Vietnam compared to Thailand for living

[laphanphon]

Here's another for a ball park idea, and some things to be taken with a grain of salt, others probably quite accurate.

Can always change the cities HH vs Da Nang, or whatever pleases.


https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c ... +Minh+City

Overall, HCM cheaper than BKK. Cost not the only factor to consider. Like the infrastructure here, roadways as excellent. Electric & water service could be better, and sewage management stinks of course. Healthcare is excellent, affordable & accessible.

I personally wouldn't leave Thailand for another SEA country. Top choice would have been Nam & PI, but same reason I didn't retire in FL, USA, typhoons blowing by all the time.

Rooted here with wife & daughter, though after house sold, nothing keeping us here, and if leaving, it would be somewhere in the Americas. Too old (relative / 65), but more so, too lazy to move again.

Unless daughter gets an international job, out of Thailand, then probably would, depending where she went. But that's highly unlikely.

Looking at the specifics, under the screenshot, not much of the savings would pertain to us. We eat in, way more than out, and very lite alcohol sippers.

Groceries, save maybe 30 %, maybe few thousand baht a month
Electric would be a savings, same, few thousand baht a month, as I do abuse the AC, but overall 5 - 10 k baht a month.

Certainly not worth leaving for, especially since yearly visa ext. are too easy here, along with knowing the healthcare system, if I ever need.

[sateeb]

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c ... y2=Da+Nang

For us beachies

[Zidane]

We have Thai neighbours who have been to Vietnam 3 times in the last 18 months.
They went to HCMC,Hue and Da Nang I think ?
They said it was very cheap over there compared to Thailand....accomodation,food,beer etc.

[laphanphon]

For 'living' ... Thailand wins hands down, simply for consistent visa regulations. Not much if anything has change in the 20 years I've been coming, or decade or so before. Basically same rules for long stay; marriage / retirement.

Laos, forget it, Cambodia, a big unknown, and read of few things about how things have really changed, and not good. Though good friend, who recommended Thailand to me, quite liked it on a couple recent visits, but is settling in PI, or looks that way. Was a die hard Thai visitor, bu won't return.

Obviously with Nan's recent change in visa regulations, it certainly wouldn't be the place to put down any roots. A bit cheaper or not. Get a new visa every month, and people think they are treated like guests here.....no thanks. Who knows what next year or month will bring.

I'll keep the devil I know, as been very good to us.

[buksida]

For 'living' ... Thailand wins hands down, simply for consistent visa regulations. Not much if anything has change in the 20 years I've been coming, or decade or so before. Basically same rules for long stay; marriage / retirement.

A lot has changed in two decades: 90 day reporting and fines, no more embassy income letters, work permit restrictions, TM30/28 reporting, mandatory health insurance, home visits by immigration, monthly bank statement requirements, proof of address for everything, no more multi-entry visas granted in overseas embassies, showing finances for tourist visas, border crossing crackdowns, huge inconsistencies between provincial immigration offices, galloping corruption/visa 'agents' becoming the norm, etc etc. None of that was applicable 20 years ago.

It may be rosy for the 'I'm alright Jack' brigade but it clearly isn't for the thousands of expats that have already left because their situation has changed, the cost of living (which has over doubled in the same period) is hitting them, or they feel no longer welcomed here, or don't want to deal with all of the above BS any longer.

Thailand is still attractive for affluent retirees, and that seems to be all they'll tolerate. For those below 50, or not on a fat pension, or not married, or needing to work for a living, Vietnam is much more appealing - it all depends on personal situations.

Personally I'd like a balance of 4 months here, 4 in Nam or the Phillys and 4 in South America somewhere - but I aint a pensioner yet!

[thecolonel]

Ok, topic within a topic.....

All the comments re cost of living are understandbly very important and useful info.

However we all have our own agendas and the no 1 reason I'm in Hua Hin(or just Thailand for that matter) is golf! Golf(&related costs eg transport) is by far and away my biggest cost of 'living'

So what I need to know is the cost of golf in Vietnam.

Now, I once visited Danang/Hoi An( and HCMC) about 5 years back and they had opened up some courses. But they were very expensive to play about 150 USD if I recall.

Saying that they are the same rack rate as HH courses probably so I need to check out what promotion deals can be had, same as here.

I also know they have built more course there since(but suspect for rich tourists not expats on a budget)

I enjoyed Vietnam, nightlife(bars/restaurants) was reasonable. The weather was a little hit and miss more cold and rainy than HH for sure. But it was a 2 week holiday not proper living.

If anyone has up to date info on golf prices in Nam, especially first hand recent golf trip etc, then I'd sure appreciate it. As I've got it in my head that golf is too expensive in Nam compared to HH/Thai

Thanks







Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

[laphanphon]

For 'living' ... Thailand wins hands down, simply for consistent visa regulations. Not much if anything has change in the 20 years I've been coming, or decade or so before. Basically same rules for long stay; marriage / retirement.

