Has anyone ever lived in Vietnam before?(or is living there rite now). I'm just really curious about its culture, ethnicities, lifestyle, technology stuff like that. I'd just been to Bangkok recently and i loved it, and i'm seriously considering visiting either Vietnam or Laos.
And did you enjoy living there? If so, why?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
If you loved Bangkok, you'd love Vietnam even more!
The Vietnamese are somewhat more "westernized" and less "Buddhist" than the Thais, therefore more relaxed! The country is more varied and beautiful and less spoiled by excessive tourism. Technology is almost comparable to Thailand, pretty modern and getting more so.
The cost of living is definitely better (cheaper) in Vietnam than than Thailand. The purchasing power is much better also ( Thailand: 23.54, Vietnam: 51.08!!). So the money goes twice as far in Vietnam...You'll live so much better in Vietnam for the same amount of money.
I did enjoy living there because of the country and the people. Also, I lived very well there for so much less than I do in the US (for awhile, I lived there 3 months each year on business. I spent in 3 months (12 weeks) in Vietnam what I would in 3 weeks in the US and 6 weeks in Thailand!!)
Laos is a much less developped country so I would not advise you to live there.
rick m
I have lived in VN before and will do so again once my wife gets her US citizenship and I finish grad school. It is VERY, VERY different and VERY, VERY nice. As an American ex-pat, I live the best of both worlds. Viet people are the friendliest in the world, and where we have our house (known as the birthplace of the Viet Cong) I am befriended by everyone I know, including all the local government people. Our children are treated like little princes and princesses. There are very few non-Viets in our province and "mixed race" children are very unusual and considered exceptionally beautiful. There is no "serious" crime to speak of (except theft), our farmland is incredibly fertile and the cost of living is very affordable. All in all, a paradise!
If you have some money you can have all the technology you want. We have DSL, satellite TV, "western" appliances, etc. The one thing we do not own is a car. They are ridiculously expensive here. When we return for good, I'll look into shipping a conversion van and use it to taxi people to and from the airport and tourist sites as well as possibly opening a western style restaurant in a nearby tourist area.
I only know two other "white" guys who live in our area. One owns a hotel and the other is retired. Almost all of the Viet/Americans I know are either retired or dabbling in various investments. NOBODY is working themselves into an early grave. hahaha
Anonymous
Well, Japan, France, China, and the US basically tried to destroy Vietnam
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hot and wet