Job Discussion Forums

luniper · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 1

I'll be arriving in HCMC in a couple weeks to take a TEFL certificate course and then, hopefully, secure employment. I'm wondering if its possible to find work attire (ties, dress shirts, etc) in the city. This may seem like a stupid question (of course, you say, such things are available in a city of 8 million) but I'm 6'6, 240 pounds and I don't imagine Vietnamese sizes often run that large.
The next question I have concerns housing, and I apologize if it has already been asked on this forum. I'm curious if most apartments in HCMC require a security deposit and what the typical rent is for a one-bedroom place. Also, are there many apartments with balconies? I thought in the tropical heat that it would be pleasant to occasionally sleep outside.
Thanks for the help in advance.

OzBurn · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 199

You can get tailored clothes very cheaply, although it may not be that easy to find something truly first-rate. It depends on your needs. A tailored shirt will run you probably 7-20 dollars; tailored trousers are similarly low. You choose the material and the style. If you have something you want them to imitate, bring it and show them. There are lots of tailors in Pham Ngu Lao and in Dong Khoi as well as other places.

jojoni · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 87

I am not sure if you can rent an apartment with a balcony that easily, but I do not think it is impossible to rent a room on the rooftop floor then you can sleep outside of your room at night but remember mosquitoes will eat you alive.
As for me I used a fine net tent that I bought in Korea to sleep in. Much better than inside the room, too stuff.

OzBurn · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 199

There are many apartments with balconies or top-floor terraces. Rents range from 100 to 2000 USD, depending on location, facilities, furnishings, etc. Most people seem to pay 200 to 500 a month. I saw a house in Dong Khoi for 400 a month. You have to figure in utilities as they can be very expensive.

The heat may not be as intense as you might think. Mornings and evenings in the rainy season are often cool enough. In any event, you can get AC if you want it, and almost everyone does.

As above poster says, sleeping outside is inadvisable because of mosquitoes and the possibility of contracting malaria.