Hi, my name is Samy and I am a long-time partner of RoninBlue. It is with great sadness that I announce RoninBlue’s sudden passing of a heart attack on Monday, August 16, 2021. RoninBlue was passionate about personal finance and early retirement and loved sharing his knowledge with all of you on UA-cam. He has put a lot of love and energy into making these videos and I would like to thank each and every one of you for sharing in his joy and for supporting his channel up to now. I wish you all the best. Love, Samy
Wow it's the first video I'm watching of RoninBlue, rest in peace. I wish you to have good memories of him Samy and can live your life to the full while you're still on earth.
@@ewnyMetroExpress It does. You've been feeding inaccurate info regards air-control in the area. Are you suggesting foreign retirees should only live in Hoi An??
Really enjoyed this video. I lived in Vietnam for more than 10 years and I agree with your comments. personally I loved it and can speak the language and was lucky enough to work for multinational companies. I met many expats who frankly couldn't handle it. The key is quite simple really you have to be prepared to learn everything again and bend like bamboo. If you can do that you will love it, if not then you might consider another place to retire.
I'm 72 and my monthly expenses are less then $900 a month living in a small town in the United States. I have the same conveniences of the big city without the traffic jams, noise, crime or high taxes.
Yes, Medicare and a few social programs assisting the elderly allow this gentleman to retire with only $900 a month. Perhaps, you live without the use of the Internet, TV, and cell phone. I believe low-income retirees can receive government help with phone service. In a small town without communal support and activities, life can be really a big mental challenge unless you are a happy loner.
Have been living in SEA for about 30 years now and in different countries. This documentation is excellent. Really great and accurate. What drove me crazy in the big cities was this constant honking. The main reason why I cannot live there.
I lived in Hanoi, I met an amazing girl, and couldn't leave. I asked her to marry me after 7 weeks. I dropped to one knee and proposed at 07:07pm on 07/07/07. She said yes and we've been together ever since. I made the best decision of my life. We live in the UK now but go back to visit family. We do talk about our future plans, but retiring there is not going to be easy. We'll probably just escape the winters by going back. Love Vietnam so much.
Only for the air pollution, it's a deal breaker to leave in Hanoi. I married my Vietnamese wife also on 07-07 but 2021 :) We live in Hanoi, and I can't wait to make enough money so I don't EVER have to breath the sh*t air here. Seriously. I miss the open clean outdoors of a clean city so much!
As someone who has lived in Vietnam for more than 7 years I can fully vouch for the content in this video. He provides a fair and generally quite accurate assessment of the challenges here. There's a lot to love about living here and he acknowledges that but for those complaining about pessimistic content, the purpose of the video is to warn people of the things they might well find to be deal breakers. While I wouldn't agree with the statement DON'T live or retire here, I'd say overall he's done a great service in helping people educate themselves as to what kind of complications to expect in addition to all the things they'd probably love.
Dear David, On behalf of RoninBlue who passed away last month, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write your wonderful comment. It explains Ronin's intention as if you had read his mind. I am very please to know some viewers appreciate his hard work. I wish you all the best. Love, Samy Please refer to the community tab for the announcement I posted last most month.
@@bradhienzachary How can you have a house there? My family has been there for 100 years. Since 1998-2000, my family lands and my land are stolen by commie! I just wonder how do you do that, keep your land and home?
I live and work in Vietnam for 4-5 years. I had working visa, visa is easy to get, any visa is easy to get. People are just the best. I dream to return back there after covid19! So, visa is not a problem. Pollution - yes but not 50km from HCMC. Everything is very cheap. I cannot tell anything bad about Vietnam. There are scams in downtown but that is just for tourists.
I am Australian. I have visited over 50 countries and lived and worked in many. I have lived and worked in Vietnam since Jan 1988. This is by far the most accurate video I have seen on living in Vn. This guy has really nailed every major issue. It is so real. The no retirement visas is a total bummer. I've had a corporate services company here since 2007. I've had a 5 year TRC. This year without good reason they only gave me a multi-entry 1 year visa. This is so typical of Vn. Vn people are lovely but this is a ruthless country where foreigners are LAST priority. I've lived in places like India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc. Do not expect Vn to be like some other Asian country like Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines. It's not. It's a Communist country that has endured many wars. These have left their mark. Few haggle in Vn. This is just one thing why Vn is very different to most of Asia. Hanoi is more expensive than Saigon. Basically, the Vn govt doesn't want you here. It only wants use of your money and expertise. (So why do I live here? Well because I cannot stand the woke West and I know the score about living in Vn. Plus I am independently wealthy so can leave at any time.) Do not invest in any fixed real estate here. Trust me on this. To live any sort of life and have some medical cover you will need at least USD1500 per month if you want to live in any major city. Sure you can live a life of relative poverty for cheaper, but it's not worth it when you take into account the many issues you need to overcome.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
I just moved back from living 2 years in VN the only advice I would give . . . 1.) The sidewalks are only for the young and nimble 2.) Live in the south, visit the north. 3.) Don’t sweat the traffic, just know it flows, so just go with it. Slow and steady
For me VN has way more pros than cons. Treating all people with respect has served me well all over the world. Their not kicking people out, just not renewing their visa IAW VN laws. It started as so many foreigners had fake business visa's. I many times cross the street with an elderly woman or mother with children in heavy traffic. Taxis are a problem all over the world. A market I regularly went to and made friends with the lady, she started selecting the best she had. I always kept here keep the change (I always had a good supply of denominations. I love VN, the people are very kind and helpful.
I am glad that you enjoy it. But dude, you got to do your own research when going to the market, it's an unspoken "law" (or "this is the way) that after you paid the money, it's your problem with what you buy, even if they sell you the best at decent price, to be really merge in the jungle, you must be familiar with the way things going here: all people, sellers themselves, reckon that seller are liars by nature, and that it! You got to earn it, don't rely on people's mercy. "Doing good thing to people and good thing will come to you" is the second thing that being passed from one generation to the next for thousand of years, but the first thing is "you're responsible of your choice". Even the most experienced Vietnamese are very careful when buying anything (and that why they're called experience), they spend 90% of the time for doing research, rule of thumb are buying good things and only good things, the moment you buy cheap stuff you're prone to regret, 9.9% of the time is for haggling to a bargain price, that 0.1% left is for payment, quickies on the purse are stupid nerds. A true-smart Vietnamese would be very careful with their choice, sure there are stupid asses (especially gen Z) are very quick with their choice, and regret. Don't be the easy money, knowing your way when it come to money and you will earn their respect. The moment you left your choice in hand of the seller, you're done. Trust me, I'm not bullshiting around, I learnt this the hard way as a Vietnamese.
@@tanha8178 Don't be so judgmental and pessimistic Dude. I'm sure many expats in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. don't get scammed or have to haggle all the time. Once the locals know you are part of the community, they don't sell you at higher prices so you have to haggle. There are so numerous cases that are recounted by foreigners: they are often helped by the locals when they have problems.
I lived in Vietnam for my first year in S.E. Asia. If your retired travel will fix your visa problems, I traveled to all of SE Asia in the first year. Loved it, Everything else you said is minimal. you get use to it all in time. I moved to Thailand and have been here for the last 4 years and love it all.
Yeah, I have been in VN long enough to understand the points he is making but some of them are much bigger issues than others. Visas are a major issue, making friends is not, as far as I'm concerned.
for the visa, you can get 5 years multi entry visa, which you can live there for 3 months, then go to cambodia then come back in the same day , cost you 20 to 30 dollars then you can live another 3 months
I thought that, if you have a 5-year visa exemption, you have to make a visa/border run every 180 days, not every 90 days. Which is correct? Please explain if you can. Thank you!
Wow it's the first video I'm watching of RoninBlue, rest in peace. I wish you to have good memories of him Samy and can live your life to the full while you're still on earth.
nearly 10 yrs experience in VN - I don't have most of these problems, but then some of us are smart enough to avoid such - trouble finds you everywhere in the world, overall VN is wonderful, but you must adjust and understand what you are dealing with - come dance with us in DaNang
I like you video. Thank you for the informative video about Vietnam. I find Vietnamese is so easy to learn. One year of practice, I can read their newspaper. Second language is Spanish or Italian. I probably will visit this country soon. I probably will go to the remote jungle or farm area to avoid pollution.
First, I'm so sorry for your great loss, Samy. I wish you always have and cherish all the good memories of him, I wish you all the best that life can offer you. This is the first time I watch of RoninBlue's video, REST IN PEACE. I'm Vietnamese American, I agree with RonninBlue 101 %. Thanks him for sharing his knowledge. He had done an awesome job, his research has been very accurate and very helpful to anyone who doesn't know much about Vietnam. Vietnam might be a good place to visit but it's definitely NOT a good place to retire. I'm myself a retiree, I'm staying in the US , I'm not going anywhere.
Dear Muoi Mai, Thank you for your kind words. I have many fond memories of him, and he will always be in my heart. I wish you a long wonderful retirement life. Please stay, safe, healthy, and happy. Love ~Samy
Good luck with your taxes and insurance when retire. Medical services in US is pretty bad too, especially ER, over charges and supper slow. I lived in nice area, but you don't know when you are going to be shot at and get robbed. US has our own problems as well, many indeed. Hopefully our politicians are going to do to improve our country. We are heading for another recession that can affect us for decades
@@dula7882 When we are in the ER we're all so worried about our own health problems and we expect to get the treatment ASAP; waiting there making us think that ER is so low and bad, in fact, the doctors there have to treat many people at the same time, they have to treat the case that is most urgent or life threatening first, besides, they have to order the tests to get done as well as waiting for the test results to have the right treatment (my son is a doctor). US is a free country and I think buying & using the gun in US is the serious problem due to abusing freedom. Robbing and Recession happen in any country not in US only. I have friends who were boat people now living in many countries, they get tired of living there for many issues : high taxes, high living cost they wish they could come to US. Overall, US is NOT a perfect country but it's the BEST. I love US and I DO enjoy my retirement here in US . Best regards.
@@muoimai8137 Oh no, I love the US, I just want to point out some serious problems that exist in our country, which need to be fixed. Cant wait until this November and 2024 election
I am a combat veteran who served in Vietnam for two tours. Part of my job was an interpreter and interrogator so I spoke the language fluently. It is a very melodic language and if you understand that it is more sung than it is spoken you will be well on your way to learning to communicate. However there are so many phrases that mirror each other slightly but mean totally different things. For instance you might say you need to drink water but you could easily miss pronounce it and say “ I like to drink piss” I went back to Vietnam on a luxury cruise in 2013. I was surprised at how much language I have retained and also how modern Vietnam is today although I spent all of my tour with the 101st airborne division in a tiny Camp Eagle when I went to Saigon for the first time on my vacation I encountered huge marble malls used car lots, McDonald’s, the most insane nightlife I have ever seen in the world. No one asked me if I were a veteran when I was ship docked in Danang found out there were many Vietnam veterans living there! There is also a group of marine ex-pats that have a motorcycle club and a clubhouse in Da Nang with the American flag flying. There is also an American legion post in DaNang. It’s not uncommon to see the American flag incorporated into peoples clothing just like here in the states. The war is a very old forgotten distasteful event That everyone has put behind them forever. My language skills quickly started to come back but the intonation and other nuances of speaking Vietnamese has left me so it was pretty well useless to try.
Until Vietnam is free from the utterly corrupt and terrorist Commie regime, Vietnam is a sh*thole for locals (99% of the population want to get out and many have risked their lives doing so, like 39 young Vietnamese in UK container truck recently on the news) and a hit-and-miss vacation spot for foreigners with emotional attachment due to various circumstances perhaps like yours. Otherwise, Commie Vietnam is much like Commie Cuba for a tropical sojourn and much like Commie North Korea with its barbarity. Besides ranking near the bottom of Southeast Asia's in GDP per capita, Commie Vietnam is similarly ranked at the world's bottom in freedom of speech and freedom of the press, just above its fellow Commies China and North Korea. Lives of the 95% population under this brutal regime is anything but easy, with constant home and land-robbing that happen to them anytime the Commie government official bandits smell the increase in prices that these immoral lowlifes can inhumanely profit from with 100% risk free, while living in one of the most polluted places in the world (Hanoi is top polluted city in Southeast Asia) with contaminated food and water, along with constant flooding and highest rate of liver disease and cancer. Again, there is a reason why 99% of Commie Vietnam's population want to get out, including Commie government officials who launder their loots and blood money along with the kids overseas to the West. There is a reason why even Commie bandit like Vingroup's Pham Nhat Vuong (got rich primarily by colluding with Vietnamese Commie regime to sell their properties built on lands robbed from poor Vietnamese citizens. Search relevant search terms in Vietnamese, one would see tons of videos right here on UA-cam showing decades of land-robbing across the country, spanning for decades) safeguarded his loots of $4 billion from his fellow comrades by shipping them to Singapore for starter.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 Most of the readers here, will think you are exaggerating, but you are not. Communism is an evil disease. I think of all the South Vietnamese men that fought to the death to keep the communists out of Saigon during the end of the war.
