months. During the last 10 years I spent 9 months in the Philippines (last trip 2015. No plans to return), 1 month Cambodia, 3 months Vietnam, and 13 months in Thailand.
I am an artist. Initially I painted impressionist landscapes and some abstracts using acrylics. My paintings were sold worldwide. For the last 3 years I have worked exclusively in a digital format creating abstracts and abstract landscapes. I license my images to clients worldwide. Currently about 200 images.
I am writing this bio from Bangkok (April 21, 2020). Arrived here March 4. Planned to fly to Vietnam on April 2 for a two month visit. Obviously that never happened. Extended my Thai visa to May 2 and will likely extend again. Will fly to Vietnam if the flight restrictions change. I am supposed to fly back to the USA out of SGN on June 25. Travel plans in limbo at the moment.
Vietnam is my favorite SE Asian country. In the future will likely divide my time between Vietnam and the USA. No plans to reside permanently in Vietnam.
Michael

Hello Michael and welcome to expat.com !

I'm glad to meet you !

Of course during the pandemic, travelling will be nearly impossible, but I hope those times will be of great inspiration for your paintings

Do you have any plan in Vietnam once all of this will be over?

I hope you are safe & sound.

Regards.

Loïc
expat.com team

Thanks.

If international restrictions allow entry from Thailand in the next 2 months I will fly to Vietnam. If not then next year.

Michael

Good Day from Fort Worth, TX

It's a sincere pleasure to meet participants on this forum.  My name is Lawrence and I'm a USA citizen, reared in NYC and San Francisco attended university with an undergraduate degree in Business and a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration.

I have most recently worked for most of the major business and consulting firms in the healthcare payer space as a business and technology consultant.   ***
I have lived and worked in Europe and have traveled extensively in the Middle East, Asia and to some extent, Africa - Further, I'm retired military, United States Marine Corps.

I do have plans to relocate to Viet Nam.  I have booked airline tickets arriving in Ho Chin Minh City in late December 2020.

Currently, I have been working in the Blockchain business readiness space in the healthcare domain.  I believe Blockchain in addition to AI, IoT, and big data will become more relevant than ever taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic.  And I want to be prepared to meet the demand for these services.

Hence, I want to build these smart digital services in Viet Nam where there appears to be a workforce and infrastructure to move forward. 

At this point I'm seriously considering Da Nang for base of operations.  As such, I would like to leverage the forums insight into living accommodations, the market for apartment/condo rentals, legit real-estate brokers, neighborhoods, and all the other issues and actions associated with relocating.

Finally, what is the best method to engage with the community for insight and feedback?

Thanks and looking forward to chatting.

Cordially,
Lawrence

ljjohn wrote:

Finally, what is the best method to engage with the community for insight and feedback?

The best way is to do the basic research - Reading old forum posts will help a lot as many questions have been answered. The search box will help you find appropriate threads.

Once you'd done that, ask specific questions on subjects you're unclear about.

Appreciate the guidance

Thanks

ljjohn wrote:

As such, I would like to leverage the forums insight

ljjohn wrote:

Nonetheless,  I do believe I will be able to leverage meaningful insights from some members of this forum.

Indices wrote:

The word ' leverage ' may be a little inappropriate as I very much doubt you will achieve much of it.

What exactly is "leverage" in the context of ljjohn's post?

Sounds like he plan to use crow and to gain information

Ciambella wrote:

ljjohn wrote:

As such, I would like to leverage the forums insight

ljjohn wrote:

Nonetheless,  I do believe I will be able to leverage meaningful insights from some members of this forum.

Indices wrote:

The word ' leverage ' may be a little inappropriate as I very much doubt you will achieve much of it.

What exactly is "leverage" in the context of ljjohn's post?

Use the forum to gain a desired result. Gain the maximum from from something.

Hi everyone, Originally I used Vietnam as a flight hub to work in different countries in Asia as consultant in technical and managing matters. Corona has changed everything, and I found a lovely girlfriend. I strongly consider to live here for a longer. I am interested in meeting other expats. Currently, I try to lern Vietnamnese. I like meditation, sports, dancing, cooking and if time allows also photography. 
Best Torsten

3Tee wrote:

Hi everyone, Originally I used Vietnam as a flight hub to work in different countries in Asia as consultant in technical and managing matters. Corona has changed everything, and I found a lovely girlfriend. I strongly consider to live here for a longer. I am interested in meeting other expats. Currently, I try to lern Vietnamnese. I like meditation, sports, dancing, cooking and if time allows also photography. 
Best Torsten

Welcome .
You may like to edit your profile.
In your interests section you state you like 'cocking'.

Many thanks for your interest in my profile and your attention. Clearly a typo :-)

Indices wrote:

In your interests section you state you like 'cocking'.

Seems perfectly reasonable

Welcome,  where have you visited in Vietnam and which area did you find the most interesting and alighted with your interests?  Thanks

3Tee wrote:

Hi everyone, Originally I used Vietnam as a flight hub to work in different countries in Asia as consultant in technical and managing matters. Corona has changed everything, and I found a lovely girlfriend. I strongly consider to live here for a longer. I am interested in meeting other expats. Currently, I try to lern Vietnamnese. I like meditation, sports, dancing, cooking and if time allows also photography. 
Best Torsten

Welcome.    A Vietnamese girlfriend can be a very strong magnet. Are you really in Lào Cai?  Looking forward to stories and photos of mountain life! Probably not such a big change in climate from  Germany, as would be Saigon, but now you must adapt to Vietnamese ways.

Yes, I am currently in Lao Cai and has been once to Sa Pa.  It's damn quiet here even they start loosening the anti corona measures. 
I have been also to Saigon for about a month. Indeed, I needed time to get familiar with hot weather there. Lao Cai is much closer to German weather. I have been to Vietnam for my first time. I am quite a newbie. I arrived 2 days before tet in Saigon this year and had not that much time to travel around. I have been to Ben Tre, Hanoi, Phu Quoc and now Lao Cai. Yes, my girlfriend is a strong magnet and I hope that our new relationship will develop further.
Have a great time in Saigon.

Hi ljjohn,
I have been to Saigon, Ben Tre, Hanoi, Phu Quoc and now Lao Cai. Regarding my interest in food, coffee and tea there is a variety of options available in every bigger place. In terms of my sport interests it becomes difficult. Bigger cities like Hanoi and Saigon are dusty and I have not considered doing any sportive outdoor activities. There a some places for running some locals recommended but finally there were too far away for me. Ice skating is possible in Saigon or Hanoi all over the year. But you have to bring your own skates. The skates they rent are in a really bad condition. Even I checked several pairs of skates, it was far away from fun and quite dangerous to use. But for people who want to check out hospitals it is worth a try.    I like the Vincom Ice Rink in Saigon.
You can find a lot of vids on Youtube to get a good impression of most of the larger cities and can aligned the place to be with your interest. If you consider to live in Vietnam for longer it is best to check some places before and then decide.
Best Torsten