Job Discussion Forums

jw6789 · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 6

I am just wondering how far $3000 USD would last in a place like vietnam. I am planning to teach there in August or september (maybe earlier), but I am heading over there late June-early July to visit. I plan to fly to Bangkok and make my way down through Thailand and then Cambodia. And then when I get there I plan to relax for a while, before I begin teaching.

I gather from these posts that Vietnam (and South-East Asia in general) is relatively inexpensive so if any one could give some details of what they pay to live per month in these places would be appreciated. That way I could figure out when exactly I want to head over there. Thanks.

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

If you're newbie, $3000 will probably last you 2 months because you'll get ripped of left and right.

However, if you're seasoned veteran who knows how to travel and doesn't party excessively, it will last you more than 3 months.

And once you've settled down and learned all the tricks and ropes in Vietnam, you can live well with just $500-$700/month.

sethness · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hiroshima, Japan

Hey, Chuck-- Could you offer a few tips about how to avoid getting ripped off, or at least shedding "rip-me-off" newbie status ASAP in VN?

Hongkonghippo · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 64

sethness · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hiroshima, Japan

Thanks for the advice, HKH.

Regarding
1) Learning some VN. Got any good books or tapes to recommend, or is it something best learned in a hurry after landing there?

2) Online? Sounds like an excellent idea. Where would VN folks hang out, online? (Aside from here, I mean. Wink

)

How friendly are VN people, with strangers? I mean, compared to (say) Japanese, Philippine, American, or Thai folks? I'm not talking about "English bandits"--people who want to practice their English on you-- nor do I mean the people trying to befriend you so they can rip you off. I mean, regular folks like neighbors and strangers-on-a-bus.

I was particularly interested in your assessment of taxi drivers. I had much the same experience in the Philippines-- I found that one had to negotiate the price BEFORE getting in the cab, although Philippine taxi meters seem to work once you can get the drivers to turn'em on. (Phil. drivers don't tell the boss, i.e., share the fare, if they don't have to.) I also heard the wildest lies from Taxi drivers-- "loan me money I get paid tomorrow", "that hotel's closed, let me take you to my favorite hotel", "wanna meet a nice girl / go scuba diving cheap /..." etc. etc.

One good thing about the Philippines was that after sifting through the people who tried to con you massively in the first 24 hours, the remaining people were incredibly friendly and honest-- pure gold. How does VN compare?

I don't understand what you mean about the taxi meter being linked to the radio...? Rigged, I understand... but how would the radio be involved?

mononoaware · Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 21 Location: saigon, vietnam

I haven't traveled through Thailand yet, but in Cambodia/VN, $3000 goes a long way. When I'm traveling, I spend around $300/week. When I'm settled in one place (Saigon), I spend around $100-150/week. (I don't go out every night, but I do like to indulge now and then, and I like me some new shoes.) I don't think there's much avoiding getting ripped off until you know the fair price for things--tourist price, expat price, local price. Losing your cool, just like in Japan, will get you no where. If you think you're being scammed, you may just have to walk away, and give up on whatever you're trying to buy. Two feet away some guy with the same tacky crap to sell will realize you're not to be messed with. For some things (eg. rent) you'll probably never pay local prices, unless you have a VNese person doing your shopping.

Don't worry TOO much about not speaking VNese. Being a tonal language, you won't learn much from a book. Just get here and hit the ground running.

And I smiled at your question about how friendly are the Vietnamese. I also lived in Japan, and even though they're both in Asia, sometimes it seems like night and day. I would say that compared to other places I've traveled, the Vietnamese are about as friendly as....the French? I have never once had someone strike up a conversation with me just to be friendly. In fact, not even to practice English, come to think of it. The only time I have ever been approached by a random Vietnamese (if memory serves) is in solicitation, which happens every day. Even people who don't appear to have jobs (eg. the man who has coffee at the stand outside my apartment) only talk to me to ask for money. My boyfriend (before I came) met a VNese girl in a bar, and had a baby talk conversation for a few minutes, before exchanging numbers and leaving. The next morning she called and in her limited English said, "Now we go, you buy me shoes!" Sorry to say, girls like this are a dime a dozen around Pham Ngu Lao.

