Did you bring anything to Vietnam?

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

What things?

Many electronic items are already dual voltage, even if you don't know it.

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

Phones - Make sure they're open to any network, not locked to one provider. A new charger, if yours won't work with 220 volts, is easy.

Laptop computers - Check the adaptor. Pretty much the rest of the world gets a worldwide power supply, but the US is strangely backwards so you should check.A new power lead to suit a Thai socket is easy. Desktops are heavy and that's going to cost you in transport.

Anything microwave sized and above. Shipping will be a rare old pain in the bottom, not come cheap, and you may very well need quite high power, thus expensive, adaptors before you can use them.
Add transit damage, possible customs duties, and the paperwork, and it's probably not going to be worth the trouble.

Fred wrote:

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

A new power lead to suit a Thai socket is easy...

Except this is the Vietnam forum...

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

You might find some helpful input in this thread...

expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=769990

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

Post a list of what you "Think" you may bring and we will advise if sell or bring,,,

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You might find some helpful input in this thread...

expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=769990

I had been thinking of exactly this thread as it really covers a lot of the options for plugs.  Allow me to thank you. 

Out of curiosity,  I tried searching for it both on the site search and on Google.  On the site, I searched for "electrical outlets" and on Google I searched for "electrical outlets Expat.com Vietnam"  Both searches yielded the thread in question right at the top, as they should.  However one thing I noticed was that the Expat.com search listed the date of the last post, 2020-05-07, while Google listed the first post, Mar 27, 2018.    Maybe someone who understands how search engines work can explain if this is a significant difference.

A side note on electrical items:
IF the device runs on 220-240v or has a switch for 110v/220v then you can just buy a adaptor.Example

If your staying here for a LONG time you can just cut off the plug and put a VN one on. Example

If its a 220-240v shaver etc with a built in ac adaptor then just buy an adaptor. Example

If its 110v DO NOT try plugging it in you can buy dual voltage convertors to change the voltage from 110-240v Example

Andybris2020 wrote:

A side note on electrical items:

A side-side note on plugs 
When you get here, buy a plug strip at supermarket or Coopmart.
The Viet round-pin-plug cord will fit well in the wall sockets.
The sockets on the strip will work well with your US slotted plug devices.
I always pack a plug strip around the country (that also has USB jacks) for hotels.

Hi Bro,

i just give an advice, 4 things you need to take with you absolutely :

- A Iphone if you are fan (here, is really expensive, except chinese copy)
- Your notebook (you can find here some models,but prices are higher)
- Your visa card of a online bank (no fee to take cash normally)
- Make a transferwise account before to come in Vietnam !

all other products, you will find here and many more you can not have in US, and cheaper !

(like all chinese and vietnamese products, the quality of vietnamese products is better than the chinese production for asia (china have 4 quality levels, depend the destination...).

.

.

LDL- wrote:

...all other products, you will find here and many more you can not have in US, and cheaper !

(like all chinese and vietnamese products, the quality of vietnamese products is better than the chinese production for asia (china have 4 quality levels, depend the destination...)...

I definitely found this to be true when shopping for some basic household electrical appliances, such as an air fryer and a blender.

In some cases a superior European brand was available for a very high price, followed by a Chinese knockoff brand, followed by the least expensive Vietnamese brand.

All things considered, the Vietnamese brand  always turned out to be the best buy, meeting my expectations for the same performance I probably would have gotten from a higher priced product made outside Vietnam.

As some people already said, simple home appliances are cheap here -- keep your top-of-the-range Miele blender for when you return home. Most appliances these days are dual-voltage, but check -- your American single-110V appliance is probably quite ancient. As for plugs, get one of these universal power socket boards at a local supermarket so you can plug in a range of your home appliances (sorry, I just wanted to drop in the image but this site didn't seem to agree):

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht … egUIARD4AQ

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 speed of the motor is important (e.g. a phonograph, remember those).

woodsdancer wrote:

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 speed of the motor is important (e.g. a phonograph, remember those).

LOL, my wife's hair dryer from Vietnam runs half speed in the US.  Hardly moves any air.

Bring a good insect repellent, preferably one that can be sprayed on your clothing only, which will last a washing or two. Couldnt find this stuff in Saigon. The girls will love any pure lanolin cream or even better, lanolin with sheep placenta.

Hi, one can definitely get insect repellent in HCM,  after all this is semi tropics. You can buy all kinds of skin care creams here; perhaps you are looking in the wrong stores. Imagine the Korean population and their obsession with outward image, lots of Korean brands...but you need a Korean to converse.

Yes Swee Loke, you are correct. I should have made my post clearer. I was referring to the Permethrin spray that is designed to be sprayed on clothing, not the skin. It has a lasting effect that is not diminished by washing the clothes, at least for 2 washes. Hence, I would put the DEET spray on the skin and the Permethrin on my clothes, especially if visiting a rural area

Anh Pham46 wrote:

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 so I don't have to repurchase them.

thanks!

Let's assume that you've decide you are going to bring some extra items that wouldn't normally fit in your airline luggage allotment.

It's been the general consensus in previous discussions on this subject that your best option is to ship things as accompanied excess baggage, packed in whatever method works best for you and within the weight/dimension limitations of the airline, although Rick/Budman can give you insight into doing a large, unaccompanied household goods shipment (see second link below for his post in that thread).

You would then pay the airline's fee for excess baggage.

Friend of the forum CIAMBELLA has posted a number of times about her best ideas for accompanied baggage.

You can view her profile here:

expat.com/forum/profile.php?id=1942976&lang=en

(You can scroll down the page to her "activity log" and expand the articles by clicking "read more")

There is also a lot of information and different opinions on this subject in this thread started by forum member JIMPDXUSA:

expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=925152

It's not all exactly on point to your specific questions, but it does deal with the subject in general through a number of replies.

Most Vietnamese houses use voltage stabilizers that provide also 110v. I just make most of our outlets provide dual voltage, and go to town.

If I'm not mistaken, it's not possible to bring household goods with you to Vietnam (unless you are working for a company and have a work visa, in which case you can bring certain things over). But I'm not familiar with the regulations. All I know is that I wasn't able to bring anything over when I moved here a year ago.
I'm afraid not much help, sorry

jodocus wrote:

If I'm not mistaken, it's not possible to bring household goods with you to Vietnam (unless you are working for a company and have a work visa, in which case you can bring certain things over). But I'm not familiar with the regulations. All I know is that I wasn't able to bring anything over when I moved here a year ago.
I'm afraid not much help, sorry

It may very well be that you are correct, but if so it would be yet another example of the differences between how the law is and how things really are in Vietnam.