@@thomaswayneward Indeed! Commies = Legal Robbers + Terrorists + Modern Slaveowners + Propagandists + Dictators + Mafia. Vietnamese Commies are among the worst if not the worst. Even during the pandemic while most nations provided their citizens with aids, the ruling Vietnamese Commies not only provided nominal aids (only about 1% but only to their own associates), but also openly exploited Vietnamese citizens with costly (300K-500K vnd per pop while average salary there is only 5 million vnd per month) fake nostril kits (from Việt Á company) that were rejected by World Health Organization as ineffective but systematically misled and announced by the corrupt ruling Vietnamese Commies as effective and approved by it. The result were deadly, as tens of thousands died due to misdiagnoses in addition to being sanctioned like animals into barb-wired, unhygienic "quarantine" areas with inadequate or without beds, toilets, food, and medicine. In other words, these subhuman Commie lowlifes used the pandemic as an opportunity to knowingly kill the citizens just to make money for personal gains. You are correct about South Vietnamese soldiers. In contrast to narratives by the leftist fake news media and the propaganda by the Commies, South Vietnamese Army was very heroic in battles, and successfully repelled coordinated attacks by North Vietnamese Commies during Tet Offensive 1968 and inflicted huge damages on the enemy. Unfortunate as US later cut aids to South Vietnam while both Commie Soviet and Commie China increased aids to North Vietnamese terrorists, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) were outgunned and could not defend itself against the global Commies' onslaughts. As true warriors, many, many heroic South Vietnam generals refused to surrender and fought to their deaths and many took their own lives when running out of ammo in the final days of the war as South Vietnam fell to the Commie barbarians. That's the real-life definition of integrity, determination, and courage to me. They are the men of all men, something that the subhuman Commie terrorists can never measure up to. Their spirits have lived on to eternity and their legacies are palpable even after half a century later, however.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 spoken like a true Southern Vietnamese that deserted their country in need and now lives overseas and sprouts hatred for their motherland. Real heroes seek to change. Not cry foul cos they lost and refused to do anything. Real Vietnamese looks past the regime and seek to help the people. You are not a true Vietnamese. You are an embarrassment to be called a "đồng bào" since you obviously don't even understand what it means.
There’s always pros and cons to any place-the world is not perfect. It’s up to individual to weigh in on those pros and cons. My biggest pet peeve while I visited there is restrooms-I find it disgusting. I either had to go back to my hotel or find a more Americanized restaurant/coffee shop.
This video (all points) apply to any country. Just replace Any country name with Vietnam. (Exception few like Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, new Zealand, UK etc)... Btw I always get treated in Vietnam extra fruits, food, free coffee, more discount because I speak (or I try to) Vietnamese.... They find it Adorable and funny 😂😂😂
Horrendous pollution (Hanoi is the most polluted city in Southeast Asia) make people living in Vietnam vulnerable to Covid, as their lungs can only take on so many abuses. Now 10K new cases per day, and that's on what's reported.
Not true. Hanoi is the most polluted city in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of cities in the West and developed Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore aren't anywhere as polluted. Systemic land-robbing of citizens by terrorist Commie Vietnam has been wide-spreading. Millions of footages of savaged land-robbing, from North to South Vietnam, spanning for decades, appear if one uses relevant search term/phrase in Vietnamese right here on UA-cam. Land-robbing has not been seen anywhere outside of brutal Commie regimes except racially unstable country like South Africa. After robbing the citizens dry, they even prey on each other. Recent cases include one in which the Vietnamese Commie terrorists barbarically assassinated wheelchaired (due to prior assassination attempt by the same regime) 55-Party-year Le Dinh Kinh from Dong Tam (near Hanoi) in his bed in his own home to rob his land, returned his carcass full of bullet holes but empty of internal organs without family members' permission, and ordered his wife Mrs. Dư Thị Thành to lie about the incident, and when she refused, they cruelly tortured her. All true. Do your research!
@@thethaovatoquoc312 this is a loser trying to smear his homeland if you want to know the truth come to vietnam and feel it don't listen to rumors like this
@@thethaovatoquoc312 this is a loser trying to smear his homeland if you want to know the truth come to vietnam and feel it don't listen to rumors like this
Video and content are spot on. No exaggeration, no sugarcoating, no kidding. Also would like to add that flooding during the rain season is a problem as well. And mosquitoes.
Idot Please dont go that far to Vietnam if you have a little of $$$ ( but I dont think you do) please come to Alaska-USA just for a short visit in the Summer to see if you can survive with the mosquitos in about 10 minutes !!!
@@liemphan4411 yeah I also saw once mosquitoes in huge proportions in a video of Sweden. Something I never considered so much with a country covered in a snow during winter. This is why I love these videos it truly gives us education of different places
Mosquitoes should've been #21 on that list. I got eaten alive on my first trip to Vietnam. I'm going back next month and I'm bringing mosquito repellent sprays this time.
Thank you for the video. I was thinking to retire in VN for sure until last visited in July 2022. VN is getting very expensive and cost of living increases everyday (1 bed room cost $800usd - 1,200usd/month - Jan 2023) people are not friendly as I think before (scammers are everywhere) and too much corruption if you have to deal with the government at all level. I am looking into Thailand for my retirement search now....
I've lived in thailand for 19 years now. I can guarantee that the cost of living here is more expensive than Vietnam. I live in Phuket. Thailand offers a retirement visa. You'll have to provide 15 to twenty documents. Now they passed a law that tourist living in Thailand have pay tax on money brought in country from your home country.
4:47 Motorcycles footage is faked, this scene was not from VN, VNESE popular motorcycle brands included Honda, Yamaha, some TWNESE scooters, Vespa etc, majority of the scooters of this scene are TWNESE scooters. The jackets of the drivers don't look tropical.
As far as noise is concerned, you can be as careful as possible but it can change in a flash. I moved into an apartment near the beach in central Vietnam and it was quiet. Less than a year later they began construction of a rest about 3 feet from my back door. So much noise but I thought once they are done it will be okay, wrong. They put in a swimming pool next to my back door along with karaoke and during the day and night children yelling and screaming and jumping into the pool. My lease came up and I moved! They tried to raise my rent and I had to laugh to myself. They could have dropped the price and I would still have left! Before going there I had a room on the top floor of a homestay and they had so much construction I thought they were on the roof over my head morning, noon and night. The whole place vibrated!
Right now is a horrible time to retire in Vietnam too. Saigon just went into an intense lockdown where only the military is going to delivery the groceries. No restaurants, no take out, and no entering a grocery store currently. I don't know how the locals can close down their shops and survive lockdown from July 8 2021 to at least September 15 2021.
Whatever people say, I missed the lantern festival in HoiAn, the thrill of walking on the Golden Bridge in BaNa Hills ... the beautiful chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, the amazing authentic Vietnamese food and the magnificent scenery of Ha Long Bay! It is so green over there, unforgettable! I missed ... almost everything. Indeed.
Land-robbing has been a huge problem in Commie Vietnam. Search for relevant search term in Vietnamese right here on UA-cam, one would see endless shocking footages, spanning for decades since 1953, from North to South, of what ordinary & poor Vietnamese citizens have to go through everyday. If they refuse to leave their ancestor's land, they are simply kicked out or get killed, as the recent case with Mr. Le Dinh Kinh from Dong Tam near Hanoi. Vietnamese Commie government terrorists massacred him in his bed at 4AM in his own home. All true. Do your research.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 My deep respects for the Vietnamese people.During my USAF military career I had to go through the Academy and give presentations on the history of Vietnam, and what got the U.S. involved in the first place. Vietnam is a land rich with history, but as you said, too many Vietnamese lost their lives protecting their property and families. 🙏
@@roddyg3692 Vietnam's yellow national flag with 3 red stripes has been in play since 40 AD since the Trưng Sisters. Commie Chinese Intelligence Officer Ho Quang (aka Ho Chi Minh) brought yellow star red flag from Commie China's Fujian province to his Pac-Bo cave in 1941 and later his minions replaced Vietnam's national flag with it.
@@australiamyway Yes, but most of us understand that life is just a phase, and the soul lives on. What awaits one beyond the horizon depends on how one behaves on earth as a result of the combination of freewill and karma. The author made a positive difference in this world by educating others with 100K (and counting) views on this video alone if nothing else. On the other hand, lowlifes like the corrupt Commie terrorists made negative differences in this world with their greed and atrocities, for which they themselves or their offspring will pay in one form or another. For example, many Vietnamese Commie government terrorist leaders died in full or half-paralytic states that dragged on for decades, wallowing in their putrid bodies waiting for their daily diaper changes as the highlights of any given days. Traitors like Nguyễn Thành Trung (bombed South Vietnam with his US jet in 1975) got his son Nguyễn Thành Danh committed suicide just last year. Reap what you sow, indeed!
I'm myself a digital nomad in Vietnam. I can live anywhere in Vietnam countryside where the air is cleaner and living expense and housing cost are much less than that in big cities like Saigon, Hanoi. I have access to internet 4G on my phone because I bought a phone plan from Mobifone company worth at $90,000 VND or $4.0 USD per month at which I can get 4GB high speed internet 4G per day and 1000 same-carrier and 50 trans-carrier minutes of local talks per month.
samy , C/o Ronin Blue : Very very sorry to know that bad info about Ronin . :( ..... That video was all good info . Thank you and him , God Bless , Peace .
My Fiancee is Vietnamese. she owns her house.. so that is one thing i have no worries about. Her house is in Sóc Trăng, VN smaller city and with my retirement i think i'll live pretty good. I plan on living 8-10 months in USA and 4-2 in Vietnam. We shall see , never been to Vietnam as of yet but look forward to it.
Number 1 reason not to retire in Vietnam should be no retirement visa. They have tourist visa, investment visa, but no retirement visa. All other reasons, traffic, pollution, cost of living in big cities, etc. are comparable to other cities in southeast Asia countries. Food hygiene, like you said, is a hit or miss issue. Some people have no problem eating at street-side eateries. Some do get stomach upset after eating street food but you will get used to it after awhile.
@@MrPip9999 It just seems like I'd constantly have to research tricks to renew my visa which might be too much of a hassle. But I guess if I can be a part time student that wouldn't be so bad. As a retiree I'd need something to keep me occupied anyway.
I do not get stomach upset, but I get pooping a lot after eating street food until the last drop is out. Of course, there are some good street food that do not make me to go to toilet, and I do not know them for sure before I eat them.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
This is old video. VN is getting very expensive now you need at least $2,000 usd/month or more just to live normal live and cost of living raise up daily. VN is not a good choice nowaday!!!! 😢 RIP Ronin🙏🙏🙏
Its true. I visited HCM once and never going back. Noise, air pollution etc. There are better places to spend your tourist dollar. The first thing vietnam needs to improve is to implement electric motorbikes. This will clean up the air and noise.
I just heard that RoninBlue the owner of this channel past away more than a year ago. Rest in peace and thank you bro. Your videos will live on to educate future visitors of your channel.
Im an older American I’ve lived in Vietnam since 2013. I wish I could get s visa to live here the rest of my life. Vietnam is a great country with abundance of freedoms that I never had in the US. I lived in Thailand before Vietnam and had a one year visa was expensive and required depositing $28,000 in s Thai bank. I’ve been getting 2 yr temp resident visa all the time I’ve been in VN. This guy is overly dramatizing the issues in VN. I’ve seen less accidents here than I use to see in US daily. Language I’ve gotten by with google translator, language is a barrier but not unsurmountable. After 2-3 months here I adjusted to the society (Saigon) I been riding a motor scooter since I first got here. My view of Vietnam is life is easy and free from threat. The visa issue is the headache but there are visa agents that will bend the rules for a few extra bucks. I live in HCM (Saigon) in a nice studio apartment for $285 + $30 for electricity and $5 a month for internet cable tv. All in a nice area. This guy is looking at this with the wrong attitude.
@@rainydays516 Vietnam is great (and a beautiful country) you can do pretty much anything just don’t make trouble and no one bother you. The city of Danang is one of my favorites
@@thethaovatoquoc312 I whole heartedly agree I was working for a Vietnamese architect company in 2014 I remember having discussions with my boss about the flooding issue in Saigon (HCM) and that it would be getting worst with climate change. But he didn’t subscribe to that line of thought. I would tell him with all the new development, the government wasn’t doing anything to tackle that problem and developers weren’t either. Everyone was just going to build because there was money to be made. Even now there are areas of the city that get 50+cm of water, I can imagine in next 20 yrs
also there are many dialects across vietnam. so learning the language in one area doesnt mean youll be understood in another. even locals have issues when traveling around the country
You are absolutely right on the money. At first it looks like a very good and cheap place to live in southern Vietnam but in the long run. It’s not safe and too much corruptions
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
@@vietnamwakeup01 Why do you say "no" to retirement visa for VN? I'm just curious. Wouldn't retirees bring lots of money into VN - boost economy? Maybe I'm missing something.
Have to point out that you show some scenes in Taiwan, not Vietnam. From about 4:30 - 4:56, that sea of motorbikes coming down from the overpass is from Taiwan. Lots of clues give it away. 1) These are scooters, not motorcycles. In Taiwan, the majority of motorbikes are scooters, often the Kymco brand that you see in this video. Also, there is even one Gogoro electric scooter I saw in the video, which is only in Taiwan. 2) The helmets are mostly 3/4 helmets or even full helmets, which are a bit more common than the 1/2 bowl style helmets in Taiwan. And in VN, you see more of the 1/2 bowl style helmets and less 3/4 or full helmets. Not zero, but I would say majority. 3) The dress of the riders looks more typical of Taiwan. 4) The city scene looks more like a Taiwan city, than VN. 5) After googling other videos of Taiwan scooters, found the same scene in a Taiwan scooter video. Other than that at least some of the other scenes look like Vietnam. And agree on most of your points about the downsides of retiring in VN. The visa requirements would be a hassle, although same as in Thailand, unless you shell out a lot of money for the 5-10 year Thai visas that are quite expensive . And the foreign ownership restrictions, and only 50 yr lease make it such that I would never buy in VN, nor would I trust that a law couldnt change down the road. And the infrastructure and healthcare are pretty bad, which is important if one is older, as is often the case with retirement. Some hospitals in the upscale or expat areas are a little better, but the general hospitals for the public leave a lot to be desired. Even have visitors sleeping in the stairwells in the hospital. There are some, but not that many Karaoke places in HCM in the areas that I saw, and out of the many I have gone past, never heard music from the outside. Have gone inside with some locals and sang in one, and it was ok. Didnt seem like they were that popular among locals, as I never see any groups going in or out, when I have been there or gone by them. Karaoke seems more popular in Taiwan. What is popular in VN are coffee shops. And the conditions with the pandemic highlight the infrastructure and other issues. Hospitals full, many locals are out of work, without money or support from the Govt, and so have no food, other than if there is an occasional charitable group helping to distribute food. Prices in some markets going up, sometimes food shortages in the markets. Can only go to the market once/twice per week and have to wait hours in line. Lots of neighborhood lockdowns with checkpoints and big fines if you are caught out of your area. There is a growing Russian community near Nha Trang and VN is very popular with Russian tourists, escaping the cold winters. Dalat and Danang are nice to visit, but I cant say I would want to retire anywhere in VN. But, to each their own.