That said, my students (university aged) are very respectful, sweet, and often chat with me after class. My Vietnamese coworkers have been quite sweet and sincere, but it's only begun after I initiated conversation. And the family we rent from have been nothing but wonderful to us. It seems to me, Westerners are seen, first, as a financial opportunity, and if you put in just the slightest effort, you can quickly prove that you're more than that.

Hongkonghippo · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 64

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

The best way to learn their language is to get yourself a VNese GF and also mingle with her friends and you'll be surprised how fast you'll get used to their twang.

And your GF can do some shopping for you if you have to buy some major stuff like motorbike/car, house/apartment, real properties, business, etc. Of course, they all have to be under your GF's name though. It can be kinda risky though. Wink

RedRoof · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Posts: 30 Location: Australia

Last year in Hanoi for 3 months found Vietnamese ran the usual gamut from ultra friendly to ultra-scammish! The moment anyone found out I was an ESL teacher, I seemed to get a lot of offers of instant friendships a.k.a. free English practice.

"Sleeping dictionary" concept seems to have worked well for others - can't say I'm at an age where I'm inclined to try.The person in our group who learned a lot of Viet quite quickly seemed to do very well with a couple of local women.

Taxis were a definite possibility for rip-offs. Pays to ask a local an approximate price for journey and HAVE THE CHANGE! Similarly with xeom drivers (motorbike taxis).

If you have a routine, you will find some constants pop up / will keep a look out for you eg Coffee bar next to my school last year - "Mama" quickly nominated a driver for me if my "usual" was not around when I was ready to go home. A cheery daily greeting (as you go in and out) is well received and makes for a nice friendly starting point.

Can't stress enough how important it is to keep a substantial supply of smaller (usually dog-eared) currency on hand. Saves a lot of rip offs and arguments. Any place that has to have change eg restaurants - use them to change the 100,000 dong and 500,000 dong notes.

Suggestion- carry two money holding devices - one with smaller notes - the other with the "serious stuff".

Initially, if you can get local(s) to establish prices for things - it's well worth it. I never managed to get my morning baguette for the local 1000 dong because I paid 2000 dong as asked first time and that became the standard price for me and other Westerners at my hotel. Short of asking staff to go buy my baguette daily . . . . which was a bit rich given they were also buying the hotel suppy for the short stay guests who didn't self cater baguette & Vegemite for brekkie!

On the whole, felt very safe and not overly alert let alone alarmed. Enjoyed the experience and will be back in a fortnight.

byeeee
Red Roof

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

Another good way to judge if someone's scamming you or not, particularly in parts of town where foreigners are scarce, is the length of time taken to give you the price.

Eaxmple:

"Bao nhieu?"
(no pause) "10,000"
- probably means it's the real price

"Bao nhieu?"
(long pause while they size you up & estimate how rich you are) "20,000"
- almost certainly overcharging

Obviously in tourist areas they can overcharge you without pausing Laughing

Happened to me a few nights back, went out to get some baby milk which I know is 150,000VND in the supermarket, but there's a street stall nearer my house. Asked the old crone how much, and after sizing me up from my head to my shoes, she replied "200,000". I insulted her in Vietnamese and headed off to the supermarket, the stupid woman having lost not just one sale but 2-3 a week in future.

As everyone says, learning a bit of Vietnamese (or anything to convey the fact you live here), shopping at places where you're known, or, best of all, getting your VNese friends/wife to buy stuff on your behalf, all help you avoid the scammers. And to be honest the Viets are beginners when it comes to scamming, so it's usually obvious when they're trying it on!

NB worth bearing in mind that if you do get scammed by the locals, you're usually talking just a handful of dong. I know 3 people who've been scammed for 3-4 figures (dollars), & on each occasion the scammers have been Westerners, usually running finance/investment scams.

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

So, if I'm making double what the locals make, or more, will I be charged more for goods and services?

Are there 2 or 3 price tier systems in Vietnam, like in Thailand?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Mr Wind-up Bird · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 196

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

One of the ways to avoid getting cheated/overcharged is always ask the price before you buy the food, product, or service. If you first eat, buy, or get service before knowing how much it costs, there's 100% chance that you'll be overcharged and there's nothing you can do about it.

So ask first before you get it (what ever).