Job Discussion Forums

[nicknguyen]

Hi guys,
I have read a few messages regarding to this so I am just wondering if I could help.
Where would you normally go to exchange to VN Dong or dollars in the country?

[johnyarrington]

Hi Nicknguyen,

I'm not sure what you are saying here......Are you asking for advice (which seems the point of your question), or offering it (which seems the point of your saying, "if I could help."

I'll assume you mean the former. In HCMC, I almost always exchange US dollars to VN Dong at a little exchange place on the corner of Dong Khoi St. and Le Loi. It's exactly across from Givral Restaurant, and across from the Opera House, and across from the Carevelle Hotel. Best rate, most reliable, best hours open, no restrictions, it's "official", and least likely (although not entirely impossible) to get fake VN Dong. You can change Traveler's Checks there, for the normal 1% fee, and change VN Dong to dollars, up to a certain limit.

I'm sure you can change Euros, Yen, British Sterling, French Francs also......almost any "hard currency" in the world.

There's another one on Nguyen Hue St., just around the corner, but the people seem less friendly. And being more out in the open.......it's hard to describe, but the chances of your getting pick-pocketed, "bumped into", or otherwise relieved of your money, are much greater here.

In Hanoi, one good place in ANZ bank, just across from Hoan Kiem Lake. Excellent rate, safe. Another good place, for UNLIMITED exchange of dollars ($50,000.00, $100.000.00, it really doesn't matter) is in the Old City, on ...........ARRRGGGGHHHHH!!! I can't remember the name of it right now.....but it's one stop light, TOWARDS Hoan Kiem Lake, from Hang Buom St., off the...."Main Road" of the Old City.

I need to get out my Hanoi map. By the way, buy these maps in the book store, for 7,000 VN Dong. Not the 15-30 that kids on the street sell them for.

[nicknguyen]

G'day,
Has anyone of you tried to exchange money at jewelry stores in district 5 in Saigon?
District 5 is pretty much like a china town in the country (the only). As local people, we would hardly run down to government banks or money exchange spots to change AND SENDING money overseas as we would somehow pay more tax to the government or dealing with all the redtape . There are a lot of jewelry stores that could help to do this. I have not been back to the country for 5 years, the practice I shared with you above could have been out of date, but I guess it is good to share with you or atleast could learn from you.
You could try to drop by one, I suggest the one in front of Cho AN DONG (AN DONG MARKET), and try to exchange $50 to see if you could get a better deal or not.

And why these stores can do such a thing, sending money overseas in second at the low fees, it isn't important to you to know.