I have been a Vietnamese, and now I will be Vietnamese again. I have been Vietnam cities, for my relatives are there. However, I do not enjoy life in the city. This video is talking about living in cities. Then, the title would have better been "reasons not to live in Vietnam cities" instead.
I love your video, it's very clear to understand and you got every subject correctly. I know you're right on every subject because I have been to Vietnam many times. You said it with deep understanding and indebt.
I ve been living and teaching in VN for 5 yrs. Some things are good some aren't. However, if I have to compare with retiring in USA, VN is 10X a better place: much less expensive, easier to make new friends, easy to find love, great weather, very safe 24/7, people are extremely nice, world class medicare, affordable housing. Can it be boring? Yes. Is it a beautiful place? Maybe not. Can u have a conversation in English? Maybe not. But still better than USA
We the Vietnamese people dont even want to go back there! In the 80 million of boat people escaping the country with 50 % chance of surviving. Put yourself into one of the poor people there and give me your answer. Most people go there just for the girls period.
This video is speaking up all truth about Vietnam , I am Vietnamese Canadian , left VN 40+ years ago , every time going back to Vietnam visit relatives I all have feeling scare , unsafe , can not cross the street by myself , feel uncomfortable when go shopping , etc ..etc. I am retiring now but never want to retire in VN , to me Canada is the best . Thank you very much for sharing this
I'm Vietnamese and totally agree with you Kim Trinh, I left Vietnam over 30 years ago and haven't gone back. It's unsafe, baggers around bother you while you're there, to the tourists may have a different look but I don't feel safe even it's my country just because I know people there, you can lose your wallet by the thief anywhere, anytime, not everyone but there are a lot to name.
People often prefer to live in a familiar cultural environment. I live in Vietnam and when I go to another country for 10 days, I want to come back to Vietnam. Life in Vietnam is lively, colorful and not as dull as some countries. I like the change of an emerging economy to see it change day by day. Really surprising.
@@giangpham4558 Không hiểu sao, thật buồn, ko phải mình buồn, VN buồn, mà mình buồn cho cái bạn đã ròi xa quê hương lâu năm, ko chịu thấy những tốt đẹp ở VN, mà chỉ thấy cái xấu đem ra sủa. Bị 1 thàng Philippin nó bếu xấu về Đất mẹ mà chúng mày cố hù theo sao. Làm con người ko đâu bằng đất mẹ.
The evisa is easy to process online and can be single ($25) or multiple entry ($50). Three month visa and must make visa run every 3 months. Recently, visas are being rejected until individuals leave the country which means it isn't as simple to stamp out and back into Vietnam. In addition, you will need to pay a visa fee to enter either Cambodia or Laos on the visa run.
Hello everyone. I am a Vietnamese person. I accidentally received the recommendation of UA-cam about this video, I watched and I assert that what the video says is almost true. I just want to make you understand more about several problems in my homeland: - The reason why car taxes are crazily high is it is one of the main incomes of the Vietnamese government. This government just wants to earn as much money as possible from this type of goods. Therefore, in our community, there is a common joke that a Vietnamese person has to buy a car for himself or herself, a car for the government and a car for the Party (in Vietnam, the Party means the Vietnamese Communist Party because it is the only political party in the country). If you hear someone say that the Vietnamese government wants to save the environment, it is just a lie. - Even we, the Vietnamese, are not sure even whether foods in supermarkets are hygienic enough to use. We usually complain that we can die either we eat or do not eat. So, sorry, take care if you want to settle in this country. - It sounds very bizarre to many foreigners, but in fact, we just have the right of USING land to settle, to cultivate and to produce, not the right of OWNING. That means even we have "Sổ đỏ" ("Red book" in Vietnamese), we just have the evidence of USING an area of land, not OWNING. - Basically, we DO NOT have clear private healthcare. Up to the moment, there are still many Vietnamese do not know what is private healthcare and how it works. Besides that, there is a terrible scene when going to hospitals, especially local public hospitals. It is patients have to wait in long time (many people have to lie on land because of lacking of seats) and in curing period, a hospital bed may have to suffer the weights of three or even four people. - In Vietnam, it is quite strange if you do not join the karaoke party. Unlike many Western countries, where a professional singer plays karaoke songs for audiences, almost every Vietnamese person sings karaoke song to entertain themselves and other people. In this country, it can be strange, or even in the mind of several strict Vietnamese, unpolite when you do not sing a karaoke song as a "gift" to others. That means, even when you do not have singing talent, you should join with a song. Furthermore, many karaoke restaurants are active from 9p.m to 12p.m, even longer. Therefore, it is frustrating to hear karaoke in Vietnam. - Haggling is one of the most typical points of many Vietnamese markets. Many merchants do not have transparent price lists, while many customers, by their intuition and buying experience, are more likely to suspect that sellers are ridiculously pushing prices to earn an amount of surplus. Thus, between merchants and customers, there are many arguments about the real prices of goods and the acceptable prices for both. So, going shopping in Vietnam is like a suffering task for many Vietnamese men. They are afraid of being lied by sellers and being criticized by their mothers or wives. That's some points I want to help you understand more about my country. Thanks for reading and replying.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
Hospitals with patients lying on the floor in the corrido and even under the crowed beds are nightmarish scenes from apocalypse, but all too familiar ethos in the current Vietnam run by the utterly corrupt Commie regime, unfortunately.
I agree with everything you said. I'm also Vietnamese. Every time I visit, I get scammed by my own people and get extreme diarrhea from eating the food. If it wasn't for my family, I wouldn't visit. I saw a comment here about how shameful it is to say bad things about your own country. Some people cannot handle the truth and have to resort to shaming. Just let them live in their own delusion.
The only cons for us are heat/humidity and no retirement visa. The heat/humidity can be overcome by moving to Dalat, I guess. So how could a retired couple stay there long term ? Thx !
Have you guys questioned the cause of his death? It's not uncommon in VN for someone to die suddenly if they voice their opinion that is a tad negative toward the government.
This is a well-put video, the points are quite fair. As a Vietnamese who are working with foreigner from the U.S., UK, Middle-East, Egypt, India, France, I understand your view. Just my sill-y thought: - Is Vietnam worth living after you retired? I'm only sure that VN worth visiting, especially if you have an open mind and want surprises; there are many foreigners who adapted so quick and so good that they live so freely in Vietnam, so there's no one-answer-fol-all, your life, your taste. Force people to say No is one thing, force them to say "Yes, this is heaven" is even more wrong! - Air and water pollution: terrible, yes, but there are many people who are doing their part to solve the problem (and at the same time there are many people who are causing the problem); and one thing about Vietnamese is that, after being exposed to something, they tend to change in that direction, given enough (good) exposure, such as seeing someone start collecting trash and clean the street, the very people who was, just a minute before, throwing garbage around, would start helping with the cleaning; those who against that are just those who lived so long in their own mind, giving them more time to change. Vietnam is a small country, hence the original planning for roads and urban area's infrastructure was way too small for the exponential expanding of population (2/5 ratio of planned and actually population), that caused the problem of logistics for collecting garbage; people simply don't have anywhere to throw their nylon bags and stuff; In the rural area where most households tend to have gardens, they will separate the plastic trash for garbage truck to collect, and burry biodegradable trash. So, the future is still bright and there are room for improvement, and it's a fact that things are improving. Air pollution is a major problem, and I am no expert in this area, but as a commuter, I know that higher standards of vehicle importation are to be applied, for example two-stroke motors are ban from importing. On this aspect, the gov are open for suggestions. Lets not forget that solving pollution coming from industrial area are partially a responsible of foreign manufacturers, not just Vietnamese manufacturers alone. With many horrible accidents happend (leaked of hazards, burning, explosion), the laws are getting more and more strict. - Travelling: Just want to suggest tourists that they should be careful with the traffic in Viet Nam 1/ Each year around 10,000 Vietnamese lost their life to traffic accident, and that the highest cause of death in Vietnam. This is a real terrrible problem, and people know that. Vietnamese people are reckless for sure, but at the same time each one values their life (and their spouse, their children) more than anything, any father or mother would sell their everything to save their children from medical problem or physical damage, your wife or husband will do the same thing for the other in case of an ill-fate happens; but it just that they don't connect the dot between risking their life for 0.5 second faster on the street and the chance of a terrible accident. Vietnamese know their problem, they are not moth loving to dash into a flame. The death tone are high, but it's not that you see or caught in traffic accident everyday. So, the stick doesn't smash as often as the carrot is swinging, meaning most people getting away with risking their lifes. Hope that thing will change sooner or later. 2/ Adapt to the right way to travel safely but not follow the wrong&risky way when you're on the street: If you want to travel efficiently and safely in Vietnam, try to understand the way things work here. My French colleague said "motorcycles going around cars like water flow through rock", what an intelligent woman! that's the way this is: do it smoothly when you walk along or across the street, don't strictly apply the way you think how the traffic should be! Ex: "They should stop at red light, bikes should not run on the pavement, they should pause for me to cross the street", Being right is not as important as being safe, at leadt in this case. The first thing you should keep in mind is "well, I should be very careful so that I will leave this hell of a traffic in one piece and alive"; Don't do unexpected thing such as accelerating when you almost to the other side or the street, just keep walking "casually". If it so hard, raise your hand high, someone will support you, don't worry. And what I mean by not following the wrong&risky way? You obviously realized that the way Vietnamese doing with traffic, like running red light, lane splitting riding, racing on the street, etc., are crazy, right, right? Then don't do it! My American boss, after living in Vietnam for 5 years, he just walks right through the street, in front of cars and truck and, worst of all, Buses! (you just don't mess with any bus in Vietnam, keep that in mind) And the way he ride his mob around is just like any reckless Vietnamese biker, and give me a hard time going with him, usually he gave us the location and we'll met at the point. Anytime colleagues from the U.S came by, he would give them tips: Don't buy expensive shits in Ben Thanh market, don't use Foody app shit, just ask your Vietnamese friends and they'll bring you the nice and cheap place to eat and pay for you; and when you cross the stress, just simply walk. Lucky that no one died out of his last advice. Don't worry too much, if you got life-threatening problem, people will help. No where in this country that people don't help someone in need.
air and noise pollution is a big issue due to the number of motorbikes. But it can be resolved easily by implementing electric scooters slowly. Some cities in China, diesel and gas powered bikes are banned. It makes a lot of sense and overall improvements to environment.
Vietnam is a developing country so all the noise from construction is inevitable. I, Vietnamese too, prefer to hear all these noises than know my country economically stagnates. The USA is the richest country in the world but it has all the problems this Vlogger mentioned in this clip. Do Americans or English speak French, Spanish, or any foreign language at all when their countries have millions of visitors per year? Do you know of traffic jams in Bangkok, Los Angeles, or Paris? The owner of this clip is stupid, he thinks Vietnamese is hard, try German, Russian, and Turkish. Is it stupid to think that the USA or England would allow you to retire there without the strictest rules? Rich Chinese or Russians can't live in the USA if they don't invest around 1 million dollars in business. And only a temporary Visa is granted. Taxi scams in the USA were so terrible in the past that the city government imposed laws to curb them. Power outage in the USA is rare but when it happens it is big. Wifi in VN is better than many other countries in the world. Just to let you know, crimes in the USA are still big problems because of gun deregulation. Pollution in VN, please compare it with those in China, the USA and Europe. But one thing I have to say is that our Vietnamese need to learn personal and public hygiene. But the government is at fault too: no garbage cans are provided in the busiest parts of the cities. To feel ashamed and apologize for the current conditions in Vietnam, please stop it, especially to those who are ignorant and want everything for themselves.
The 21st reason is Vietnamese communist authority is the law and the law is Vietnamese communist authority if you dare to do business in Vietnam. Vietnamese governance is corrupted at all levels. The bigger your business is in Vietnam, the more severe corruption you encounter at higher level of authority.
I think the best place to retire is where youre living, you know that place, you know those people, you know the culture,... you just need resources for your retirement. To be honest, people think about retire in a South East Asian country mostly is out of budget and can not afford other countries in Europe, America or big country in Asian like Japan, Korea,... Just simple, if you rich, your budget is huge, you can retire on desert and still fine, but if you not, just accept what you can, your choice. You cant find a place that "cheap" but have full of modern infrastructure and services to serve you, that just not make any sense.
@@sommmeguy You have a very modern infrastructure in Thailand. I live there a year and loved it. Had no problems getting around. Need to find the right bus always go to a well used bus stop and it doesn't take long for someone to come along that speaks English, if you aren't afraid to ask strangers, and they are very friendly and helpful. All road signs are in Thai and English and GPS's work there.
Culture shock is very real. I'm (mainly) American but grew up in Honduras in the 70s. I was used to both cultures, but one thing I saw over and over again was Americans coming down to Honduras and completely freaking out about all the poverty and the primitive conditions (Honduras in the 70s could be pretty gnarly, lol). It almost always coincided with some hardcore stomach bug like dysentery as well, so it must've been really awful for them. It even happens between countries that are more similar than not: later in life, I lived in France for a year. I loved it, had a great time, but there were many moments of wishing I were back home because I was just sick of dealing with a different cultural and linguistic reality 24/7. I've had the same experience during extended stays in the UK and Australia too. Some degree of culture shock is inevitable.
I completely agree: Sometimes I am pissed by the attitude of people of the so called first world. They try to impose their ideas and believes on others. I speak German, French, English, Italian and I understand basic Spanish. But in Asia that is often not very helpful. And you can never really overcome your education and believes. If you live in a country we regard as "exotic" we inevitably suffer from time to time with the inefficency and the completely different way of life. I hate if people think that people all around the world are the same. Thanks to God there are differences! That does not mean that one way of life is "better" than the other.