A lot has changed in two decades: 90 day reporting and fines, no more embassy income letters, work permit restrictions, TM30/28 reporting, mandatory health insurance, home visits by immigration, monthly bank statement requirements, proof of address for everything, no more multi-entry visas granted in overseas embassies, showing finances for tourist visas, border crossing crackdowns, huge inconsistencies between provincial immigration offices, galloping corruption/visa 'agents' becoming the norm, etc etc. None of that was applicable 20 years ago.

Not so much as changed, be more so the rules enforced, due the scamming and taking advantage of their leniency, or corruption of not enforcing, for price, direct or via agents.

Most of the same regulations were there 20 yrs ago, just not enforced. We can thank those again who were booted recently from Thailand, and now apparently Nam.

The embassy letters isn't Thai's fault. As my embassy was happy to scam and take my $50 bucks for a notary stamp. But when came time to actually do something.......like simply push another key at their disposal to verify that info, well they couldn't be bother. Only after about 15 letters (for myself) later, and it's F off, you're on your own. They have all the info at their disposal, but we aren't worthy for any effort.

In my home state, it's illegal to charge more than $5 bucks for a notary.............$50 at the embassy....nuff said.

My visa ext was just turned down. Even though depositing 65+k every month in my bank account, via transferwise or ATM, then deposits. Had records of my direct deposits in USA bank, and transfer / ATMs withdrawals done here (which could easily be faked on a computer)...showed them all that, and they really did want to approve it. But, since all so scared of being accused of not following the rules to the letter (thanks again scammers), they turned it down since not 'direct deposited' in the Thai bank.

Which I finally did get set up, but only Dec & Jan made it in the Thai account. So next ext should be a breeze.

So I had to do the lump sum, and it's seasoning now as I type....555 Return in a few months to apply again. They gave me a 'visit or support of Thai national' visa for few month, till seasoning is done.....555

I hope all the scammer get kicked back to their shitholes, where they belong.....

[buksida]

The fact that all of those 'laws' and a bunch of new ones are being actively enforced now shows exactly how much has changed in 20 years.

That aside, your arrogance and utter contempt for anyone not in your fortunate situation is deplorable. Not being retired or wealthy does not make someone a scammer.

Anyway, arguing is futile so back to Vietnam.

[laphanphon]

So I'm arrogant & deplorable, because I follow the rules. Nothing wrong with being wealthy (I'm far from that), poor (relative), but do have enough funds to meet the rules, retired, married and or working doesn't matter.

But if not meeting the requirements, and following the rules, please stop circumventing the system, and making it hard for those who do follow the rules. If that was your game plan, you should stayed home in the first place.

That is the only reason things have been enforced or amended. Frankly I'd like to see thing tightened. Intelligent, considerate people plan their retirement responsibly, so others don't have to suffer from 'their' arrogance and scamming.

Yes, a few nice guys fell through the cracks, but they (Imm) would have been more lenient, and maybe made some exceptions, if not for all the scammers. Instead, Imm. get sh*t on, again & again, until we have what we have now.

Nobodies fault but our own. Well the scammers Som naa na, and now a few good folks got screwed by their fellow countrymen.

Back to Nam

[sateeb]

You had me at arrogant and deplorable

[laphanphon]

[caller]

The embassy letters isn't Thai's fault. As my embassy was happy to scam and take my $50 bucks for a notary stamp. But when came time to actually do something.......like simply push another key at their disposal to verify that info, well they couldn't be bother. Only after about 15 letters (for myself) later, and it's F off, you're on your own. They have all the info at their disposal, but we aren't worthy for any effort.

I can't comment on how things are done in the States, but as far as the UK is concerned, the new regs, introduced by the Thais, that meant the Embassy had to verify data, rather than simply notarise (and they were pretty tough at that), was simply too big a task for the Embassy to take on. Data protection rules in the UK meant they couldn't just press a button and have everything at hand (a very Orwellian concept) and had unknown cost and time factors for The Embassy and although I doubt any pension provider would do so, they could have simply said that's too much effort and we're not going to provide the data needed, or put it at the bottom of the in tray and also charge for providing such a service. Not to mention that an individuals written permission would be needed before most pension providers would even agree to disclosure.

[dtaai-maai]

You left buksida and a few others off the list. I only mention it because they'll probably be offended.

[lomuamart]

caller, I don't know the ins and outs of Embassy life but I'd definitely agree with what you said.

Imm here wanted Embassies to verify income. And the Embassies simply told Imm that that was their job.

So, we've got what we've got. A bit more paperwork but not insurmountable. But it doesn't get any easier.

[Lev]

Vietnam please. Have existing topics on embassy letters already.