Help with packing

1- You should check with the school that hires you on the date they expect you to arrive. Unless  you teach a technical subject to professionals, which makes you an expert, I'm sure English teachers are not allowed to enter the country especially when Tan Son Nhat Airport is closed and so are schools throughout Saigon.

2-  The average temperature in Saigon is 28°C - 30°C  (82°F - 86°F).  Warm clothing has no place in South Vietnam.

3-  Drinking water comes in bottles, which you can purchase anywhere or have home delivery.

Ciambella wrote:

1- You should check with the school that hires you on the date they expect you to arrive. Unless  you teach a technical subject to professionals, which makes you an expert, I'm sure English teachers are not allowed to enter the country especially when Tan Son Nhat Airport is closed and so are schools throughout Saigon.

2-  The average temperature in Saigon is 28°C - 30°C  (82°F - 86°F).  Warm clothing has no place in South Vietnam.

3-  Drinking water comes in bottles, which you can purchase anywhere or have home delivery.

I'm from Queensland Australia, we took a trip out of HCMC to Da Lat which is up a mountain I bought a jacket, It's never been used in HCMC since. most of the time i'm sat in boxer shorts with a fan on, most I wear is long pants and a short sleeve shirt if going somewhere out.

Like Ciambella says you can just get small bottles or get 20L bottles delivered, I bought a water cooler so dont have to mess around with ice too much, which sometimes it not great quality who knows what water they make it with.

But there is 5 of us so it's just easier, we also bought a 5 stage filter kit from MegaMart supermarket and the owner had no problem lettiing me drill a 10mm hole to fit it, (I'll jus put a black plate in when leave) so we have unlimited supply and just refill the 20 L bottle. Filters are only 20-30k each so its cheap as, the pre-filter goes in white and come out 3 months later looking like it's been in a bucket of rust

I agree with Ciambella the date you think you are coming sounds iffy, as all the schools are closed and HCMC is in hard lockdown Covid is everywhere airport is closed all schools are being used for vacc stations.

I've seen news reports that they are looking towards mid 2022 for heard immunity plus vaccine figures are still low and HCMC just ran out of doses.

I cant see anything changing in a month, someone did some math and they thought mid Nov but who knows when airport will open.

Filters don't remove ammonia, arsenic and other heavy metals, they are insufficient for tap water in Vietnam.

debbiekirk wrote:

Dear Expat.com....I am new to this forum as I am going to take up an eight month teaching contract in September in Ho Chi Minh City. (Am so excited). I will have limited luggage allowance. Would you suggest packing many warm clothes?

Also, any advice about drinking water?

Warm clothes no.. especially.in the south m the only time I have worn anything remotely like a jumper was in Sa Pa up north on a cold wet day even then it's was too much.

No one is coming in at the current time, in fact everyone here is on lockdown meaning only the bare essentials are open like supermarkets and food stores.  Schools are closed, even the private ones. Public transport it shutdown also.

None knows if or when the current lockdown will end for sure which I suspect puts your entire plans on hold

Erikji wrote:

Filters don't remove ammonia, arsenic and other heavy metals, they are insufficient for tap water in Vietnam.

that really does depend on the type/quality of filter. AB says 5-stage so i suspect that takes care of most everything. in AU, i had a 3 stage i think, or maybe it was 5 stage too? anyway, got rid of pretty much everything.

PS is this site really really slow, or is it just me?

Erikji wrote:

Filters don't remove ammonia, arsenic and other heavy metals, they are insufficient for tap water in Vietnam.

Just about all travel sites say dont drink tap water boil it first, which VN do over buying bottled water, as far I know boiling does not remove arsenic and ammonia? and what bottled water brand has non of the things you list? a very well known brand of bottled water in VN was caught out filling their bottles with tap water.

"Vietnam is a nation crisscrossed by rivers and streams and has one of the longest coastlines in the world: Water is everywhere, yet there is hardly a safe drop to drink, with even much of the bottled water contaminated."

One American based survey found that out of all the bottled water some had 250 times the safe to drink limit on contaminants and recommended a 5 stage filter.

Even bottled water in USA has arsenic in it "High levels of arsenic were found in two brands of bottled water sold at Whole Foods, Target and Walmart, the Center for Environmental Health in California says."

I'll take my 5 stage water filter over boiling or bottled thanks.

Andybris2020 wrote:

Erikji wrote:

Filters don't remove ammonia, arsenic and other heavy metals, they are insufficient for tap water in Vietnam.

Just about all travel sites say dont drink tap water boil it first, which VN do over buying bottled water, as far I know boiling does not remove arsenic and ammonia? and what bottled ater brand has non of the things you list? a very well known brand of bottled water in VN was caught out filling their bottles with tap water.
I'll take my 5 stage water filter over boiling or bottled thanks.

Which brand or water out of curiousity

fred2796 wrote:

Erikji wrote:

Filters don't remove ammonia, arsenic and other heavy metals, they are insufficient for tap water in Vietnam.

that really does depend on the type/quality of filter. AB says 5-stage so i suspect that takes care of most everything. in AU, i had a 3 stage i think, or maybe it was 5 stage too? anyway, got rid of pretty much everything.

PS is this site really really slow, or is it just me?

BTW, it was my Internet ... at that stage down to 8k! and now still only 32k

Not wating a law suit,, ill just say "v"

That’s why everyone here drinks beer - almost the same price as bottled water!

Maxep wrote:

That’s why everyone here drinks beer - almost the same price as bottled water!

Have a link to buy 20L for 50k?

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation … -the-world

Maxep wrote:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/where-s-the-cheapest-beer-in-the-world

If you can get me 20l beer for 50k ill send you the money,,,   

Andybris2020 wrote:

Maxep wrote:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/where-s-the-cheapest-beer-in-the-world

If you can get me 20l beer for 50k ill send you the money,,,   

Im up for that.. ill take two lots

Maxep wrote:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/where-s-the-cheapest-beer-in-the-world

Andybris2020 wrote:

If you can get me 20l beer for 50k ill send you the money,,,   

That article was published in 2013, Maxep.  The price might be 14k per litre of bia hơi 8 years ago (12oz is 1/3 of a litre; $0.20 is 4,600 or 13,800/L), but it was 28k in our last trip in January, double the price in 2013. 

I'm afraid you'll have to pay more than 500k now for your 20L of bia hơi, Andy.

Ciambella wrote:

Maxep wrote:

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/where-s-the-cheapest-beer-in-the-world

Andybris2020 wrote:

If you can get me 20l beer for 50k ill send you the money,,,   

That article was published in 2013, Maxep.  The price might be 14k per litre of bia hơi 8 years ago (12oz is 1/3 of a litre; $0.20 is 4,600 or 13,800/L), but it was 28k in our last trip in January, double the price in 2013. 

I'm afraid you'll have to pay more than 500k now for your 20L of bia hơi, Andy.

Yeah I kinda knew that, thats why I asked for the 20L's