I'm Vietnamese American who living in Vietnam for over 10 years, I lived in the US over 30 years. I agreed with the author some certain points but I think too much negative thinking, feel like end of the world if retire or living in Vietnam. Where's the positive point?
@@goofietran2511 How do you know? I know Vietnamese and of course many other immigrants, who came to the US and lived here for many years, don't even know how to speak English properly. This guy is actually quite good. At least, he know how to write. You sounds like 50 cents army paid by the Chinese government
I love Vietnam so much. I have a missus and a business. We are expanding one business and opening a restaurant in Can Tho. My wife and her family are Can Tho locals. If you want it, you'll find your piece of paradise in life. I found mine in Vietnam. Try doing a story on retiring in Australia, bring half a million AUD at least! You will find any of these negatives anywhere, even in Australia. Go to some of the towns in the north west an see what I mean.
@J D I salute you for touching the right issues there. From the lenses of most westerners, what Vietnam is famous for? Cheap stuff, good food, tourist spots and beautiful Women. That’s it. All for them to consume and enjoy. I don’t get why my fellow Vietnamese so proud of that. It literally cheapens our values and image. I just hope foreigners realize Vietnamese people are facing serious problems, being respectful and leave us alone if they are not there to help. I also hope Vietnamese people finally realized their hospitality and desire for western validation are usually exploited. Hell, take a deep research on how Vietnamese people got treated overseas. Dirt cheap I tell you! Vietnamese people should respect themselves more, no need to bend over to please any foreigners.
Your absolutely right... All these reasons you pointed out is reason I don't live there . Pollution Construction noise 24/7 Traffic nightmare. Karaoke Noise and so on. Government takes forever for any transaction.
Almost all points are very accurate. There have always been good and bad things about Vietnam. But the bad things have become much worse in the past 10 years, whilst the good things loose some of their appeal over time. I lived in Vietnam for 25 years - HCMC, Hanoi and Danang/ Hoi An, but eventually left to semi-retire in Laos.I guess I have grown more mature and priorities changed (arrived with 30, left with 55). If you have Vietnamese spouse or even family, and can afford to buy land and a house (on your spouse's name...), you may escape the urban centers and retire in the green and relatively quiet pf the countryside. At the same time, you have to give up much of the comfort and convenience of the cities, most friends and much of your foreign social life. If you still depend on income, almost all work is in the cities.
@@JS-jh4cy the secret of Vietnam is CHEAP.. But, you GET what you pay for.. The american old adage always works.. Beware communist touts.. these are party members- employees who travel overseas and grab the foreigners by the balls. Their jobs are trolls on the Internet to lure foreigners to suck up the hard currencies to help pay for Vietnam perennial hunger for Dollars. One trick is to inflate the Vietnam atttractiveness to sucker you the potential retirees.
I was there 1968, 69,70,and 71. 2:08)Some of the Piasters(P) would be for bribes. In some countries, nothing gets done without bribes. 3:41)Lambrettas everywhere.Some are used for cargo. Some have benches to use as a mini bus. 5"46)In the mountains, Hmung and Meo have their own languages. 11:45)Eating out, you could be served dog. 12:51)The "bathroom" is often only a hole in the ground, used by men and women. The feet are placed on each side. There is one with blocks for the feet. Squat and dump into a small hole. Should have added a few pictures.
Interesting insights! Considering various aspects before retirement is crucial. This video sheds light on factors to weigh for a well-informed decision.
The power is more reliable in Saigon than I've experienced in Australia. They also have excellent internet and street food has never been a problem for me. Wish I could return.
Exactly right. I have a Note 20 ultra 5g with Telstra and I cannot get a signal inside our post office in town. Fruit and veg is already old when we get it on the shelves. And you are correct regarding power outages. Every wet season you can be sure the power will cut out as well as your internet on which your phone NOW DEPENDS.
@Greg Bender :You may get stomach upset from eating street food. Stomach cancer comes from eating American beef laden with hormones and not from eating street food. Even the EU (European Union) bans American beef.
@Greg Bender : No. It has nothing to do with me. I am not qualified to say that eating American beef will cause cancer. The EU bans American beef because their scientists believe that American beef is laden with hormones ((testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone) that may cause cancer in the long run. Cows in the US receive also synthetic hormones also known as steroids so they grow meatier and faster. Even countries in Africa don't bother to import American beef because they don't want to get cancer.
I found that you don't have to live near bars to have experience with number 5. People do Karaoke right from their homes. The good news is is they are usually done before 11 pm. I think I'm a first time visitor to this channel, sorry to read about RoninBlue passing.
There is the rights to die in the US. I enjoy US healthcare when I was young and healthy. I need no healthcare when I am old now. When I cannot walk, I want to leave my life as soon as possible.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
Really good video! I have a friend bound for the Philippines later this year, so this video interested me from a comparison standpoint - and because I've developed a respect for Vietnam and its people over the years. The narration was outstanding! It seemed odd to hear reference to "the World event" several times: I assumed there was a good reason for using the euphemism. The title of the video really seemed to discourage anyone from considering retirement in Vietnam. However, early in the presentation, I caught that you were giving the contrary point of view to help prospective retirees weigh the pros and cons. Really well done! I pass along my condolences to the family and friends of RoninBlue. If he was the one narrating, he came across as intelligent, balanced, straightforward, and intent on sharing truth. I'm sure he touched many lives, and I know he will be missed. My hope you is that your team honors him by carrying on his work. Thank you.
Dear Spencer, Thank you for your condolences and warm comments. I can see Ronin reading your comments with a big smile. I am still grieving, and it is still hard for me to check comments or create content. Also, the estate process is hard and long which take up a lot of my time and energy. I hope to resume his work after all the legal matters are settled, but for now, I need to heal myself. I wish you all the best. Love, Samy
@@roninblue5885 - Dear Samy, Thank you for the response. I see you made it 13 days ago - yet I didn't see it until today. I had to respond because I have known grief also. Years ago, I learned that these major life changes can take a year or more to recover from. In the case of grieving over a lost loved one, I don't think we're supposed to "recover." I think the hurt we feel and the hole left in us aren't supposed to disappear. I think we are supposed to adjust and mature. That's not easy. I don't intend to force my faith on you - still, I'd like to share my perspective. I believe in a God who sacrificed His son to make eternal life available to flawed humans like us. He didn't have to let Jesus die - and Jesus didn't have to give up His life for us - but Father and Son were in agreement that this had to be done, or we would be lost. This is where my hope lies: in a God who loves us dearly (in spite of our corruption) and invites us to become members of His family through His eternal Son, Christ Jesus. I used to be almost apologetic for sharing my faith - but no more. We have an Enemy who is actively seeking our destruction, who uses our weaknesses like our sinfulness or our grief to take us out - if we let him. This World (ostensibly ruled by our Enemy - "The Other Guy," as our chaplain calls him) - the World can be a cruel place. When we lose a loved one, our grieving is interrupted by the business affairs we must attend to. I know that's a challenge, and it's unfair. Look, I've said enough - maybe crossed a boundary. But I want to encourage you. I do not know what faith you practice and I respect you and your faith. At my age, I appreciate anyone who grasps that there is a spiritual realm that envelops us. If you have any doubts about how you will face eternity, I invite you to get to know Jesus Christ - not religion, but the Person - the eternal Son of God. Again, thank you for the work you are doing, the information you share, and the legacy you continue.
Sorry, how the hell is 6 a con?? Isn't that the whole point of retiring to VN? And 3 - it's not exactly humid in the northern winter, in fact it's damn cold.
If you live in America, go to Vietnamese travel agency, they can apply 5 years visa for you without having Vietnamese family or spouse live in Vietnam. Some of information in this video is not correct. Alway a way to do it. Money is power.
@@v00n2000 The Vietnamese travel agency via the Vietnamese embassy can get a tourist here in the US a 5 year VN visa once you apply for it. Just a visa that is valid for 5 years. The Vn trip has a limited staying time though. I don't know about staying in Vn for over a month, because I haven't done so in the last 27 years, but you might ask some tourist agencies in HCM city, they probably know that.
@@kqdwills so, you are saying the visa lasts 5 years, but only valid for a month at a time? I met some Americans here who got one-year tourist visas, but they weren't available for non-USA citizens.
@@v00n2000 No, I said I have never used them for more than a month, but they were definitely valid more than 6 months at least. I just don't know how it works for expats who live permanently in VN. I'm an US citizen, so I believe they can also get that kind of visas. There were 5 year and one year visas available at the time you apply for it. Many people applied for the one year visas, because they didn't know the 5 year ones were available. That's why I said you could ask the agents who work at tourist agencies about the 5 year visa. They probably know that. Aren't you an US citizen? If not, I don't know how it works for non- US citizens. Still, you can ask them.
@@kingvo1325 Cảm ơn nhiều nhé! Bác là lãnh tụ của CSVN ta sao? Nói thế coi chừng bị coi là phản động đấy! Hiểu chữa? Ngôn ngữ của you kém quá! Kiến thức hạn hẹp quá! Hiểu chữa?
Hi, my name is Samy and I am a long-time partner of RoninBlue. It is with great sadness that I announce RoninBlue’s sudden passing of a heart attack on Monday, August 16, 2021.
RoninBlue was passionate about personal finance and early retirement and loved sharing his knowledge with all of you on UA-cam.
He has put a lot of love and energy into making these videos and I would like to thank each and every one of you for sharing in his joy and for supporting his channel up to now. I wish you all the best.
Love, Samy
Wow it's the first video I'm watching of RoninBlue, rest in peace.
I wish you to have good memories of him Samy and can live your life to the full while you're still on earth.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
Sorry to hear this.
this was a good video, he did well. rest in peace.
Dear Sam. I'm so sorry for your great loss 😥
🙏
🙏 RIP RoninBlue
🙏
I am retired and have lived in Vietnam for 14 years. This video is surprisingly accurate.
I sightsee in Vietnam sometimes by turning on my laptop.
Which city are you in? Pollution doesn't exist in Hoian.
@@ewnyMetroExpress It does. You've been feeding inaccurate info regards air-control in the area. Are you suggesting foreign retirees should only live in Hoi An??
How do you retire in Vietnam? Would you mind to give some suggestions regarding the Visa problem?😊
Really enjoyed this video. I lived in Vietnam for more than 10 years and I agree with your comments. personally I loved it and can speak the language and was lucky enough to work for multinational companies. I met many expats who frankly couldn't handle it. The key is quite simple really you have to be prepared to learn everything again and bend like bamboo. If you can do that you will love it, if not then you might consider another place to retire.
I'm 72 and my monthly expenses are less then $900 a month living in a small town in the United States. I have the same conveniences of the big city without the traffic jams, noise, crime or high taxes.
Less THAN...!!
you must own a home already or something. there are places to live near that, but not without housing.
Housing alone will costs over a grand in USA!!
Where's the small town location???
Yes, Medicare and a few social programs assisting the elderly allow this gentleman to retire with only $900 a month. Perhaps, you live without the use of the Internet, TV, and cell phone. I believe low-income retirees can receive government help with phone service. In a small town without communal support and activities, life can be really a big mental challenge unless you are a happy loner.
Have been living in SEA for about 30 years now and in different countries. This documentation is excellent. Really great and accurate. What drove me crazy in the big cities was this constant honking. The main reason why I cannot live there.
I lived in Hanoi, I met an amazing girl, and couldn't leave. I asked her to marry me after 7 weeks. I dropped to one knee and proposed at 07:07pm on 07/07/07. She said yes and we've been together ever since. I made the best decision of my life. We live in the UK now but go back to visit family. We do talk about our future plans, but retiring there is not going to be easy. We'll probably just escape the winters by going back. Love Vietnam so much.
Only for the air pollution, it's a deal breaker to leave in Hanoi. I married my Vietnamese wife also on 07-07 but 2021 :) We live in Hanoi, and I can't wait to make enough money so I don't EVER have to breath the sh*t air here. Seriously. I miss the open clean outdoors of a clean city so much!
@@guyhanoi8561 Nice one mate. Yeah, air quality sucks.....and there's only so much Bia hoi you can drink. Chuc su khoe.
😮😮😮😮😮❤
Lucky man
@@guyhanoi8561 Name for us a city with clean air, Singapore maybe?
As someone who has lived in Vietnam for more than 7 years I can fully vouch for the content in this video. He provides a fair and generally quite accurate assessment of the challenges here. There's a lot to love about living here and he acknowledges that but for those complaining about pessimistic content, the purpose of the video is to warn people of the things they might well find to be deal breakers. While I wouldn't agree with the statement DON'T live or retire here, I'd say overall he's done a great service in helping people educate themselves as to what kind of complications to expect in addition to all the things they'd probably love.
Dear David,
On behalf of RoninBlue who passed away last month, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write your wonderful comment. It explains Ronin's intention as if you had read his mind. I am very please to know some viewers appreciate his hard work. I wish you all the best. Love, Samy
Please refer to the community tab for the announcement I posted last most month.
Sorry for you loss Samy. Seems like Ronin lived in a way many of us dream of and I'm sure his work will continue to inspire and inform. Kind regards.
Im Aussie and have a house in Vietnam and I’d like to spend a few months there every year when I retire .
@@bradhienzachary
How can you have a house there? My family has been there for 100 years. Since 1998-2000, my family lands and my land are stolen by commie! I just wonder how do you do that, keep your land and home?
@@chinhmiho9722 My wife’s family home which now belongs to us.
I live and work in Vietnam for 4-5 years. I had working visa, visa is easy to get, any visa is easy to get. People are just the best. I dream to return back there after covid19! So, visa is not a problem. Pollution - yes but not 50km from HCMC. Everything is very cheap. I cannot tell anything bad about Vietnam. There are scams in downtown but that is just for tourists.
Too much trash.
Very poor trash disposal solution.
vietnam communist countries dont like foreigners like china
I am Australian. I have visited over 50 countries and lived and worked in many. I have lived and worked in Vietnam since Jan 1988. This is by far the most accurate video I have seen on living in Vn. This guy has really nailed every major issue. It is so real.
The no retirement visas is a total bummer. I've had a corporate services company here since 2007. I've had a 5 year TRC. This year without good reason they only gave me a multi-entry 1 year visa. This is so typical of Vn.
Vn people are lovely but this is a ruthless country where foreigners are LAST priority. I've lived in places like India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa etc. Do not expect Vn to be like some other Asian country like Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines. It's not. It's a Communist country that has endured many wars. These have left their mark. Few haggle in Vn. This is just one thing why Vn is very different to most of Asia.
Hanoi is more expensive than Saigon. Basically, the Vn govt doesn't want you here. It only wants use of your money and expertise. (So why do I live here? Well because I cannot stand the woke West and I know the score about living in Vn. Plus I am independently wealthy so can leave at any time.)
Do not invest in any fixed real estate here. Trust me on this.
To live any sort of life and have some medical cover you will need at least USD1500 per month if you want to live in any major city. Sure you can live a life of relative poverty for cheaper, but it's not worth it when you take into account the many issues you need to overcome.
We lost every penny there!
Very sad to read he has passed away. Look at pinned comment.
retired in Viet, eat , drink and sleep with girls it makes you die quick
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages!
I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO
Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
@@vinvin1082 @ but will that let they stay longer then they can spend more money ?
I just moved back from living 2 years in VN the only advice I would give . . . 1.) The sidewalks are only for the young and nimble 2.) Live in the south, visit the north. 3.) Don’t sweat the traffic, just know it flows, so just go with it. Slow and steady
For me VN has way more pros than cons. Treating all people with respect has served me well all over the world. Their not kicking people out, just not renewing their visa IAW VN laws. It started as so many foreigners had fake business visa's. I many times cross the street with an elderly woman or mother with children in heavy traffic. Taxis are a problem all over the world. A market I regularly went to and made friends with the lady, she started selecting the best she had. I always kept here keep the change (I always had a good supply of denominations. I love VN, the people are very kind and helpful.
I am glad that you enjoy it. But dude, you got to do your own research when going to the market, it's an unspoken "law" (or "this is the way) that after you paid the money, it's your problem with what you buy, even if they sell you the best at decent price, to be really merge in the jungle, you must be familiar with the way things going here: all people, sellers themselves, reckon that seller are liars by nature, and that it!
You got to earn it, don't rely on people's mercy. "Doing good thing to people and good thing will come to you" is the second thing that being passed from one generation to the next for thousand of years, but the first thing is "you're responsible of your choice". Even the most experienced Vietnamese are very careful when buying anything (and that why they're called experience), they spend 90% of the time for doing research, rule of thumb are buying good things and only good things, the moment you buy cheap stuff you're prone to regret, 9.9% of the time is for haggling to a bargain price, that 0.1% left is for payment, quickies on the purse are stupid nerds. A true-smart Vietnamese would be very careful with their choice, sure there are stupid asses (especially gen Z) are very quick with their choice, and regret. Don't be the easy money, knowing your way when it come to money and you will earn their respect.
The moment you left your choice in hand of the seller, you're done. Trust me, I'm not bullshiting around, I learnt this the hard way as a Vietnamese.
@@tanha8178 Don't be so judgmental and pessimistic Dude. I'm sure many expats in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. don't get scammed or have to haggle all the time. Once the locals know you are part of the community, they don't sell you at higher prices so you have to haggle. There are so numerous cases that are recounted by foreigners: they are often helped by the locals when they have problems.
I lived in Vietnam for my first year in S.E. Asia. If your retired travel will fix your visa problems, I traveled to all of SE Asia in the first year. Loved it, Everything else you said is minimal. you get use to it all in time. I moved to Thailand and have been here for the last 4 years and love it all.
So you chose to move and live in Thailand over Vietnam?
very glad that you choose to live in TH.
Shame on and you pretend wife for 💰
She says she's in love with me but likes spending my 💰.
Yeah, I have been in VN long enough to understand the points he is making but some of them are much bigger issues than others. Visas are a major issue, making friends is not, as far as I'm concerned.
FYI, the scene beginning at 4:32, with the sea of scooters coming down the off ramp, that’s Taipei, Taiwan not Vietnam
That’s what I thought, different motorcycles
for the visa, you can get 5 years multi entry visa, which you can live there for 3 months, then go to cambodia then come back in the same day , cost you 20 to 30 dollars then you can live another 3 months
I thought that, if you have a 5-year visa exemption, you have to make a visa/border run every 180 days, not every 90 days. Which is correct? Please explain if you can. Thank you!
@@Steevee14 it's correct
@@kiwitran8889 What does the vague pronoun "it" refer to? 90 or 180 days? Thanks.
Wow it's the first video I'm watching of RoninBlue, rest in peace.
I wish you to have good memories of him Samy and can live your life to the full while you're still on earth.
Sorry for your loss may he Rest In Peace . I'm new to this channel
nearly 10 yrs experience in VN - I don't have most of these problems, but then some of us are smart enough to avoid such - trouble finds you everywhere in the world, overall VN is wonderful, but you must adjust and understand what you are dealing with - come dance with us in DaNang
Best advice and helpful we haven’t got for a long time
I like you video. Thank you for the informative video about Vietnam. I find Vietnamese is so easy to learn. One year of practice, I can read their newspaper. Second language is Spanish or Italian. I probably will visit this country soon. I probably will go to the remote jungle or farm area to avoid pollution.
First, I'm so sorry for your great loss, Samy. I wish you always have and cherish all the good memories of him, I wish you all the best that life can offer you.
This is the first time I watch of RoninBlue's video, REST IN PEACE. I'm Vietnamese American, I agree with RonninBlue 101 %. Thanks him for sharing his knowledge. He had done an awesome job, his research has been very accurate and very helpful to anyone who doesn't know much about Vietnam. Vietnam might be a good place to visit but it's definitely NOT a good place to retire. I'm myself a retiree, I'm staying in the US , I'm not going anywhere.
Dear Muoi Mai, Thank you for your kind words. I have many fond memories of him, and he will always be in my heart. I wish you a long wonderful retirement life. Please stay, safe, healthy, and happy. Love ~Samy
Good luck with your taxes and insurance when retire. Medical services in US is pretty bad too, especially ER, over charges and supper slow. I lived in nice area, but you don't know when you are going to be shot at and get robbed. US has our own problems as well, many indeed. Hopefully our politicians are going to do to improve our country. We are heading for another recession that can affect us for decades
@@dula7882 When we are in the ER we're all so worried about our own health problems and we expect to get the treatment ASAP; waiting there making us think that ER is so low and bad, in fact, the doctors there have to treat many people at the same time, they have to treat the case that is most urgent or life threatening first, besides, they have to order the tests to get done as well as waiting for the test results to have the right treatment (my son is a doctor). US is a free country and I think buying & using the gun in US is the serious problem due to abusing freedom. Robbing and Recession happen in any country not in US only. I have friends who were boat people now living in many countries, they get tired of living there for many issues : high taxes, high living cost they wish they could come to US. Overall, US is NOT a perfect country but it's the BEST. I love US and I DO enjoy my retirement here in US . Best regards.
@@muoimai8137 Oh no, I love the US, I just want to point out some serious problems that exist in our country, which need to be fixed. Cant wait until this November and 2024 election
I am a combat veteran who served in Vietnam for two tours. Part of my job was an interpreter and interrogator so I spoke the language fluently. It is a very melodic language and if you understand that it is more sung than it is spoken you will be well on your way to learning to communicate. However there are so many phrases that mirror each other slightly but mean totally different things. For instance you might say you need to drink water but you could easily miss pronounce it and say “ I like to drink piss” I went back to Vietnam on a luxury cruise in 2013. I was surprised at how much language I have retained and also how modern Vietnam is today although I spent all of my tour with the 101st airborne division in a tiny Camp Eagle when I went to Saigon for the first time on my vacation I encountered huge marble malls used car lots, McDonald’s, the most insane nightlife I have ever seen in the world. No one asked me if I were a veteran when I was ship docked in Danang found out there were many Vietnam veterans living there! There is also a group of marine ex-pats that have a motorcycle club and a clubhouse in Da Nang with the American flag flying. There is also an American legion post in DaNang. It’s not uncommon to see the American flag incorporated into peoples clothing just like here in the states. The war is a very old forgotten distasteful event That everyone has put behind them forever. My language skills quickly started to come back but the intonation and other nuances of speaking Vietnamese has left me so it was pretty well useless to try.
Until Vietnam is free from the utterly corrupt and terrorist Commie regime, Vietnam is a sh*thole for locals (99% of the population want to get out and many have risked their lives doing so, like 39 young Vietnamese in UK container truck recently on the news) and a hit-and-miss vacation spot for foreigners with emotional attachment due to various circumstances perhaps like yours. Otherwise, Commie Vietnam is much like Commie Cuba for a tropical sojourn and much like Commie North Korea with its barbarity. Besides ranking near the bottom of Southeast Asia's in GDP per capita, Commie Vietnam is similarly ranked at the world's bottom in freedom of speech and freedom of the press, just above its fellow Commies China and North Korea. Lives of the 95% population under this brutal regime is anything but easy, with constant home and land-robbing that happen to them anytime the Commie government official bandits smell the increase in prices that these immoral lowlifes can inhumanely profit from with 100% risk free, while living in one of the most polluted places in the world (Hanoi is top polluted city in Southeast Asia) with contaminated food and water, along with constant flooding and highest rate of liver disease and cancer. Again, there is a reason why 99% of Commie Vietnam's population want to get out, including Commie government officials who launder their loots and blood money along with the kids overseas to the West. There is a reason why even Commie bandit like Vingroup's Pham Nhat Vuong (got rich primarily by colluding with Vietnamese Commie regime to sell their properties built on lands robbed from poor Vietnamese citizens. Search relevant search terms in Vietnamese, one would see tons of videos right here on UA-cam showing decades of land-robbing across the country, spanning for decades) safeguarded his loots of $4 billion from his fellow comrades by shipping them to Singapore for starter.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 Most of the readers here, will think you are exaggerating, but you are not. Communism is an evil disease. I think of all the South Vietnamese men that fought to the death to keep the communists out of Saigon during the end of the war.
@@thomaswayneward Indeed! Commies = Legal Robbers + Terrorists + Modern Slaveowners + Propagandists + Dictators + Mafia. Vietnamese Commies are among the worst if not the worst. Even during the pandemic while most nations provided their citizens with aids, the ruling Vietnamese Commies not only provided nominal aids (only about 1% but only to their own associates), but also openly exploited Vietnamese citizens with costly (300K-500K vnd per pop while average salary there is only 5 million vnd per month) fake nostril kits (from Việt Á company) that were rejected by World Health Organization as ineffective but systematically misled and announced by the corrupt ruling Vietnamese Commies as effective and approved by it. The result were deadly, as tens of thousands died due to misdiagnoses in addition to being sanctioned like animals into barb-wired, unhygienic "quarantine" areas with inadequate or without beds, toilets, food, and medicine. In other words, these subhuman Commie lowlifes used the pandemic as an opportunity to knowingly kill the citizens just to make money for personal gains.
You are correct about South Vietnamese soldiers. In contrast to narratives by the leftist fake news media and the propaganda by the Commies, South Vietnamese Army was very heroic in battles, and successfully repelled coordinated attacks by North Vietnamese Commies during Tet Offensive 1968 and inflicted huge damages on the enemy. Unfortunate as US later cut aids to South Vietnam while both Commie Soviet and Commie China increased aids to North Vietnamese terrorists, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) were outgunned and could not defend itself against the global Commies' onslaughts. As true warriors, many, many heroic South Vietnam generals refused to surrender and fought to their deaths and many took their own lives when running out of ammo in the final days of the war as South Vietnam fell to the Commie barbarians. That's the real-life definition of integrity, determination, and courage to me. They are the men of all men, something that the subhuman Commie terrorists can never measure up to. Their spirits have lived on to eternity and their legacies are palpable even after half a century later, however.
Hope you enjoy your trip here, and also wish you all the best from Vietnam
@@thethaovatoquoc312 spoken like a true Southern Vietnamese that deserted their country in need and now lives overseas and sprouts hatred for their motherland.
Real heroes seek to change. Not cry foul cos they lost and refused to do anything. Real Vietnamese looks past the regime and seek to help the people. You are not a true Vietnamese. You are an embarrassment to be called a "đồng bào" since you obviously don't even understand what it means.
I am Vietnamese living in Vietnam This is very true 100% for sure
My condolences. We are lucky to have known him though his videos, the quality of which tells us much about the man. RIP
There’s always pros and cons to any place-the world is not perfect. It’s up to individual to weigh in on those pros and cons. My biggest pet peeve while I visited there is restrooms-I find it disgusting. I either had to go back to my hotel or find a more Americanized restaurant/coffee shop.
I Understand your point. Have you been to a rest stop or a gas station bathroom in the states? I say its a toss up.
This video is very accurate. I have been retired and have lived in Viet Nam for 15 years.
Very informative video. You mention many things that most people would not think off in their excitement of the move.
This video (all points) apply to any country.
Just replace Any country name with Vietnam.
(Exception few like Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, new Zealand, UK etc)...
Btw I always get treated in Vietnam extra fruits, food, free coffee, more discount because I speak (or I try to) Vietnamese....
They find it Adorable and funny 😂😂😂
Horrendous pollution (Hanoi is the most polluted city in Southeast Asia) make people living in Vietnam vulnerable to Covid, as their lungs can only take on so many abuses. Now 10K new cases per day, and that's on what's reported.
But those countries are way more expensive than vn.
Not true. Hanoi is the most polluted city in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of cities in the West and developed Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore aren't anywhere as polluted. Systemic land-robbing of citizens by terrorist Commie Vietnam has been wide-spreading. Millions of footages of savaged land-robbing, from North to South Vietnam, spanning for decades, appear if one uses relevant search term/phrase in Vietnamese right here on UA-cam. Land-robbing has not been seen anywhere outside of brutal Commie regimes except racially unstable country like South Africa. After robbing the citizens dry, they even prey on each other. Recent cases include one in which the Vietnamese Commie terrorists barbarically assassinated wheelchaired (due to prior assassination attempt by the same regime) 55-Party-year Le Dinh Kinh from Dong Tam (near Hanoi) in his bed in his own home to rob his land, returned his carcass full of bullet holes but empty of internal organs without family members' permission, and ordered his wife Mrs. Dư Thị Thành to lie about the incident, and when she refused, they cruelly tortured her. All true. Do your research!
@@thethaovatoquoc312 this is a loser trying to smear his homeland if you want to know the truth come to vietnam and feel it don't listen to rumors like this
@@thethaovatoquoc312 this is a loser trying to smear his homeland if you want to know the truth come to vietnam and feel it don't listen to rumors like this
Video and content are spot on. No exaggeration, no sugarcoating, no kidding. Also would like to add that flooding during the rain season is a problem as well. And mosquitoes.
Home sweet home, amirite?
Idot Please dont go that far to Vietnam if you have a little of $$$ ( but I dont think you do) please come to Alaska-USA just for a short visit in the Summer to see if you can survive with the mosquitos in about 10 minutes !!!
@@liemphan4411 yeah I also saw once mosquitoes in huge proportions in a video of Sweden. Something I never considered so much with a country covered in a snow during winter. This is why I love these videos it truly gives us education of different places
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages! Please just come visit and leave lmao
Mosquitoes should've been #21 on that list. I got eaten alive on my first trip to Vietnam. I'm going back next month and I'm bringing mosquito repellent sprays this time.
Great points, you’re absolutely right. I’m still moving there though 😂
Thank you for the video. I was thinking to retire in VN for sure until last visited in July 2022. VN is getting very expensive and cost of living increases everyday (1 bed room cost $800usd - 1,200usd/month - Jan 2023) people are not friendly as I think before (scammers are everywhere) and too much corruption if you have to deal with the government at all level. I am looking into Thailand for my retirement search now....
I've lived in thailand for 19 years now. I can guarantee that the cost of living here is more expensive than Vietnam. I live in Phuket. Thailand offers a retirement visa. You'll have to provide 15 to twenty documents. Now they passed a law that tourist living in Thailand have pay tax on money brought in country from your home country.
100% true! True! People want to move there have to think again and again! Wonderful warning! Appreciate it❤
4:47 Motorcycles footage is faked, this scene was not from VN, VNESE popular motorcycle brands included Honda, Yamaha, some TWNESE scooters, Vespa etc, majority of the scooters of this scene are TWNESE scooters. The jackets of the drivers don't look tropical.
As far as noise is concerned, you can be as careful as possible but it can change in a flash. I moved into an apartment near the beach in central Vietnam and it was quiet. Less than a year later they began construction of a rest about 3 feet from my back door. So much noise but I thought once they are done it will be okay, wrong. They put in a swimming pool next to my back door along with karaoke and during the day and night children yelling and screaming and jumping into the pool. My lease came up and I moved! They tried to raise my rent and I had to laugh to myself. They could have dropped the price and I would still have left! Before going there I had a room on the top floor of a homestay and they had so much construction I thought they were on the roof over my head morning, noon and night. The whole place vibrated!
Right now is a horrible time to retire in Vietnam too. Saigon just went into an intense lockdown where only the military is going to delivery the groceries. No restaurants, no take out, and no entering a grocery store currently. I don't know how the locals can close down their shops and survive lockdown from July 8 2021 to at least September 15 2021.
Big thanks to this guy he's1000% correct !
Whatever people say, I missed the lantern festival in HoiAn, the thrill of walking on the Golden Bridge in BaNa Hills ... the beautiful chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, the amazing authentic Vietnamese food and the magnificent scenery of Ha Long Bay! It is so green over there, unforgettable! I missed ... almost everything. Indeed.
Last time I tried to stay in Hanoi for 9 days. Couldn’t stand it and flew to the Philippines. Pollution is unbearable.
I've been to Vietnam 12 times and I absolutely love it
Land-robbing has been a huge problem in Commie Vietnam. Search for relevant search term in Vietnamese right here on UA-cam, one would see endless shocking footages, spanning for decades since 1953, from North to South, of what ordinary & poor Vietnamese citizens have to go through everyday. If they refuse to leave their ancestor's land, they are simply kicked out or get killed, as the recent case with Mr. Le Dinh Kinh from Dong Tam near Hanoi. Vietnamese Commie government terrorists massacred him in his bed at 4AM in his own home. All true. Do your research.
@@thethaovatoquoc312
My deep respects for the Vietnamese people.During my USAF military career I had to go through the Academy and give presentations on the history of Vietnam, and what got the U.S. involved in the first place. Vietnam is a land rich with history, but as you said, too many Vietnamese lost their lives protecting their property and families. 🙏
@@roddyg3692 Vietnam's yellow national flag with 3 red stripes has been in play since 40 AD since the Trưng Sisters. Commie Chinese Intelligence Officer Ho Quang (aka Ho Chi Minh) brought yellow star red flag from Commie China's Fujian province to his Pac-Bo cave in 1941 and later his minions replaced Vietnam's national flag with it.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 wow how sad. Also if you looked at the pinned comment on this video the blogger has passed away
@@australiamyway Yes, but most of us understand that life is just a phase, and the soul lives on. What awaits one beyond the horizon depends on how one behaves on earth as a result of the combination of freewill and karma. The author made a positive difference in this world by educating others with 100K (and counting) views on this video alone if nothing else. On the other hand, lowlifes like the corrupt Commie terrorists made negative differences in this world with their greed and atrocities, for which they themselves or their offspring will pay in one form or another. For example, many Vietnamese Commie government terrorist leaders died in full or half-paralytic states that dragged on for decades, wallowing in their putrid bodies waiting for their daily diaper changes as the highlights of any given days. Traitors like Nguyễn Thành Trung (bombed South Vietnam with his US jet in 1975) got his son Nguyễn Thành Danh committed suicide just last year. Reap what you sow, indeed!
I am happy to hear his bright voice but sad to hear his loss. Please rest in peace. Sam, thank you for your good information.
Thanks for the video.
Some information is right, but some is not. Your experiences are not enought about Vietnam.
Accurate blog. Always visit at different seasons to get an idea of the location you have in mind.
4:32 This is Taiwan, not Vietnam.
Hey, I'm from NJ. High pollution, insane traffic, people who don't speak English, and Smog is just an average day in NJ.
I'm myself a digital nomad in Vietnam. I can live anywhere in Vietnam countryside where the air is cleaner and living expense and housing cost are much less than that in big cities like Saigon, Hanoi. I have access to internet 4G on my phone because I bought a phone plan from Mobifone company worth at $90,000 VND or $4.0 USD per month at which I can get 4GB high speed internet 4G per day and 1000 same-carrier and 50 trans-carrier minutes of local talks per month.
Steve; for how long is the turist visa? Thank you
samy , C/o Ronin Blue : Very very sorry to know that bad info about Ronin . :( .....
That video was all good info . Thank you and him , God Bless , Peace .
My Fiancee is Vietnamese. she owns her house.. so that is one thing i have no worries about. Her house is in Sóc Trăng, VN smaller city and with my retirement i think i'll live pretty good. I plan on living 8-10 months in USA and 4-2 in Vietnam. We shall see , never been to Vietnam as of yet but look forward to it.
very nice...
Number 1 reason not to retire in Vietnam should be no retirement visa. They have tourist visa, investment visa, but no retirement visa. All other reasons, traffic, pollution, cost of living in big cities, etc. are comparable to other cities in southeast Asia countries. Food hygiene, like you said, is a hit or miss issue. Some people have no problem eating at street-side eateries. Some do get stomach upset after eating street food but you will get used to it after awhile.
No worries. Enroll as a university student and you get a one year visa.
@@MrPip9999 It just seems like I'd constantly have to research tricks to renew my visa which might be too much of a hassle. But I guess if I can be a part time student that wouldn't be so bad. As a retiree I'd need something to keep me occupied anyway.
I do not get stomach upset, but I get pooping a lot after eating street food until the last drop is out. Of course, there are some good street food that do not make me to go to toilet, and I do not know them for sure before I eat them.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages!
I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO
Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
@@vinvin1082 ah, ha! Your a communist party troll! Just cut paste every!
This is old video. VN is getting very expensive now you need at least $2,000 usd/month or more just to live normal live and cost of living raise up daily. VN is not a good choice nowaday!!!! 😢
RIP Ronin🙏🙏🙏
Its true. I visited HCM once and never going back. Noise, air pollution etc. There are better places to spend your tourist dollar. The first thing vietnam needs to improve is to implement electric motorbikes. This will clean up the air and noise.
But they still honking all day.
I just heard that RoninBlue the owner of this channel past away more than a year ago. Rest in peace and thank you bro. Your videos will live on to educate future visitors of your channel.
Im an older American I’ve lived in Vietnam since 2013. I wish I could get s visa to live here the rest of my life. Vietnam is a great country with abundance of freedoms that I never had in the US. I lived in Thailand before Vietnam and had a one year visa was expensive and required depositing $28,000 in s Thai bank. I’ve been getting 2 yr temp resident visa all the time I’ve been in VN. This guy is overly dramatizing the issues in VN. I’ve seen less accidents here than I use to see in US daily. Language I’ve gotten by with google translator, language is a barrier but not unsurmountable. After 2-3 months here I adjusted to the society (Saigon) I been riding a motor scooter since I first got here. My view of Vietnam is life is easy and free from threat. The visa issue is the headache but there are visa agents that will bend the rules for a few extra bucks. I live in HCM (Saigon) in a nice studio apartment for $285 + $30 for electricity and $5 a month for internet cable tv. All in a nice area. This guy is looking at this with the wrong attitude.
Thanks for the input from someone living there. Most of these are issues with moving to and living in another country really
@@rainydays516 Vietnam is great (and a beautiful country) you can do pretty much anything just don’t make trouble and no one bother you. The city of Danang is one of my favorites
@@jvs333 Yes sir Danang is beautiful!
Flooding is a major issue that wasn't mentioned. Google image search for "flooding" in Vietnamese + year to see the truth
@@thethaovatoquoc312 I whole heartedly agree I was working for a Vietnamese architect company in 2014 I remember having discussions with my boss about the flooding issue in Saigon (HCM) and that it would be getting worst with climate change. But he didn’t subscribe to that line of thought.
I would tell him with all the new development, the government wasn’t doing anything to tackle that problem and developers weren’t either. Everyone was just going to build because there was money to be made. Even now there are areas of the city that get 50+cm of water, I can imagine in next 20 yrs
also there are many dialects across vietnam. so learning the language in one area doesnt mean youll be understood in another. even locals have issues when traveling around the country
after many years going back and forth to VN, and eating street food as a matter of course, I had only one experience food/stomach problems.
You are absolutely right on the money.
At first it looks like a very good and cheap place to live in southern Vietnam but in the long run. It’s not safe and too much corruptions
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages!
I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO
Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
@@vietnamwakeup01 Why do you say "no" to retirement visa for VN? I'm just curious. Wouldn't retirees bring lots of money into VN - boost economy? Maybe I'm missing something.
i live in vietnam now for over 4 years ,, i am packing my stuff and i am out of here , i had enough
enough of wat
What happened?
elaborate please
Don’t BS!!!😡At 23’57” the lit tented market is in central Bangkok (Huai Kwan) Thailand NOT Vietnam! Don’t try and FOOL viewers😡😡😡
Have to point out that you show some scenes in Taiwan, not Vietnam. From about 4:30 - 4:56, that sea of motorbikes coming down from the overpass is from Taiwan. Lots of clues give it away. 1) These are scooters, not motorcycles. In Taiwan, the majority of motorbikes are scooters, often the Kymco brand that you see in this video. Also, there is even one Gogoro electric scooter I saw in the video, which is only in Taiwan. 2) The helmets are mostly 3/4 helmets or even full helmets, which are a bit more common than the 1/2 bowl style helmets in Taiwan. And in VN, you see more of the 1/2 bowl style helmets and less 3/4 or full helmets. Not zero, but I would say majority. 3) The dress of the riders looks more typical of Taiwan. 4) The city scene looks more like a Taiwan city, than VN. 5) After googling other videos of Taiwan scooters, found the same scene in a Taiwan scooter video.
Other than that at least some of the other scenes look like Vietnam. And agree on most of your points about the downsides of retiring in VN. The visa requirements would be a hassle, although same as in Thailand, unless you shell out a lot of money for the 5-10 year Thai visas that are quite expensive . And the foreign ownership restrictions, and only 50 yr lease make it such that I would never buy in VN, nor would I trust that a law couldnt change down the road. And the infrastructure and healthcare are pretty bad, which is important if one is older, as is often the case with retirement. Some hospitals in the upscale or expat areas are a little better, but the general hospitals for the public leave a lot to be desired. Even have visitors sleeping in the stairwells in the hospital. There are some, but not that many Karaoke places in HCM in the areas that I saw, and out of the many I have gone past, never heard music from the outside. Have gone inside with some locals and sang in one, and it was ok. Didnt seem like they were that popular among locals, as I never see any groups going in or out, when I have been there or gone by them. Karaoke seems more popular in Taiwan. What is popular in VN are coffee shops.
And the conditions with the pandemic highlight the infrastructure and other issues. Hospitals full, many locals are out of work, without money or support from the Govt, and so have no food, other than if there is an occasional charitable group helping to distribute food. Prices in some markets going up, sometimes food shortages in the markets. Can only go to the market once/twice per week and have to wait hours in line. Lots of neighborhood lockdowns with checkpoints and big fines if you are caught out of your area.
There is a growing Russian community near Nha Trang and VN is very popular with Russian tourists, escaping the cold winters. Dalat and Danang are nice to visit, but I cant say I would want to retire anywhere in VN. But, to each their own.
The waterfall looks exactly the same as the Liphi Waterfalls on Don Khon island in Laos.
I have been a Vietnamese, and now I will be Vietnamese again. I have been Vietnam cities, for my relatives are there. However, I do not enjoy life in the city. This video is talking about living in cities. Then, the title would have better been "reasons not to live in Vietnam cities" instead.
I love your video, it's very clear to understand and you got every subject correctly. I know you're right on every subject because I have been to Vietnam many times. You said it with deep understanding and indebt.
I ve been living and teaching in VN for 5 yrs. Some things are good some aren't. However, if I have to compare with retiring in USA, VN is 10X a better place: much less expensive, easier to make new friends, easy to find love, great weather, very safe 24/7, people are extremely nice, world class medicare, affordable housing. Can it be boring? Yes. Is it a beautiful place? Maybe not. Can u have a conversation in English? Maybe not. But still better than USA
Love you or love your money? Even Vietnamese American lost their life savings to those "love".
@@greentea-wl3qq uah! U see negative everywhere? Been in a 5 yrs relationship, my bank account went up.
In Asia Vietnamese are thee best people.
We the Vietnamese people dont even want to go back there! In the 80 million of boat people escaping the country with 50 % chance of surviving. Put yourself into one of the poor people there and give me your answer. Most people go there just for the girls period.
Hello, now is 2022. Queation is about retiring, hence have money. U r off topic
I am shocked at how accurate this video is. People should thank you.
This video is speaking up all truth about Vietnam , I am Vietnamese Canadian , left VN 40+ years ago , every time going back to Vietnam visit relatives I all have feeling scare , unsafe , can not cross the street by myself , feel uncomfortable when go shopping , etc ..etc. I am retiring now but never want to retire in VN , to me Canada is the best . Thank you very much for sharing this
I'm Vietnamese and totally agree with you Kim Trinh, I left Vietnam over 30 years ago and haven't gone back. It's unsafe, baggers around bother you while you're there, to the tourists may have a different look but I don't feel safe even it's my country just because I know people there, you can lose your wallet by the thief anywhere, anytime, not everyone but there are a lot to name.
People often prefer to live in a familiar cultural environment. I live in Vietnam and when I go to another country for 10 days, I want to come back to Vietnam. Life in Vietnam is lively, colorful and not as dull as some countries. I like the change of an emerging economy to see it change day by day. Really surprising.
hAHAHAHAAH BA QUE
@@thedang4phim chúng tôi ko cần bạn phải quay về đây hai ở bên đó và đừng bao giờ về 😂
@@giangpham4558 Không hiểu sao, thật buồn, ko phải mình buồn, VN buồn, mà mình buồn cho cái bạn đã ròi xa quê hương lâu năm, ko chịu thấy những tốt đẹp ở VN, mà chỉ thấy cái xấu đem ra sủa. Bị 1 thàng Philippin nó bếu xấu về Đất mẹ mà chúng mày cố hù theo sao. Làm con người ko đâu bằng đất mẹ.
The evisa is easy to process online and can be single ($25) or multiple entry ($50). Three month visa and must make visa run every 3 months. Recently, visas are being rejected until individuals leave the country which means it isn't as simple to stamp out and back into Vietnam. In addition, you will need to pay a visa fee to enter either Cambodia or Laos on the visa run.
Hello everyone. I am a Vietnamese person. I accidentally received the recommendation of UA-cam about this video, I watched and I assert that what the video says is almost true. I just want to make you understand more about several problems in my homeland:
- The reason why car taxes are crazily high is it is one of the main incomes of the Vietnamese government. This government just wants to earn as much money as possible from this type of goods. Therefore, in our community, there is a common joke that a Vietnamese person has to buy a car for himself or herself, a car for the government and a car for the Party (in Vietnam, the Party means the Vietnamese Communist Party because it is the only political party in the country). If you hear someone say that the Vietnamese government wants to save the environment, it is just a lie.
- Even we, the Vietnamese, are not sure even whether foods in supermarkets are hygienic enough to use. We usually complain that we can die either we eat or do not eat. So, sorry, take care if you want to settle in this country.
- It sounds very bizarre to many foreigners, but in fact, we just have the right of USING land to settle, to cultivate and to produce, not the right of OWNING. That means even we have "Sổ đỏ" ("Red book" in Vietnamese), we just have the evidence of USING an area of land, not OWNING.
- Basically, we DO NOT have clear private healthcare. Up to the moment, there are still many Vietnamese do not know what is private healthcare and how it works. Besides that, there is a terrible scene when going to hospitals, especially local public hospitals. It is patients have to wait in long time (many people have to lie on land because of lacking of seats) and in curing period, a hospital bed may have to suffer the weights of three or even four people.
- In Vietnam, it is quite strange if you do not join the karaoke party. Unlike many Western countries, where a professional singer plays karaoke songs for audiences, almost every Vietnamese person sings karaoke song to entertain themselves and other people. In this country, it can be strange, or even in the mind of several strict Vietnamese, unpolite when you do not sing a karaoke song as a "gift" to others. That means, even when you do not have singing talent, you should join with a song. Furthermore, many karaoke restaurants are active from 9p.m to 12p.m, even longer. Therefore, it is frustrating to hear karaoke in Vietnam.
- Haggling is one of the most typical points of many Vietnamese markets. Many merchants do not have transparent price lists, while many customers, by their intuition and buying experience, are more likely to suspect that sellers are ridiculously pushing prices to earn an amount of surplus. Thus, between merchants and customers, there are many arguments about the real prices of goods and the acceptable prices for both. So, going shopping in Vietnam is like a suffering task for many Vietnamese men. They are afraid of being lied by sellers and being criticized by their mothers or wives.
That's some points I want to help you understand more about my country. Thanks for reading and replying.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages!
I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO
Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
Hospitals with patients lying on the floor in the corrido and even under the crowed beds are nightmarish scenes from apocalypse, but all too familiar ethos in the current Vietnam run by the utterly corrupt Commie regime, unfortunately.
@@thethaovatoquoc312 And you have to bribe the doctors, nurses, med. assistants, hospital workers... or you will be served poorly.
Là người VN bạn không thấy xấu hổ, và có liêm xỉ gì hả bạn? Không bắt bạn phải nói tốt về Đất nước, nhưng nhũng gì bạn nói là dối trá.
I agree with everything you said. I'm also Vietnamese. Every time I visit, I get scammed by my own people and get extreme diarrhea from eating the food. If it wasn't for my family, I wouldn't visit. I saw a comment here about how shameful it is to say bad things about your own country. Some people cannot handle the truth and have to resort to shaming. Just let them live in their own delusion.
The only cons for us are heat/humidity and no retirement visa.
The heat/humidity can be overcome by moving to Dalat, I guess.
So how could a retired couple stay there long term ?
Thx !
I think the waterfall of motorcycles at 4:30 is in Taiwan
You make a great deal of sense. I agree. Vietnam would not a good choice to retire or visit.
It's about the same on almost every point for Nepal, too. Excellent video.
No no no! Why do you want them to come live in Vietnam? Most of them are poor as£ Ignorant English teachers
Thanks to telling the truth for the world to know
Vietnam is getting better and better. Surely, will be one of the best to visit and live
Have you guys questioned the cause of his death? It's not uncommon in VN for someone to die suddenly if they voice their opinion that is a tad negative toward the government.
He may get cancer or disease from living in Vietnam so we can have an informative clip like this.
RIP brother..
This is a well-put video, the points are quite fair. As a Vietnamese who are working with foreigner from the U.S., UK, Middle-East, Egypt, India, France, I understand your view. Just my sill-y thought:
- Is Vietnam worth living after you retired? I'm only sure that VN worth visiting, especially if you have an open mind and want surprises; there are many foreigners who adapted so quick and so good that they live so freely in Vietnam, so there's no one-answer-fol-all, your life, your taste. Force people to say No is one thing, force them to say "Yes, this is heaven" is even more wrong!
- Air and water pollution: terrible, yes, but there are many people who are doing their part to solve the problem (and at the same time there are many people who are causing the problem); and one thing about Vietnamese is that, after being exposed to something, they tend to change in that direction, given enough (good) exposure, such as seeing someone start collecting trash and clean the street, the very people who was, just a minute before, throwing garbage around, would start helping with the cleaning; those who against that are just those who lived so long in their own mind, giving them more time to change.
Vietnam is a small country, hence the original planning for roads and urban area's infrastructure was way too small for the exponential expanding of population (2/5 ratio of planned and actually population), that caused the problem of logistics for collecting garbage; people simply don't have anywhere to throw their nylon bags and stuff; In the rural area where most households tend to have gardens, they will separate the plastic trash for garbage truck to collect, and burry biodegradable trash. So, the future is still bright and there are room for improvement, and it's a fact that things are improving.
Air pollution is a major problem, and I am no expert in this area, but as a commuter, I know that higher standards of vehicle importation are to be applied, for example two-stroke motors are ban from importing. On this aspect, the gov are open for suggestions.
Lets not forget that solving pollution coming from industrial area are partially a responsible of foreign manufacturers, not just Vietnamese manufacturers alone. With many horrible accidents happend (leaked of hazards, burning, explosion), the laws are getting more and more strict.
- Travelling: Just want to suggest tourists that they should be careful with the traffic in Viet Nam
1/ Each year around 10,000 Vietnamese lost their life to traffic accident, and that the highest cause of death in Vietnam. This is a real terrrible problem, and people know that.
Vietnamese people are reckless for sure, but at the same time each one values their life (and their spouse, their children) more than anything, any father or mother would sell their everything to save their children from medical problem or physical damage, your wife or husband will do the same thing for the other in case of an ill-fate happens; but it just that they don't connect the dot between risking their life for 0.5 second faster on the street and the chance of a terrible accident.
Vietnamese know their problem, they are not moth loving to dash into a flame. The death tone are high, but it's not that you see or caught in traffic accident everyday. So, the stick doesn't smash as often as the carrot is swinging, meaning most people getting away with risking their lifes.
Hope that thing will change sooner or later.
2/ Adapt to the right way to travel safely but not follow the wrong&risky way when you're on the street:
If you want to travel efficiently and safely in Vietnam, try to understand the way things work here.
My French colleague said "motorcycles going around cars like water flow through rock", what an intelligent woman!
that's the way this is: do it smoothly when you walk along or across the street, don't strictly apply the way you think how the traffic should be!
Ex: "They should stop at red light, bikes should not run on the pavement, they should pause for me to cross the street",
Being right is not as important as being safe, at leadt in this case. The first thing you should keep in mind is "well, I should be very careful so that I will leave this hell of a traffic in one piece and alive";
Don't do unexpected thing such as accelerating when you almost to the other side or the street, just keep walking "casually". If it so hard, raise your hand high, someone will support you, don't worry.
And what I mean by not following the wrong&risky way?
You obviously realized that the way Vietnamese doing with traffic, like running red light, lane splitting riding, racing on the street, etc., are crazy, right, right? Then don't do it!
My American boss, after living in Vietnam for 5 years, he just walks right through the street, in front of cars and truck and, worst of all, Buses! (you just don't mess with any bus in Vietnam, keep that in mind)
And the way he ride his mob around is just like any reckless Vietnamese biker, and give me a hard time going with him, usually he gave us the location and we'll met at the point.
Anytime colleagues from the U.S came by, he would give them tips: Don't buy expensive shits in Ben Thanh market, don't use Foody app shit, just ask your Vietnamese friends and they'll bring you the nice and cheap place to eat and pay for you; and when you cross the stress, just simply walk.
Lucky that no one died out of his last advice.
Don't worry too much, if you got life-threatening problem, people will help. No where in this country that people don't help someone in need.
air and noise pollution is a big issue due to the number of motorbikes. But it can be resolved easily by implementing electric scooters slowly. Some cities in China, diesel and gas powered bikes are banned. It makes a lot of sense and overall improvements to environment.
Vietnam is a developing country so all the noise from construction is inevitable. I, Vietnamese too, prefer to hear all these noises than know my country economically stagnates. The USA is the richest country in the world but it has all the problems this Vlogger mentioned in this clip. Do Americans or English speak French, Spanish, or any foreign language at all when their countries have millions of visitors per year? Do you know of traffic jams in Bangkok, Los Angeles, or Paris? The owner of this clip is stupid, he thinks Vietnamese is hard, try German, Russian, and Turkish. Is it stupid to think that the USA or England would allow you to retire there without the strictest rules? Rich Chinese or Russians can't live in the USA if they don't invest around 1 million dollars in business. And only a temporary Visa is granted. Taxi scams in the USA were so terrible in the past that the city government imposed laws to curb them. Power outage in the USA is rare but when it happens it is big. Wifi in VN is better than many other countries in the world. Just to let you know, crimes in the USA are still big problems because of gun deregulation.
Pollution in VN, please compare it with those in China, the USA and Europe.
But one thing I have to say is that our Vietnamese need to learn personal and public hygiene. But the government is at fault too: no garbage cans are provided in the busiest parts of the cities.
To feel ashamed and apologize for the current conditions in Vietnam, please stop it, especially to those who are ignorant and want everything for themselves.
scratching Vietnam off my list!
so what other countries is on your list?
The 21st reason is Vietnamese communist authority is the law and the law is Vietnamese communist authority if you dare to do business in Vietnam. Vietnamese governance is corrupted at all levels. The bigger your business is in Vietnam, the more severe corruption you encounter at higher level of authority.
the communist don't have enough sex that's why they like that!
Just make sure you have enough to pay them off.. Seriously
Commies = Mafia + slavery + robbery/thievery + propaganda
Do you even know what communism is? Stop pretending to be a political genius, 3 sticks. Living without motherland must be hard for you, huh?
to correct you, Vietnam is more of a socialist country
I think the best place to retire is where youre living, you know that place, you know those people, you know the culture,... you just need resources for your retirement. To be honest, people think about retire in a South East Asian country mostly is out of budget and can not afford other countries in Europe, America or big country in Asian like Japan, Korea,... Just simple, if you rich, your budget is huge, you can retire on desert and still fine, but if you not, just accept what you can, your choice. You cant find a place that "cheap" but have full of modern infrastructure and services to serve you, that just not make any sense.
You are absolutely correct. However, you have no idea how cold it is in Canada!
@@sommmeguy You have a very modern infrastructure in Thailand. I live there a year and loved it. Had no problems getting around. Need to find the right bus always go to a well used bus stop and it doesn't take long for someone to come along that speaks English, if you aren't afraid to ask strangers, and they are very friendly and helpful. All road signs are in Thai and English and GPS's work there.
Culture shock is very real. I'm (mainly) American but grew up in Honduras in the 70s. I was used to both cultures, but one thing I saw over and over again was Americans coming down to Honduras and completely freaking out about all the poverty and the primitive conditions (Honduras in the 70s could be pretty gnarly, lol). It almost always coincided with some hardcore stomach bug like dysentery as well, so it must've been really awful for them. It even happens between countries that are more similar than not: later in life, I lived in France for a year. I loved it, had a great time, but there were many moments of wishing I were back home because I was just sick of dealing with a different cultural and linguistic reality 24/7. I've had the same experience during extended stays in the UK and Australia too. Some degree of culture shock is inevitable.
I completely agree: Sometimes I am pissed by the attitude of people of the so called first world. They try to impose their ideas and believes on others.
I speak German, French, English, Italian and I understand basic Spanish. But in Asia that is often not very helpful.
And you can never really overcome your education and believes. If you live in a country we regard as "exotic" we inevitably suffer from time to time with the inefficency and the completely different way of life.
I hate if people think that people all around the world are the same. Thanks to God there are differences! That does not mean that one way of life is "better" than the other.
hey, did you happen to notice that this video is about viet nam, not honduras
@@jerryrussell2600 Great reading comprehension there, ace. Good luck with that constipation.
I'm Vietnamese American who living in Vietnam for over 10 years, I lived in the US over 30 years. I agreed with the author some certain points but I think too much negative thinking, feel like end of the world if retire or living in Vietnam. Where's the positive point?
The way you write your comment proves that you don't even live in America so please spare us from the bullshits
@Keslyn Nguyen Read his comment once again. He is one of those netters paid by the government.
@@goofietran2511 How do you know? I know Vietnamese and of course many other immigrants, who came to the US and lived here for many years, don't even know how to speak English properly. This guy is actually quite good. At least, he know how to write. You sounds like 50 cents army paid by the Chinese government
@Keslyn Nguyen ở bên mỹ đi về vn chi
@Keslyn Nguyen k phải vn chính gốc thì đừng về vn , người mỹ gốc việt là là con lai mẹ rồi nên sống với đất mẹ là nước mỹ
I love Vietnam so much. I have a missus and a business. We are expanding one business and opening a restaurant in Can Tho.
My wife and her family are Can Tho locals. If you want it, you'll find your piece of paradise in life. I found mine in Vietnam.
Try doing a story on retiring in Australia, bring half a million AUD at least!
You will find any of these negatives anywhere, even in Australia. Go to some of the towns in the north west an see what I mean.
Paradise is subjective and I'm glad you found yours. Stay safe and best wishes with your business/restaurant.
@J D I salute you for touching the right issues there.
From the lenses of most westerners, what Vietnam is famous for? Cheap stuff, good food, tourist spots and beautiful Women. That’s it. All for them to consume and enjoy. I don’t get why my fellow Vietnamese so proud of that. It literally cheapens our values and image.
I just hope foreigners realize Vietnamese people are facing serious problems, being respectful and leave us alone if they are not there to help. I also hope Vietnamese people finally realized their hospitality and desire for western validation are usually exploited. Hell, take a deep research on how Vietnamese people got treated overseas. Dirt cheap I tell you! Vietnamese people should respect themselves more, no need to bend over to please any foreigners.
@J D I understand. Thanks for providing us a flip side of Vietnam that is usually overlooked . That was very accurate and insightful.
@J D yes he is right paradise means a lot of dollars. No pay no play.
@J D You must be miserable as hell. It's not for you to decide where I'm happiest.
Your absolutely right...
All these reasons you pointed out is reason I don't live there .
Pollution
Construction noise 24/7
Traffic nightmare.
Karaoke Noise and so on.
Government takes forever for any transaction.
Most of these apply to Cambodia as well. Good information.
Almost all points are very accurate. There have always been good and bad things about Vietnam. But the bad things have become much worse in the past 10 years, whilst the good things loose some of their appeal over time. I lived in Vietnam for 25 years - HCMC, Hanoi and Danang/ Hoi An, but eventually left to semi-retire in Laos.I guess I have grown more mature and priorities changed (arrived with 30, left with 55). If you have Vietnamese spouse or even family, and can afford to buy land and a house (on your spouse's name...), you may escape the urban centers and retire in the green and relatively quiet pf the countryside. At the same time, you have to give up much of the comfort and convenience of the cities, most friends and much of your foreign social life. If you still depend on income, almost all work is in the cities.
why laos? how do they compare?
I have lots of friends from Vietnam!❤️🇻🇳 I love that country
You just said this because you’re Vietnamese! Why do you wAnt them to come live in Vietnam? Most of them are poor asz ignorant English teachers
@@vinvin1082 I am not from viatnem a lot of people can have viatnemes friends it doesn’t mean I’m viatneme I’m actually from morroco🇲🇦
Damn you blew my retirement future bubble
Isn't this scare tactic to keep the secret of Vietnam away from the place?
@@JS-jh4cy the secret of Vietnam is CHEAP..
But, you GET what you pay for..
The american old adage always works..
Beware communist touts.. these are party members- employees who travel overseas and grab the foreigners by the balls. Their jobs are trolls on the Internet to lure foreigners to suck up the hard currencies to help pay for Vietnam perennial hunger for Dollars. One trick is to inflate the Vietnam atttractiveness to sucker you the potential retirees.
I’m soo sorry to hear that! RIP Ronnie 😢😢
correct information. thumb up.
I was there 1968, 69,70,and 71.
2:08)Some of the Piasters(P) would be for bribes. In some countries, nothing gets done without bribes.
3:41)Lambrettas everywhere.Some are used for cargo. Some have benches to use as a mini bus.
5"46)In the mountains, Hmung and Meo have their own languages.
11:45)Eating out, you could be served dog.
12:51)The "bathroom" is often only a hole in the ground, used by men and women. The feet are placed on each side. There is one with blocks for the feet. Squat and dump into a small hole. Should have added a few pictures.
Interesting insights! Considering various aspects before retirement is crucial. This video sheds light on factors to weigh for a well-informed decision.
been there 5 times and I am considering to retire there one day
Good luck to you..
Excellent video informative and well detailed.
I'll pass on vn.
The power is more reliable in Saigon than I've experienced in Australia. They also have excellent internet and street food has never been a problem for me. Wish I could return.
Exactly right. I have a Note 20 ultra 5g with Telstra and I cannot get a signal inside our post office in town. Fruit and veg is already old when we get it on the shelves. And you are correct regarding power outages. Every wet season you can be sure the power will cut out as well as your internet on which your phone NOW DEPENDS.
Wow I love your comment. I really like us to be friends okay
@Greg Bender :You may get stomach upset from eating street food. Stomach cancer comes from eating American beef laden with hormones and not from eating street food. Even the EU (European Union) bans American beef.
@Greg Bender : No. It has nothing to do with me. I am not qualified to say that eating American beef will cause cancer. The EU bans American beef because their scientists believe that American beef is laden with hormones ((testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone) that may cause cancer in the long run. Cows in the US receive also synthetic hormones also known as steroids so they grow meatier and faster. Even countries in Africa don't bother to import American beef because they don't want to get cancer.
@Greg Bender you probally ate the wrong things or ate too much
Great video. I am thinking about retiring there but the visa situation made me rethink it. A short term visit is the way to go with me at this point.
How long do you live in Vietnam ? The most of the video is not true .
I found that you don't have to live near bars to have experience with number 5. People do Karaoke right from their homes. The good news is is they are usually done before 11 pm. I think I'm a first time visitor to this channel, sorry to read about RoninBlue passing.
As we grow older, healthcare becomes more important.I would not spend my retirement in Vietnam where healthcare is a concern.
There is the rights to die in the US. I enjoy US healthcare when I was young and healthy. I need no healthcare when I am old now. When I cannot walk, I want to leave my life as soon as possible.
I’m Vietnamese and I approve these messages!
I mean, I don’t see why I want foreigners come here to live LMAO
Just come, spend your stupid money and f*8king leave!! LMAO
@@vinvin1082 ua-cam.com/video/jG63EDswR-M/v-deo.html
Exactly 👍
It is a valuable guide to preparing to check out Vietnam prior the actual first visit for eventual retirement there.
Really good video! I have a friend bound for the Philippines later this year, so this video interested me from a comparison standpoint - and because I've developed a respect for Vietnam and its people over the years.
The narration was outstanding! It seemed odd to hear reference to "the World event" several times: I assumed there was a good reason for using the euphemism.
The title of the video really seemed to discourage anyone from considering retirement in Vietnam. However, early in the presentation, I caught that you were giving the contrary point of view to help prospective retirees weigh the pros and cons. Really well done!
I pass along my condolences to the family and friends of RoninBlue. If he was the one narrating, he came across as intelligent, balanced, straightforward, and intent on sharing truth. I'm sure he touched many lives, and I know he will be missed. My hope you is that your team honors him by carrying on his work. Thank you.
Dear Spencer,
Thank you for your condolences and warm comments.
I can see Ronin reading your comments with a big smile.
I am still grieving, and it is still hard for me to check comments or create content. Also, the estate process is hard and long which take up a lot of my time and energy. I hope to resume his work after all the legal matters are settled, but for now, I need to heal myself.
I wish you all the best.
Love, Samy
@@roninblue5885 - Dear Samy,
Thank you for the response. I see you made it 13 days ago - yet I didn't see it until today. I had to respond because I have known grief also. Years ago, I learned that these major life changes can take a year or more to recover from.
In the case of grieving over a lost loved one, I don't think we're supposed to "recover." I think the hurt we feel and the hole left in us aren't supposed to disappear. I think we are supposed to adjust and mature. That's not easy.
I don't intend to force my faith on you - still, I'd like to share my perspective. I believe in a God who sacrificed His son to make eternal life available to flawed humans like us. He didn't have to let Jesus die - and Jesus didn't have to give up His life for us - but Father and Son were in agreement that this had to be done, or we would be lost.
This is where my hope lies: in a God who loves us dearly (in spite of our corruption) and invites us to become members of His family through His eternal Son, Christ Jesus.
I used to be almost apologetic for sharing my faith - but no more. We have an Enemy who is actively seeking our destruction, who uses our weaknesses like our sinfulness or our grief to take us out - if we let him.
This World (ostensibly ruled by our Enemy - "The Other Guy," as our chaplain calls him) - the World can be a cruel place. When we lose a loved one, our grieving is interrupted by the business affairs we must attend to. I know that's a challenge, and it's unfair.
Look, I've said enough - maybe crossed a boundary. But I want to encourage you. I do not know what faith you practice and I respect you and your faith. At my age, I appreciate anyone who grasps that there is a spiritual realm that envelops us. If you have any doubts about how you will face eternity, I invite you to get to know Jesus Christ - not religion, but the Person - the eternal Son of God.
Again, thank you for the work you are doing, the information you share, and the legacy you continue.
Sorry, how the hell is 6 a con?? Isn't that the whole point of retiring to VN? And 3 - it's not exactly humid in the northern winter, in fact it's damn cold.
If you live in America, go to Vietnamese travel agency, they can apply 5 years visa for you without having Vietnamese family or spouse live in Vietnam. Some of information in this video is not correct. Alway a way to do it. Money is power.
Good advice
I have lived here for over 3 years, and never heard of a 5-year visa. What's its official name?
@@v00n2000 The Vietnamese travel agency via the Vietnamese embassy can get a tourist here in the US a 5 year VN visa once you apply for it. Just a visa that is valid for 5 years. The Vn trip has a limited staying time though. I don't know about staying in Vn for over a month, because I haven't done so in the last 27 years, but you might ask some tourist agencies in HCM city, they probably know that.
@@kqdwills so, you are saying the visa lasts 5 years, but only valid for a month at a time?
I met some Americans here who got one-year tourist visas, but they weren't available for non-USA citizens.
@@v00n2000 No, I said I have never used them for more than a month, but they were definitely valid more than 6 months at least. I just don't know how it works for expats who live permanently in VN. I'm an US citizen, so I believe they can also get that kind of visas. There were 5 year and one year visas available at the time you apply for it. Many people applied for the one year visas, because they didn't know the 5 year ones were available. That's why I said you could ask the agents who work at tourist agencies about the 5 year visa. They probably know that.
Aren't you an US citizen? If not, I don't know how it works for non- US citizens. Still, you can ask them.
Love this video so true about Vietnam👍
Vietnam is not a country where you can fall in love at first sight. But when you truly understand the country and its people. It’s an eternal love❣️
Viết tiếng Anh gì quá tệ vậy? Đi học lại căn bản rồi học viết nhé! Hiểu chữa??
@@chinhmiho9722 Bạn nên học lại căn bản tiếng Việt Nam đi nhé. Hiểu “chữa” nghĩa là gì bạn?
@@kingvo1325
Dại gái quá! Kiến thức hạn hẹp quá! Tiếng Việt mà không hiểu hai từ ‘hiểu chữa!’ Bó chân! Hiểu chữa? Đi tìm hiểu ngôn ngữ Vietnam đi nhé!
@@chinhmiho9722 Tên bạn là Ho Chi Minh, mà còn viết trật lất, thì những gì bạn nói ai tin? LOL.
@@kingvo1325
Cảm ơn nhiều nhé! Bác là lãnh tụ của CSVN ta sao? Nói thế coi chừng bị coi là phản động đấy!
Hiểu chữa? Ngôn ngữ của you kém quá! Kiến thức hạn hẹp quá! Hiểu chữa?